"The king and queen want to see you."

Clearwing nodded to the dragon, curious as to why Queen Cobalt and King Fusca would want to see them. She, Coal, and Cricket had asked to leave now that Coal was free of Wasp, so maybe this was an answer for that. Maybe we can leave, she thought.

The trio walked toward the palace, hiding the huddled shape of Coal, and then to the throne room. Rove Beetle and Argitope were waiting with Cobalt and Fusca, and they looked... grim, to say the least. Rove in particular gave her a "please help" kind of look.

"What?" Cricket asked, Bumblebee clutched in her talons. "What did we do?"

"Did it work?" Cobalt asked, ignoring Cricket's questioning.

"BuFOOT," Bumblebee hissed. "Snudoo beemish, beeBUF. Garrooow."

"Bumblebee, shush," Cricket said.

"Yes, your Majesty," Coal bowed — Cricket and Clearwing followed suit — although there was a gleam of some sort in his eyes. "At least, that's what Clearwing said. And my mind feels clear for the first time in days."

"Hmm," Fusca said. "But you can't be sure?"

Can anyone be sure of anything anymore?

Clearwing snorted.

"Did you use the cure on Bumblebee?" Cricket blurted out, interrupting the silence, holding up the baby. "Is that why she can't be controlled?"

"Oh, no, a scout, Atta, found her like that," Cobalt replied with a dismissive wave of her talon. "Only one stinger mark on the shell — only stabbed once by Queen Wasp with the breath of evil. Being the sentimental grub that he was, he brought it back. We appointed Leafcutter as her guardian, but I guess we forgot that he doesn't have a good history with dragonets. I haven't the faintest idea how you got your talons on her, but I suppose she's yours now."

"We're getting off topic," Fusca said. "You didn't do anything wrong, we just need you to get something from the GreyWing caverns."

"The GreyWing caverns."

Oh, you really don't have a chance of surviving this.

Clearwing gulped, dread crawling up her spine. "The GreyWing caverns?" she echoed.

"Yes, just something small," Cobalt replied.

"The smallest thing," Fusca agreed.

"N-" Clearwing started.

"Bring us the first and last animus-touched object on Pantala from the GreyWing treasury, and we'll let you go free."