The rapids, when all was said and done, were little better than the jaguars. They snatched up the little raft in cold jaws and tossed it about, watching it spin around, smash against the shore, narrowly miss colliding with the most jagged of the rocks. Joaquin, Ixa and Maria grabbed their oars at the first sight of the danger, and they were soon furiously struggling to keep themselves upright and sailing straight – the fourth member of their party had suddenly found himself quite indisposed.

At last the river slowed down and fanned out. The mortals fancied they might have come to a lake, or at least a bend in their road with the appearance of one. The water was placid, the shores on either side visible but indistinct. Ixa dragged a length of rope out from what remained of their supplies and cast one end of it over the side: when she brought it back up and found the water shallow, she tied a rock to the same end and the rest to the side of the raft. The makeshift anchor did its work when sent overboard, and the vessel quickly ground to a halt.

Manolo was jolted out of his daze by the sudden stop. "What are you doing? We have to keep going!" He scrambled towards the other end of the raft, trying to snatch the rope and pull it back up.

Joaquin gently held his arms and tried to sit him back down, his grip tightening against the smaller man's violent squirming. "We need to have a talk before we do anything else – "

With a final wrench, Manolo freed himself from his friend's grasp, whirled around to face him and grabbed his shoulders. "She's alive, Joaquin!" He was grinning, and there was more than a hint of pride in the light that was coming back into his eyes.

Joaquin tried his best not to look at it, hating to snuff it out again. "Manny, we don't know that for sure…"

Manolo frowned and furrowed his brows. "What else could have happened?"

"A lot of things. With the stupid talking cats, bad. On her own, also bad. Now first things first, we should…"

Manolo had already stopped listening and was trying to pull the anchor up again. This time, however, a different pair of hands grabbed his own. "Remember what I told you last night," Maria said, turning his face towards hers. "About needing to stop and think."

His fingers loosened their grip on the rope, and she gently took it from him.

"Now," Maria said once her husband had sat back down, "you were saying, Joaquin?"

Joaquin started to speak, but Ixa cut him off. "We ought to track the jaguars."

Her companions' mouths dropped open as they stared at her. "What?"

"They'll be looking for her. We follow them and we find her, si?"

"And what are we supposed to do if they figure that out?" Joaquin asked.

"You're the one who brought the guns and swords." She looked at Manolo and Maria. "Shall we go, then?"

Manolo nodded when Maria glanced at him. "Yes," she said, backing it up with a brusque nod a few moments later.

They pulled up the anchor, rowed the raft to the nearest shore and jumped out into the shallow water, dragging their supplies after them. Joaquin waited until Manolo and Maria were out of earshot, then whispered to his wife. "How are we supposed to track them?"

"That's what Pax wants," she answered. "He said it himself."

Looking through his telescope, Vicente thought he saw a familiar flash of red hair on the other side of the lake. "Come and look at this, Bry."

A bright green blob crawled over the lens, and the moment was gone.

"What is it?" Gabriela asked as she approached with Huitzil perched on her shoulder.

"I saw something over there!"

"Unless you want to get eaten," Zuma said, glaring at the boy, "I suggest you not trifle yourself with such things."

Vicente glared back. "My papa says the best way to not get eaten is to always be aware of your surroundings."

"Yes, well, that's our job. Much easier for us folk. You're better at following orders. At least I would have thought so."

Teoxi rubbed against the boy's leg, pushing him back towards the rest of the group. "He's right, you know. Feeding Huitzil to them when they catch up will only work once."

The potoo shrank back and puffed up his feathers. "T-That's not funny…!"

"What? It's logic."

Gabriela crossed her arms and looked at the ocelot in her best imitation of her mother's judgemental glance. "We call that leaving a man behind, and you shouldn't do it to anyone. Even if they're a bird."

Huitzil perked up. "Si! What she said! Is that really a human thing?" he added as the girl turned on her heel and walked off.

"Of course it is."

"Oh, I like that human thing."

Ofelia was waiting for them back where the foliage gave way to well-trodden dirt. Her thin frame seemed to be growing even thinner, especially when wrapped in the folds of the oversized coat. She sat against a tree trunk, pulling twigs and leaves out of her curls as she kept her eyes focused above her. When the twins and their guides marched back towards her with something new to argue about, she stood up without saying a word and fell to the back of the motley procession.

That evening they came across a small clearing and built a fire. Vicente attempted to roast some fruit that the twins had found without much luck, while Gabriela regaled the four spirits with stories about San Angel. Metnal and Huitzil hung on every word, the latter with eyes bugged out in shock and glee. Zuma pretended not to be paying attention but could be seen inching closer to the girl with each new twist and turn in her narratives. Teoxi sat away from the group, his ears perked up and his eyes locked on the edges of the clearing. Ofelia huddled the closest to the fire, looking over at Gabriela every few minutes and then letting her gaze wander off again.

She was the only one to notice Teoxi stand up and slink off into the trees, and she did the same.

"What do you want?" the ocelot growled when he noticed her.

"I saw you leave."

"Yes, I assumed that…"

"I wanted to know if everything was still alright."

"You mean if Pax has tracked you down or not."

The girl hesitated, and then nodded.

"Not yet, I'm afraid. Doesn't mean they can't be close." Teoxi glared at her. "You'd be much safer back at the fire if you're that worried, you know."

"I'd rather stay close to you, if you don't mind, señor."

He stopped. This was new. "And why would that be?"

Ofelia sat down. "I think you understand better than the others."

"Understand what?"

She was quiet for a few moments. "What it's like being near those things," she finally whispered. "Vin and Bry still think it's some kind of game. They weren't there when…" She trailed off and let her head sink against her knees. "I just want to see Papa and Mama again. I want to tell them I'm sorry. I want to go home."

Teoxi said nothing.

After a while, Ofelia looked up again. "Did he ever chase you? The…him, I mean." Pax's name seemed to stick in her throat.

Teoxi scowled. "Maybe once or twice. No worse than what your kind has done to us." He turned around and began to stalk back towards the clearing. "Come, it's about time we – "

A searing pain suddenly pricked the underside of his front paw and spread through it. He let out a yowl as he stumbled and fell over.

Ofelia was at his side in an instant. "What's wrong?"

"You stay away!"

"I just want to see if I can help." She took his paw in both her hands and gently felt around it, soon happening upon the intrusion. "It's only a little thorn. Shall I put it out for you?"

"I don't need you to…" Teoxi tried to jerk away from her, only to wince. "…yes, please."

"Alright. Stay still." She grabbed the thorn. "Uno, dos, tres."

Teoxi growled and then sighed as the thorn came out, taking the pain with it. He flexed his paw a few times, making sure he could still use it. "Gracias," he muttered when he was satisfied.

"It's the least I can do for you," Ofelia answered. "Especially after all you've been doing for us."

"Hmm?"

"You didn't have to guide us out of here, and I know you don't like humans. So I appreciate you being so kind to us, señor."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

Ofelia shrugged. "My mama and papa say it's good manners."

Teoxi nodded as though lost in thought. "Your parents. Is it true they have met Pax before?"

"I think so…"

"And they have come here to fight him again for your sake?"

"Yes."

"Then they are the bravest mortals I've heard of," the ocelot answered. "And they have good reason for what they do."

Ofelia smiled. "Thank you."

"You're – " Teoxi stopped, his eyes widening as he sniffed the air.

"What is it?"

"Get back to the fire," he whispered. "Tell the others that Pax is coming."