JC listened for her friends while she moved around the kitchen. Zach was keeping Kayla safe, Theo was on her way, Erica was in the process of removing Barry from the board. Alison was watching Lloyd wandering around in the vicinity of her pasture holding a mirror and reminding her of someone trying to get decent reception, which was something she had seen him do several times. JC's own next task was to make sure that Felix could not give warning or otherwise interfere.

And there were advantages to being forgettable to the point of invisibility.

Isabel had been so comically startled when Riley had asked about JC silently serving tea that it would have made JC give herself away, were it not that emotional expression needed conscious thought.

Felix, like many cooks, sampled his food frequently as he worked on it.

Casually, JC dropped several tablespoons' worth of Isabel's sleepy mixture of mundane and fae herbs, the one that the medium had given orders to lace their evening meat with, into the pot of soup he was making. The mixture had a mild taste, and he had enough salt and strong spices in the soup to more or less hide it. From what she'd been able to glean from Isabel's private notes, a single human consuming all of that would probably be dead, but it was mixed into a large volume. Even a small amount should take some of the belligerence out of him.

While he was tasting the soup, she contemplated adding more to the sauce that was supposed to go on the pork tenderloin. She decided against it. He wasn't likely to ingest enough to be worth it, and she didn't want tainted sauce on the meat.

That'll make a good meal for Des.

Isabel had investigated Felix's complaint about being short on meat, had concluded that it was their missing cat stealing it—without any apparent suspicion of JC's role—and had set up a magical trap. JC had, of course, unravelled the threads of it at the first opportunity, the same way she had the traps at the Portal, but they'd both taken it as a reminder to be careful. Des complained halfheartedly now and then, but was adamant about JC not taking excessive risks. She was getting enough from what Theo and Zach shared, Theo's extra 'treats,' raw eggs, and some generosity by the house fae collective that she was able to survive, at least, but it was clearly not going to be an effective solution for an extended period.

There was enough prime pork tenderloin there for a meal for seven humans. That should do an under-fed fae cat for at least a couple of substantial meals.

It was a shame they couldn't just let Felix serve drugged food at dinner and then move while all their enemies slept. Unfortunately, that wouldn't work. They needed that cuff in Kayla's hands, and Isabel, with plenty of time and resources, had protected herself too well against too much. Physical assault would fail. Fae gifts, powerful though they were, would almost certainly be just as hopeless. Quite possibly, Theo singing in her ear with Suzi right in front of her with wings spread would still have little or no impact, and they couldn't risk that.

She eyed the remainder of the dishes that were underway, but either the addition of herbs would be screamingly obvious, or it was improbable he'd get more than a brief and insufficient taste. What exactly he'd prepare tonight had been one of those variables impossible to predict. She was going to have to settle for the soup and be grateful for at least that.

It felt like it took forever and a thousand tastes of the soup, though she knew rationally that it was really not that long or that many, before she heard Felix yawn.

“Too much work,” he grumbled. “I need a damned vacation. Or more time to visit that siren who showed up the same time you did. God, I hope Isabel and the wizards don't break her and we can keep her around, maybe somewhere that isn't the friggin' back of beyond. Why the hell can't you be friendly like her?”

Because I'm a different kind of fae, moron. And you really are a moron if you believe Theo's being friendly, not using you lot to scratch an itch. Only until we can get her back with Max, but just as well you don't know that bit.

But maybe, if I got to choose the household to look after...

Felix tasted the soup again, and nodded in satisfaction as he tossed the spoon in the approximate direction of the sink—and missed. JC winced, instantly aware of a faint sense of discord, something in her household out of place. “One of my better batches. Now what did I put in it that was different this time?” He yawned again, and JC, watching him covertly while she retrieved the spoon, saw his eyes droop closed briefly. He looked a bit unsteady, though she'd be happier if he had more of the herb mixture in him.

How long dared she wait and hope that he was getting enough? How much was enough, anyway, when Isabel's notes specified only the correct dosage for faelings, not humans?

   *   *   *

It felt like a long way across dry land. Theo spotted the next marker, off to the side, and adjusted her path to make for it, hoping it wasn't too much farther.

Then the next marker. The bottle of water was empty. Her hair no longer dripped, her skin was definitely feeling dry and tight, and it was growing steadily less comfortable to breathe. The grass, which had felt soft under her bare feet, felt more and more like it had sharp edges, tearing at her, every pebble leaving bruises.

No stream.

Where's the next stream? Trying to fight off panic, she dropped to her knees, her damp hair falling in a blue curtain around her, and struggled to think.

*What's wrong?* Alison asked. *Theo, you're terrified!*

*Can't find the stream,* she said faintly. *I thought I followed the markers, but somehow, I'm lost.*

*Pick a direction and go straight,* Des said. *No, that will only work if you're going around, not radially. Crap. I'm coming. I can track you from the stream you should've been in last.*

*Then do it fast,* Suzi urged.

*Please,* Theo said. *It's really embarrassing, panicking and wanting to cry because I'm lost like a little kid in a shopping mall.*

The attempt at levity fell flat. *I'm on my way,* Des said.

*Go,* JC said. *We can wait a few minutes before I try Plan B on Felix and Lloyd gets pounced. No one's going to find Kayla or Gord or Barry. Go find Theo.*

A small cool hand on Theo's shoulder made her look up sharply, bracing herself for the worst.

Theo blinked, trying to get eyes and mind into focus properly. *Wait. Orfeo's here.*

“Agua,” Orfeo said urgently, offering her a hand to help her up. Theo felt a lot less graceful than usual, getting to her feet. The little green fae let her do it alone, but watched her closely enough that she thought he might be ready to intervene if she looked too unsteady. He looked deeply worried. “Ven conmigo.” He beckoned.

*Wants me to go with him,* Theo added.

*Then go!* Des said. *We have no reason to think that he and Paz have been lying to us, and he knows you're supposed to be in the water, not on dry land. He's right there, and I'm not. And it's just going to get worse, the longer you wait. I'm still coming.*

Des was right. The odds of betrayal from Orfeo while alone and vulnerable were minimal; the increasing distress from being dry was a certainty.

*Going with him,* Theo said.

The green fae waited anxiously, a couple of steps from her but poised for motion. When she started walking towards him, he smiled in relief and nodded encouragingly.

They actually didn't go all that far, but it was in a different direction, at a sharp tangent.

*That isn't a stream,* Theo said nervously. *That's as big as my fishpond. And a water fae just surfaced!*

*Looks like a blonde mermaid?* Des asked.

*Um, yes.*

*That's Dulce. If you're there this fast, you went way off course. I bet someone thought it was funny to move the markers. It'll take me a few to get there.*

The mermaid held out a hand, her expression concerned and sympathetic. “Ven en el agua.”

Orfeo said something quickly to the mermaid in Spanish. Theo caught her own name.

The blonde shrugged and beckoned. The green fae gave Theo a gentle push towards the water's edge.

Theo wavered only for a heartbeat. She desperately needed to be back in the water, and at least it was an environment in which she had some hope of holding her own. She dove in.

Instant relief, the horrible hot dryness banished so swiftly it would have been easy to think she'd imagined it, but she'd never dream up such a thing. She took a deep breath of cool clean water, then another.

Dulce went under with her, swimming in loose circles around Theo, that long silvery-scaled tail extremely effective—but, of course, it meant she couldn't do what Theo was doing, not unless she had some shapeshifting ability. That might account for why she seemed pleased to have company, playful even.

*The panic's gone,* Alison observed.

*Water,* Theo sighed happily. *I know we decided to try our best to keep everyone else out of this plan, but I wonder if I can explain where I want to go and get Orfeo to help. You need to be at the house, Des.* Protect Kay, she's our real freedom.

*I don't like you being defenceless.* Des' ambivalence echoed directly. *Orfeo and Paz are no good against the bullies. Erica could detour towards you but it would take time from the wisp swamp.* She was silent a moment, and the others waited. *If he'll go with you, that would be better, especially if Paz shows up too. But even if they won't... There's a stream not far from you, towards summer, that will get you to the same set of streams we planned on, but farther down and not quite the right branch. The steep side of that lake is towards the outside, and the beach is towards the centre. If you're on the beach and facing the cliff opposite the biggest island, summer would be to your left. Do you think you can walk straight that way?*

No. I don't want to. I'm scared. Theo swallowed that, forcing it down and away. When did my life narrow down to nothing more than a walk, less than the distance from our house to the club, and making it to the other end? *I'm not so good at doing anything straight, dear, but I'll see what I can do. I'm sure I can explain where I need to go, but I might need to convince them I'm not suicidal, so I'd better get to it. Don't tell Kay, don't want her distracted by worrying. You take care of your part and get on with taking Felix and Lloyd down. I'll get there.*