Not anymore.

Aren’t we supposed to be dealing with the fact that someone might be eavesdropping on us right now? Fitz transmitted. Or are you trying to bore them to death with all this hair talk?

Biana smirked. “I think Fitz should be my next makeover. His style has gotten a little helmety lately.”

“It has not!” Fitz said. But Sophie noticed he reached up and mussed his hair a bit.

Okay, Dex thought. I’m ready to track the signal—we have to make sure we keep talking.

Out loud, he added, “If Fitz is being a baby, how about we give Iggy a new look?”

Biana squealed happily as he handed her a vial filled with a cloudy liquid, and she scooted over to Iggy’s cage, waving the elixir near his furry lips. Iggy sniffed the milky serum once before downing it in one giant slurp. He’d barely finished licking his chops when he sneezed and his fur poofed out in every direction, turning him into a ball of blue fluff with only the tips of his ears, hands, wings, and nose sticking through.

“Isn’t he going to change color?” Sophie asked.

“Give it a second,” Dex said, and sure enough, Iggy’s fur started to shimmer as it shifted to a bright purple.

“Awwww, just when I thought he couldn’t get more adorable!” Biana cooed.

Iggy bounced up and down and flapped his fluff-buried wings.

“Who’s ready for cinnacreme?” Juline asked, sweeping into the room with a tray of four steaming mugs. She froze midstep when she spotted Dex’s hair.

“Like it?” Biana asked.

Juline looked a little misty-eyed.

“Ugh, why are parents so embarrassing?” Dex grumbled.

“It’s our job.” Juline handed everyone mugs of cinnacreme—which tasted like melted snickerdoodles.

What did the Collective say? Sophie asked her.

I was only able to reach Wraith. He’s tracking down the others as we speak.

Do you think—

Sophie’s question was cut short by a white light flashing from her Imparter.

Dex frowned and tapped the screen a few times.

Something wrong? Sophie asked.

Not necessarily. It looks like I have good news, bad news, and weird news. The good news is: I’m pretty sure no one’s listening to us right now. The signal doesn’t seem to be reaching anything—which is the bad news. I can’t track where it’s going. The receiver’s either been turned off or destroyed.

So what’s the weird news? Fitz asked.

Dex handed the gadget to Sophie. This isn’t your Imparter.

TWENTY-NINE

WHAT DO YOU mean it’s not my Imparter? Sophie asked. I brought it from home.

I know, Dex told her. But I just checked the activity log. And unless you hailed yourself a ton of times—which I don’t even think is possible—it has to be someone else’s. Someone who also hailed Fitz a lot, and made a few very brief hails to Lord Cassius.

Sophie’s eyes widened. This is Keefe’s Imparter?

Dex nodded.

Why would you have Keefe’s Imparter? Fitz asked. Did he slip it to you the day he blew up Foxfire?

Wouldn’t I have two, then? Sophie asked.

Unless he swiped yours, Fitz said. Maybe when he put his cloak around you?

Sophie replayed the moment, but all she remembered were Keefe’s hands near her shoulders.

I guess it’s possible, she admitted. But I don’t see why he would do that. And I don’t think he would’ve been able to hide that from me during our check-ins. I can see enough of his fleeting thoughts to know what stuff he’s worrying about.

Then where else would you get his Imparter? Dex asked.

No clue. Actually, wait. Grizel found an Imparter in Keefe’s desk when we were searching his room, and I gave her mine so she could compare the two. She might’ve accidentally mixed them up before she gave it back.

I guess that makes sense, Fitz said. And you know what? I bet this Imparter is how the Neverseen knew about our ambush on Mount Everest. Keefe’s mom probably rigged it so she could eavesdrop on Keefe’s conversations, and heard us arranging the trap.

Sophie cringed. As if hiding a tracker in his family crest pin wasn’t disgusting enough.

HEY GUYS—REMEMBER ME? Biana thought, waving her arms to get their attention. I’d like to know what’s going on too!

Fitz caught her up on the newest discoveries, then updated Juline and Lovise.

Does that mean it’s safe for us to talk? Biana asked.

Dex squinted at the Imparter. I think we should still be careful—unless you want me to disassemble it again.

I hate to do that, Juline said after Sophie relayed the info. Every time we tamper with it, we risk undoing whatever they did, and we might still be able to learn something from it.

Guess that means we’re in for more makeover talk, Sophie transmitted as Juline left to see if Wraith had made contact with the rest of the Collective.

“We could play truth or dare,” Biana suggested with an evil smile.

“No way—that got weird last time,” Fitz told her.

Biana tossed her hair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do—just like you totally knew what you were doing when you turned your head at the last second.”

Sophie was about to ask for details, when she remembered Keefe admitting that he’d kissed Biana once on a dare. He’d described it as “mostly on the cheek.”

“How about we work on the scrolls again?” she said, deciding that games were too risky. Truth or dare was definitely out, and the only other game she could think of was spin the bottle—which would be a very bad idea.

Biana pouted. “I suppose that’s the smart thing to do.”

And so the hours went, filled with lots of squinting at tiny black numbers on endless scrolls. Their only breaks were for quick checks of their still-silent Imparters.

“Brought you a refill,” Juline said, carrying a fresh tray of cinnacreme mugs into the solarium. And I finally heard from Mr. Forkle. He was over at Havenfield.

HE WAS? Sophie and Fitz both transmitted together.

Did something happen? Sophie asked.

No—it’s still quiet. And it’s after midnight, so technically the day is over.

Do you really think the Neverseen care about technicalities? Sophie asked.

I don’t know what the Neverseen care about, Juline admitted. All I know is, for the moment, everyone is safe and I’m going to be grateful. They’ll stay on alert for the rest of the night, of course. But we’re all cautiously optimistic that the threat has passed. And Mr. Forkle agreed that we should keep avoiding important conversations around the Imparter until he can retrieve it in the morning. So why don’t you four try getting some rest?