“We know for sure that no one will be able to follow us,” Miss Chen said.
“And we also know for sure that people there are going to die. Probably all of them,” I said, receiving a few shocked glances. “Captain Goode wasn’t just angry with us at the ball. He was furious at Lady Atherton for using him. He couldn’t stand the idea of the aristocracy using powered people for their own gain.”
“Evelyn, do you want your sister to get hurt?” Catherine asked. “Because that will happen if we stay.”
“Miss Rosamund wanted to leave, too, as I recall,” Mr. Kent said.
There it was again, all of us falling over ourselves to keep Rose safe. Making the same decision I had made at the ball, sacrificing others for her.
“Stop,” Rose said. “Please stop it! Stop abandoning all common sense to protect me. It’s not fair.”
“If anything, we’re being smarter,” Mr. Kent said. “Running is for our own safety, too.”
“Then ask everyone what they would do if I were not here,” Rose said.
“I don’t know if that’s necessary—”
“Please!” Rose exclaimed. “Just … ask. I need to know.”
“Very well,” Mr. Kent said, letting out a breath. “Miss Chen, if Miss Rosamund was not here, would you stay, or would you run?”
“Stay,” Miss Chen answered, looking a bit perturbed by the truth. “Dammit, I didn’t think I would.”
“Miss Harding, if Miss Rosamund was not here, would you stay or would you run?”
“I would stay if the rest of you were,” she said, frowning.
Mr. Kent continued around the circle and repeated the question for Sebastian.
“Whichever Miss Wyndham would choose,” he answered.
I didn’t know whether to feel guilty or relieved that he’d tied himself to me.
“I want to stay, either way,” I said. “I will never feel safe knowing Captain Goode is out there. Even if it were about Rose, leaving doesn’t seem like the path to her or anyone else’s safety.”
“And if anyone’s wondering about me,” Mr. Kent finished, “I’d probably make the heroic choice and stay.”
Rose crossed her arms and clenched her jaw. “Then that’s what we’re doing.”
“But the fact of the matter is, you are here,” Catherine said.
“Swaying you with my power,” Rose argued. “I am well aware it doesn’t matter what I say. You’ll want to protect me however you think is best. But the best way is Evelyn’s. She’s right. It won’t be long before Captain Goode finds another teleporter or dreamer or psychometer, and it won’t matter if we’re halfway across the world.”
No one had an argument against that. I couldn’t help but admire the way Rose circumvented the effects of her power to get everyone’s honest choice. Even when it might not have been the choice Rose wanted.
“Do you know where we can find him right now?” I asked Mr. Adeoti. “Perhaps we can catch him unprepared.”
Mr. Kent repeated the question reluctantly.
“No,” Mr. Adeoti said. “I’m sorry.”
“How did you find us?” I asked.
“They sent us to the train stations and the docks to search for you. And when I’m near an object that has been touched recently, I can sense it. That’s what happened when I went past the ticket counter at Victoria Station where Mr. Kent bought the train tickets.”
“Then why can’t you track Captain Goode?”
“Gloves,” Miss Chen put in, hitting her forehead with her palm. “I should have told everyone to wear gloves.”
“So he wears gloves and then you can’t track him?” Mr. Kent clarified.
“That’s part of it,” Mr. Adeoti said. “And I wouldn’t know where to start. He appointed Miss Quinn to occupy his position at the Society of Aberrations building while he took over for the head. He sends his orders in now, but we don’t know where from.”
“And everyone accepted that?” I asked.
“He said that Mr. Braddock killed the previous head,” Mr. Adeoti said matter-of-factly. “And that the rest of you are traitors who want to destroy the Society, so he had to keep his location a secret.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, that’s absurd.”
“Anyone who might question it has probably had their family or friends threatened,” Miss Chen reminded me. “If I were still there, I’d be tracking you, too.”
“So we … threw an innocent man off the train,” I said.
“The metal man?” Miss Chen asked, wearing a look of disgust that Mr. Adeoti shared. “No, he was always offering to make a statue garden out of England’s enemies for the Society. Don’t lose any sleep over him.”
“I agree,” Mr. Kent said, holding up his metal hand as evidence.
At that moment, there was a gentle knock at the door.
“Yes?” I called out.
The door opened, revealing Mrs. Tuffins, now wearing an apron that added yet another mismatched pattern to her ensemble. “I wanted to let you know the tea is ready downstairs,” she said.
“Oh, thank you, Mrs. Tuffins. We’ll be right down,” I said, trying to tighten the space in the circle around Mr. Adeoti.
It did absolutely nothing. “Hello, I don’t believe we were introduced earlier,” Mrs. Tuffins said, looking past me, all smiles.
There was a loud squeak behind me, and I turned to find Mr. Adeoti rising to his feet, the chair still bound to his hands behind him.
He gave a short, hunched bow. “Joseph Adeoti. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance and be your guest. You have a lovely home.”
“Oh, how nice; my, what a kind group of young people,” Mrs. Tuffins said with a warm smile, finding absolutely nothing wrong with a man so attached to his seat. “I will see you downstairs.”
She closed the door on her way out.
“Was that invitation for me? I would love to have tea,” Mr. Adeoti said. He smiled again to reveal his dimples. “If you still don’t trust me, I can come down like this. Then you wouldn’t have to find me an extra chair.”
“Have you been telling the truth since we came in here?” Mr. Kent asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Adeoti answered.
“Are you planning to betray us to Captain Goode or anyone else?”
“Heavens no.”
“What would you do if we untied you?”
“I would do my best research to help end the Society and prevent you from dying against Captain Goode because your powers are horribly outmatched.”
“I … thank you. That … would be appreciated, I think,” I said.
“No, no, it’s perfect! He won’t be expecting any sort of challenge from you!” Mr. Adeoti said with an encouraging smile as Miss Chen stepped behind him and tore his restraints.
“Well, I guess there’s no need for this intimidating hand anymore,” Mr. Kent said. “Miss Wyndham, would you mind sorting this healing out? It’s getting dreadfully heavy.”
Sebastian stepped just outside of the room as I put my hand onto Mr. Kent’s metal one.
“Oh, that won’t work at all,” Mr. Adeoti said.
Mr. Kent chuckled until he saw Mr. Adeoti’s serious face. “Truly?”
“Yes, as far as I know.”
“And how far is that?”
“From the Society of Aberrations library,” Mr. Adeoti said. “I’ve read most of the information about powers, and there’s nothing about healing metal back to flesh.”
“Nothing yet,” Mr. Kent insisted, watching his hand intently. “I have faith in Miss Wyndham’s power.”
“I’m glad one of us does,” I said, feeling the cold steel. “Nothing seems to be happening.”
Mr. Kent took his hand out from my hold and clunked it against a chair in exasperation. “So in order to reverse this, I have to find that metal man and persuade him to turn it back?”
“Yes,” Mr. Adeoti answered.
“There’s no other way?”
“I don’t believe so, but perhaps we could find a way to ask—”
“What if Captain Goode were to shut off our powers?”
“That wouldn’t change anything that’s already been done to you.”
“Could Camille transform it back?”
“Oh yes, she’s quite powerful!” Mr. Adeoti said hopefully. “A little scary, though. It might be possible.”
“She’s dead,” I reminded them.
“Oh, for God’s sake, everyone’s dead,” Mr. Kent groaned.
“I think there is one way,” Mr. Adeoti suggested. “Given the powers available to you.”