And there was Rory, his right foot off the ground, holding himself heavily upright with his arms around a tree trunk. His face was lit with joy. “Arthur.”
Arthur grabbed for Rory, catching him just as Rory pushed off the tree and crashed into his chest. Arthur pulled him into his arms, the flashlight still clenched in his fist, its bright beam lighting a streak through the woods behind Rory’s back. “Thank heavens. How did you know to call for me?”
“Felt you getting closer through the link.” Rory’s words muffled against Arthur’s fur coat as he burrowed into his chest. “Best thing I ever felt.” He clung to Arthur tightly. “How’d you find me? How’d you get across the river? It was like a flutter in the link, then you were here.”
“An enchanted compass and an extra trick from our resident miracle-maker, Pavel. But a one-way trip, I’m afraid,” Arthur admitted. “We can’t get back that way.”
“And you came for me anyway?” It came out small, and Rory was shaking against him, from cold or emotion or both.
Arthur tightened his arms around him. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I didn’t think you’d notice in the first place,” Rory said guilelessly, and Arthur felt a pulse of guilt. “You got better things to do than wonder where I went—”
“I really don’t,” Arthur said, with feeling, pulling him even closer. “What the devil happened?”
“Came down wrong on my ankle when I hit the bank.”
“But how did you end up on the west side of the Hudson?”
Rory mumbled something into Arthur’s chest.
“I didn’t catch that.”
Still hiding his face against Arthur’s chest, Rory very slowly raised his left hand up, in front of Arthur’s eyes.
It took Arthur a moment to realize what the flash of gold was.
“You brought the ring?”
Rory winced.
“How?” Arthur demanded. “You said no one should be King of the Wind, you wanted it put away where you couldn’t use it so we locked that ring back into the safe and I changed the combina—oh, youdidn’t.”
Rory glanced up, eyes big behind his glasses, lower lip caught in his teeth. “I’m not saying you don’t have a reason to kill me, but if you’re gonna do it, can I kiss you before I die?”
“You utter shit,” Arthur said, even as he pulled Rory up for a kiss.
It’d been too many days since they’d kissed. Rory’s lips were soft but ice cold, the hands grabbing for Arthur’s face as chilled as snow. “I’m so stupid, Ace,” he said, between breaths. “I’m so stupid, but you came for me anyway.”
Arthur would have kissed him forever, except Rory was still shivering in his arms. Arthur broke the kiss long enough to pull off Harry’s stolen hunting cap and tug it down over Rory’s curls. “You lost your cap,” he said, carefully arranging the fur-lined flaps over Rory’s ears.
“Somewhere on the river.” Rory’s eyelashes fluttered. “Least I kept my glasses—geez, that’s nice.”
Arthur tucked the flashlight under his arm. “Butwhydid you bring the ring?” he asked, as he bit the middle finger of his right glove.
“I kept having these dreams about that tidal wave and the wind and the thought of leaving it behind was making my skin crawl—what’re you doing? I’m not taking your gloves—”
“You really thought I wouldn’t understand bad dreams after something like Coney Island? You thought you couldn’t tell me? And the hell you’re not taking these gloves. You’re a lot closer to frostbite than I am.”
“I wasgonnatell you but I didn’t get a chance. And you’re making an elephant out of a fly, I never wear gloves and you’ll be cold now—”
“How about you pretend I’m an ex-soldier who knows my own limits?” Arthur bit out. “One who’s seen what exposure can do to a man and will do whatever necessary to spare you that fate?”
It came out raw, bad memories and anxiety making the words too honest.
But Rory didn’t throw it back. “Oh.” He worried his lip with his teeth again, then offered Arthur a rueful smile that was sweeter than it had any right to be. “King of the Wind shoulda been King of Idiots, huh? Maybe I oughta let you make all the calls tonight.”
Arthur let out a breath. “Maybe I ought to have a record of you saying that,” he muttered. “I’ll play it every time you argue.” He passed the gloves to Rory, who pulled them on quickly enough that Arthur knew his hands were hurting. He shed his coat next and draped it around Rory’s before the other man could form an argument. “I will take the coat back when I have to.” Bent so their eyes were level, he added, “But wear it until you’ve warmed up.Per favore, Teddy, please. For me.”
