“Wouldn’t take it,” Helia said. “Money only causes trouble. We hope to win the goodwill of Olivia and Gabriel, but that is a hope, not a price for our help.”

“Where is—?” Patrick began.

They turned and zoomed off.

Gabriel and Patrick followed. It was the only way to see what scheme the dryads were hatching.

As they walked, Gabriel’s phone buzzed with an incoming text from Olivia.

All done. Meet up?

He sent back, I’m in the middle of something. I’ll call you within the hour.

He hit three wrong keys typing that—his fingers were just too big for a phone keypad. Olivia would say that was a sign he should learn text-speak. Or at least allow himself to write sentence fragments. He would rather correct the mistakes.

He sent the message and then hesitated, his fingers still over the keys. Should he add more, now that their relationship had changed?

Miss you? It’d been two hours, and he did miss her, but it might make him seem needy.

Love you? If he hadn’t said the words in person, he certainly shouldn’t say them in a text, not in such a jaunty, offhand way. And if he did send that message, he suspected Olivia would come running, thinking someone had stolen his phone.

In the time he paused, she sent back, Meet at office. Need to check a file.

He still hesitated, his fingers ready to type back his usual All right.

“Put the phone away,” Patrick whispered. “You’ll see her soon enough.”

Perfect. Gabriel texted, See you soon, and a moment later she sent back a smiley face. He allowed a hint of a smile himself and pushed the phone into his pocket.

—

The dryads scampered ahead, not even looking over their shoulders. When they reached the middle of the floor, they flanked a classroom doorway and said, “Ta-da!”

Gabriel let Patrick go first, reasoning that, as a fae, he might have more protection against whatever lay inside. Gabriel followed right at his heels, though, curiosity prodding him forward even as he tried to pace himself, ears attuned for a rear ambush.

Inside the room, they found…Seanna.

“She’s bound,” Patrick said.

“How else could we make sure she stayed put?” Alexios said.

“And gagged,” Patrick said.

Helia looked at him. “You’ve met her. Can you blame us?”

Gabriel ignored Seanna’s glowers. It was indeed much easier to deal with her—and ignore her—when she was in this particular state. He moved farther into the room and then realized the dryads still flanked the door. He waved them inside. They obeyed without hesitation.

It was a classroom, like all the others they’d passed. No windows. A flashlight propped up in one corner. A sleeping bag and nest of blankets. To one side, a duffel spilled clothing. Fast-food wrappers littered the floor.