Zane slid into the chair beside me, his hickory hair falling out of place, his knuckles rapping the tabletop in a fidget. I felt like I was back in the detective’s office, being assessed by jelly-filled Jeffrey Stromer.

“Something is still bothering you. I was going to wait until you were ready to tell me yourself, but I can sniff it on you, Helen. Trust me, you’re even less inconspicuous this season, which I didn’t think was possible.”

I set the newspaper on the table.

“Why did you really want to go to the circus?” he asked.

I bit my lips. “I don’t know what you’re—”

“Oh, come on, Helen. You weren’t running away from that bearded man. I watched you let him take you. Who is he?”

When I didn’t reply, Zane slid the plate of treats back to himself where I couldn’t reach, and my jaw dropped.

“That man is no one. I wanted something from him, but he couldn’t help me.” Before Zane could retaliate, I grabbed a butternut crunch candy and shoved it in my mouth.

Zane huffed. “I thought we learned not to keep secrets from each other. The last time you shut me out, you got bitten by an ashworm snake-prince.”

I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t bring up what Apple had told me about Zane’s secret visit to the Red Kingdom.

“The circus was a mistake, and I shouldn’t have asked you to bring me.” I glanced down at the table and pushed the Pebble Paper aside with my knuckle. I was done with it anyway. “Thank you for the chocolates, but I’m fine.” I lifted my gaze to prove it, and I smiled. “I’m fine.”

“You’re a scotchy liar, Trite.”

I threw up my hands. “How about you tell me how you’re doing, Zane? Let’s start with that.”

He folded his arms and leaned back a little. “This isn’t about me.”

“Sure it is. You go first.” I tried again, and his jaw hardened.

“I’m fine.”

The silence that followed was crisp with cheery background noise and brick-solid willpower. Finally, Zane reached over and tugged the Revelation Orb necklace from beneath my shirt. He studied the glass ball and sighed.

“I suppose we’re being petty with everything that’s going on,” he said.

I glanced past him to where Patrolmen were packaging chocolates with Apple. I looked down at my hands, then at the orb in Zane’s fingers.

“Do you think the believers could use a reminder of the Truth?” I asked. “If we’re waiting for Gathadriel to bring back Kaley, and for Cane to get the drum, shouldn’t we be doing something to help?”