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Hot under the collar was another expression Wesley had known with certainty was hyperbole—until he’d met Sebastian.

“I clipped the trap three times in a row, at the end.” Sebastian was smiling at him over their poached sole. “Maybe next time I’ll hit it dead on.”

Once again, other passengers were sneaking glances at their table, or more accurately, at Sebastian, who was criminally attractive in his dinner jacket and black bow tie high around his collar.

Meanwhile, Wesley’s own collar felt near to melting from the heat that rose every time Sebastian smiled in his direction. “You improved,” he allowed.

“Because you are such a good teacher.” Sebastian’s smile turned a little more playful. “Very good at being strict and bossy when someone is asking for it.”

Wesley had been strict and bossy, and despite not having his magic, Sebastian had stayed comfortable with it the entire time.

“You’re kind of asking for it now,” Wesley said meaningfully.

Sebastian grinned. Wesley would have found this kind of flirting heady enough on its own, but seeing Sebastian look like he was enjoying it, knowing how much trust that took—a deeply hard-won trust that Sebastian didn’t give to anyone but Wesley—

Christ, if only they didn’t have to worry about a plot to destroy magic, and two missing relics, and possibly Lady Nora.

Wesley and Sebastian had spent most of the afternoon on the deck, joined by six or seven other hardy souls at different points, but Lady Nora’s companion, Dr. Wright, never showed.

Now there was no sign of either of them in the dining lounge.

It almost felt like they didn’t want to be seen.

“Excuse me, Lord Fine?” An attendant in black tie had approached their table politely. He had an envelope in one hand. “We’ve had a message for you from another passenger on the ship, in second class. Would you like to take it?”

Wesley took the envelope from the attendant as Sebastian leaned in. “Is it from Arthur and Rory?”

Wesley nodded, scanning Arthur’s message. “Ace says he and Brodigan are going to be in the second-class smoking lounge this evening, if we can sneak in.”

“I bet we can.” Sebastian had a thoughtful expression. “Do you still have the seasickness pills Lady Nora gave you?”

“In my room,” said Wesley. “I can certainly offer them to Brodigan, but I think it’s a fairly safe bet that Arthur bought him twenty packs already.”

“They’re not for Rory to take,” Sebastian said. “They’re for Rory to scry .”

“Oh.” Wesley sat back in his chair. “Can he really?”

“I think he may want to try,” Sebastian said. “Lady Nora said she always keeps them on hand. Maybe Rory can find out where she’s been traveling—and who she’s been traveling with.”

“Now we’re finally getting somewhere,” Wesley said.

* * *

After a dessert of peach melba, they took the elevator down to E-deck and wove their way toward the stern of the ship until they found a heavy door labeled Second Class .

From there, they followed stairs and carpeted halls until they found the second-class smoking lounge, a dark space with oak furniture upholstered in green leather.

It lacked the opulence of first but was perfectly comfortable, and Wesley liked it better, the way he preferred cigarettes to cigars.

Arthur and Rory had a table at the back, by an open window. Arthur waved, and Wesley and Sebastian crossed the room to join them.

They waited for the attendant to take their order and bring their drinks—Wesley tactfully not commenting on Sebastian’s decision to go back to soda.

Once they were in relative privacy again, Wesley pulled Lady Nora’s seasickness pills from his jacket, and stretched across the table to set them in front of Rory.

“Considerate,” Arthur said, sounding unflatteringly surprised. “But I did bring Rory’s pills.”

Wesley shook his head. “Can you scry this?” he said to Rory.

Rory looked to Sebastian, who nodded. “We got them from the Duke of Valemount’s niece.”

They filled Arthur and Rory in on their encounters with Lady Nora. Rory’s eyebrows were up as he picked up the pills consideringly. “You two, lean in,” Arthur said. He pointed to a deck of cards on the table. “We can pretend we’re playing cards while he scries.”

“Not a chance,” Wesley said. “We’re waiting until Brodigan’s done, and then we’re not pretending anything. I’ll enjoy watching all of you lose at poker.”

Rory snorted. “Even woozy on seasickness pills, I’ll still take you to the cleaners again.”

“ Again. ” Wesley tilted his head back, considering Rory and recalling the rounds they’d played in London in spring. “Oh, I see,” he said, as that night fell into place. “When we played before, I didn’t know about magic. Did you use your psychometry to win?”

“I gave you back your money,” Rory said defensively.

“Yes, but now you’ve given me back my pride ,” Wesley said. “We most certainly must play tonight.”

Rory looked at him suspiciously. “Look, if you’re still sore—”

“You misunderstand,” Wesley said. “I welcome a worthy opponent. I want another match, and I want you to use every trick you have. It will mean I can be ten times as smug when I beat you.”

“You can try,” Rory said meaningfully.

Sebastian made a face. “Poker is not really my game.”

Wesley tsked. “Do you need me to fund your bets?”

“No,” Sebastian said, giving him a look. “I can pay to lose, it’s fine.”

Rory tilted his head. “Guess money’s not a big deal when your family’s been connected to magic for more than four hundred years, huh? Or when you’re distantly related to dukes.”

“It’s very distant,” Sebastian said, looking self-conscious. “And money’s just not something I think a lot about.”

“That’s how you know you have it.” Rory tapped the table. “All right. Deal the cards while I scry. Fine says magic’s allowed, so I’m not gonna feel bad for robbing any of you.”

“We should really just hand him our money,” Arthur muttered.

“Nonsense,” Wesley said testily. “I’m going to win.”

“If you say so,” Arthur said, picking up his drink.

Rory closed his eyes. The room was dim and no one was watching the four of them in the corner, but Wesley still leaned forward, along with Arthur and Sebastian, and began to deal the cards.

“Conveyor belt, in the factory,” Rory muttered. “The woman stacks pills in a box. And then—and then—argh.” His eyes popped open. “Nothing.”

“What do you mean, nothing ?” Wesley said.

“I mean I can’t see the history of these pills.” Rory nodded at Sebastian. “It’s like how it used to be with him. I can see the pills being manufactured. And I can see them way back on a store shelf. But everything else? Blank.”

Arthur, Wesley, and Sebastian exchanged glances. “But you can see them with Wesley and I, bringing them here, yes?” Sebastian said.

“No,” said Rory. “Nothing since they left the store.”

“Well,” Arthur said, “I think that at least answers the question of whether Lady Nora is mixed up with anything magical.”

“Unless it’s her companion,” Wesley said. “The man we haven’t seen again. He’s a doctor; perhaps Lady Nora got the pills from him, and he’s the one with magic blocking Brodigan’s magic?”

Sebastian frowned. “It’s not very common magic.”

“Perhaps not,” said Wesley. “But it seems it may be present, all the same.”

“Whatever’s going on, you and Seb need to be careful.” Rory set the box back in front of Wesley. “ Real careful.”

Wesley looked to his side to find Sebastian looking at him as well. “We’ll look out for each other,” Sebastian promised.

“Should we go back now?” Wesley said.

“Jade was going to try to send a marconigram before their ship departed,” Arthur said. “Stick around for a few hands and see if it comes in.”

* * *

They played several rounds of poker, and Sebastian lost track of how much money he lost to Rory. However much it was, Wesley lost more, with Arthur delightedly driving up every bet.

“For fuck’s sake,” Wesley finally said to Arthur, as Rory laid down yet another winning hand. “Brodigan’s going to be able to buy you Buckingham Palace after this.”

Sebastian smiled. He’d be lying if he claimed he hadn’t been rooting for Rory against all of them. “I thought you were going to win,” he teased.

“So did I.” Wesley shook his head. “Laughable hubris on my part.”

“I’ll give you your money back this time too,” Rory started.

“Don’t you dare,” Wesley said. “I knew exactly what I was getting into.”

“You might even say he was asking for it,” Sebastian added innocently.

Wesley side-eyed him. “You would know all about that, wouldn’t you?” he said, with a hint of heat, which sent a pleasant shiver over Sebastian.

Wesley looked back at Rory. “My ego is my problem, not yours. You deserve to keep every cent.”

Rory’s lips turned up in a grudging smile. “You’re all right sometimes, Fine.”

“Sometimes, he says.” Wesley stood up. “I don’t think Miss Robbins’s message is going to find us tonight. Let’s go back, while I still own my clothes.”

“If you’re losing your clothes, maybe we should stay,” Sebastian said, with a tiny grin.

“And you call me shameless,” Wesley said, grabbing Sebastian’s sleeve and pulling him up to his feet.

They snuck back into first class via one of the staff staircases, and then made their way through the social areas of the ship. The windows were speckled with raindrops as they climbed the grand staircase up to C-deck.

When they passed Wesley’s stateroom without Wesley slowing, Sebastian hid a smile. “Are you walking me back to my room? Very chivalrous of you.”

“I wouldn’t call my intentions chivalrous ,” Wesley said lightly, which made Sebastian shiver again.

The long hall was mostly empty, only a couple at the far end deeply engaged in their own discussion. Sebastian unlocked his stateroom and held the door so Wesley could go in ahead of him.