I wave my hands, like, Come on. “We both know those names did not come from the king. You and the other sentinels know the warriors better. You paired everyone in teams that worked well together. Was Renna in charge of it? I noticed her at training this week.” It wasn’t hard to spot the older sentinel’s uniform as we ran drills. I hadn’t thought much of it until now.

I had figured it all out while I waited. Beyond having compatible skill sets, Callen would follow Seth anywhere. It felt like every time we hung out in the past months, he’d talk about some amazing thing Seth had taught him and how much it was fueling the fire of his goal to become a sentinel someday. And while Exin may be Callen’s friend, Exin and Ox are cousins, and family ties go far. They all balance one another. Or at least they will, so long as Callen and Ox’s feelings for me don’t come up.…

“There are plenty of other teams just as good among the warriors-elect,” I say.

“Rowan—”

“I could go with Vera, Bel, and Maurin,” I say. “Renna can pick a warrior to lead us, if she wants. You just have to ask the king to let us go.”

Shirene exhales hard. “I already did.”

“What?”

“It was the Second Sentinel’s idea, actually, not mine. But I supported his motion. The sentinels know the warriors-elect are ready. But the king has much to consider. Nothing like this has ever happened before, and we all know he is thinking of Tabrol. The king is sending the best we have.”

I scoff. “And we’re not the best?”

“Skies, don’t be so selfish, Ro. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do. But what if—”

“I know, Ro.” The finality in her tone gets to me. “What if.”

It’s one thing if I’m worried about the city, our people. It’s a whole other thing to see the fear in Shirene’s eyes and to know that my sister is just like me. Afraid.

“Please,” I say. “You have no idea how it feels to be helpless right now.”

Shirene takes my hand and gives it an encouraging squeeze. Her fingers are cold. Look, “I’m sorry. But if you heard what Noam said of the disease, you would know that we don’t have time to question what’s already been decided. We have to send the teams we have right now.”

“Who’s Noam?” I ask reflexively, but already something is dawning in my mind. Why did I know that name—oh. “Wait, Noam? The sentinel who deserted? The one whose place you took. What does he have to do with anything?”

Shirene curses, and my curiosity soars. I haven’t heard her swear since the first time I cursed in front of our mother, and I confessed it was Shirene who taught me how.