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They mount the stairs in such grim silence that someone might be forgiven for thinking there was some kind of unspoken tension in the air.

Chances are good.

Havelock counts the door numbers with the care of one used to Milliways' fluid approach to internal architecture, fingers linked absently with Puck's, then comes to a halt in front of number sixty-three. It's been a while since he last visited Nita - chronic introversion does have unfortunate side-effects in that respect - but this is at least the right place.

He glances down at Puck once more, then knocks firmly.

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"I think that would be a very good idea," Havelock says smoothly.

"You never know, after all."

"Yeah. And, y'know, considering . . ." She glances down at her wrist; the puncture wounds are still faintly visible. "Couldn't hurt. When are you free?"

"Whenever you are," the assassin replies after an infinitesimal pause.

Puck is unusually quiet. Being noncommital is usually Havelock's job.

"I do wish you two luck of it," Puck says, in a very indulgent and bored tone.

He smiles.

"But perhaps, if you are to be discussing such matters for very much longer, I ought to take my leave."

With an exaggerated yawn, the chair is abruptly empty, and a small white rat scampers across the floor and squeezes its way under Nita's door.

"See you," Nita calls after the rat -- then turns to Havelock, frowning.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"I wish I knew," Havelock says, sitting back with a sigh.

"But considering that our room is now bedecked with a garlic and wooden cross motif, I suspect a similar perpetrator to your own run-in."

"Shit." She runs a hand through her hair. "Do you think he's bespelled? How's he acting?"

"Evasive. He seemed more as if he feared being overheard than anything, although he said... he would tell me what it is. If it were in his power."

Which rather suggests that is currently is not.

"Otherwise he seems more or less himself."

Small mercies.

"No new--? No, that wouldn't make sense, if he were friends with a vampire he wouldn't have put up protective stuff."

She glances up at him. "And that's all he said? He'd tell you if it was in his power? Is that exactly how he phrased it?"

"Yes."

Havelock frowns faintly at the floor.

"He swore it, and he does not tend to do that lightly."

Unwisely, yes, but not lightly.

"Yeah."

Frowning over here, too.

"It sounds to me," slowly, "like he might be under a geas, or something like it. I mean, he can tell you that he can't tell you something, so he's still kind of control of himself. Although . . . hm." She taps her fingers.

"It's not in his power to say. So he may have been actually bespelled to make it impossible for him to talk about something -- which is hard but not impossible -- or there's some kind of consequence if he does talk about it."

She cocks her head at Havelock. "Check my logic here. Does that make sense?"

He nods to her.

"So far, yes. He has been bound before, and presumably can be again. I do think he retains his own agency... he certainly knows we are discussing him, and would have stopped us somehow if that cause us or him danger. Likewise, if he did not, it would be harder to notice the change.

That makes me think there may be consequences, rather than physical inability. It would explain his reticence."

"Yeah. So then the question is what kind."

She gives him a look. "You should probably watch your back."

Beat.

". . . Uh, you know, more than usual."

Havelock looks right back, expressionless.

Then... shrugs, because Puck has actually told him - recently and explicitly - that this kind of thing could occur and be a problem.

This is what happens when you share!

"I'll do my very best. You will too?"

She's already been targeted, after all.

"I'll try," rueful. "But I mean, all things considered, I don't think I'm nearly as much of a weak spot for Puck."

She blinks, and suddenly sits up straight.

"Wait, doesn't he have kids?"

You'd be surprised, Nita!

"He does," Havelock says. "But they are well away, and have been for a while. Lilly took them on her travels."

"Okay. That's good." She blows out a breath. "Other than that . . . I don't know. Without knowing the particulars, I can't break anything laid on him, and he's the only person right now who could tell us the particulars. How long has he been acting differently? He seemed fine when I was attacked, and that was only about a week ago."

"I only noticed it today, although the garlic was up before then."

~~Oh, Millitime.~~

"I think it is recent."

"I guess the best we can do at the moment is keep an eye on him. --Damn, letting him go off by himself was probably not a good idea."

Havelock nods.

"I will go after him, and try to keep him in sight. If he tries to evade me there is little I can do, but it's a start."

"If he's telling you there's something wrong, I don't know if evading you is top on his list of priorities."

But, you know, fae.

"Let me know if anything else comes up?"