“Stepmother,” Max said.

“Is that why she’s here? Because of you?”

Max’s eyes shifted left and right. “Partially. But if she’s come all this way, it’s because my brother is here. It’s the only reason she’d come.”

Tavi frowned. “You’re scared.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Max said, though there was no heat in the tone. “No, I’m not.”

“But-”

Something vicious came into Max’s voice. “Leave off, Calderon, or I’ll break your neck.”

Tavi stopped in his tracks and blinked at his friend.

Max froze a few steps later. He turned his head a bit to one side, and Tavi could see his friend’s broken-nosed profile. “Sorry. Scipio, sir. “

Tavi nodded once. “Can I help?”

Max shook his head. “I’m going to go find a drink. A lot of drinks.”

“Is that wise?” Tavi asked him.

“Heh,” Max said. “Who wants to live forever?”

“If I can-”

“You can’t help,” Max said. “Nobody can.” Then he stalked away without looking back.

Tavi frowned after his friend, frustrated and worried for him. But he could not force Max to tell him anything if his friend didn’t want to do so. He could do nothing but wait for Max to talk about it.

He wished Kitai was here to talk to.

But for now, he had a job to do. Tavi read his orders again, recalled the camp layout Max and the Maestro had made him memorize, and went to work.