Nathan started laughing.
They stopped, looking at him with identical expressions of confusion.
"You really should have been less focused on me," he explained.
A slit in the fabric of this realm opened above them. Inara and Lowen dove through, war cries ripping from their throats, their faces painted for battle.
They swarmed Owen's head.
That wasn't what held the majority of my attention. No, it was Liam plunging through the opening after them. He slammed into Owen.
"It's about time," Nathan muttered, racing forward.
The pixies broke off their attack as he replaced them.
Inara held up two tiny glass bottles, knocking them together and throwing them. A noxious vapor rose. Astrid blinked into full color as she coughed violently.
The pixies screamed and dove.
Astrid fled.
Lowen followed, but Inara broke off, swooping toward me. Her eyes glowed with the thrill of victory.
"Having fun?" I asked.
Her smile revealed sharp teeth. "You have the most interesting things happen to you."
As much as I wanted to, I couldn't disagree.
“We leave for one night to track down Niall to ask about the Scattered and you end up kidnapped,” Inara scolded.
“It’s not like I set out to be taken; it just kind of happened,” I said defensively.
Inara sneered, letting me know what she thought of that excuse.
Liam and Owen clashed, their movements a tangle of slashes and jabs. Nathan darted in and out of Owen's reach while he was distracted, landing a few impressive blows of his own.
He targeted the same knee I had. Not surprising since he'd taught me that move.
There was a crack as Owen's leg collapsed. He grunted, the only sound of pain he allowed himself, as he struggled to rise.
Liam was there in the next second, hammering a powerful blow into the side of Owen's temple.
Owen crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"How did you find me?" I asked.
Inara's jaw worked and she looked like she wanted to spit. "Arlan."
I guess that made sense if Travis really had kidnapped the twins.
"Cadel and Niall helped too.” She alighted on my wrist, tapping my oak tree. "This came in handy as a reference point."
I smiled down at Liam's mark. The one I had once resented. Seemed like it had saved me this time.
A thought occurred to me. "Astrid said she sensed Fae intruders."
Inara nodded. "Arlan and Niall. We thought they'd cause less suspicion than Liam. Nathan and Makoto had already halfway freed themselves from the oubliette when we arrived to find them."
