The dragon’s eyes burn brightly.
‘But if you say it’s possible, if you say it was possible for you … then I want to try.’
Chumana bows her head down to mine until she’s so close that her breath warms my cold skin.
‘Do you remember, back in the library, when you asked me for my maxim?’ she says.
‘Yes?’ I reply as the rain begins to slow.
‘I refused to tell you because I was ashamed of what it was. But I have discarded it now, like I shed my old skin. I have a new maxim.’
I move closer to her, my shoulder brushing against her hot hide, and place a hand on the scales of her flank.
‘What is it?’ I ask.
‘Remissio dolor redemptus est,’ Chumana says. ‘Forgiveness is suffering redeemed.’
CHUMANA BRINGS ME BACK TO the forest and, when I slip through the panel of the glasshouse, Dr Seymour has returned, too. She doesn’t ask me where I was. Sophie and I are escorted to the dining room for Christmas lunch, where Atlas and Marquis are whispering over their turkey. There’s still no sign of Serena or Gideon.
‘Soph?’ I say.
I know this is probably the last time she’ll let me use that nickname.
‘Can I talk to you? Privately?’
Sophie blinks. ‘All right.’
Atlas smiles at me, but I glare back. He doesn’t look away. Instead, when Sophie walks back out into the hall, he gives me an almost imperceptible nod.
Who does he think he is?
I glance at the Guardian by the door, who isn’t paying much attention, then back at Marquis.
He leaves tonight, I mouth, thinking of Karim still hidden in the library. Then I follow Sophie out of the room.
‘Recruits, where are you going?’ the Guardian asks.
I’ve never seen him before and come to the sickening realisation that he must be one of the replacements for the Guardians in the forest.
‘I need to clean up for lunch,’ Sophie says, holding out her ink-stained hands. ‘Deputy Prime Minister Ravensloe says it’s better to travel in twos.’
‘I’ve been ordered not to let anyone move without an escort.’
‘Escort us to the dormitory, then?’ I say.
The Guardian hesitates, glancing back at Marquis and Atlas, then decides we’re more valuable. He follows us up the stairs and stands outside the dormitory door, which I close.
‘What’s going on, Viv?’
Sophie looks exhausted as she casts a wistful look in the direction of the empty beds. It’s hard to believe that all of our dorm-mates are now either dead or in hiding.
‘Is this about Chumana? About the code?’
‘No,’ I say. ‘I’m not giving Wyvernmire the Koinamens. She’ll use it to control dragons and win the war, and I know what that will mean for the Third Class. I know what it will mean for you.’
She grabs my hand and squeezes. ‘Atlas was right,’ she says. ‘Back in the library, we were only thinking about ourselves. Butthisis how we make sure what happened to Nicolas never happens again. And it means that maybe, one day, we can go home. Together.’
Shame prickles my skin. ‘That’s what I want to talk to you about.’
