“I didn’t track with any of this at first,” said Florence. She glanced at Rohan. “I understand your disbelief, Rohan. Maybe Fifer is somehow compromised. There’s no telling what people will do when injured and threatened or bullied.” She thought for a moment. “But Fifer knew she didn’t have to make up a shocking story to get us to come—she could have just asked, and we’d be on the way immediately. So why would she need to lie?”

Rohan closed his eyes in defeat.

“A lot of time has passed, and we don’t know any details,” Florence said gently. “I’m withholding judgment for now. But… I have little reason to doubt what Fifer is saying.”

“I agree,” said Sky quietly.

Seth nodded. “Fifer doesn’t lie.” A shadow crossed over his face. Unless it was for Thisbe. He shook the thought away—it didn’t make any sense. How would Fifer lying to all of them about this help Thisbe in any way?

Ishibashi spoke up. “ ‘Another way’… what does that mean?”

“I assume it means another way to take over leadership.”

“Impossible,” Maiven said. But her eyes narrowed, and she didn’t seem 100 percent sure.

Rohan remained quiet and withdrawn. Everything about this strange development seemed completely off. And he was furious that Florence and the others hadn’t gone after the twins when he’d suggested it, right after they’d been abducted. Back when he’d tried to convince them that it was the right thing to do. Nobody knew the Revinir like he and the other black-eyed children did. Why hadn’t they listened to him? Why hadn’t he pushed harder? He sank down into the dragon’s soft back, feeling stunned. How could Thisbe possibly do something like this? Not just to him, but to their people? It made Rohan sick enough to want to throw up. He thought he knew her.

Maybe this was Fifer’s way of saying something else. Was she being forced to send it? Was Florence sure that it sounded like Fifer? What if the note was really from the Revinir? “Are you sure Fifer wrote these?” he asked, desperate to make sense of this.

“She would have had to be the one to write it and send it magically,” said Florence. “No one else could do it and impersonate her.”

“But if a dragon were hovering over her, she might write whatever the Revinir told her to write,” Rohan argued. “I just can’t believe this is true. Thisbe would never, ever do this.” He felt like he was repeating himself, but he couldn’t let it go.

“I can’t fathom it either,” Maiven said. “Florence, could Fifer be compromised?”

“Absolutely,” said Florence. “And if she is, the Revinir will be anxiously waiting for our response.”

Seth glanced up. “So it would torture the Revinir if we don’t answer right away?”