After a long, breath-held pause, Virgil nodded his acceptance. Immediately, the vampires began filing out the door, looking rather like theatergoers exiting an interesting but slightly confusing play. As Melody passed by Matthew, she paused, her hands clasped before her.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” she said. “This could have been such a disaster—”
“Just get rid of your thrall,” said Matthew. “Orville may not have the most pleasant personality, but he deserves better than a life like that.”
“I will. Honestly, I wished to before, I simply wasn’tbrave enough to do it. But you have rather showed me the way, I think. I shall set him free as soon as we dock.”
“Good,” said Matthew, and Melody, with the flash of a smile, leaned forward to impulsively kiss him on the cheek. She turned quickly and hurried out of the room. Sylvain watched her go with a smile touching the corner of his mouth.
At last, only Virgil was left. He regarded Matthew thoughtfully, his eyes hooded. “You are a very unusual Shadowhunter,” he said.
“He is that,” agreed Sylvain.
Virgil smiled, and Matthew saw the white dart of his fang teeth. “Have you ever considered an immortal life?” he inquired. “Perhaps as one of us? You seem the sort who might excel in the theater.”
Matthew felt his eyebrows shoot up. “No, thank you,” he said, politely.
Virgil looked genuinely disappointed. “If I might ask, why not? Shadowhunters have become vampires in the past. It’s certainly possible. Or is it the thought of the blood that bothers you?”
“No,” Matthew said, and added hastily, “Well, yes. It does bother me. But that’s not the real reason. If I were to become a vampire, I would lose my bond with myparabatai.I would lose my days with my friends. I simply… like my life as it is.” He paused for a moment, struck by what he’d said. “I like my life,” he said, again, this time with a note of wonder in his voice that made Sylvain look at him sharply.
Virgil inclined his head. “If you ever change your mind, you know where to find us, Shadowhunter.”
And with that he was gone, his movements so quick that to Matthew he seemed to vanish into thin air. Matthew stood where he was, still caught in the net of surprise his own words had provoked.
He felt a warm hand come down on his shoulder, and turned his head to see Sylvain standing beside him. “Well, that was an unexpected ending to our adventure,” he said, and there was a warmth in his dark eyes that made Matthew’s stomach flutter. “Shall we return to our rooms?”
Matthew grinned. “Can I try on a few of the costumes first?”
Sylvain laughed. It was a lovely sound. “I rather thought you’d say that.”
SIX
Matthew stared at Oscar. Oscar stared back, at least as much as a golden retriever could be said to stare. Mostly he gazed hopefully, and moved his ears around.
“I don’t know where he is either,” Matthew said. “And yes, I did go to his room and knock on the door and moon around like a pillock. If Sylvain was there, he didn’t open the door. So no, I’m not doing it again.”
Oscar’s ears drooped. Matthew knew how he felt. Everything, he thought, had seemed to be going well after he and Sylvain had resolved things with the vampires. He’d even encouraged Sylvain to try on some of the hats in the costume room and was working on convincing him that he would look excellent in a toga when Sylvain had gone quiet. Matthew had asked him what was wrong,but all Sylvain had said was that he was very tired. He’d excused himself to his room, and Matthew hadn’t seen him since—which, given that it was now their last night at sea, was very worrying. Tomorrow they would arrive in Constantinople, and as much as Matthew was looking forward to seeing James and Cordelia, he felt a hollowness inside when he thought he might not see Sylvain again. As in truly, never again. The thought made him feel as if he had not gotten his sea legs yet, and the boat was sliding back and forth under him.
Matthew had been sitting on the edge of the bed. He slid to the floor now, and caught a glimpse of himself in the pier glass screwed to the opposite wall. He looked pitiable indeed, a mess of blond hair, untucked shirt, and bare feet. He glared at himself and turned back to Oscar.
“He came before when he heard you barking,” he said, thoughtfully. He laid a hand on his dog’s head. “Go on,” he said. “Go and find Sylvain.”
Oscar bounded up, his tail wagging. Matthew rose and followed Oscar to the door. They both peeked out into the hall before Matthew swung the door wide; luckily it was deserted. Surely most of the other passengers were at dinner, but Matthew hadn’t had the heart to go; he knew perfectly well he’d just spend the time staring at Sylvain.
Oscar bounded off down the corridor, tail wagging. After closing the door, Matthew went back to sitting on the bed. He felt angry at himself, and resentful about the anger. Half his mind said he hadn’t done anything wrong, and the other half said that this was just another in a long series of his romantic failures. Those he had loved vainly over the years seemed to him to have nothing in common with each other: he was the constant in every fiasco. Surely itwashis fault. He could not seem to stop himself from giving his heart to those unable to receive it. Though it had notseemedas if Sylvain were so unavailable…
The door to his room opened. Matthew sat up straight as Oscar bounded into the room, tail wagging, and behind him—Sylvain. Sylvain looked as if he had come from dressing for dinner. His shirt was untucked, his cuffs undone. He wore slippers, not shoes, and no jacket. He was scowling.
“You sent your dog to fetch me?” he said.
“To be fair, I didn’t think it would work,” said Matthew. “Good boy, Oscar,” he added, but Oscar, replete with the sense of a job well done, had already fallen asleep on his cushion in the corner.
Matthew leaned against the bedpost. “Where have you been?” he said to Sylvain. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Sylvain looked down at his slippered feet. “I can tell when I am not wanted,” he said.
“I really don’t think you can,” Matthew said. “And you are being very melodramatic. But I also very much wanted to see you.”
