He hugs her and nuzzles her hair in his sleep, but doesn't wake up.

Isibel tilts her head and nudges him. "Please wake up," she murmurs.

"My love?" he mumbles sleepily.

Isibel flinches and looks desperately at Amariah.

"What," he says, staring at Amariah. "What under the burning sun are you."

"My name is Isabella Amariah. You can call me Amariah. I'm an alternate version of her. There are nine more of us all from under different burning suns, and more of you, too. I can bring them here, or we can all meet somewhere else, and we will try to help her. She said to consult you." Her aura, in addition to announcing that she's a witch and powerful, is emanating anxious concern (for Isibel) and controlled, wary anger (at the demon; she does not know yet if it's justified or not so it has yet to be slain).

"Help her how? Kill me? She doesn't want anyone to kill me," he says, like this fact is a source of despair.

"I don't know exactly. Magic. I don't know what kind of magic you have working here but we've got a few kinds of our own and we might be able to - wall her off from you somehow," says Amariah, the anger subsiding. "Or - well, anyway, we'll want to all work on this together, the last time one of us got broken she'd also been split into two and one of her was fine so she could manage by herself but there's not an extra of this one, is there?"

"No," he says, cuddling the one of her that there is. "What is your magic? What do you need me to do?"

"I have three kinds. We need you to explain what it is that is going on that hurts her. And tell us what she wants, when we don't know for sure, because goddesses know she can't. So we know how to take it apart and let her out. I'm going to tell the others now," she adds. [Jane.]

[Shell Bell volunteers Atlantis as a meeting place if this cave is unsuitable,] Jane broadcasts to all present a minute later.

"Does Atlantis have more room?" says the demon. "If there are ten of you - and I should wake my love," he flicks his tail against the dragon's side, "if you can keep my Isibel sleeping - there won't be room here."

[There's room in the Atlantis palace for an entire Bellparty including the dragon and then some.]

"She'll stay asleep till I wake her - or in two days, whichever comes first, in case something happens."

"Then - how do we get to Atlantis?" says the demon.

[Me,] says Jane. [Is that what we're doing, then, collecting everybody there?]

When the demon issues no further input, Amariah nods.

Shell Bell is there to meet them when they land.