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"Thimbles all round!" he cried, and gave Noitheatrical air-kisses on each cheek, then worked his way through everyoneelse. He was as much Puck as Pan thatevening, a breath short of wild, repaying their gift of a birthday withindefatigable high spirits, insisting on charades after cake and, when thosehad collapsed into helpless laughter, coaxing them all onto the dance floor toattempt the Charleston. They began towind down after that, and moved to the restaurant so Min could create drinkswith names like Tom Collins, Mint Julep and El Presidente. Emily was given a Fuzzy Navel, which Minpromised had barely enough peach schnapps to taste. Madeleine sampled each, an experiment whichleft her pleasantly detached as they conscientiously returned to clear away theremains of their meal.
"I'll turn off the music," she said as the otherspushed away laden serving trolleys, but a song she liked shuffled into play asshe approached the control screen, so she turned it up instead, and revolved toslow, mournful words on the part-lit dance floor, watching for glimpses of herstars in mirrored sections of wall.
"Enjoying yourself?"
Holding out her hands to Fisher, she drew him close so theycould turn together. "Yes. Though I think I'll stick to the mostly fruitjuice drinks in future. I don't think Icould shoot straight right now. Letalone avoid shield-paralysis."
Fisher smiled, though his eyes were grave and serious. "What about the third power? Do you think you could use that at themoment?"
A bubble of laughter escaped her. "Science Boy," she said, full of aboundless affection for him. Snuggledagainst his chest she made a valiant attempt, but it was like building a towerof mud. "Results of experiment:negative."
His arms tightened, then he tried himself, a fine thread ofFisher which made her gasp and stumble, so intense was the flood of warmth,desire, and tender concern. Underlyingit were darker emotions: an ever-present note of anger and dread.
Letting the thread of co
"I get to protect you, remember? Or try to. Super-strong."
When he didn't say anything she drew back and saw his mood wasn'tone which was going to respond to spirit-fuelled quips.
"I know we're slow-dancing in the eye of thestorm," she told him. "I'llremember my promise. But I'm...veryhappy right now Fisher."
His expression fractured, glad of her, yet somehow wounded. "I didn't want to waste a moment of thisday on gloom," he said huskily.
"Then don't waste any more." She kissed him, and this time summoned fire,a response so strongly passionate she felt lucky he was holding her up.
"Maddie? Fish? You two still–? Ah." Pan stood in the doorway, trying not to looktoo highly entertained. "Sorry. Just came to saywe're heading up, and the centre elevator's unlocked. Night."
"Lee."
Pan paused, offering Madeleine a look of polite enquiry whichpassed over the fact that Fisher had managed to unzip her dress and slide thestraps over her shoulders to the point where it was necessary to use him as ascreen.
"Noi likes you, you know."
A puzzled partial shrug in response.
"Really likes you."
His smile faded and he looked disbelieving. "You sure?"
"Very."
He blinked twice, then looked down and away, face completelyblank. Lee Rickard, lost for words. Then the tiniest involuntary curling of thecorners of his mouth, a smile trying to happen despite any attempt at control,twitching back whenever he tried to erase it. He looked up at them, eyes very wide, drew a deep breath, then let itout, and simply said: "Anyway, g'night,"before leaving.
"Matchmaking?" Fisher asked.
"I wondered if perhaps it had simply never occurred tohim that she would consider him."
"Because Lee Rickard is not, beneath it all, theeternally cocksure Pan?"
"Exactly. I hopeit wasn't a mistake. I'd hate to makethis harder for either of them."
Out on the Mezzanine balcony a stage-trained voice lifted,strong enough to be clearly heard over the music. "Cock-a-DOOdle-doo!"
Fisher laughed. "Don't worry too hard."
She smiled, and tightened her arms around him. "I've never really been part of agroup. Not even before I had trouble atschool. The teachers were always tellingmy parents I need to be taken out of myself. They thought I was hiding in my drawing."
"Too busy doing important things, no time forpeople. All very familiar." He stroked a loose curl away from hereyes. "I think I'm a good deal morelike you than like Noi. And I'm enjoyingall the complications of people far more than I could ever have expected. Tonight – tonight makes it easier to facetomorrow."
Madeleine couldn't help but agree. Birthday parties, charades, and slow-dancingwith someone whose eyes turned bright when he looked at her. Things which, like her painting, could giveher the strength to run or to fight or to just keep going.
ooOoo
A climb to any height almost seems to invite calamity, and itwas with a sense of the inevitable that Madeleine woke to oscillating song.
So close! She heavedout of the bed, an immediate, instinctive reaction, then stumbled in scant dawnlight at the absence of Fisher. Therewas no time for guessing. Madeleinesnatched at clothes, shoved feet into shoes. A glance showed the en suite was empty. Grabbing her bag, with only a fraction of thought spare to regret howlittle she'd kept packed, she bolted from the room.
"Maddie! Thank God."
Noi snatched Madeleine's hand and reversed direction, pullingher into the next suite.
"I can't find Fisher," Madeleine said, strugglingto keep the words low, searching the thin shadows.
"He knows the plan."
Moth song again, sounding like it was right outside the doorof the room, and Madeleine gulped and hoped a plan would be enough, racing withNoi through the series of interco
"Did you and Fish leave the elevator unlocked?" Panasked.
"No!" Madeleine was absolutely certain of that.
"Questions later." Noi pushed them toward the door. "Go."
The floors of the hotel tower were shaped like a segment ofrainbow, with the suites all along the outside, accessed via a single corridorwhich bracketed the smaller i
They barrelled through the door into unfurling wings.
Momentum carrying her forward, crowded on all sides,Madeleine didn't dare shield-punch, and dived left, trying to avoid the Mothwhile still heading in the direction of the fire escape. She lost her footing, found Emily on herknees beside her and grabbed her hand.
"Go! Don'twait!" Noi urged, catching up Emily's other hand as the boys hesitated astep down the corridor.