“That’s what I’m hoping for,” said Fifer. “Either way, they won’t be here for a couple of days, so we have time to decide whether to use this last send spell. I really want to save it in case I need to reach Thisbe, though.”

“Florence will be bringing more with her,” said Dev. “Won’t she? She’s the head of your army, after all.” Dev hadn’t ever met Florence, but he’d heard plenty about her over time.

“I’m sure whoever comes will have extra. But I don’t feel good at all about using the last one until I’m one hundred percent certain more are in my possession. As we both know, plans can change. And I’m not at all positive we’ll be able to have Florence come directly to us.” She balled her fists and pounded her forehead. “I can’t believe my precious birds are gone forever. I feel terrible. Shimmer was my friend.”

Dev didn’t know how to comfort her. She was distraught over it. So was he, but Fifer’s loss was much more personal. Plus, they’d been counting on the birds for later. Not having them would mess up their plans. And now, with Florence and whoever else was on the way, they had to figure out where to send them so that the dragons wouldn’t attack as they’d done with the birds.

And there was also the question of what to do with Dev. Because he was supposed to be dead, they didn’t want anyone from Artimé to know quite yet that he was alive. This was for the same reason that they needed their friends to truly believe Thisbe had joined the other side—because in case anyone was captured and forced to take in the dragon-bone broth, they couldn’t tell the Revinir the truth. Dev was safer dead than alive at this point, at least in the minds of everyone potentially vulnerable to the Revinir’s schemes. But now Dev was second-guessing his intentions to attempt to cross the property line shortly for his hideout in the village. He’d figured he’d be able to leave just as he’d been able to come, but now he wasn’t so sure. Besides, he wanted to be here for Fifer if she needed him, especially now that she didn’t have Shimmer. He also wanted to be in on the action. It was a risk, though, because he knew the truth about what Thisbe was doing. And if the Revinir captured him, that had the potential to mess up everything.