Florence had immediately responded, and then she’d prepared a small rescue contingent to head out on the ghost dragons. Leaving Lani in charge of Artimé and Samheed and Kaylee to take over magical and combat training, Florence, Simber, Aaron, Maiven, Rohan, Ishibashi, Sky, Carina, and Seth departed Artimé in various stages of disbelief, having had little time to absorb and comprehend Fifer’s words.

Fifer’s response came in while they were flying on Gorgrun’s back to the Island of Fire. Florence called an emergency meeting with Maiven and Rohan and the rest of them. Simber flew next to them, and Quince beyond, carrying luggage and supplies. Florence opened the send spell and read it silently while the others waited.

Rohan’s face looked as gray as it had been when he’d lived in the catacombs for years. “I just… I can’t believe this is happening,” he whispered as he prepared himself for more atrocities.

Florence looked up, then read the message aloud:

Florence,

Thank goodness you’re coming. Yes, Thisbe knows that. But she took a hard fall early on and has been a bit out of sorts ever since, talking about being more evil than good. Then she mumbled something yesterday about there being another way…. I didn’t know what she meant by that until she disappeared with one of the Revinir’s dragons. I’m afraid she has something sinister in mind. I’m sick about it—this isn’t the Thisbe everyone knows.

Fifer

“Sinister?” Rohan said, his eyes widening. “Not the Thisbe everyone knows? What is going on here? She was injured…?” He shook his head angrily. “More evil than good? That’s not an indicator of anything! I kept telling her that!”

Maiven touched Rohan’s arm. “We’ll get this straightened out.”

“Clearrrly the Rrrevinirrr has put the twins thrrrough something horrrible,” Simber said. “We should have gone afterrr them earrrlierrr.”

“We had an order from the head mage,” Florence reminded him.

“But why didn’t Fiferrr contact us beforrre this happened?” Simber lamented. “Maybe we could have done something!”

“I still think something odd is happening here,” Rohan said. “Thisbe would never do this!”

“It’s not impossible for me to imagine Thisbe going this route,” Aaron muttered. His expression was distraught. He didn’t know what else to say. A pang of guilt went through him. Was his sister taking after him?

Maiven looked from Florence to Simber and back again. It was heartbreaking to see their reactions. “Florence,” she said, “how do these notes strike you?”