We pixies had sensibly kept out of that mess.

I drank more tea and raised my eyebrows. “And they believed that?”

A smile tugged at Lugh’s lips. “Sgott certainly didn’t. He requested their phone numbers and is in the process of getting a warrant so they can be traced.”

“If they really don’t want to be found, then surely they would have gotten rid of their phones.”

“You’d think so, but we aren’t dealing with hardened crims here.”

“No,” I said wryly, “just dark elves who have been in the smuggling business practically since creation itself.”

He laughed. “They’ve had no luck contacting the light elf relatives, either. They’ve apparently retreated to the inner circle of the main encampment, and neither man can enter without permission.”

Light elves—or Ljósálfar, as they were more properly known—lived in a huge swath of land that lay to the east of Deva. It contained vast forests and multiple lakes and had two distinct districts. The outer circle contained the everyday administration areas, as well as the living quarters for the two lower levels of light elf society. The inner circle was the province of high bloods and contained vast houses made of living trees. Or so Mathi had once said. It wasn’t like I’d ever been there.

I took another sip of tea. “Did you mention our so-called oracle?”

He nodded. “The name didn’t register, but he said he’ll run a search when he gets back to the office and let us know what he finds.”

“And the other woman? Peregrine what’s-her-face?”

He smiled. “Stace. Again, he can’t provide any information until he gets back to the office.”

“Well, that’s just frustrating.” My phone pinged, and I glanced down at it. “Pizza is two minutes away.”

“Excellent.” He rose and disappeared into the foyer to collect it.

I accepted mine with a grin of thanks, quickly opened it up, and drew in a deep breath. There was no finer smell than a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. Lugh, to my everlasting horror, was a man of simple tastes and preferred a margherita.

There was little talk while we demolished our meal. Once I’d gathered up the empty boxes and placed them in the trash, I made another pot of tea and then said, “Is it too late to try the oracle now?”

“Probably, but I can at least leave a message if she doesn’t answer.” He took the scrap of paper out of his pocket, then dialed the number, putting it on loudspeaker so I could hear the call.

It rang out without giving him the option of leaving a message.

“Well, I guess it was never going to be that easy,” I said.

“No.” He put his phone away. “I’ll try again in the morning. In the meantime, what movie do you want to watch?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to sit here and watch a movie with me? Really?”

He grinned. “No, dumbass. You’re going to sit here and watch a movie while I go catalogue a few things.”