She laughed and nodded in the direction of her own family. “Are you going to come to see me off?”

“Of course,” he said, and waved at Humphrey with the hand Cassandra hadn’t claimed. “See you in a few weeks, Hump!”

“Go die in a bog!” Humphrey called back. He winced at the startled look this earned from Gabrielle, which caused him to glare at Jason’s laughing face all the more.

Cassandra led Jason through the chaos to where her own family were preparing. No one could match the numbers of the Geller family, who drew from branches all around the world, but the Mercers still made an impressive showing.

“What do you think you’re doing, Asano?” came Thadwick’s, voice.

Jason sighed.

“You need to get away from my sister,” Thadwick said, marching up to Jason. “You need to stop sticking your nose into business that isn’t yours. You had to go and ruin my deal, didn't you?”

“Thadwick…”

Jason was about to point out that with all the ways his family had to legally exploit people, Thadwick still managed to find one that was against the law but stopped himself. Instead, he took a slow, cleansing breath.

“You know what, Thadwick? You have a good trip.”

“What does that mean?” Thadwick asked suspiciously.

“Just wishing you well,” Jason said. “I’m going to try and put more positivity into the world.”

“You're weird,” Thadwick said, giving Jason a wary look.

His mother walked over to them, placing a hand on Thadwick's shoulder. “Do go finish stowing your gear on the carriage, dear.”

“Why didn’t we bring servants for that?” Thadwick complained.

“There aren’t servants where we’re going, dear, and you may have noticed that things are crowded enough.”

Danielle Geller’s voice boomed over the crowd through some form of magic amplification.

“All non-expedition members please clear the area, as we are getting ready to depart!”

Jason leaned in to gently kiss Cassandra, only for her to forcefully latch onto him. After a lingering kiss, they stood leaning into one-another, foreheads together.

“You’re being naughty,” he told her softly.

“A naughty genius?”

“You’ve certainly got me figured out.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

Soon Jason stood off with other well-wishers as the huge train of carriages rolled away. In the empty space left behind, Jason was about to leave when he was approached by Vincent.

“You’re not on the expedition?” Jason asked. His brain started turning over, and he laughed. “I get it. Everyone wanted in on this expedition, so Arella let all the people who aren’t wildly on-board with her agenda go. That gets her some bureaucratic capital, and while they and most of the city’s big powerbrokers are gone, she can institute a few sweeping changes.”

“You got that just from my still being here?” Vincent asked.

“Just postulation, but it’s what I’d do.”