Edward’s head snapped up. The flesh around his eyes looked swollen, and I wondered if he wished she’d come to another conclusion.

“My sister is already going to the Green Kingdom for the wreath,” I told them, and Zane choked.

“She’s bloody what?”

“Alone?” Cane turned to me now.

“No. She went to sniff out Lucas.”

Zane stifled a moan. “Great,” he muttered. “She’s doomed.”

“Leutenski is on sabbatical.” Trevor’s arms tightened around himself.

“Whelp. Not anymore,” I said apologetically. “I sent Kaley to get the easier sign of the two. The Crown of Pines was the only one we knew the location of for sure, and I figured Lucas would help her pull off a simple snatch-and-run. I was originally planning to go get the drum myself.”

But Porethius shook her head wildly. “The Green Kingdom is on the cusp of losing the war. Your beloved sister should not be there!” Her violet eyes swam with colour. “I’ll send Gathadriel to fetch her while Cane and I secure the drum, and we’ll make a new plan. Do not go to the Green Kingdom at this time, any of you.” She looked around the room.

Something sank in the pit of my stomach. The Green Kingdom was on the cusp of losing the war?

I looked at my notes on the table. My hands shook as I began scooping up the papers, shoving them back into my leather bag. I hadn’t come across any evidence suggesting that the Green Kingdom might be in turmoil.

Kaley. Kaley. Kaley. Kaley.

“What of the third sign, Carrier? What do you know of the iron star?” Cane came to the table, snapping me out of my self-loathing. He leaned forward on his fists, his purple eyes swallowing me into a memory of someone else.

“I don’t know where that one is,” I admitted. “I know it was turned into ‘fools’ gold.’ I know it shines but its gleam is an illusion. I know it was swallowed by the snowseas and is guarded by eight hands or feet, which seems weird that it’s not one or the other but could be either. Kaley redrew the maps though, and the star could be anywhere. There are dozens of seas in Winter, not to mention the dunes which some maps referred to as seas.”

Cane began to pace again as I gathered the rest of my notes. I hugged my packed leather bag to myself when I was finished, and the former Red Prince slumped into his chair. “It is riddlesome that the books gave you two clues you could solve, and one you could not.”

It took me a moment to realize Zane had gone rigid in his chair, bright eyes glued to the floor.

My fingers kept brushing over the orb necklace at my throat, my heart silently asking it for a douse of strength so I wouldn’t go bolting out into the snow and racing to the Green Kingdom myself.