“No,” he said. “From humans. There are gentry who have been raiding our world for food and supplies.”

I gaped, unable to immediately form a response. I knew better than to say “that’s impossible” again, but it was still hard to believe. “If there were elementals going on food rampages, I think I would’ve heard about that. They’re not exactly subtle, and there are only a handful of gentry who can cross over in true form.” Dorian was one, but I knew with absolute confidence he’d never lower himself to that.

“A handful is all it takes,” said Roland. “And those are exactly the ones doing this—not the elementals. One of them’s that boy ... the one I saw that day in the Rowan Land, whose sister had been attacked? You know him, right?”

I jumped back on my feet. “Pagiel? No. No way. He wouldn’t ... no.” Once again, though, I had to question myself. Pagiel was entirely capable of crossing worlds intact. Even though I knew he was good at heart, I also knew he had a fierce, passionate streak about the things he believed in. He’d made it clear—both in his defense of me and his sister—that he didn’t care about the dangers involved if it meant doing what he believed was right. And if ever there was a cause that would trigger all his noble impulses, wouldn’t it be feeding his starving people?

Yes, Pagiel as an Otherworldly Robin Hood was very much a possibility. With his powers to control wind and air, he’d also be a formidable—

“Oh Lord,” I said. A flashback came to me of that weird story in the news about a Tucson robbery. “I saw something about a grocery store in Tucson. That was him, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” said Roland. “With a couple cronies. The one good thing is that they’re pretty fast and efficient. Most humans don’t know what they’re seeing when the hits occur, so there hasn’t been any mass hysteria about supernatural invaders—yet. And that’s the thing... .”

I snapped myself out of my dizzying ruminations and focused on him. The lines of his face were hard ... and filled with sorrow. “What is?”

“Do you know how hard it was for me to come to you? I swore nothing would get me out here ... no matter how many of those bastards come knocking at my door or tried to get me to tell where you were at.” I flinched, wondering just “how many” there had been. “I was willing to maintain the plan, no matter what, for as long as it took to keep you safe ... and then all this came along. Never in a million years could I have foreseen this.”

“I don’t think anyone could have,” I said softly. Roland was usually unshakeable; it was hard to see him so worked up.