“Sure. Marrow said it was fine.”

The room was indeed empty, yet some old presence of the king lingered. There wasn’t a chill in the air, but an uncanny feeling of being observed. Willow waved a hand in front of my face.

“Something wrong?”

“Forget it.” I pushed ahead, toward the arched threshold of the king’s closet. “I won’t say anything about Phoenix, but I don’t think it would matter if I did. Are you forgetting about Wyvern sending scouts to the Dark?”

“What's your point?”

“My point? The Wind is already looking for her.”

He closed his eyes and breathed. “I suppose that’s true.”

The closet was a curving hallway, shelves and racks filled with a variety of sizes and fabrics, from the gossamer diamond fern silks of the South to the lush purple leathers of the City. A rustling from deeper in the closet interrupted us, the sound of somebody knocking over a stack of shoe boxes.

“Whozzat?” said an unmistakable voice. Piranha crouched by the disordered pile, a few loose pieces of fabric draped over their head. “Oh good, just you. Will you help me clean this up?”

“Only if you help me find something more appropriate for Badger.” Willow pointed a thumb in my direction. “He wants to wear black.”

Piranha hopped and left the mess behind. “I saw just the thing! Sharp and I have been playing with outfits all morning. Wait here.” They disappeared further into the labyrinthian closet.

Right on cue, Sharp stepped through a rack of dresses, wearing a bright emerald gown, a novel look for a Warrior usually decked in a set of armor. Despite her height, it was still long enough to almost meet the floor, embroidered with sparkling vines.

“Feast your eyes,” she bragged, posing.

“The cut is fine,” Willow noted, “but green isn’t for you, Sparkle Swords.”

She twirled, and the ruffled fabric created a spellbinding effect. “I happen to like it… and it was the only one long enough.” She scoured his ridiculous suit and tsked. “Purple isn't exactly your color either featherboy.”

“Can we switch?”

“In your dreams.”

Piranha, androgynous as ever in straight black pants and a feathery yellow blouse, returned holding a silk shirt in my signature rose-red, with fanned-out sleeves and buttons of glistening silver. “Tada!”

“That's perfect!” I snatched it and tried it on, leaving the black shirt forgotten on the ground. “It fits too! Good find Fangs!”

Sharp caught my eye and smiled with approval. So far, she was the only one I had told about the last words of Glass. Without that knowledge, I don’t know if she would have been able to smile at all.

“Are you boys going to tell us what you were talking about before you came in here?” she asked, modeling a pink shawl. “I can hear all the way down the hall. Who the hell is Phoenix?”

Willow restocked the fallen wall of boxes. “Nobody can mind their business around here. Fine. Listen up.”

He gave an abbreviated account of the fall from the plateau, and his connection to Wyvern’s daughter. Piranha's jaw dropped. Sharp nodded, acting as though it were obvious.

“Badger was right,” Willow acknowledged, stacking the final box at the peak of the pyramid. “She’s already in danger, which is why I'm not going back to the Valley after the funeral. I'm going to the City to find her. The education season starts in a week, and I know she does some teaching there.”

“Great!” Sharp put big, sparkly earrings near her face, scrutinizing each one. “We'll get a ride with my Uncle Glisten after the funeral tomorrow.”

Willow narrowed his eyes. “What is this 'we' business? I'm doing this adventure solo. It's too dangerous.”

Piranha roared with laughter. “Good one Blondie! Cause the four of us can't handle danger, right?”

“That's not the point.”

“There is no point.” Sharp threw one of the chunky earrings at him, which he caught without effort. “We already decided to go to the City before you came in, so you can stick with us or not, tough guy. I'm going to see my family.”

Piranha bobbed their head. “I was going to take a jewelry making course at my cousin’s shop.” They squeezed my cheek. “We figured you'd want to come too, Wild Boy.”

Willow stomped his feet and huffed. “Look, I can't stop you two from going, but Badger might be forgetting something. Wyvern’s goons will try to kill him if they find out he has a warning power.”

“That might not be true,” I protested.

“I'll eat my scarf if it's not.”

I glared. “Let me see if I understand. You think I might be in danger, and your solution is that I stay behind, alone, in the Valley, where most of my family lives? Why would I put that on them?”

His face fell.

“And” I continued, “the City is full of people to blend in with, not to mention hundreds of Warriors. I’ll probably be safer there than anywhere else.”

Willow’s shoulders drooped in defeat.

“I've already made up my mind,” I said. “I'm going too.”

“Agh! Fine!” He threw his hands in the air, then pointed a scolding finger at each of us. “But staying with me is only ever going to get you into more trouble, don't forget that.”

“What else is new?” Sharp raised a polished pink finger. “Now quiet everyone, someone else is coming.”

Sure enough, after a few seconds passed we heard the hinges of the closet door. Pyrite walked around the corner, a drab silhouette in his long grey cloak. Back in his right mind, he looked healthier and more clear-headed, apart from the increased paranoia that caused him to constantly check his surroundings. Ivory accompanied him, wearing a simple dress of sunset orange, perfectly matching the color she radiated with Charm.

“Is Badger here?” asked Pyrite.

“You found me,” I said. “Is everything alright?”

Ivory’s eyes sparkled. “Everything is fine, and you all look wonderful! Since you’re leaving the Deep Dark tomorrow, we were wondering if we could have a few minutes of your time. There’s something you need to see.”

Willow gave me a pointed glance, reminding me to ask about the secret book. I took a deep breath. Whatever it was, I doubt it would surprise me.

I followed them to the empty throne room. Inside, I felt nothing but death. On the night of the coronation ritual, Ivory carved her own name directly over the scar left by Melodia, and when the God Tree glowed in acceptance, no doubt remained about her right to be king. From her perspective, she held the responsibility for what happened to Glass. The power of Charm prevented her from hiding this guilt from any of us.

“You could have your name there one day,” she said, almost too quiet for me to hear. “If I ever lose my way, you can push me out.”

The very idea sent a rush of anxiety through my chest. “I don't ever want to make a bid for the throne. I want to be a doctor.”

Pyrite's eyes glowed a gentle shade of green. He put a hand to his chest, grasping at something invisible. “Your friend would be proud to hear that,” he whispered. He’d never met Glass before the night in the throne room, but he’d been there at the end. Did the Sapphire Clan feel it too? Were they aware of the pain they left behind in their wake?

I sat on the stairs of the dais. “Do you have any news on where they escaped?”