Senna’s POV

Thistle sat at the table with me, trying not to look exhausted, even though I knew he was.

“We have to go over this again,” I said firmly. He stifled a yawn but nodded. I had to be firm about this. His life might depend on it.

It had taken some convincing. When I’d first broached the subject, Thistle had shaken his head.

“You’ll keep me safe,” he told me. Thistle had come to rely on me. But given what we’d just learned about the Spire, I had to make sure that Thistle could protect himself. Just in case.

So, I was teaching him all the escape routes,...