When Torren practically kicked Doon off his wagon and immediately set out again, Doon pondered what to do. He had no way of getting back to Reddington, and even if he did, Lina would probably be gone by the time he got there anyway. He could go check on his father and the moved-in house, but Doon didn't feel like going to Ember Square yet. He could find Kenny or Poppy, but he didn't really feel like talking to anyone. Eventually, he decided that he should visit the library and find a book to lose himself in. Perhaps then he could forget about how worried he was, if only for a while.

"Back already, I see?" Edward Pocket said as Doon entered.

Although he didn't feel like talking about his trip with Edward, Doon knew that he at least owed him what he knew. "Yeah. Our lead turned out to be a dead-end though," Doon said. "Marshall wouldn't talk, and then we found out he's more delusional than we thought."

Edward gave him a concerned look. "You seem troubled by something more."

Doon sighed. He trusted Edward, so he may as well take the weight off his mind. "Don't you think that legends are absurd? Unless you have something solid to go off of, they're usually just fairytales, aren't they?"

"Well, written fairytales are 'something solid to go off of,' aren't they?" Edward said. "It depends on what kind of evidence you mean."

"But if it's coming from an unreliable source, shouldn't it be ignored?" Doon said. "Apparently, Marshall said he got his goods from a place called Cinder, which he learned about from a legend."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "A legend, you say?"

"Yeah, but we've heard several people warn us about how sketchy he is," Doon said. "Not to mention, his sister told us he's obsessed with the legend. Don't you think that's strange?"

"Sometimes the strange things are the ones you need to pay the closest attention to," Edward said. "Is that not how you and Lina deciphered the Instructions all those years ago? Had you lacked faith in its importance, you would've never found the way out."

"Lina was the one who believed in its importance," Doon murmured. He knew that Lina had a sense for things that other people didn't pay attention to. "It was me who needed convincing."

"So why not wager your faith again?" Edward said.

Doon frowned. This wasn't the same case as with the Instructions. Lina had believed in Cinder through a tall tale perpetuated by a notoriously unreliable man. They had no Instructions or map to find it, not to mention the dangers that Torren had told him about. Doon and Lina had confronted many dangers before, but never something so obviously treacherous. "I'd say that wagering my faith would be pretty risky this time around," he said.

Edward gave him a mysterious grin. "Take some time to think about it a little more. You never know what else you might come to realize later on."

Lina practically bounced off Fleet mid-gallop when she got to Sparks. Though she took the time to properly unharness the saddle and settle him in the stable, she quickly broke into a sprint through Ember Square. It was nearly sundown, so she hoped Doon was where she thought he was. She ran until she arrived at the last courtyard by the river and ran up to the house that Doon had once pointed out to her as his future home, back when it was still just lumber and stone. Lina rapped the door with her knuckles and spent a long moment just listening to her own heavy breathing.

The door swung open and revealed Doon's father. "Lina?"

"Is Doon home?" she asked breathlessly.

Loris Harrow shook his head. "He stopped by once earlier today, but he hasn't moved in. He insisted on remaining in the Pioneer Hotel. I don't know where he is."

Lina's heart soared. He was still in Sparks like she hoped! "Do you have any idea where he could be?" Lina said.

"You would have a better idea than I would," Doon's father said with a smile.

With a quick thanks, Lina ran back through Ember Square and towards the Ark. Surely Doon would be in the library, where he liked to think and plan. If he was going to plan a return trip to Ember, that's where he'd be.

Lina burst into the library, startling poor Edward Pocket. Unfortunately, Edward also happened to be sticking his head deep into a bookshelf, so he bumped his head on a shelf with a loud thump.

"Oh, Edward!" Lina said. She helped him pull himself out of the bookshelf.

"You gave me quite a scare there, young lady," Edward said gruffly as he rubbed the crown of his head.

"I'm so sorry! I'm in a hurry. Have you seen Doon?" Lina said.

"He hasn't been here since high noon."

With a frown, a word of thanks, and another apology, Lina ran back out. She couldn't think of anywhere else to check but the attic of the Pioneer. Bursting into the lobby, she took long strides up the stairs, two at a time.

"Lina?"

His voice practically jolted through her. Lina paused mid-step on the stairwell. She was in between the second and third floor. Descending back to the second floor, Lina saw Doon staring at her from his open room.

"Doon!" She hurried over to him. The room was a mess, with articles of clothing and random bits of machinery scattered all over the floor. Doon was sitting in the middle of it all, but Lina couldn't tell what he had been doing.

"Lina!" He quickly stood up and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, startling her.

"What? What's wrong?" Lina asked, baffled.

"I thought you might've gone to the northern mountains," Doon said.

"Why would I do that?"

Doon pulled away to look her in the eye. "That's where the legend says Cinder is," he said. "I was worried you'd find out and try to go there by yourself."

"I was worried you might've gone to Ember by yourself," Lina said.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Doon said, drawing her into his arms again. "I'm sorry that I left you in Reddington. It was so thoughtless of me."

"No, I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you," Lina said. "After I talked to Lily some more, I realized that you may be right after all. I was just too wrapped up in my imaginary city to take you seriously. Will you forgive me?"

"As long as you'll forgive me." Doon looked at her and smiled sheepishly. "We're both just a couple of fools, aren't we?"

"Big ones," Lina agreed, clutching him even tighter.