The Revinir wrinkled up her snout scornfully. Just as smoke started pouring from her jowls, a ball of light zipped in through the balcony doors and stopped in front of Thisbe.

Thisbe froze and stared at it. And then both of them lunged for it. Thisbe’s touch opened it, and as it melted into her hand, the Revinir grabbed it before the girl had a chance to read it.

“Give me that!” Thisbe screamed. Fire shot from her eyes and fingertips.

“ ‘Thisbe,’ ” the Revinir read in a mocking voice. She stood tall and kept the letter out of Thisbe’s reach. “ ‘How could you do this? To me, and to all of us? Please reconsider. I’m devastated. I await your explanation while clinging to hope and love. Rohan.’ ”

Thisbe’s face burned.

The dragon-woman began to chuckle. “Wow,” she said. “Hope and love? So dramatic.” She eyed Thisbe, who had stopped clawing at the dragon and had given up once she realized who the note was from. But she couldn’t let on how devastating this was. She couldn’t show that she cared the Revinir was reading anything anyone sent her, because that could give away her secret. Thisbe had to act like she’d abandoned everyone in her past life and that this was easy to explain away. The young mage stood tall and narrowed her eyes. Sure, the words from Rohan had hit her hard, and she could almost hear the disappointment and shock in Rohan’s voice. She could fall apart later. But now she had a job to do.

The Revinir moved around Thisbe, studying her closely and trying to get some sense on how the girl was handling this note. Was she moved by it at all? Or had she been playing Rohan all along like she’d played her sister? It was impossible to tell with Thisbe, which frustrated her, but at the same time, it was the thing she most admired.

The dragon-woman read the note again. “Poor Rohan,” she said bitingly. “You’ve devastated your dearest friend. How does that make you feel, Thisbe?”

Thisbe stared straight ahead, fixing her gaze on a large plant that rested on a bejeweled table in the corner. How did it make her feel? Horrible. Awful. Terrible. Like giving up. It made her feel like running away. Like abandoning the plan. Like going in search of Rohan and telling him everything. It made her feel like her chest had been ripped open and her heart sliced by those awful curling claws. It made her want to crumple up in a ball on the floor and die.