Trapped

my best to look unconcerned. Forcing myself away from her side as she concentrated, I began to gather our supplies.
    › We’re leaving now? ‹ Oberon asked.
    As soon as we can. This place isn’t safe anymore. If one group of assassins was told to look here, then another was probably told the same. Speaking of which, would you mind keeping an eye on the wee valley? There’s still one out there, and I don’t want to be surprised again .
    › All right. ‹ Oberon turned to the cave entrance and wriggled between the bushes to give himself a commanding view up and downstream.
    And don’t forget to look up. He’s a flier .
    › Okay. But honestly, Atticus, I think you should invent a ranged weapon for me to use in situations like this. ‹
    If I did, you would just use it on squirrels. Is it all clear out there?
    › Yes. I don’t see anything. ‹
    Granuaile raised her head and opened her eyes.
    » You were right, sensei. A numbing agent and a neurotoxin. Olympia spotted it and broke it down, though. Now I can feel where he got me. «
    » He was waiting for you to fall down like that so he could finish you. Can you move again? «
    » Yeah, « she said, waggling her fingers, » I think so. «
    » Good to hear. Pull this arrow out of my back, will you? «
    » What? I didn’t even see that! «
    » Had it camouflaged. « Despite having the pain under control, I winced when she yanked it out. There simply wasn’t anything comfortable about the feeling. » Thanks, « I said, and began to close up the wound. » Pack your things. We have to get out of the area before we have more assassins than we can deal with. «
    Leaning her staff against the wall of the cave, she moved to comply, albeit with a slight limp. » Where will we go? «
    » Back to Tír na nÓg for a brief while. Someone there is not only helping assassins find us, but they’re colluding for some reason with the dark elves. It’s a mystery worth investigating. «
    » When will we continue my binding? «
    » As soon as we can. Believe me, I want it over with as much as you do. «

Chapter 12
    I have seen children play a game of tag in which they can’t be tagged if they’re touching » base, « which may be a tree, or an old tire, or any other object. It is a safe zone—a place where one can catch his breath and maybe throw a taunt or two at whoever is » it. «
    Irish base is the plane of Mag Mell. There is no discord allowed. Fae assassins would not dare defile it. One can relax there, heal there, and even practice the damnable art of diplomacy if so inclined. That is where I took Granuaile and Oberon once we shifted away from Olympus. I created a tether to Tír na nÓg first using the tree in front of the cave—it would be senseless to try to hike back, wounded as we were and under the eye of a flying sniper—and once we shifted to Tír na nÓg, I pulled us a bit farther along the tether to Mag Mell.
    The blood on our bodies startled and angered some of the Fae nymphs at the hot springs of Cnoc an Óir at first, but when we made it clear it had been shed elsewhere and we had come only to heal, they were polite, even solicitous, and asked how they could help. I asked them to take messages to Goibhniu and Manannan Mac Lir in Tír na nÓg, imploring them to visit me at the springs on a matter of some urgency. Bless them, they sent two nymphs straightaway, and the rest of them offered carved soaps and bandages and invited us to soak in the restorative hot springs.
    The grounds around the springs were lined with spongy turf; verdant hedges grown for the sake of privacy separated individual soaking pools. There were larger pools available for parties of two or more, and it was into one of these that Oberon and I eased. Granuaile was led to a single pool nearby but well out of sight.
    › Explain to me again why you are unable to stand the sight of her unclothed, ‹ Oberon said, as I stripped and stepped gingerly into the pool.
    It isn’t that I can’t stand the sight. The problem is that part of me would stand very tall. And it wouldn’t matter how much I thought about baseball either. Hmm. Maybe I should try thinking of a geriatric hockey game. Very cold and lots of broken hips. That might work .
    Oberon snorted. › Human mating habits are stupid. ‹
    I’m trying not to get in the habit with her, Oberon .
    › But you want to. ‹
    No, I don’t. Well, I do, but you see, I can’t, and … it’s complicated .
    › No, it’s stupid. ‹
    I