Lyra put her tray down across from us and said, "Good morning. Has anyone told you two that you look like you've been awake since the moon was invented?"

Cassian looked up from his coffee.

"That's not a compliment," I said.

"It wasn't meant to be." She sat down and stole a piece of bread off my plate without asking. "You both need to eat something that isn't stress. Ronan, back me up."

Ronan, arriving two seconds behind her with a full tray, said, "I'm staying out of this. I value my ...