He coughed in the dark. She jumped, and Vitus said, quietly. “When I said I wanted to see you duel, this wasn’t exactly what I meant.”
That, now, that provoked her to slightly hysterical laughter. It didn’t solve any of their problems, but might vent some of the tangled emotions she was probably feeling. Vitus certainly wasn’t sure what he felt, other than glad not to be hexed within an inch of his life, or worse.
She straightened up. “You need to beat him back to the portal. Go, tell the footman you’re done. Someone interrupted you. You locked up. Something like that.”
“And you?” Vitus shifted from foot to foot.
“I’ll make my own way back. There’s an ancient portal at Arundel Castle. I know where it is. Go home. If you need tocome see me after that, take the usual roundabout way, but look like you’re going home.”
Vitus let out a puff of breath. “All right. See you soon.” He considered, then held out the talisman. “More use for you.”
She kissed him quickly on the cheek, distracted. He gathered up his satchel and went, because she was right. Best he was out of here before whoever that was coming back with the Guard or footmen or some other complexity. He thought Thessaly might have been following him along the path, at least until they were in sight of the portal. But every time he glanced around, he couldn’t see anything.
The footman looked unnerved. He was standing at attention now. Vitus did his best to sound confident. “I was interrupted in the work, I don’t know by who. I thought it best to lock up and let you know.”
“Sir, pardon.” Vitus didn’t wait for the objections, just setting the portal for the one near home, and going through it. Once he was there, however, it was time to worry. He didn’t want Thessaly to come home to Bryn Glas without being there to meet her. But if the Fortiers wanted to make trouble, it’d look odd if he wasn’t at home.
He stopped in the house, partly to change clothing entirely, bundling up what he’d been wearing. There were ways to trace someone magically, but he’d had permission to be there. It wouldn’t be a problem if that showed on his clothes. Now, he packed up his tools and a change of clothing into his satchel, nothing that would be obvious in transit. He came down through the library to find his mother knitting.
“I’m going out again, Mama.” Vitus bent to kiss her cheek. “If anyone comes looking for me, if it’s not Thessaly or her companion, I’m out. You think I’m in Trellech, but I said something about catching up with a friend.”
His mother raised one eyebrow. “As you said, Vitus. Are you all right?”
Vitus did not know at all how to answer that. “It’s complicated. Not injured, though, and I shouldn’t be in any trouble.”
“That’s the sort of answer I expect from your brother. Will you tell me when you can?” That was what she asked Lucas, what she’d asked Lucas for years. Vitus nodded, and she smiled. “Go on, then. Take care of yourself, please.”
From there, Vitus made his way through several portal loops, first to Trellech, then to London, then to Brighton. Finally, he set the portal back to Bryn Glas, hoping that would confuse anyone trying to trace or follow him enough, given the busy portals. He turned up at the house around nine at night, to find Emeline pacing back and forth in the front hallway.
“Where is she?” Emeline wheeled to look at him.
“She was walking to the Arundel Castle portal.” He considered the time. “That’s what, five miles? An hour and a half’s walk.”
“Not Arundel.” There was something flat and dangerous. “You let her go on her own.”
“I had to make a show of coming back. We— she— didn’t want to risk being noticed. Also, I’m not going to argue with her. She’s really a phenomenal duellist, isn’t she?”
Something in Emeline’s expression softened, then hardened immediately. “What were you doing that you saw her duelling?”
“If she didn’t tell you her plans, there’s a reason for it.” Vitus could feel his resolve shaking, but Thessaly hadn’t told Emeline, clearly. And it wasn’t up to Vitus to decide to do that. “But I’ll sit here and wait with you?”
“All right.” There was then a good twenty minutes of awkward waiting. Emeline paced, Vitus sat, and every offer of tea Collins made was rebuffed. Around twenty to ten, the dooropened. Emeline wheeled around, but as soon as she realised it was Thessaly, she was circling, checking her. “You duelled.” Emeline didn’t make it a question.
“Duelled and then walked five miles. I’m fine, not much connected.” Thessaly sounded exhausted.
“You let me judge that. You, wait here.” That was to Vitus. “You, upstairs and into a bath, once I’ve looked you over.” Vitus opened his mouth and closed it again. Thessaly gave in, with no sort of argument.
Thirty minutes later, Emeline came downstairs, carrying an armful of clothing. “You can go up if you like. Don’t keep her up.” Vitus stood, rather stiffly, and she added, “She’s all right. Just— ah, go talk.” That was kinder, then.
“Thank you for making sure.” Vitus gathered himself, his bag, and went padding upstairs. He took his shoes off, leaving his satchel in the sitting room, before going through to the bedroom. Thessaly was lying flat on her back, her feet up on some pillows, arms spread across most of the bed.
She lifted her head at the sound of him coming in, then wriggled one of her hands. “Come, please? Was it awful, waiting?”
“A bit.” Vitus shrugged out of his jacket, then, when she waved her fingers again, out of the rest of his clothing, slipping into bed beside her under the covers. “I think I made the right noises at the footman at the portal, that someone had interrupted me. I locked up. I was going away now. But I didn’t wait to see if he had any questions.”
“That was the right choice.” Thessaly shifted, and Vitus settled on his side, facing her, so he could lace his fingers through hers. Awkwardly, given the angles, but the touch mattered right now. To her, too. “It was a long walk back, but no one came after me. I’m very glad I wore my duelling boots, though. I was worried you wouldn’t get away.”
“Who was it?” Now that they’d covered the most essential part, mutual safety, it came bursting out of Vitus. “And that was you, following me back to the portal?”
