Fifer and Thisbe, still strung painfully tight in the grips of the dragon-woman, looked at one another in horror, unable to comprehend what the Revinir was talking about because of what she’d said about Dev. He was dead?

Dev. Their friend. She’d killed him.

In that life-altering moment, another electric connection passed between the girls like what had happened before when they were walking. Only this time they weren’t touching. It was a feeling, like tiny pulses in their chests, that brought their minds to connect for the first time in their lives. It reminded Fifer of what Alex and Aaron had once felt. The way they’d described it. It was the thing Fifer had felt so inadequate about when she was searching for Thisbe back in the forest of Grimere and been unable to feel if Thisbe was nearby. And now, with her sister just feet away but with no ability for them to speak freely, they had become one.

We aren’t going to survive this, thought Thisbe, looking into her sister’s eyes.

Fifer could hear it like a whisper. But she didn’t answer right away, for something else was already brewing deep inside Fifer’s mind. She stared at Thisbe hard, thinking intensely about something the Revinir had said. Trying to work out this thing that wouldn’t quite come together. But feeling that if she were patient, if she just thought a little longer… maybe it would. After a moment, Fifer pulled out one of the few remaining send spell components that hadn’t been dumped into the sea. She tapped it, producing the pencil, then wrote:

Florence,

Call Simber back. Keep the people from Grimere safe. Don’t come after us. And don’t reply. Trust me.

—Fifer

Fifer sent the message, and it went soaring away, lighting up the night.

“Ha!” said the Revinir. “Getting a little worried? Wondering why they’re not coming? There’s no one back there. Not one person or ghost dragon or flying cheetah chasing after you.” The dragon-woman laughed again, but this time her voice sounded strained.

“You’re right,” Fifer said, trying to sound devastated. “Maybe they don’t care about us after all.”

Next to her, wild with angst, Thisbe searched Fifer’s face. “What are you doing?” she mouthed.

Fifer pressed her lips together in a line, then concentrated, trying to send a message to Thisbe like Thisbe had sent, perhaps by accident, to her. Don’t despair. Remember the fights we’ve won.

In the Quiet

Dev had pleasantly lost track of the days. Every morning he woke up to sunshine streaming into his library and had to remind himself that he was free to do whatever he wanted, or to do nothing at all. This was his home now—all his. This life was definitely something he was getting accustomed to. Being a little bit lonely sometimes? That was a bargain of a trade for his old life.

He was still worried about the Revinir returning, but that fear lessened over time. He could think of a lot of reasons why she wouldn’t. Obviously, she must think the palace was abandoned—there was no way any normal person would live here, and she saw that for herself recently. Plus, the whole village around the palace was deserted. She couldn’t possibly imagine that this was a good hiding place for whoever she was looking for. It wasn’t convenient to anywhere, and there was no easy way in and out of this corner of the land with the crater lake on one side and the mountains on another.