“That doesn’t make sense,” Hristo said.

Maybe not, but that didn’t change what I felt. “There’s an eclipse—or one coming—and I know I have to do something by then, but I don’t know what. Only that it’s important.”

The others—except Aaru—just looked at me, uncertainty written clearly all over their expressions.

“I know how it sounds, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all sooner, but I had my doubts, too, until Ilina confirmed the eclipse.” My heart pounded with the words. “I don’t know what else is true—if anything is—but I need to follow these instincts.”

“And they’re telling you to go to the empire?” Chenda looked dubious. “I thought you were against leaving everyone in the Fallen Isles to die.”

“I am.” I pressed my fist against my heart, like I could crush its pounding into submission. “But I think to save the Fallen Isles, I need to leave. For now. I’ll return.”

“When?” Zara asked.

“Before the eclipse.” I closed my eyes. “If I can find something and bring it back, then I think we might have a chance. The Fallen Gods might be appeased. They might stay.”

Everyone was quiet a moment.

“What about Idris?” Aaru asked softly.

“I wish I knew.” My dreams were only dreams. They didn’t tell me if the islands would return to normal, or if the Great Abandonment would just stop, with the evidence of our near extinction looming on the horizon. The god shadow. Maybe shadows by then, if I didn’t move quickly enough.

“What do you think you need to get?” Hristo asked. “What could the empire have that’s so important to us?”

I glanced upward, as though I might be able to see Nine through the solid metal of the ship.

::I have silence around us,:: Aaru tapped. ::She can’t hear you.::

“Bones.” I swallowed hard. “Dragon bones. From the first dragon.”

No one said a word.

Haltingly, I told them my dream about the Fall, and how the first dragon burst from the bones of the gods, and led the war for the Fallen Isles. With the exception of Zara, they all knew the story of the Celestial Warriors, who’d gone to the mainland to burn away the strongholds of our enemies, but they hadn’t known—couldn’t have known—that the first dragon had led them.

And she was the one we needed to bring home.

“That’s—” Ilina stopped. Blew out a breath. Frowned. “I’ve never heard of the first dragon before. Are you sure?”

“No.” It was the honest answer. “But you’re the one who said there’s an eclipse coming. If the eclipse with both moons is real, why can’t the bones of the first dragon be real, too?”

“We’re talking about going to the Algotti Empire based on your dream.” Zara looked exasperated. “Didn’t you dream that you were a fish once? And you couldn’t find your skirt, so it started to storm?”

“I was ten,” I said. “And everyone has strange dreams like that. Right?”

Everyone was suddenly very interested in the dragons, who’d gone back to playing with the light symbols. Light. Dark. Light. Dark.