But Biana had a different, much more interesting theory.

Biana thought Vespera wanted her plan to fail—at least a little.

After all, Lady Gisela had forced Vespera into their alliance, and Vespera had made it clear that they had opposite visions. So maybe Vespera had decided that the perfect moment to take control was when Lady Gisela was distracted by all of her grand schemes for her son’s legacy. It would explain why Vespera and Gethen had shown up, triggered every single alarm, said a bunch of half-truths to get everyone riled up, and then fled, leaving the dwarves to fight for them—which definitely didn’t have the spectacle and flair of Vespera’s usual schemes. And it would give Biana’s group time to finish up their fight and head over as backup against Lady Gisela.

And if Biana was right—Vespera had almost gotten what she wanted.

Tam had knocked Lady Gisela out—and bound her with shadowflux bonds.

But somehow, Lady Gisela had still gotten away.

Tam felt responsible, because he’d only bound her hands, thinking he was making her feel what she’d done to him, and he hadn’t considered that leaving her feet unbound would give her a chance to walk away if she regained consciousness.

But Sophie couldn’t help wondering if Glimmer had something to do with it—and Sophie wasn’t the only one who thought that.

In fact, after talking to all of her friends, it sounded like they wanted to know a lot more about the mysterious Flasher before they’d be willing to trust her—and Glimmer was being awfully secretive.

“She won’t even take off her cloak!” Linh vented to Sophie the next morning, when she’d stopped by the Healing Center to check in. “She left the Neverseen two days ago, and she won’t even lower the hood. I’m ready to blast it off of her with a tidal wave.”

Sophie smiled, watching Linh stomp back and forth. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

But she definitely understood why Linh was being so protective.

She’d just gotten her brother back.

And Glimmer wouldn’t even give them her real name.

Plus… Sophie had realized something else—something she decided not to point out until she’d had time to ask Glimmer a few more questions.

But… Glimmer didn’t have bonds on her wrists forcing her to do anything.

And yet, she hadn’t hesitated at all before blasting the ethertine crown on Keefe’s head.

“I don’t trust her,” Linh mumbled, gathering the water in the air and shaping it into a bird, making it fly around the room. “And Tam thinks we should invite her to live with us.”

Sophie sat up straighter. “You’re not going to let her, right?”

Linh’s waterbird swooped to Linh’s shoulder.

“I told him if he tries it, I’ll have a rain cloud follow her everywhere. Which isn’t that scary of a threat, but… I didn’t know how angry to make Tam. He’s… hard to read right now.” She sent the waterbird flying again.

“He’s been through a lot,” Sophie told her, which Linh already knew—but Sophie couldn’t think of anything else to say. “How’s he doing?” she added quietly. “Honestly?”

Linh sighed. “He’s… different.”

The word made both of them turn toward Keefe, who still hadn’t woken up—or stirred even slightly.

“How’s he doing?” Linh asked softly.

Sophie sighed. “Elwin says all his vital signs are normal and we just have to be patient. And when I checked his dreams, it was something about an army of elf-shaped cookies—don’t ask,” she added when Linh’s eyebrows rose.

“Well… that sounds like a very Keefe dream,” Linh decided.

“It does,” Sophie agreed. “But… I wish he’d wake up.”

He hadn’t woken up the next day either—the third day—even after Sophie decided to transmit the plea over and over.

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

Keefe! Keefe! Keefe!

When that didn’t work, she tried bribes.

Then threats.

Ro had even stopped by and screamed right in his face.

“He’s just trying to get out of his punishment,” the ogre princess decided, “because he knows I owe him for the amoebas and breaking our bet.”

She started listing off possibilities—loudly.

Trying to scare Keefe awake.

“For the record, I vote for anything that includes a shaved head,” Fitz said from the doorway.

And Sophie made a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a squeak.

But she couldn’t help it.

This was the first time she’d seen him since Loamnore.

He’d checked in telepathically a few times—but only quick questions and single-sentence answers.

And now, there he was.

Looking gorgeous and perfect and… nervous.

And she looked like someone who’d run straight from Loamnore to the Healing Center and hadn’t left for three days, relying on hasty sponge baths and borrowing Elwin’s colorful pajamas.

Of course the jammies she had on at the moment were covered in tiny aardwolves.

“Is this a bad time?” Fitz asked when Sophie didn’t say anything, and his eyes darted to Ro.

“Let me guess,” Ro grumbled. “You two want to be alone?”

“We won’t be alone,” Sophie reminded her, pointing to Keefe.

Plus, Sandor was with Elwin in the other room.

“YOU HEAR THAT, HUNKYHAIR?” Ro shouted. “YOU’RE GOING TO BE FITZPHIE’S ONLY CHAPERONE. DON’T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD WAKE UP FOR THAT?”

Sadly, still no reaction from Keefe.

But Sophie and Fitz were definitely cringing.

Ro tilted her head to study them, and her lips stretched into a smile. “All right, guess I’ll leave you two alone to talk. Have fun!”

Then she was gone, and all that was missing was a background soundtrack of crickets chirping.

“Sorry I haven’t come by before,” Fitz eventually said, tearing a hand through his hair. “I’ve been trying to find Alvar.”

Sophie slumped back against her pillow. “If you came here to—”

“I didn’t!” Fitz interrupted, holding out his hands. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make it sound like that. I just meant… I thought Alvar might know a bit more about this transformation or whatever—something that might help us know if Keefe should be awake by now or not.”

“It feels like he should be, doesn’t it?” Sophie asked quietly.

Fitz nodded. “But… I’m pretty sure I was unconscious for longer than that after I was exposed to shadowflux.”

“You were,” Sophie agreed. “But… Elwin was also sedating you.”

“Yeah. True.” He tore his hand through his hair again.

And the silence swelled again. Until Sophie said, “I’m guessing you couldn’t find Alvar.”

He shook his head, and she waited for him to point out that if she hadn’t let Alvar go, they wouldn’t have to find him.

But he just said, “Not yet. But I’ll keep looking. I promise. I mean… I know Keefe’s going to be okay. I know he’s going to wake up and have some really cool new ability and drive us all crazy with it. But… the waiting’s hard.”