Later, Nox compliments Amy on how she’s improved in such a short time. Amy wonders if they really can stop Dorothy, and Nox assures her it’s possible. They lean in to kiss, but Nox looks away, warning Amy she’ll need to be careful when they confront the Lion. His abrupt change makes Amy remember he cares about the cause more than anything, and she leaves with a final question: “Dorothy must die. I get it. But in the meantime, what are you living for?” (220).

Mombi wakes Amy in the middle of the night. The Lion is moving faster than they thought, and they need to leave. Nox argues Amy shouldn’t go because they can’t risk losing her, but he’s outnumbered. Before they leave, he gives her a magic dagger to help channel her magic. Though the gift is about the impending battle, Amy feels happy because it was “something that Nox had made just for [her]” (224). Gert, Mombi, Amy, and Nox gather in the training room, where

The group flies to the village, where panic and fire create chaos.