Ilina pulled open the lid, and both dragons shot into our arms. I stroked down LaLa’s spine as she curled up against my breastbone with a throaty purr. On the other side of the basket, Ilina was kissing Crystal’s nose.

“I think the best thing about these two is”—she paused—“everything, I guess. But one of the many best things is how they’re always so happy to see us, even though we were just holding them an hour ago.”

“Their excitement is so good for our egos.” I grinned and turned to LaLa. “We need your help, sweet lizard. We need you to look for something for us. And tell us when you find it.”

LaLa and Crystal were hunting dragons, and we’d been working with them for years. They were good at finding prey and leading us to it, but this was bigger. A ship. A spy. A hunt without a vole on the other end.

But as I described the black ship aloud, I held the image in my mind and tried to send it along the connection LaLa and I shared.

The dragons hadn’t stopped nuzzling us—they were mindful of their sharp scales, of course—but before I was finished describing the ship, LaLa leaped out of my arms. Crystal shot up behind her.

They flew quickly—they were Drakontos raptuses, one of the fastest species in the Fallen Isles—but probably not so quick that someone didn’t notice them. So Ilina and I hurried out of the garden and returned to our friends, moving everyone away from the shoe shop.

“Do you think they understood what you wanted?” Hristo asked as we walked.

“They didn’t seem to be paying attention.” Ilina sighed and looked up, but the dragons were no longer in sight.

But just as I was about to voice my agreement, an image flashed in my mind:

A small black ship. Sharp rocks. Steep red cliffs. And the path I would take to get there, if only I could fly.

Chenda touched my shoulder; I’d stopped walking. “Are you all right?” Concern laced her tone as she gazed down at me. “You didn’t eat much. . . .”

“I’m fine,” I breathed. “Better than fine. I know where the ship is.”

IT WAS A long walk from the city to the small cove where Nine had moored her ship. By the time we arrived, the sun was dipping deep into the western sky, and the god shadow swung heavy over the cliffs. A faint chill followed.

Aaru stepped close to me and twisted our fingers together. Warmth rushed off his body, curling around mine. My shiver of excitement felt wholly inappropriate for the moment, but I couldn’t forget the way he’d touched me earlier. Maybe he couldn’t, either, because his throat jumped and he glanced at me to see if I’d noticed.

I squeezed his hand and wanted to say something reassuring, but then our narrow path led us around a pillar of red rock and we caught sight of the black ship.