“Me too,” Six grinned. “Do you think they really build wings like the ones that were in the council house?”

“Th-they do,” Seven said dreamily, staring into the fire. “And soar with them too. Their chief has w-wings made of ice eagle feathers.”

“Whoa!” Five said. “How do you know that?”

Seven shrugged. “I dream of them sometimes.”

“Brilliant!” Five gasped, his face lit up. He turned to Six. “Do you think they’ll teach us how to use them?”

Twelve watched Seven, wondering what else the other girl knew but afraid to ask.

Seven caught her eye and smiled ruefully. “T-trust me, you’re better off not knowing. Most of it doesn’t make sense anyway. Well . . .” She paused. “It d-doesn’t until it does.”

“Like keeping the fox muzzled?” Twelve asked, remembering Seven’s cryptic warning.

“Y-yes.” Seven frowned. “That came to me so suddenly and so clearly that I knew it was important, but—” Her face showed her frustration.

“It doesn’t make sense until it does,” Twelve echoed quietly. A thought occurred to her. “What would have happened if the goblin had managed to draw that sword?”

Seven shivered and shook her head, her lips pressed into a line. She wasn’t going to answer.

A moment later, she reached into her pocket and, to Twelve’s delight, pulled out the moonstone. In the daylight, it just looked like a pretty rock, its surface milky and iridescent. “I’d l-like you to keep this,” she said, holding it out to Twelve as though it was nothing more than a heel of bread.

“You got it back!” Twelve breathed, running her fingers over its smooth, familiar surface.

“I knew w-w-where it would be if we drove the goblins back,” Seven shrugged. “I f-found it for you.”

“What? No!” Twelve exclaimed. “It’s yours.”

“Not anymore,” Seven said firmly, brushing aside Twelve’s protests and pushing it into her hands. “Just p-promise me you’ll always keep it with you.”

Twelve stared into Seven’s fierce gaze and felt her arguments die on her lips. There was fear in the other girl’s face. Fear and certainty.

“What is it?” Twelve asked. “What do you know?”

But Seven was already walking away. “I already t-told you,” she called over her shoulder. “You’re b-better off not knowing. Besides, the thing that’s important right now is on the other side of camp—dinner!”

Twelve grinned as Five and Six leaped to their feet and hurried after her. Dog followed too, bounding away from the finished section of palisade.

“You coming, Twelve?” Six called back. “Or is it Phoenix now?”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” she answered, waving him on.

When she and Widge were alone, she pulled her knees to her chest and stared into the flames, feeling an answering echo of heat pulse through her.

“Phoenix,” she said thoughtfully, testing it again. She glanced at Widge. “What do you think?”