“Feels like it,” Sebastian admitted. “The fever has cleared up. The lion has changed. And I can’t sense anything left.”
Rory nodded slowly. “You must like Fine a lot right back.”
It was strange to see the lion now, without his colors. Sebastian’s emotions were a jumbled mess of uncertainty and loss, but there was no regret mixed in, because he would have given so much more for Wesley. “Yes,” he said quietly. “I do.”
“Can I see the tattoo?” said Zhang.
Jade and Rory were looking too, so Sebastian held his wrist up. Zhang tilted his head. “So it was always a lion?”
Sebastian nodded. He hesitated, but it felt relevant to all that had happened that night, so he said, “Wesley—er, Lord Fine—he could see the lion. Even before.”
Zhang and Jade exchanged a look. Zhang leaned forward. “Obviously I can’t promise it,” he said, “but I think your magic will come back.”
“It’s okay if it doesn’t,” Sebastian said, and meant it. “I don’t regret it. I’d do it again.”
“I know,” Zhang said, as his hand intertwined with Jade’s. “But your magic went up against a relic’s magic, and won.”
“Your magic could have survived,” Jade said, resting her head on Zhang’s shoulder. “And it could come back.”
Sebastian swallowed.
They were quiet for a moment, and Sebastian very carefully did not close his eyes, because if he did he was liable not to open them again for at least twenty-four hours.
“You’re not on the plane anymore,” Rory said to Zhang. “You’re resting?”
Zhang nodded. “But that means I have no idea what Arthur and Fine might be saying.”
“Or where they’re gonna stick us,” Rory grumbled. “How’d you get here? Did you drive? Let’s just take that car back to the city.”
“I’m afraid the truck didn’t survive,” Jade said. “Most of the cars on the grounds didn’t.”
“Survive what?” said Rory.
“The storm,” Zhang said pointedly.
“Oh.” Rory rubbed the back of his neck. “Guess I was pretty mad,” he said sheepishly.
Sebastian took a deep breath, letting their voices wash over him. It was so nice to hear all of them, even if it gave him an achy feeling of being an outsider, trespassing where he didn’t belong.
“Hey.” He glanced over to find Rory looking at him again. Rory’s voice was quiet as he said, “You were ready to take Langford’s bullet for me, before the storm. You’re a good friend.”
Sebastian glanced away again. “I don’t thinkgood friendskidnap each other.”
“But you know no one’s still mad at you over the blood magic, right?” said Rory. “That we all understand?”
“MaybeI’mstill mad at me over the blood magic,” Sebastian muttered.
“Then that’s something you gotta work out with yourself,” Rory said wisely. “’Cause the rest of us—we’re all square. No one blames you but you.”
Sebastian opened his mouth, then closed it. That was going to stick with him awhile. “Grazie,” he finally said, some of the scant Italian he remembered from the war.
Rory smiled, one of his rare, real smiles. “Di niente.”
“And once again I find myself agreeing with Brodigan; this truly must stop.” Wesley had come up behind Sebastian’s chair. “Are you all aware there are books floating in the air?”
Sebastian glanced up at him.
“I’m working on it,” Jade said, as Arthur appeared next to Wesley behind Sebastian’s chair. “But you know, once I get control of this brooch, I’m going to be so dangerous. I’m going to cable Gwen. Maybe we’ll start that ladies’ society after all.”
