"Tonight?" Hecate asked, watching as Leila slipped her foot backward, away. "Just one who wishes you the best," she answered, without making any move to stop her. The opposite, really - Hecate raised her hand and gestured. "Someone is looking for you," she said. "That way."
Much had hung around the weird little statue for a few crestfallen moments after Marcie left, caught up in thoughts about things he should have done. When she’d eased the mask off his face and brushed her fingers over the edge of his bruise, he could have caught her hand and gently pulled it away from his face – or would have have been action too late, too? Okay, or when she’d said ‘I like making you laugh’ in that way she had, where she didn’t meet his eyes as she said it, he should have looked a bit closer and realised there was a bit more meaning to it. When she’d said the thing about prowess with a sword he should have seen it was more than a joke.
He’d felt terrible when he thought that she thought he might have lied to her about his name on purpose, but that didn’t compare to how bad he felt now.
Much couldn’t think of a way to fix it, couldn’t even start thinking about what he should do right now, too busy going over what he should have done. He was compelled to do something, though. Couldn’t just hang around a weird statue forever, so he started moving, searching through the corridors and poking his head into open hotel rooms looking for someone he knew till he saw Leila, talking to a dark haired woman who was looking right at him.
Hecate made eye contact and then turned away, and Much wondered briefly if something had happened. "Hey," he said to Leila, and quite suddenly wrapped both his arms around her for a hug. His hand curled into a fist at the back of her dress, holding on there for the duration.