There was a smear of blood on the edge of his palm now, too. Theo dropped his hand to his side and lifted his gaze again, tried not to think about it. There was a ball of panic fizzing away somewhere in his chest about – all of this, the storm and what could have started it and how many other people were hurt and what else might have happened – but he thought maybe, if he concentrated, that he could ignore the feeling, push down the fear and just take one thing at a time.
Like this: like Cash right here in front of him, lost and quiet and leaning against the wall. Cash’s sister was dead. They had just seen her dead body under the chandelier, except – oh. Except he was asking about Cecily.
Theo hesitated. “Yeah, I saw her,” he said at last, speaking softly to keep his tone level. “She looked okay.” And, well... she must still be with Veronica. They would be too sensible, since Cee’s last splinching, to try disapparating tonight. Perhaps it was the best possible outcome not to have seen them amongst the casualties in the ballroom, because that meant they were probably fine and had found somewhere to shelter too. If he thought it hard enough, maybe he could make it true.
(It was unfair if it was true, because it could just as easily have been his sister dead, and it felt wrong to be relieved or to be talking about it now. But if it wasn’t, and Cee and Veronica weren’t safe, and Theo wasn’t even out there looking for them, then it would only be his fault if—)
He kept his eyes on Cash instead. One thing at a time. “I’ll go find her soon,” Theo affirmed, as if the effects of the hurricane were what was holding him back, and not the simple fact that he couldn’t just leave him here alone. “Is it alright if I – stay with you until then?”
Like this: like Cash right here in front of him, lost and quiet and leaning against the wall. Cash’s sister was dead. They had just seen her dead body under the chandelier, except – oh. Except he was asking about Cecily.
Theo hesitated. “Yeah, I saw her,” he said at last, speaking softly to keep his tone level. “She looked okay.” And, well... she must still be with Veronica. They would be too sensible, since Cee’s last splinching, to try disapparating tonight. Perhaps it was the best possible outcome not to have seen them amongst the casualties in the ballroom, because that meant they were probably fine and had found somewhere to shelter too. If he thought it hard enough, maybe he could make it true.
(It was unfair if it was true, because it could just as easily have been his sister dead, and it felt wrong to be relieved or to be talking about it now. But if it wasn’t, and Cee and Veronica weren’t safe, and Theo wasn’t even out there looking for them, then it would only be his fault if—)
He kept his eyes on Cash instead. One thing at a time. “I’ll go find her soon,” Theo affirmed, as if the effects of the hurricane were what was holding him back, and not the simple fact that he couldn’t just leave him here alone. “Is it alright if I – stay with you until then?”
