“We’ve been breaking the spell on the people we know,” Owen began, “and they’re doing the same for their contacts. But it turns out that some of the leaders of the elf underground are here, and they want to meet with you to discuss strategy.”

Mac made a move on the board before saying, “What’s to discuss? I’ve got a plan.”

Wincing, Owen said, “I think they want to brief you on their plan.”

“Why should we care?” McClusky asked.

“It is their world, and I think they have the majority here, since this seems to be Sylvester’s elf Siberia,” I said.

“I have no idea what they’re planning, but we ought to stay in the loop,” Owen said.

“Won’t a meeting between heads of different factions of prisoners be noticed?” McClusky asked with a scowl.

“It depends on where we meet,” Owen said. “Most of the buildings are uninhabited. They only seem to have bothered finishing the apartments that are actually in use by either captives or guards. That leaves a lot of space that’s just for show on the outside and wide open inside. You can enter at one end of a block and make it all the way down the block in some places. That means people can come in from various doors. It should look less like a meeting then.”

Mac nodded. “Okay, then. Say, tomorrow night at eleven. Tell us where to enter and where to go.”

“You’re leaving that up to him?” McClusky protested.

“Oh, didn’t we tell you, Owen’s evil scheme is to wipe out you and the elf leaders so he can become the grand overlord of these few blocks of fake New York,” I shot back without thinking. As soon as I realized what I’d said, I bit my lip in contrition.

Much to my relief, Mac chuckled. “She’s right. There’s no point in getting silly about this. He wants to get home as much as we do. Pass on the message, son, then let us know where you need us to go. You two will be there, of course.”

“Us?” Owen asked.

“We are outnumbered. I want to have as many wizards there as they have elves.”

*

We went out to dinner, maintaining our usual pattern, though Owen didn’t even try to pretend like he was on a date in a new relationship. As a matter of fact, this was starting to feel normal for me—us in the midst of a crisis and him distracted by it. I totally understood the distraction, but I did find myself looking back with nostalgia at those enchanted days when we hadn’t known what was going on.

“What’s up?” I asked when he was unusually silent and distant for a while.

He smiled wryly. “How much time do you have? I’m just trying to think of a way to deal with this that doesn’t put me in the middle of an elves versus wizards dispute. I’m not even sure where I stand with the elves. They may be more suspicious of me than the wizards are.”

“You might be surprised,” I said. “I put Perdita on the case months ago. There were some initial rumors, but she’s been countering all of them, and when she spreads something, it goes far and wide. She’s got a better reach than CNN.”

“So they probably won’t elect me their new leader—which is good—but they’re not expecting me to try to take over the world.” He sighed then. “But since apparently McClusky does think I’m pulling some grand scheme, the fact that they don’t hate me on sight will look very suspicious.”

“Sorry for butting in earlier, by the way.”

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t think it makes much difference, one way or another. I could get myself killed while pushing his grandmother out of the way of a speeding car, and he’d find it very suspicious that I bruised her.”

If he was making dark jokes, then I figured his funk wasn’t too deep. To prevent him from sinking back, I said, “Do you have any ideas for a meeting location?”

“I’m trying to decide if we should go for a building near the store, where several of us have regular reason to be, or maybe near where one of us lives. Or should we stay entirely away from anything associated with us?”

“We’ll also need to be careful to avoid any space on top of an occupied apartment.”

“I was thinking of finding an empty basement, if there is such a thing.”

“Oh, good thinking. Then there’d be a floor.”

“Are you up for a scouting mission?” he asked with a mischievous smile.

“What do you think?”

We dropped back by the store after dinner so he could check on some things, then we headed toward my place. On the block before we reached my building, Owen glanced around for followers, then led me up the front steps and magicked the front door open. Once we were inside, we found a narrow staircase behind the main stairs, leading down into a basement utility area. Or, where one might have been in a real building. It seemed as though the utilities here were all magical, so there was no need for boiler or furnace. That meant the utility room was one of those blank spaces, and it led into a much larger blank space that filled the basement. “Bingo!” I said.