Cash drew his own wand in response, aiming it at the ground rather than at her — he took a step back. Well acquainted with legilimency - his father's wife had spent several months poking at his memories and moving them around, after all - it was entirely on instinct that he lowered his gaze, less than any actual inclination that Antigone might try it. He said nothing, but kept an eye on her wand hand.

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He broke eye contact and drew his wand. Ugh. Tig scowled. "Expelliarmus!"

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Cash may not have been so quick if he wasn't already on alert, too freaked out by Antigone looking right into his eyes — when he heard the start of her spell all he could focus on was getting out. With a crack!, he apparated off of the balcony and onto the ground beneath them, where he stumbled into one of the garden hedges.

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It hadn't occurred to her that he might disapparate - Tiberius had never been so cowardly - and it took her by complete surprise. She heard a rustle down below and ran to the edge of the balcony where she spotted him harassing the foliage. The surprise had momentarily disabled the rational decision making part of her brain (which was weak at the best of times) and she apparated after him. She realized as she reappeared that she was still holding the smoldering butt of the cigarette and let it fall to the ground without a second thought. "The more you resist, the more I want to know!" He might be a seeker and perhaps some of that lithe quidditch player physique translated well into running but she was confident she could outrun him with ease if she needed to. Four legs were better than two.

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He had to get away from her, but it was Christmas Eve at the Lestrange house — how hard could it really be to get away from his cousin's wife? Cash knew Fort Lestrange, he'd spent every holiday here since he was a child, he knew all the twists and turns of the grounds. He kept his hand on his wand and backed into a gap in the hedge, pressing himself further back until he was into the garden — the staff was going to be annoyed at the disruption to the grounds when they noticed it, but that didn't seem like a major concern right now.

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Tig was almost disappointed when he didn't immediately make a run for it. "Don't be unreasonable, Cassius, just tell me now and we can pretend this never happened." She tried to match his pace as she walked toward him which was actually quite difficult when she was tensed to spring into action at the first sign of sudden movement. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

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He was more afraid of Tiberius than he was of her, Cash reminded himself — otherwise, he might have bent. Instead, he was trying to calculate the best way to make an escape — another well-timed apparition, probably, because since she was Tiberius' wife he also could not hex her. He kept hold of his wand, visualized his bedroom in Fort Lestrange, and crack!

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Damn it! Tig scowled at the now empty garden and might've lobbed something angrily had anything been to hand aside from her wand. Unlike the last time he'd disapparated this time he seemed to have chosen a destination beyond her range of sight. He probably hadn't left the property or at least had only done so briefly because he was still expected to be present but she had a feeling he wouldn't make it easy for her to catch him alone before she went back home.

Bastard.

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