“Little enough,” the little techno treekin replied. “They were by the riverbank when I got here, Big Dan and Odawa watching the hotel, while the others were drinking beer, which they probably stole from somewhere. I couldn’t get close enough to hear what they were saying before they all went off into the between where I couldn’t follow.”

“Wait a sec’,” Andy said. “I thought you guys just used this between to get here.”

“We did,” Galfreya replied. “But it’s hard to go unnoticed in it. Everything has more presence over there. If Edgan had gone after them, they would have quickly realized he was following them.”

“So that’s why this Odawa guy wanted to walk to Sweetwater,” Siobhan said. “He didn’t want to draw attention to himself.”

“So it would appear,” Galfreya said. “I would dearly like to know what he’s up to, why he’s stolen away your friends.”

“It doesn’t really matter why they were taken,” I said. “Or whatever’s going on between you fairies and the native spirits. What we need to do is figure out where Jilly and Lizzie are and get them back.”

“Of course,” Galfreya said. “I’ll need a bowl and some water—preferably from the river.”

“I’ll get it,” Andy said.

“I’ll go with him,” Hazel added.

“But . . .”

“Oh, it’s okay, silly,” she said, taking his hand. “No one will see me unless I want them to. Can I ride on your shoulders?”

“Um . . . sure.”

He hoisted her up and off they went, Hazel ducking her head under the lintel and laughing because she was now at such an improbable height that she had to.

“I’ll need to know something about your friends,” Galfreya said. She reached out a hand to me. “Will you share some memories of them with me?”

I’d seen people come to her for help at the mall often enough to know what she wanted. I was supposed to think about Jilly and Lizzie and from my thinking of them she could get touchstones she could use to find them. But that made me think of something else.

“We haven’t talked about payment,” I said.

Because fairies didn’t do anything without a bargain of some sort.

But she gave me a sad look and simply shook her head.

“Did you ever require payment for the affection you gave me?” she asked. “Or the music you gifted our court?”

“No, of course not. I’m sorry. It’s just that whenever I’ve seen you use your gift . . .”

“That’s different,” she said. “Those petitioners are neither kith nor kin.”

“I wasn’t thinking . . .”

Her only response was to reach out her hand. I did the same, concentrating on Jilly when her fingers closed around mine.