This game of mine, hasn't begun.

Returning home wasn't the escape Boa had hoped it would be. She desperately wanted to spend the journey alone, sitting and thinking, but neither her brother or Finnegan would allow her a moment of solitude.

She wondered whether they thought she might change her mind if left alone. If maybe, she'd jump the side of the boat and swim back to Midnight. But whatever they thought, they didn't consider her feelings for a moment. They were taking her home, and they were going to make sure she got there, whether she really wanted to go or not.

Boa hugged her canvas bag to her chest. Inside she had put the only items she cared about. Luggage often got lost on journey's, but this bag wasn't to go out of her sight. Inside was the book Carrion had stolen, some gifts she had been given by the inhabitants of Midnight, and a selection of scattered boiled sweets.

The sky was becoming lighter overhead, and soon the colours began to appear again. As she saw the sun stretching out over the sky, Boa felt nervous. How was she ever going to explain all her actions to her parents? She prayed that what had happened in Midnight, had stayed there, and that they had not heard news of her supposed 'engagement' to Lord Carrion. Not only that, but she couldn't bare to think that her father had thought about her disgraceful actions; and what must he think of her now?

"Boa?" Quiffin asked as he sat beside her. "Are you Ok?"

Boa stared out into the sea. With every roll of the boat, she was nearer her home. She shrugged.

"I'm fine," she said quietly.

"Hungry?"

"No," Boa replied still staring into the water.

She could feel Quiffin wanted to ask her something, he was working up the courage, but she still wouldn't look at him.

"You're not worried that he'll come after you, are you?"

Boa closed her eyes. What was she supposed to say? Yes, that thought did worry her, but she didn't think it was very likely. Not after what she had said to him. At least, she didn't expect him anytime soon.

"No," she said.

She looked at Quiffin. Clearly he was worried, but, Boa thought, probably only for himself. Home had seemed like the safest option when they were in the dark of Midnight, but it didn't seem so far away anymore. If they could sail home, Carrion could certainly sail after them, and who could say that he wasn't already on their tail?

"At least, not now," Boa added before looking away again. "No, he won't follow me today."

"That's a very ominous thought Boa," he said. He wondered whether Boa could hear the fear in his voice.

He knew they had been right to leave when they had. Things could have gotten even worse, and Boa might have never escaped. But what had they created by leaving? It felt to Quiffin that he and Finnegan both, had just begun a war.

"I wish you had never gone to Midnight," Quiffin said sorrowfully as he stood. "This has not ended well."

"No," Boa said calling his attention back before he walked away. "It hasn't even begun."

"She's been in her room for three days now, is there something wrong?"

Quiffin tried hard not to lie to his mother, but he knew the truth would be too complicated to tell. It was better for Boa if they didn't know the circumstances of her coming away, although he hoped that Boa would tell them all, and lift this cloud of uncertainty.

"She's tired mother," he said. "It's been a long journey."

His mother frowned, and looked towards the door as if she might go and check on her daughter, for the twentieth time that day.

"Well, if you're sure that's all…"

Quiffin didn't blame her for being worried. Boa's behaviour since her return, was not the same as before she had left. She had shown no interest in her charity work, and unfortunately all the problems she had been trying to solve on her own, ended up falling to her father after all.

Boa knew this must have happened by now, the conference had been called, and she had not attended. She had no way of knowing whether Carrion had joined the meeting, but she thought it more than likely he'd have sent someone to sit in for him.

She wouldn't admit to herself what was causing her to confine herself to her room. She heard others say, maybe it was the boredom of not having someone entertain her all day long, or maybe it really was just exhaustion? But whatever it was, Boa felt safer inside her room, and away from people.

To his surprise, Boa opened her door to Quiffin, and let him in. She looked down the hallway, and satisfied that there was no one listening outside, shut the door. Quiffin sat himself down at her dresser.

"Why are you hiding in here?" he asked.

Boa tried to make herself busy, by moving items about on her shelves, but she couldn't avoid answering the questioning in the end.

"I'm waiting for Finnegan to come back."

"You don't need to wait in here. Why don't you tell mother that you are engaged? You know she'd be please, then she could stop worrying about you. They're not angry at you, you know," Quiffin said trying to make his sister look at him. "I don't think many of the papers made it this far."

He caught the look of relief on Boa's face, and she seemed to relax for a moment.

"I'm not frightened of that," Boa said sitting on the edge of her bed. "I'm scared Lord Carrion will be coming after me. He's had time now to think about it."

She had said it, the reason she was hiding. Quiffin looked away.

"You should tell father soon."

Boa shook her head.

"No, when Finnegan comes back, he'll ask for father's permission, and there will be no need to mention Christopher again. Once I'm known to be engaged, I shall be safe."

Quiffin sat thinking. Although he was glad that Boa was home, he couldn't help but think that she was still trapped. Although this was the engagement he wanted for his sister, he had to wonder whether she was ready for one at all?

"Boa, you're not marrying Finnegan just to escape Carrion are you?" he saw a strange look pass over Boa's face that he couldn't recognise. "Because he's a good man, and deserves better than that."

Boa frowned at him harshly.

"Leave me alone," she commanded.

Quiffin thought it best to leave as instructed, after all, he hadn't really wanted to hear the answer to that question anyway. He left his sister to her created prison, knowing that there was nothing he could do.

Boa stared at the closed door for a long time once he had gone. There were many reasons to remain in her room. The most forward, being her fears, made even more threatening by her final meeting with Carrion's grandmother.

Mater Motley had been waiting for her to leave the tower. There was nothing that happened in Midnight that that woman did not know about, she had her spies everywhere.

Just as Boa thought she had escaped the hour, there was one last obstacle in her way. In the brief moment that she allowed herself to draw breath, she had been attacked.

"I always knew you were nothing but some cheap slut. I knew it from the first time I lay eyes on you," Motley said cuttingly. "Got what you came for then?"

Boa had faltered. Fighting with Carrion was one thing, but the grandmother was something else entirely. She knew she wouldn't win, and her nerves were already strained to the limit.

"Yes, actually," Boa replied, feeling her voice shake. "I have. I am taking this book home with me."

Mater Motley sneered, which gave Boa the impression that the book had already served it's purpose.

Boa hugged the book close to her and began walking.

"Out of my way," she said as forcefully as she could manage.

She caught the look on Mater Motley's face as she went by, and was glad that she'd never have to look at her again.

"You would never have been good enough for this hour."

That had hurt. Boa wouldn't have thought it would have, but to be told she wasn't good enough to be loved, made the tears start falling down her cheeks again.

"That is a conversation you need to have with your grandson," she said over her shoulder, not letting Motley see her tears.

"I certainly shall."