Anton was gone. It took barely a glance around the room to establish that. He wasn't the sort of man to go wandering, or exploring, particularly in the face of today's events, so it was odd. Then again, maybe he'd needed the space. Skulduggery wouldn't hold that against him. Not after the way he'd reacted when he first found out.
"Thank you," he told Fletcher with a brief smile the boy wouldn't see, but would perhaps hear. "And good job, getting them both out of there."
Fletcher mumbled something not quite discernible, and then straightened up. "Do you mind if I go somewhere quickly?"
Skulduggery turned on his way out the door, surprised. "Why?"
The teenager shifted uncomfortably. "I just... I want to go Teleporting around without someone else in tow, that's all. I'll be right back."
Skulduggery cocked his head as he observed the young Teleporter, and he could quite suddenly see exactly what Gabe had been talking about. Fletcher wasn't used to a life like this, and... still, he was asking permission to take a break from it. Like he didn't have the right to just go. Like Skulduggery actually had the authority, or the inclination, to stop him.
His tone softened slightly without his willing it to. "You don't need to ask. Just stay in contact. The last thing I need is you disappearing."
Something a lot like gratitude flickered across Fletcher's face. Gratitude, and... surprise. "Thanks."
And without another word, he was gone.
Skulduggery took a moment before he made for the bedrooms, and tried the handle of the original one. It didn't turn. Assuming Fletcher must have locked it in some mistaken attempt at safety, Skulduggery put his hand against the lock to break it apart. He stopped when he remembered the lock worked both ways, twisted it open, and froze with his hand on the door handle while he picked apart his own conflicting thought processes.
It didn't make any sense. He didn't contradict himself, not even in his own head. In Skulduggery's line of work, he couldn't afford it. Why was it happening now?
He gave himself a little shake, moved the conundrum to the back of his mind, and pushed the door open. "Gabe?"
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"Thank you," he told Fletcher with a brief smile the boy wouldn't see, but would perhaps hear. "And good job, getting them both out of there."
Fletcher mumbled something not quite discernible, and then straightened up. "Do you mind if I go somewhere quickly?"
Skulduggery turned on his way out the door, surprised. "Why?"
The teenager shifted uncomfortably. "I just... I want to go Teleporting around without someone else in tow, that's all. I'll be right back."
Skulduggery cocked his head as he observed the young Teleporter, and he could quite suddenly see exactly what Gabe had been talking about. Fletcher wasn't used to a life like this, and... still, he was asking permission to take a break from it. Like he didn't have the right to just go. Like Skulduggery actually had the authority, or the inclination, to stop him.
His tone softened slightly without his willing it to. "You don't need to ask. Just stay in contact. The last thing I need is you disappearing."
Something a lot like gratitude flickered across Fletcher's face. Gratitude, and... surprise. "Thanks."
And without another word, he was gone.
Skulduggery took a moment before he made for the bedrooms, and tried the handle of the original one. It didn't turn. Assuming Fletcher must have locked it in some mistaken attempt at safety, Skulduggery put his hand against the lock to break it apart. He stopped when he remembered the lock worked both ways, twisted it open, and froze with his hand on the door handle while he picked apart his own conflicting thought processes.
It didn't make any sense. He didn't contradict himself, not even in his own head. In Skulduggery's line of work, he couldn't afford it. Why was it happening now?
He gave himself a little shake, moved the conundrum to the back of his mind, and pushed the door open. "Gabe?"