Something about that cracked Robin’s heart into pieces and rectified it with the next beat. “It’s odd to think that if his lot hadn’t killed Gatling, I’d never have come into contact with magic at all, and the foresight would never have—woken up.”
Edwin blinked. “And I’d never have inherited Sutton.”
“He got what he wanted.” Robin smiled. “And rather a lot that he never bargained for. It’s going to be extremely satisfying to ruin his plans.” He chased that declaration with the rest of his drink, all in one gulp, then set the glass down.
“Yes.” Edwin’s piecemeal smile appeared in response. “When do you think he’s going to realise that you didn’t actually promise to return the favour when it comes to noninterference?”
“Hopefully not for a long time. That was a dashed clever thing you did, leaving it out of the oath. How did you know you could slip it past him?”
And it had slipped past: the fact that Robin and Edwin were still perfectly free, by the terms that Edwin had defined, to do their best to sabotage Walt’s efforts. To find the rest of the contract themselves. Walt had gained a coin, a blood-oath, and a pair of determined enemies that he couldn’t lay a finger on.
“I didn’t,” Edwin said. “But he was off-balance enough that it seemed worth trying.”
Robin shook his head. “Someone should have told him to pay attention to his contracts, before he consented to—” He didn’t get further; Edwin was laughing, quiet and helpless, the action like a new form of light that brought out his pigments, and Robin couldn’t remember anymore why he wasn’t holding Edwin in his arms. It seemed urgent enough to interrupt himself over.
Edwin was still laughing when Robin kissed him. It turned at once into a sharp inhalation; an equally sharp press of fingers at Robin’s neck, keeping him close. Edwin’s mouth opening to his. It had the same urgency, the same carmine edge of exultation and not-being-dead, that had flooded Robin’s veins when they escaped from the maze. Robin kissed him, kissed him, drank him in like water.
They parted only when Edwin sloshed spirits onto Robin’s back, from the glass he hadn’t been given a chance to put down. He hastily took it to the sideboard to join Robin’s.
“We’re going to do this,” said Robin. Best to have things laid out clear. He unbuttoned his damp waistcoat and Edwin’s eyes followed his hands. “We’re going to find out exactly what Walter and his chums are up to, and we’re going to find the other parts of the contract.”
Edwin swiped his hair back, a hectic motion. His lips were reddened. Robin found the sight maddening. “Rather optimistic of you, I’d say.”
“They don’t know that I have any control over the visions at all—oh, I’m starting to feel my way there, I think,” Robin said, to forestall Edwin’s questions. He tossed his waistcoat aside. “They also don’t know that Miss Morrissey and her sister are aware of what’s afoot. Only Byatt knew that. So, there. They’re not the only ones with allies.”
Edwin’s hands were on Robin’s chest now, making a delightful exploration of the gap between two shirt buttons. Robin allowed himself a brief, searing moment of entirely selfish gratitude that Edwin’s fingers had come through that ordeal intact.
“And Walt doesn’t know that Flora Sutton kept research diaries,” said Edwin.
Robin groaned. “I suggest a daring stealth adventure, and you have to ruin it by telling me it’s going to involve books.”
“A great many books.” Edwin’s smile was a tease. “Flora Sutton did magic one-handed, and soaked Sutton in spells I’ve never seen. I don’t think she knew how to practice within the normal rules at all. And—I have her books. I have her land.” He directed the smile around the room. “I don’t know if I can learn to do what she did, but I’m going to try.”
“I think you can probably do anything you set your mind to.”
A flush of pleasure stole into Edwin’s cheeks, but he said, “I can’t stop wondering what might have happened if I’d set it to—the wrong thing. I told you, a month ago Billy’s offer might have worked on me. We could have been on opposite sides of this.”
“Oh, nonsense,” said Robin. “Never would have happened.”
“But I—”
“You sat there knowing you were in terrible danger, you were offered all the magic you could want, and you still refused. You were magnificent.”