Anton glanced at Ephyra, knowing that her and Hector’s relationship was still a delicate balance. But her expression softened when she saw Hector in the doorway.

Anton nodded, and Hector sat on his other side, accepting the wine when Anton passed it to him.

“I know it feels like you won’t survive this,” Hector said quietly. “Losing him. But you will.”

If their plan tomorrow succeeded, then Hector stood to lose the only two people he truly loved. If anyone knew how Anton and Ephyra felt, it was him.

“How do you know that?” Anton asked, his voice wracked with tears.

“Because we’ve got you,” Hector said. “Me and Ephyra and Hassan and Khepri. Even Illya. You’re not alone.” He looked at Ephyra. “Not anymore.”

They stayed out there on the steps, passing around the jug of wine until it was empty.

“All right, come on,” Ephyra said, rising and punting the jug out into the courtyard. It landed somewhere in the dark with a clatter. Hector snorted.

“Where are we going?” Anton asked, letting Hector pull him to his feet.

“Can’t go to sleep on wine and an empty stomach,” Ephyra replied, pushing back through the doors. Anton didn’t think he’d be doing much sleeping anyway, but he followed her nonetheless.

The others found them, close to an hour later, sitting on the floor between bookshelves, slowly demolishing the tray of sugar-dusted pastries they’d stolen from the kitchen while Ephyra recounted the time Beru had accidentally adopted a dozen street cats in Tarsepolis.

“We wondered where’d you gotten off to,” Hassan said from the doorway, where he was flanked by Khepri, Jude, and Illya.

Khepri made a beeline for the tray of pastries, reaching between Hector and Anton.

Anton met Jude’s gaze from where he hung back by the doorway. He didn’t look angry that Anton had run off. He just looked—relieved, almost. Understanding.

“Hector, Jude, come with me a moment,” Hassan said, and swept back through the door.

Jude cast another glance at Anton, but followed Hassan without protest. Hector glanced around curiously and disappeared after them.

Ephyra resumed her story, and Hassan, Hector, and Jude reappeared as she was finishing it, toting several baskets of pillowy flatbreads, a platter of still-smoking skewers of meat, and several large jugs of wine.

“Now this,” Khepri said, rising to help them, “is exactly what you should be using your kingly powers for, Hassan.”

“I have to agree,” Ephyra said, reaching for the bread.

Hassan shrugged. “I figured—tomorrow the world might end, right? Might as well have as much fun as we can tonight.”

Everyone fell silent. Of course, they all knew what might happen tomorrow, if Anton and Jude failed.

The silence was broken by Ephyra as she grabbed a jug of wine and sloshed some of it into a cup.

“What?” she asked, handing the jug back to a surprised Hector. “He’s not wrong.”