Comatose

Surprise Arrival

When I get back to the Hanging Tree, it looks like a train has barreled through and left all its tourist passengers.

Every light we can steal from the power line outside is being utilized well; nearly all the windows are lit up like candles and the unmistakable sound of Slight yelling rings out the open front door:

"What do you mean, sprained? You just got here! Why do all our new recruits come in broken?"

Broken? Harsh. My memory may be a little dented, but it's not like I appeared on their doorstep with limbs missing in transit. Pushing open the door with my shoulders ducked to the evening cold, I brace myself for whatever has gotten everyone so excited. With my brand of luck, it's probably from Rowan telling everyone I went off with a super spy to spill our secrets. Either way, I'm in for a load of trouble inside.

Rowan, coincidentally, is the first one to spot me. "Well. Look who showed up," he comments dryly. I give him my best scowl and head toward the stairs.

"I'm tired, dear. You didn't have to wait up for me."

"We didn't." He nods toward the other room. "Pan's found something."

I freeze, like he knew I would. White noise sizzles between us. "Something?" I echo. "Or someone?"

He shrugs, not like he doesn't know but like he doesn't care. "Does it matter? Go see for yourself what he's brought back this time."

Scrutinizing the dark boy further doesn't generally get me anywhere; I assume now is not a unique time for it. I shed my coat, eyes still locked with Rowan's as I hang it on the banister and inch by him once more. He doesn't speak again, just stares, unblinking, until I'm all the way through the front hall and out of his sight.

This doesn't mean I'm away from prying eyes, though. Slight's sharp gaze fixes upon me almost instantly.

"You," she says, face cold and hard as the gleaming electronics she loves to mess with. "You are late. I need your help and being late to the situation is extremely unhelpful. What took so long?"

There's no fun in being honest with everyone. "I had a run-in with a couple of Derek Jaeger's crew. Don't look so worried, Slight, they're totally fine. I left everyone with all their fingers--intact, too." She huffs her frustration with me, but doesn't combat the explanation. Good. The last thing I want is an interrogation.

"Jaeger's?" A cool breath chills the back of my neck. Pan. Why am I so hyperaware of him? "What were they doing on our side? You told me nobody gets past Jane Tinker."

I force myself to sound offended; it isn't hard, what with the insinuation I'm not doing my job correctly. "They didn't. Why do you think I'm late?" I reply crossly.

"That's a long time to be chasing off little boys."

"I wouldn't need to if you stopped getting them all angry!"

He smiles. A calculated move. "You're the only angry one I see here."

A loudly obvious cough interrupts our treacherous banter. Good thing, too; standing on his grin like that, I was bound to tumble off soon. "I have my own reasons for being angry," I finish in a low tone. "Raven said you found something. Who?"

Pan stretches one arm behind his head. "Who do you think? While you were out flirting with Jaeger's boys, I was being thoroughly productive."

"Yeah, for once," Slight mumbles, just loud enough for us to overhear. I smirk and he frowns for a moment, then gets back into describing the details of his very useful afternoon.

"Anyway. I went out to Madame's and asked around a bit for a runaway matching our girl's general appearance. Nobody had any clue what I was talking about," he tells me proudly.