“No,” the fairy objected, seemingly before he could ask the question on his mind.

But Cane marched over to her. “I have unfinished business in the palace anyway. You know that,” he said in a loud whisper. “Plum, I can get to that drum. Our Carrier is right—we have no other ideas, and our people are vanishing. We need to do something!”

“Even if we did put the Triad back together, used it to make more orbs, and then trained more Carriers of Truth, Nightflesh would just hunt them down like he did with the others,” Trevor piped up, bad memories flickering across his eyes.

“Not if we did it in secret.” Cane was still looking at Porethius.

“Exactly,” I chimed back in. “Elowin came to Winter to spark a great commission that was meant to grow an army. That army got destroyed over time, but Elowin left the pieces here. We have the tools we need; we just need to find them.”

Porethius glanced over at me, at the Patrols, at the dwarves.

“Let me get the drum, Plum,” Cane begged, pulling her attention back.

I held my breath. The last time I’d asked Porethius for help, she’d made it clear she wasn’t supposed to get involved.

“If we don’t do something, we’re going to lose everyone,” Cane added.

The fairy looked off. I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but her lips moved silently.

“What do you think, Cohen?” Trevor asked, hugging his arms to himself. The rest of the Patrols looked at Zane too.

I realized Zane had found a chair at the side of the room. He was slouched back, his head leaning against the wall. “If the Trite is set on this unmerry thing, I’m sure I’ll probably die trying to make it happen. If I don’t, I’ll be beaten to death with a truffle tray anyway.” He shrugged and I made a face when Patrolmen around the room snickered. Zane’s gaze flickered over to mine. He couldn’t fight his smile and I had half a mind to pick up a truffle tray and fulfill his destiny right then and there.

Finally, Porethius looked back to us, and the giggles ceased. “Yes. I think this is the only way,” she said, and Cane cast me a victorious look. “But it will be no easy task to face Winter kings and queens,” she added. “The Beast is coming for you, Carrier. Do you understand what will happen to the believers, to this band of brothers standing with you, if you’re caught by Nightflesh a time again? He will not use you as bait a second time. You will be a martyr.”

I didn’t want to think about that, but I nodded.

“Then I’ll support you in this,” she said. “Cane and I will fetch the drum. I made a deal with the Crimson King to be granted an audience, one time. I will bring that agreement to fruition for this cause. But I cannot allow Edward to go to Green for the Pines’s crown.”