When I concentrated, I realized that beyond the dead leaves rattling across one another on the dormant forest floor, there were five Fae positioned between us and the Seoladán, and none of them were moving. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were watching us. Billy’s eyes never shifted from the ground and his expression remained unchanged, as if he were merely hanging out with me, but I knew he was concentrating on them. How long they’d been there I didn’t know, and without conjuring the energy field I couldn’t tell if they were communicating with Billy. He glanced up and saw me staring in their direction. Almost immediately the visitors disappeared, drifting back into the trees and hills beyond my range. My frown lingered too long, and Billy reacted. “They’re of no concern to you,” Billy said, his voice gentle and reassuring. “Were they Seelie?” His expression intensified for a moment, creases forming across his otherwise smooth forehead, and then he sighed.
