“Don’t be so formal, Five,” she told him. She gripped one part of the brickwork hand and extended her arm to lower herself to the ground. “Try to find your own voice.”

“I’m sorry. You must be annoyed I dragged you halfway across the continent to stay for less than fifteen minutes.”

“A little bit,” she said, “but I do like traveling. And I’m glad you gave it a try. I think you’d regret it if you’d missed the opportunity to say something or see him.”

“I’m not sure I would.”

“You said you regretted a lot of things. In those moments, I don’t think you thought you would.”

He nodded at that, considering it.

They made their way up the damaged road, Sveta giving him a hand in crossing a pile of rubble he could have easily scaled. It still saved him time and energy.

Rain began to pattern down around them. Sveta flipped up her hood, and he pulled out his umbrella. The water wasn’t a problem—Sveta liked the water, and he wasn’t bothered by being wet. But in Earth Bet, there was lime and other chemicals in the water supply and atmosphere. The rain could leave marks like sunburns on skin, and even temporarily blind if it got in the eyes.

“You might need a style update,” she told him. “You’re a slightly relaxed version of your brothers, and your brothers dress like miniature British accountants.”

“I’m waiting to figure out what I should be, first, before I make any purchases. I’d rather have my money compounding than waste it.”

“Uh huh,” she said. “Wow.”

“What?”

“You said you didn’t know who you were, or why you deviated from your brothers.”

Deviated. She’d picked that word on purpose.

He answered her, “I’ve thought it was because of the time spent with Jeanne that my brothers didn’t have. Less time in the field…”

“But you’re not sure.”

“No. I’ve measured and accounted for the time, I’ve worked out the moments, and I think that they have to have caught up with me when it comes to the time with Jeanne, or time away from stressors. But they haven’t come to find me, and they’re still together.”

“It might not be something quantifiable, Five.”

He was annoyed at that, but he didn’t say so.

“Can I ask… why me, specifically?”

He glanced at her. The sun was still peering through clouds, and the droplets on her colorful hood were catching the light.

“There were other things I disagreed with them about. But you elicited the strongest, most polarizing disagreement. They wanted you dead. I didn’t.”

“You’ve told me that. But why?”

He considered, trying to work it out in his head.

“Can I get back to you on that?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “It’s a long trip back. Plenty of time to consider.”

Anxiety, unfamiliar, clawed at his stomach. He was going to keep it quiet, but he made himself speak up, “I said it to Jacob. I don’t know where I’m supposed to go. Kurt always knew where he was going. King, then Cauldron, then Jeanne.”