“Sorry there’s not much space.” Nine gestured around the lower deck, then motioned for us to sit. “These skimmers aren’t meant for hosting parties, but I don’t want you all on the main deck in case someone else happens to find me here.”

LaLa and Crystal fluttered around, inspecting barrels and crates until they found the glowing symbols. Together, they flew to a porthole close to a symbol and balanced on the bolts of metal while they sniffed the source of the light.

LaLa bumped it with her nose and the light went out.

She turned to Crystal in alarm, and the silver dragon nosed the symbol as though to check if it was dead.

The light came back.

Both dragons chittered excitedly, and then they turned the light off again.

Then on.

Then off.

“Great.” Gerel covered her face with her hands. “I have never been happier to have dragons around.”

“The fate of the Fallen Isles depends on them, you know,” muttered Chenda. “These majestic creatures.”

LaLa pecked at the markings excitedly, then looked around to see if anyone had witnessed her domination of light.

“Pretend like you don’t notice.” I dragged my hands down my face. “If you ignore their bad behavior, they’ll get bored. Eventually. But if you reward them with attention, they’ll think it’s a game.”

Nine just rubbed her forehead. “Who are all of you?”

I introduced Nine to my sister and the rest of my friends, and then we took turns telling her how the high magistrate’s soldiers were moving through the streets to take people.

Nine sighed. “All right. I’ll add it to my report. But what do you want from me? Why do you have all your worldly possessions with you?”

“We can’t go back to the Fire Rose. It’s only a matter of time before Paorah starts looking for Aaru and me.”

“All right.” Nine crossed her arms. “And?”

I clicked for LaLa and held her steady with the tips of my fingers. “And,” I said, “we’re in trouble. We have few allies, and even fewer friends. Our governments are against us, and our gods are ready to abandon us. We need options—better options than a few people getting saved and the rest being left to die.”

“We aren’t friends,” Nine said. “Not even allies.”

“I know.” My breath shivered on its way in. “But I need to ask for your help anyway.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Spit it out.”

I should have talked to the others first. I should have given them a chance to offer other options, but back in Harta, Chenda had insisted that I needed to take charge. She was right: I was the Hopebearer, the Dragonhearted, and the living symbol of the Mira Treaty, even if Elbena had tried to bleed it out of me, and Paorah had killed another girl to destroy it.

We couldn’t stay in Flamecrest. I knew that now. And the dragon dreams had been telling me what to do—where to go—ever since the Great Abandonment began. This whole time, some immense and fiery part of my soul had been telling me how to save everyone, but I hadn’t understood.