"Her favorite thing to eat is Oznut spread and Munchkinberry jam sandwiches?" Ginny chuckled. "Cook must have had a fit."
"He did." Addena agreed. "He kept muttering about how he's a chef and only has Oznut spread because they use it as a treat for the dogs and then he grumbled something about Munchkinberry jam being the secret ingredient in his barbecue sauce before he finally broke down and made the sandwiches instead of trying to get me to take her some of the stew he made for the guards."
"So that's what makes his barbecue sauce so good."
"Apparently so."
"Breena doesn't like stew?"
"She and Elphaba don't eat meat."
Ginny nodded. "I should have known that. Most Animal activists don't."
"Actually Betak said she hasn't touched it since she was a kid."
"Betak?"
"Sorry, I forgot you've never met her." Addena apologized. "She's a Munchkin who's known Bree her whole life. She took care of her when her mother died."
Ginny gasped. "Breena's mother is dead?"
Addena nodded. "She died on Bree's thirteenth birthday."
"How awful."
"And Elphaba's died when she was little more than a baby."
"Those poor girls." Ginny's heart broke for both of them. "I'll just have to see what I can do about mothering them."
Addena grinned. "They'll never know what hit them."
Ginny looped her arm through her daughter's. "That's the idea."
"Hello ladies." Fiyero smiled as he met them at the bottom of the stairs. "Going my way?"
"Master Fiyero, it's a pleasure to see you again." Ginny returned his smile.
"Please, it's just Fiyero."
"Is there any news on Glinda?" Addena asked.
"You mean besides the fact that Fae used a spell to find her?"
"They found the spell?" Ginny was intrigued.
"Apparently so. Maeve came to tell me they cast a spell and..."
"They?" Addena quirked an eyebrow. "As in Elphaba and Bree both?"
"I guess." He shrugged. "She didn't specify who..."
"Damn it!" Addena started up the stairs. "I told Bree no magic."
"Oh, uh..." Fiyero realized his mistake as he followed her.
Ginny was hot on their heels. "Maybe Maeve meant they both found the spell but only Elphaba cast it."
"I doubt it." Addena scoffed.
"I do have some good news." Fiyero interjected. "Just before Maeve came to find me a rider came in from Cade's group. Apparently they found the horse Eadlyn was riding not far from some caves near here. And Maeve said the spell..."
Ginny widened her eyes at him to stop him from mentioning magic.
"Uh, I mean Fae told Maeve she thinks Glinda is in a cave. So maybe we finally have a good lead as to where she is."
"I hope so." Ginny's voice conveyed the fact that she wanted her youngest home safe and sound.
"Me too." Addena agreed. "And not just for Glinda's..." Her voice trailed off as she stepped into the doorway of her room to find Maeve leaning over Breena, who was sprawled on the foot of the bed. "Sake." She finished her thought as she hurried toward them. "What the hell happened?"
"I..." Maeve quickly moved out of her way. "I'm really not sure. I came back up here from getting Fiyero in time to see Elphaba disappear and her pass out."
"Fae disappeared?" Fiyero's face was a mask of disbelief.
Maeve nodded. "Into thin air. I've never seen anything like it."
"Bree?" Addena's heart was pounding too loud in her ears for her to be pay any attention to what they were saying as she tried to get a response out of her love. "Damn it Breena, open your eyes!"
"I don't think that's going to work." Maeve flinched at the look the doctor gave her. "I mean, I tried tapping her on the cheek and nothing happened."
"It sounds like they used a spell." Ginny tried to intervene.
"Of course they used a spell because I told her not magic." Addena switched her attention back to Maeve again. "I told you no magic."
"She didn't do any magic while I was in the room." The woman defended herself. "She and Elphaba found the locator spell. I was about to go try to find a map of the area when I noticed a book of maps on the bookshelf. Elphaba cast the spell and I went to tell Fiyero where she thought Glinda was."
"Did they discuss any other spells while you were in the room?" Ginny tried to help out again.
"No. And the Grimmerie is still open to the page with the locator spell on it." She pointed at the book.
"Which means they must not have used another spell out of the book to make Elphaba disappear." Fiyero thought out loud. "I've never seen them use any spells that make them disappear."
"What about the mirror spell?" Maeve queried.
"No." Addena shook her head as she moved Breena's limp form back up onto her pillows. "That only works if there are mirrors at both ends of their trip."
Fiyero threw his hands in the air. "Then what other spell could they have used?"
"It's hard to tell." Addena checked the witch's pulse. "They're always coming up with something new. Not that it really matters. It's not like any of us are going to be able to follow Elphaba."
"True." Ginny agreed. "How is she?"
"Unconscious," was her daughter's drab response.
"Why don't we leave them alone so Addena can examine Breena?" Ginny shepherded Fiyero and Maeve toward the door.
"I'm sorry Addena." Maeve sighed. "If I had known..."
"It's not your fault." Addena cut her off.
"I'll let you know if we hear anything else from Cade." Fiyero said, not waiting for a response before escorting Maeve the rest of the way out of the room.
Ginny made her way over to where Addena was sitting on the edge of the bed next to Breena. "Do you want me to send Penny up to help?"
"No." Addena shook her head. "I just want to be alone with her."
"All right." She placed a kiss on top of her daughter's head. "I'm sure she'll be fine."
"I hope so." Addena stared at Breena as her mother started out of the room. "Mom?"
Ginny stopped with her hand on the door knob. "Yes dear?"
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. Take good care of your girl."
"I will." She waited until she heard the door close to speak again. "I hope you know how much trouble you're in, Bree. I told you no magic for a reason." She blinked back tears. "Now prove my mother right and be OK so I can kick your ass."
Mason looked up from the sandwiches he was making, his eyes instantly going to Glinda. She was in her favorite place on the floor, just far enough inside the entrance of the cave that she wouldn't get wet. At first he wondered how she could sit and stare at the rain all the time but then he realized that wasn't her only reason for choosing that particular spot. It was also the furthest she could get away from him and Eadlyn without physically leaving the cave.
He caught the look Eadlyn was giving him and sighed. "Stop staring at me."
Eadlyn smirked.
"And keep your opinion to yourself." He groused as he picked up a plate and started toward Glinda. He made sure to make noise as he approached, not wanting to startle her. "It's not much but it's something."
Glinda glanced at the plate as he offered it to her. "No thank you."
"But..."
"I'm not hungry."
"That's what you said when I tried to give you breakfast."
"I wasn't hungry then either."
Mason hated seeing her so despondent. "Look, I can only imagine how hard this waiting around is for you but you need to eat. How else will you keep up your strength so we can get out of here when the weather breaks?"
"I'll be fine."
He sighed. "Glinda..."
She still didn't look at him. "I appreciate your concern but I'm still not hungry."
"How about if I leave it here for you?"
She shrugged but didn't answer.
Mason stayed where he was for a moment, wishing there was more he could do for her but knowing there wasn't. Eventually he went back to the supply area, rolling his eyes when he saw that Eadlyn was still smirking. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face."
Eadlyn mumbled something around his gag.
"What was that?" Mason grabbed another plate and started toward him.
Eadlyn waited until he was almost to him to move, the rope around his wrists falling away as he punched him in the stomach. He smiled as he pulled the gag from his mouth. "I said to make me."
Mason was too busy gasping for breath to say anything.
"What's the matter?" Eadlyn taunted him as he stood, the rope around his ankles loose enough to slide away as he uncrossed his legs. "Cat got your tongue?"
Glinda turned when she heard the commotion, her eyes going wide when she saw Eadlyn was free. "Mason?"
"Sorry." Eadlyn climbed to his feet. "He's a little busy right now." He wasted no time grabbing a nearby bottle and smashing it over Mason's head. "No wait, make that unconscious." He laughed.
Glinda scrambled to her feet.
"Don't get up on my account." Eadlyn spoke as he walked toward her. "We're just going to be on the ground again in a second."
"No we're not."
He grinned at the quiver in her voice. "Oh but we will. I still need to break you in before we get to Winkie Country."
Glinda tried to back away from him, gasping in surprise when she realized he was close enough to grab her wrist.
"Not so fast." He smiled as she tried to get away.
"Let go of me."
"Sorry, not going to happen." He pulled her to him, running the back of his free hand down her cheek. "Do you have any idea how crazy you're driving me in these clothes?" He moved his hand to pluck at the shirt she was wearing. "They're too baggy."
"Stop it!" She continued to try to break free.
"We'll have to go shopping once we get home." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Get you something a little sexier." He licked her cheek. "Something to show off those wonderful curves of yours."
Glinda spit in his face.
"You bitch!" He backhanded her, letting her fall to the ground as he wiped the offending liquid from his cheek. "You're going to pay for that!"
"Extorque."
The word rang through Elphaba's senses as everything around her disappeared. When nothing else snapped into focus she started to think she was back in the oblivion that had plagued her lately. But taking a half step back proved she was wrong when her shoulder brushed against a rock wall.
A cave. She had to be in a cave. But obviously not the same one as Glinda because there was no sound around her. And the cave in her vision had an outside view.
Didn't Bree say something about there being a system of caves? Did that mean they were connected or separate or...
She told herself to stop wasting time and started feeling her way along the wall she had brushed up against, moving as quickly as she dared. The last thing she needed to do was trip over something or, worse yet, crack her head and knock herself out. She had to get Glinda.
She fumbled her way through one opening only to find herself in more darkness. A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. What if she was going the wrong direction? What if she got lost? What if she wandered around in the dark until it was too late? What if something happened to Glinda because she got the locator spell wrong?
"Stop it Elphaba." She chastised herself. "What did Bree tell you about having faith in your powers?"
She pushed thoughts of her sister away. She couldn't worry about her and concentrate on getting to Glinda at the same time. It divided her attention too much. She was just going to have to find her lover and then the two of them could go back to the manor and check on Breena together.
A shocked yelp erupted from her lips as she took a step only to have her foot meet with nothing. She tried to keep her balance but her body betrayed her, throwing her forward into the void.
The world fell away as she hurtled through darkness for what seemed like an eternity before finally crashing into the unforgiving ground.
The air rushed from her lungs on impact, forcing her to roll onto her back in an effort to breathe.
"Don't get up on my account."
Even in her stunned state her body jerked in surprise when she heard the voice.
"We're just going to be on the ground again in a second."
Her brow furrowed. She should know that voice from somewhere.
"No we're not."
She definitely knew that voice. In her mind she said, "Glinda?" but all that came out of her mouth was a wheeze.
"Oh but we will. I still have to break you in before we get to Winkie Country."
Eadlyn. Her heart sank when she heard his words. She tried to push herself up but her muscles wouldn't cooperate.
"Not so fast."
"Let go of me."
The thought of him having his hands on the woman she loved was more than enough motivation to get her moving.
"Sorry, not going to happen. Do you have any idea how crazy you've been driving me in these clothes? They're too baggy."
She made it to her knees, pushing away the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her.
"Stop it!"
The panic in Glinda's voice had her stumbling to her feet.
"We'll have to go shopping when we get home. Get you something a little sexier."
Her blood boiled as she stepped from the shadows to see Eadlyn licking Glinda's cheek.
"Something to show off those wonderful curves of yours."
The blonde spit in his face before she could say anything.
"You bitch!"
Elphaba flinched as he backhanded Glinda, knocking her to the ground.
Eadlyn was too busy wiping the spit from his face to notice the green woman. "You're going to pay for that!"
"I don't think so. Agito!" She tried to put a little extra something in the spell but was still too wobbly to do much more than knock him on his butt.
"What the..." Eadlyn grinned when he saw her. "Come to save the day huh? Well the more the merrier I always say."
Elphaba put herself between him and her downed lover. "You're not going to lay another finger on her."
"We'll just see about that." His grin became a full fledged smile as he climbed to his feet.