“Mewmewmew!”
Simber tilted his head slightly as if deep in thought. “That’s a verrry long way to rrrun for a tiny kitten, though.”
“Mewmewmew.”
“Trrrue.” Simber looked thoughtful.
“What’s she saying?” asked Alex.
“She says we should drrrop herrr off at the castle, and she can find herrr way thrrrough the dungeon and into the catacombs without anyone noticing herrr.” Simber looked at Kitten. “But then what? How does that help us get in?”
“Mewmewmew,” said Kitten confidently.
Simber looked at the others. “She says she’ll trrravel to the Drrragonsmarrrche entrrrance and brrring the cylinderrr up forrr us.”
“But, Kitten, how will you know when we’re ready?” Alex asked.
“Mewmewmew.”
“Hmm,” said Simber. “Good point—we could send you a seek spell once we arrre quite surrre you’d be therrre. Do you have anything you’ve crrreated that you can give us?”
Kitten reached her tiny paw into a tiny tuft of fur and pulled out an even tinier something. She held it out. Seth opened his hand, and Kitten dropped it on his palm. It was a silver square.
“What is it?” asked Seth, straining to see.
“Mewmewmew,” said Kitten with pride.
“It’s a locket,” said Simber. “She made it in jewelrrry class.”
“Mewmewmew,” said Kitten.
Simber rolled his eyes. “She wants you all to know it has a picturrre of Fox inside it.”
“Aw,” said Seth. “That’s pretty cute, I have to admit.” He looked around. “Do we have some fishing line? I can wear it around my neck so I don’t lose it. It’s so small.”
Carina reached for the supplies and found a piece that was the right size, and Seth poked the line through the locket’s miniscule ring, like he was threading a needle. Then he tied it around his neck. “Maybe Talon can be ready and waiting at the cave entrance at the same time. We could send him a seek spell too, to let him know it’s time to attack.”
“That’s a good idea, Seth,” said Alex. “Then we’ll go in together.” Simber nodded his approval.
Alex regarded Seth thoughtfully for a moment, his esteem for the boy rising. Seeing his sharp problem-solving skills surprised him, not having witnessed them before. It made him wonder if the girls had become that sharp too. He thought about Fifer back at home and how hard she’d tried to convince him that it was so, and felt a pang of guilt. He’d been so busy training he’d never given her a chance to show him or even tell him much about what she’d been through.
Seth didn’t notice Alex. He was working through the rest of the plan. “How are we going to get Kitten to the castle? We don’t want any of them to see Arabis or know that Simber is back, do we?”
“That’s right,” said Lani. “Let’s not tip them off.”
Talon stepped up. “I’ll take you, Kitten. I can fly above the clouds so no one sees us coming and put you down on one of the turrets. Do you think you can figure out how to get to the dungeon from there?”
Kitten nodded.
“It’ll take Kitten quite some time to travel the distance,” said Arabis. “You’ll want to head due west, Kitten—as much as you can, anyway. If what the guards have said is accurate, your path should be slightly uphill the entire way.”
Kitten bowed graciously to the dragon. “Mewmewmew.”
“She intends to sneak rrrides along with anyone going in that dirrrection,” Simber interpreted.
“Good. Likely just a day’s journey, then.” Arabis glanced around, assessing their safety on the hillside. “Perhaps we should make our way into hiding, just there,” she said, nodding and pointing with her tail toward the forest. It had been many hours of walking for Seth and the twins over rough terrain, but flying wouldn’t take long at all.
“Talon, can you find us at the edge of the forrrest?” said Simber, pointing with Arabis to where he wanted Talon to go.
“Fear not,” said Talon. “I shall see you there by afternoon.” With that, Talon set off with Kitten for the distant castle. The rest of them climbed onto Arabis and Simber and took off to the shelter of the forest. To their right they could see the tiny village waking up. Seth told everyone how Fifer and Thisbe had made the bamboo prison bars come alive, how he’d gotten hooked on them by accident, and how the girls had then saved him.
“Wow,” said Alex. “They did all that? I—I didn’t realize.” Somehow seeing the place where his sisters had been brought all sorts of questions to his mind. He regretted that he hadn’t thought to ask Fifer more when he’d had the chance. Had he made a mistake not letting her come? “What else happened, Seth?”
Kaylee and Lani glanced at him and then at each other. Lani rolled her eyes, but they kept quiet, and Alex didn’t see her.
Seth pointed to a hill rising between them and the castle. “Over there is where Thisbe killed a poisonous snake and saved Dev’s life. And Fifer helped me walk after I twisted my ankle.”
Arabis, who’d heard by now that Fifer hadn’t been allowed to come, sensed that reinforcements might help the girl’s case for next time. She added to what Seth was saying. “Fifer and Seth were heroic in saving us. I was about to be killed. They stayed levelheaded, even after Thisbe was thrown into the dungeon, and performed the most amazing magic I’ve ever seen, given what they had to work with.” She snorted. “Some saplings and a bit of burlap they found in the dungeon—I would never have believed they could make true working wing extensions come alive from that. And Fifer’s ability to comfort and work with Drock, who was exceedingly upset as he often is, was a lesson in patience for the rest of us.” She paused. “I commend them both.”
The words brought tears of pride to Carina’s eyes, and Seth lowered his head. “Thanks.” He knew telling these stories was the least he could do for his friend Fifer, to say these things in front of Alex where he could actually see for himself what odds they’d been up against. It was his way of making up for Fifer being stuck at home. Maybe he could play a part in Fifer getting to go along in the future. Or at least getting Alex to understand that they were not just simple inexperienced kids. They were real and true mages.
Alex remained thoughtful and quiet as they descended to the edge of the forest. They all followed Arabis into a clearing that both she and Simber could squeeze into.
They ate a meal and refilled their water jugs from the river while waiting for Talon. As the day wore on, Carina and Thatcher told more tales from the dungeon where they’d spent time in the cell next to Thisbe, and Kaylee asked for more details about everything, trying to get to the real heart of what it was like out here for the three children—not only to inform Alex but also so the team would have as few surprises as possible.
Finally Talon was a glint in the sky coming toward them. But the stories continued. In the middle of Seth recounting how Fifer had to race against the clock to make the magic wings come alive without Seth there to help, Alex let out a long, troubled sigh. “Okay, okay,” he said, holding up his hands in surrender. “I know what you’re doing. And I know why you’re doing it. And you’re right.” He hesitated for a moment, struggling for the right words. “I’m deeply disappointed . . . in myself. I am. And it’s hard for me to admit that. It’s hard for me to not get defensive or to accuse you all of ganging up on me, even though you haven’t said a word about me refusing to let Fifer come along. I guess . . .” Alex picked up a small stick and began breaking it into pieces. “Seth, I guess seeing this new land and hearing about the various struggles you and the twins overcame makes it real, and it brings me back to when we were your age. I still want to protect my sisters, but I’ll admit it. I think . . . I made . . . a mistake.”
Everyone was quiet, and Lani didn’t roll her eyes now. Solemnly she locked her gaze with Samheed, remembering those times when they were twelve and thirteen too. Carina, Thatcher, and Kaylee exchanged glances, then nervously watched Alex’s bowed head. Had they gone t
oo far with all the stories to try to make this point?
Finally Alex looked up, resigned. “It was a big mistake. As much as it breaks my heart with worry, I should have let Fifer come with us. And . . . I hope I haven’t compromised our mission by not allowing her to be here.”
On the Right Track
Fifer and Crow crossed over the space between the worlds at sunset. Like Seth had done a half day earlier with his team, Fifer pointed out the various places she’d been to and told Crow all about her adventures with Thisbe and Seth. Crow was appropriately shocked and impressed. It seemed surreal to Fifer now, reliving all the close calls and near disasters. It almost made her feel like Alex had been right to be overly worried, but she quickly brushed off that feeling. Along with the familiarity of the terrain, having Crow with her gave her added comfort.
They stopped on the hillside, wanting to stretch and give the birds a rest, but there wasn’t much for the birds to eat or drink among the rocks. So soon they were off again. Fifer directed them toward the forest and river, where they could safely settle down for the night.
When they reached the edge of the forest and landed, Fifer took the supplies and Crow folded up the hammock. Fifer lit a blinding highlighter to guide them closer to the river, and soon they came upon a large clearing that had been recently and quite magnificently trampled by what had to be very large creatures. There was a spot that had held a fire, though it was fully extinguished now. The birds chattered noisily over it all.
“I’ll bet Arabis and Simber and the team stopped here for a bit,” Fifer said. “We’re not too far behind them.”
“We’ll have to set out early to catch up,” said Crow. “I’m sure they’ve stopped somewhere as well for the night.” He pulled out a couple of prepared meals that Fifer had taken from Artimé’s kitchen and quickly ate his.
Fifer ate too, though she wasn’t very hungry. She began to feel butterflies in her stomach when she thought about meeting up with the rescue team. It would no doubt be a huge surprise for them to see her. “I wonder if Alex will yell at me when we find them,” she mused as they made beds out of the brush. “Actually, there’s no ‘if’ about it, because I’m sure he will. But how badly?”
“There’s not a lot he can do about it,” said Crow with a shrug. “We’re here. I know it’s early to go to sleep, but we can’t do much else now that it’s dark. We may as well rest up so we can make ourselves as useful as possible tomorrow.” He lay on the grass and put his hands behind his head. “Have you thought about what you’ll tell Alex?”
Fifer set the glowing highlighter between them on the grass and rummaged through her travel bag. “A little. I’ll say I couldn’t stand to be away from Thisbe a moment longer. And if that means he loves me less, then that’s the way it goes. I’ll take her over him any day.”
Crow smiled wryly. “I’m not so sure that technique will endear you to him. You might want to leave out that last bit and stick with the first. I think he might understand that, especially since he’s chosen his twin over some other things in the past. Try to see things from his perspective, and use what you have in common with him instead of getting immediately hot and butting heads. If you attempt to do that, and he sees your effort to understand him, maybe he’ll realize you’re more mature now and do the same thing for you.”
Fifer pulled a thin blanket from her bag and lay down, draping it over her. “I remember in one of the adventures Lani wrote that Alex could feel it when Aaron was badly injured after the pirates captured him. That made him want to go after Aaron.”
“Yes,” said Crow. “I remember that. He was totally driven by that feeling that Aaron was on the brink of death. Do you have that kind of twin bond with Thisbe? Or those prickly feelings about each other when you’re separated?”
“I’m not sure,” Fifer admitted. “This is the first time we’ve ever been separated. I don’t have some weird sense that she’s about to die or anything, though.” She paused, thinking it through. “Maybe our bond isn’t as close as Alex and Aaron’s.”
“Or maybe Thisbe’s not in life-threatening danger,” Crow suggested. He yawned and rolled to his side.
“Mm-hmm.” Fifer nodded sleepily. Crow’s words comforted her. She was glad they’d talked this out. She’d thought worrying about it might keep her up all night, but she felt better now. Almost good enough to face Alex tomorrow.
Now all they had to do was find him.
A Tragic Turn
By that evening, Thisbe was growing nervous. The ancestor bones lay on the kitchen floor where Rohan had left them, and they’d soon be using them to make a new broth, which was unsettling enough. But adding to that, in just over twenty-four hours she and Rohan would be breaking out of here. No matter what. That phrase repeated in her head unendingly, like one of Fox and Kitten’s songs they’d sometimes play at Artimé’s annual masquerade ball—it was annoying, but you couldn’t stop it. All she hoped was that she could get through the remaining time without the Revinir making her drink ancestor-bone broth. Because she wouldn’t do it.
“What’s wrong with you?” Dev asked her when he caught her paused in filling the last of the dragon-bone broth into the bottles.
Thisbe blinked and continued working slowly. “Nothing.” She felt guilty for not telling Dev the plan, but she had to protect herself. She’d learned her lesson with him.
Dev frowned and helped Thisbe finish. They cleaned out the cauldrons and replaced them on their fires. Then they both turned slowly and looked at the pile of ancestor bones.
“I can’t do this,” said Thisbe.
“Me either. It’s horrible.”
They continued to stand there, trying to figure out what to do. “We could tell the soldiers we’re done for the night,” said Thisbe. “Then we wouldn’t have to start this until tomorrow. Maybe . . . maybe something crazy will happen that will stop everything.” Thisbe glanced sidelong at Dev.
“They won’t let us go.” Dev went to the door and looked at the entry room.
“Get back in there,” growled a soldier. “The Revinir is coming.”
Dev scooted back into the room. “She’s coming.”
“I heard,” said Thisbe, growing panicky. She and Dev scrambled to look busy as the woman came into the room.
The Revinir assessed the kitchen and saw both cauldrons empty and the fires low. “Get started on the new bones,” she barked. “What are you standing around for?”
“Well,” Thisbe began, stalling for time, “I don’t understand what you are trying to do with the ancestor bones. I mean, the dragon bones have magic in them. What do these have?”
“Nothing, I assume,” said the Revinir. “The broth we make from them is just the placebo for after we sell out of the batch of dragon-bone broth.”
Dev and Thisbe were more puzzled than ever now. “What are you talking about?” asked Dev.
The Revinir looked at the children like they were stupid. “We’ll sell through the first batch of dragon-bone broth at the market tomorrow. People will take it home and drink it. They’ll see the changes and show their friends. Everyone will get excited, word will spread, and hundreds of people will come to our booth next week seeking it. But we don’t want anyone to have a second dose of dragon-bone broth—they could get too powerful. So we’re making this fake magical broth to replace it, and increasing the price dramatically. The people will buy it anyway, but they won’t know it’s not dragon-bone broth when they spend all their money on it, trying to become stronger. Once we have their money, our booth disappears without a trace before we’re discovered.”
Thisbe was disgusted, but she wasn’t surprised. The Revinir was going to knowingly give the ancestor-bone broth to hundreds, maybe thousands of people, while passing it off as magical dragon broth. She hardly knew what to say at first. Then she whispered, “I see.”
“So get moving,” said the woman. “We’ll need a lot more of this fake dragon broth so we can sell as much as possible. Half the bones to each
pot, cover with water, bring to a boil. And don’t leave until you have a full cauldron simmering on a healthy fire that’ll last until morning. Then we’ll test it to see if there might be some ancient magical component to them. After all, the bones are intact after all these years. Something must have preserved them.”
She turned to Dev. “I want you to report to my throne room an hour earlier than usual in the morning,” she told him.
Dev didn’t ask why, and she didn’t explain. The Revinir turned and left Dev and Thisbe to get started.
“I wonder who is going to the marketplace to sell this stuff,” Dev said. “I’m worried it might be me since she wants me here early. She knows I have experience in the market because Shanti told her—that’s what convinced her to take me as partial payback for losing the dragons.”
“Everything about this is horrible,” said Thisbe, absently stroking the scales on her arm, which she was starting to get used to having. “She’s horrible. And I’m not drinking this stuff.”
They did what they’d been told to do. A few hours later their giant pots were completely full and simmering properly, and the fires were going strong. They left after the soldiers checked their work and went their separate ways back to their crypts.
That night, after her meal, Thisbe spent every waking moment working on her magic and her aim. Her stamina seemed to be improving a bit, probably helped by the less physical work she’d been doing lately. But she was afraid to try anything too powerful for fear it would summon the crypt keeper again. She wouldn’t know until the actual escape how much the powerful spells would drain her energy—she’d only ever done one at a time before. She’d have to use her magic wisely and sparingly in case they were faced with more obstacles than they’d planned.