"We got a call this morning," Matalina was saying, oblivious to my state, though Aiden and Ashley exchanged knowing looks. "We think he’s in Michigan." "Michigan!" I blurted. "What the turn are they doing in Michigan?" Ashley nudged closer, almost coming between Matalina and me. "You said you think. You don’t know for certain?" The pixy turn her tear-streaked face to Ashley, looking as tragic and strong as a mourning angel. "Carmen told jack they were in Michigan, but they moved her. Jack doesn’t know for sure." They moved her? "Who moved her?" I said, bending close. "Are they in some kind of trouble?" The tiny woman’s eyes were frightened. "I’ve never seen Glen so angry. Carmen took Jack to help her with her work, but something went wrong. Now Carmen is hurt and Jack can’t get home. It’s cold up there and I’m so worried." I glanced at Ashley, her eyes dark with widening pupils, her lips pressed into an angry thin line. Work?  Carmen cleaned musem artifacts and restored old books. What kind of work would she need a pixy for? In Michigan? In the springtime when most pixies were still shaking off hibernation at that latitude? My thoughts went back to Carmen’s confident casulaness, her aversion to anything wiht a badge, her wickedly quick mind, and her uncanny tendency to be able to get ahold of just about anything, given time. I’d met her in Cincy’s rat fights, where she had been turned into a rat after "borrowing" a tome from a vampre. She had come back to Cincinnatti and left with Jack, without telling me she was here. Why would she take jack with her? My face went hot and I fel my knees go quivery. Pixies had other skills than gardening. Shit. Carmen was a thief. Leaning hard against the counter, I looked from Aiden to Ashley, her expression telling me that she had known but realized I’d only get mad at her until I figured it out for myself. God, I was so stupid! It had been there all the time and I hadn’t let myself see it. I opened my mouth , jumping when Aiden jabbed me in the ribs. His eyes went to Matalina. The poor woman didn’t know. I shut my mouth, feeling cold. "Matalina," I said softly. "Id there any way to find out where they are? Maybe Jack could find a newspaper or something." "Jack can’t read," she whispered, dropping her head into her hands, her wings drooping."None of us can," she said crying, "except Glen. He learned so he could work for the I.S."

I fel;t so helpless, unable to do anything. How do you give someone four inches tall a hug? How do you tell her that her eldest son had been misled by a thief? A thief I had trusted? "I’m so scared," the tiny pixy said, her voice muffled. "Glen is going after him. He’s going all the way up north. He won’t come back. Its too far. He won’t be able to find enough to eat, and its too cold unless he has somewhere safe to stay at night." Her hands fell away, the misery and heartache on her tiny features striking fear in me. "Where is he?" i asked, my growing anger pushing out the fear. "I don’t know." Matalina sniffed as she looked at the torn tissue in her grip. "Jack said it was cold and everyone was making candy. There’s a big green bridge and lots of water." I shook my head impatiently. "Not Jack. Glen." Matalina’s hopeful expression made her look more beautiful then all of God’s angels. "You’ll talk to him?" she quavered. Taking a slow breath, I glanced at Ahsley. "He’s sulked enough," I said. "I’m going to talk to the little twit and he’s going to listen. an then we’ll both go." Ashley straightened, her arms held tight a her sides as she took two steps back. Her eyes were wide and her face carefully blank. "Spencer-" Aiden said, the warning in his voice jerking my attention to him. Matalina rose three inches into the air, her face alight even as the tears continued. "He’ll be angry if he finds out I came to you for help. D-Don’t tell him I asked you."Ignoring Aiden, I took a resolute breath. "Tell me where he’s going to be and I’ll find him. He isn’t going to do this alone. I don’t care if he talks to me or not but I’m going with him."