No sooner had I stuck up for the pooch than he gave me reason to regret it. After searching for Tutor for half the morning, I came to find out from Glitch that it wasn't long after the rain started that Tutor himself went MIA. I'd decided to take one last look in the library, hoping to find the man in his usual haunt when not tutoring DG and Azkadellia. Instead, I found Glitch sitting at the large table at the back of the room, at least ten different tomes open before him. The man's eyes were jumping manically from each in turn, as if there was some kind of secret message within them that could only be deciphered by reading them all at once, and as a result, he didn't notice me saunter in.

"Hey sweetheart," I announced myself, hoping that my more friendly tone might put the man's manic reading at ease.

It seemed to work, and a face splitting grin spread on his face as he stopped and looked up. "Cain!" He exclaimed in an equally friendly tone, "You sound oddly perky. Did you find DG?"

I leaned on the nearest bookcase, which reached nearly to the ceiling, huffing as I did and polishing my second apple. As I leaned on the column of books, I folded my arms and shook my head in reply, causing Glitch's smile to melt instantly into a depressed frown.

"Oh, so now you're in Tin Man mode, huh?" Glitch asked knowingly.

When I nodded, he sat back, prepared for a stream of investigative questions. Fortunately for him, I was more interested in finding Pooch at that moment, and I reminded him kindly, "Do you remember telling me that DG was a no-show to her lessons with Tutor yesterday?" Glitch nodded and I continued to probe him, "So how did know about that? Did he come looking for her?"

Glitch's expression had become far-off, like he'd fallen into a thought and got lost, and when I cleared my throat loudly, he finally shook himself loose. "Huh? Oh! Cain!" He exclaimed, and seeming to reboot, he continued without pause, "Yeah, Tutor came looking for her about an hour after I saw her. Said she didn't show up for lessons. I didn't even think about it again until she didn't show up for dinner either. Then Raw and I went to her room to check on her and found her room empty."

As much as I appreciated Zipperhead's through explanation, I wanted to rewind him back to Tutor, so I held up a hand to stop the continuing stream of words still rambling out of him. "Gitch. Hold it. Have you seen Tutor since he came looking for DG?"

Glitch stopped abruptly and stared off into space, when he restarted, he was slow and thoughtful. "You know that you mention it, Tutor kinda went 'bong' after that first peel of thunder when he found me in the library," Glitch revealed absently, becoming almost cartoonish when he imitated the sound of Tutor becoming the Toto.

In usual fashion, Glitch was rather unintentionally leaving out huge swaths of information, most likely remembering at that very moment, but not realizing that the memory wasn't getting past his lips. "Gitch," I barked, causing the empty-headed man to jump into attention again, "where did the pooch go after he turned into a dog?"

Glitch's expression became apologetic, and he shrugged in reply. "Don't know, sorry Cain. Couldn't tell you where he goes when he's not either in his study or here in the library. He's kinda a mystery."

Although not unexpected, Glitch's echoing confirmation was not really what I wanted to hear. This wasn't new information, but I was still holding out hope that this was all some big misunderstanding – like DG was just playing out a massive joke to get back at me for having been gone for an entire cycle. Given Tutor's disappearance, however, my hope was feeling more and more like a castle made of cards – certain to fall over the second someone blew on it wrong. It didn't seem like a coincidence either that the pooch had turned tail himself, given the combination of his past habits and the consort's comments about the dogman having a soft spot for the princesses. This thought gave me a sudden inspiration, though, so without too much pause, I pushed off the bookcase and turned to leave.

"Hey wait, where are you going?" Glitch called after me.

"To talk to DG's other keeper," I called back to Glitch, not missing a step as I strode quickly out of the room.

If Glitch had anything else to say, I didn't catch it for how quickly I left. I was too focused on finding my missing mages, and if there was one person who could help me find either Tutor or DG, it would be her. Although I'd been suspicious of Azkadellia for a good cycle after the end of the Emerald War, I'd quickly come to the conclusion that she was truly not to blame for the atrocities committed by the Sorceress. She'd been just as much a victim as anyone else, but with so little sympathy from those who would judge her without knowing all the facts. I'd almost fallen into that trap myself, having been blinded by losing my wife and so many annuals of time with my son, but getting to know her had quickly removed that pitfall.

Azkadellia was so different than the witch that had inhabited her body. She was as graceful and kind as the queen, and as sharp and witty as her younger sister. She was cautious where DG wasn't, and strategic where her little sister would jump into a fight with nothing more than a stick. In so many ways, she and DG balanced each other, and even after annuals apart, they were bound to each other in such ways as only they could understand. They were truly inseparable. Although I wouldn't admit it to anyone else, I relied on her too, for when it wasn't me keeping DG out of trouble, it was her picking up the slack. So, if anyone could help me find her, it would be her sister. So too could she help me find Tutor, for even as the Sorceress, she'd been able to sway the old teacher's mind. Surely, she'd have some insight now as well. Or so I hoped.

Finding Azkadellia was a no-brainer. Unlike her sister, she was entirely predictable. I'm sure this was another of her strategies, for the minute the royal family had returned to Central City, she'd just about published a schedule for any to see, plotting out every step she took on a daily basis – a way of being completely transparent so none could accuse her of doing anything wrong. I appreciated it really; it made assigning her detail fairly simple, and all I really needed to be concerned about was finding someone who understood her innocence and would protect her at all costs. It wasn't necessary for her detail to be proficient in sniffing out needles in invisible haystacks, as was the usual operating procedure for being on DG's guard detail. At this hour in the morning, Azkadellia would be in sessions with the Queen's diplomatic core, catching up on relations between the Outer Zone and neighboring countries.

It was just as deathly boring as it sounded, and even Azkadellia's brief look in my direction as I slid into the conference room spoke to her shared distain for the activity. She sat at the head of a long conference table in a room lined with windows which usually flooded the room in light. Today, however, it was a great place to watch the lightening flash across the skyline of Central City, and the room was somewhat dark for the continued downpour which kept the sky a dark, slate grey outside the room. The conference room was only partially inhabited by counselors, and those that were there seemed to have little to report, so when I entered the room, Azkadellia took it as an opportunity, and arose quickly at my appearance.

I was still considering that apple in my hand while she was excusing the diplomats, who looked somewhat disappointed to be released as they filed passed me. It was really just an idle preoccupation meant to fill the time until we were alone, but once the door shut on the final diplomat, Azkadellia's voice rang out, sounding bright for the amusement in it. "Are you going to eat that, or are you just thinking about arresting it?"

I stopped tossing the apple back and forth between my hands and looked up at the Princess, who'd been peering at me while she shuffled the papers before her into order. "Saving it for later," I answered, stepping closer and taking a seat in the chair nearest hers and placing the apple on the table between us.

Azkadellia merely smiled one of her knowing smiles and slid back into her seat, asking thoughtfully, "Is that one of DG's apples?" I nodded, and I guess the quizzical turn of my eyebrow told her that she needed to clarify, so she added, "the tree in the garden is DG's tree. She probably doesn't remember, and mother won't let me fill in the gaps. She says DG's light will reconnect on its own as long as we allow her to reacquaint herself with the things that mattered to her on her own." She paused, seeming as if what she'd just said left a bad taste in her mouth, and she muttered quietly, "She always loved apples."

As smart as Azkadellia was, she wasn't infallible, and she'd just about given the farm away just then. "You said 'loved' as if you know something Az, and here I thought I'd be handing down some bad news that you didn't already know. What did DG tell you before she took off?"

A brief look of alarm flashed across the princess's eyes before she sighed, pulling a slip of paper out of the folds of her dress as she spoke. "Not much really. I think she was worried that I might take it personally that she was leaving." She handed me the letter and added softly, "It's just sister stuff, really, Mr. Cain, but you're welcome to read it. She seemed to know that you'd need to anyway. She asked me to let you read it."

So that was it, then, wasn't it? She had left a note, and apparently, she'd left it with the one person who probably needed it more than the rest of us, but I somehow still figured in anyway. DG had known I'd coming asking and knew that Azkadellia would only give up the goods if she asked her to. I'd be lying if I didn't feel a pang of jealousy in my chest when I took that letter from Azkadellia, and she must have noticed it, because she offered in a soft, kind voice. "For what it's worth, I don't think she left on a whim. She's been thinking about this for some time. Mother hasn't really given her much choice though, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" I croaked in reply.

Azkadellia gestured at the letter now in my hand and replied simply, "You'll see, just read it."

I looked down at the letter as if it were some kind of dangerous animal, almost not wanting to know what was in DG's head, except that it was my job. Instead of opening it, though, I slid it into the inside pocket of my trench and asked politely, "Do you mind if I hold onto this? Read it later?"

Azkadellia nodded with another infuriatingly knowing expression plastered on her face. She'll make a good queen one day, I thought sardonically, adding, she always seems to know what's in everyone's heads.

"Of course, Mr. Cain, I expected as much, keep it." she simpered in reply.

I was beginning to get the impression that these Gale women were always playing some kind of angle. DG clearly excelled at playing hide and seek, with the Queen it was poker, and Azkadellia was the chess master. What the princess didn't seem to know is that I like a good game of chess myself, and so when she smiled coyly at me, I knew she was trying to dig her way into my good side. Two can play that game, I thought, and so I stood up at that point, pretending to leave before I'd asked the one thing that I'd come there for in the first place.

"Well, I've got my work cut out for me Princess," I sighed heavily.

Azkadellia got up as well, and I spied a minute look of relief on her face before she answered back earnestly, "If there's anything you need, please ask."

There's my hook.

"You know, now that you mention it, I can't find Dogman anywhere. Any idea where he might be lurking?" I asked as I swiveled around to look at her, gesturing nonchalantly with the apple in my hand once more.

"Tutor?" She questioned me while the gears began spinning in her head. "You might try the kitchens. His sister Adele works there."

That was too easy, I thought, but my mind also seemed to studder on the bit about a sister.

"Wait," I stopped her midway through getting up herself, "Tutor's got a sister? You mean there's two shapeshifters in this castle and no one thought to tell me?"

Azkadellia stood fully now and raised her hands in a calming manner while replying gently, "No, just wait Mr. Cain. Adele can't shift like the rest of her family could. She was a bit of a disappointment to her parents really, but when I told mother about her when I was little, she didn't see it that way. She hired her outright. She's the best baker in the all the OZ as far as I'm concerned."

My curiosity was peaked now. I just couldn't resist getting an edge on the shifty tutor. "Did the Sorceress know about her too?"

Azkadellia's expression shifted uncomfortably, and she replied softly as she swept up the papers still on the table, "Yes, but not because I wanted her to. The information sharing wasn't exactly one-way, you know. She just took what she wanted, and when she found out about Adele, she used her to get Tutor to come out of hiding. He traded his freedom for hers."

My estimation of the Dogman's character was beginning to rise again, and I tilted my hat in gratitude to the princess for the tip. "Thanks, Az. I'll try not to take too much advantage of that information. See you around."

Azkadellia smiled in obvious relief and called out after me, "Any time, Tin Man."

Looking at that apple as I exited the room, it occurred to me that I might have a reasonable excuse to go down to the kitchen to find the head baker, Adele. Certainly, a woman of her caliber would have a use for a bowl full of apples, and I might get a few perks in return. Namely, my missing pooch. With a small detour to my room to retrieve the other five apples, I headed down to the kitchen, hoping that Tutor's sister would be easier to find that her brother. Unfortunately, if you've ever seen a kitchen for a head of state, finding one person can often be a challenge. The first problem you'd run into is that this isn't your grandma's kitchen, and this kitchen was probably about the same size as the Northern Island Palace's grand hall. The second problem lies in the very nature of a kitchen: although there are stations for every meal and every type of food preparation, people are shouting orders over large spaces, and moving fast like their lives depended on it. It was hard enough just getting one person to stop long enough to point me in the right direction.

"Hey chef! This guy's looking for Adele!" A young woman yelled, all while stirring a pot of soup big enough she could fit inside.

A red-faced man glistening with sweat poked his head up in between the metal shelves separating the soup station from the other side and glared at me. "Who wants to know?" He roared at me. He threw a cleaver down onto the butcher board before him, letting me take note of his massive arms. Seeing as I wasn't trying to make any enemies today, I was polite but equally authoritative when I replied in my own booming voice.

"General Cain, Chef." I replied, being sure to keep eye contact all the while.

The man merely leaned back with a smirk, eyeing me as he wiped his hands on his apron and jerked his head to the side, indicating that we should talk elsewhere. I didn't see any reason not to listen to the Chef – this was his domain after all and I was just an interloper – so I followed after him to the edge of the line, where we could talk without interrupting his sous chefs.

He was still wiping his hands when we regrouped at the end of the line, and he greeted me as one general to another. "So General, how can I help you today? You say you're looking for Adele? She in some kind of trouble?"

I could see a hint of worry in his eyes, like he was afraid of losing a beloved employee, and I shook my head quickly to ease his anxiety. "No, Chef, I just need to ask her for a favor. Would that be alright with you?"

The chef exhaled in a loud puff of air and smiled. "Sure General, just don't go taking any more of my kitchen staff. Can't argue too much given we're all short-staffed, but I've lost about five employees in the last cycle who've taken on other posts in the castle. Before much longer, I'll just be serving cucumber sandwiches and Muglug if I can't staff my kitchen correctly." I nodded in understanding, and the Chef seemed to relax somewhat. After another breath, the excitable man gestured at a separate workstation, off by itself and separated by a wall of windows - it was really like its own little kitchen and only a few workers bustled in this space, all being apparently commanded by a middle-aged black woman who was apparently expertly juggling her command duties with working a person-sized square of dough on the large metal table before her. "That's the pasty kitchen over there, and that's Adele. If you want a favor, she's the one you'll ask. She keeps her own company on how to manage that kitchen. I generally just stay out of her way."

Adele didn't really look intimidating, but judging by the Chef's expression - cautionary in how his eyebrows raised as he explained their unique command structure - I figured that this was a case of not judging a book by its cover. The woman was just as dark as her brother, but where Tutor was a face full of basset-hound like flabs of skin, Adele was a graceful and youthful looking as if she might have been a princess in another life herself. Watching her work the dough, I also noted that while her hands showed some of their age, they hadn't apparently lost any of their strength, and she kneaded and flipped the massive hunk of dough like she was doing a delicate needlepoint. She had, until the moment I began to walk towards her station, been completely oblivious to my presence, and had thus gone about her work as she might usually do. The moment I came near the door to her kitchen, however, her hazel eyes flicked onto me like laser beams, and she continued to watch me like a hawk as I entered her space. Before I'd even turned the handle, I watched the woman seemingly issue a command by look alone, and all the other cooks stopped what they were doing and exited the kitchen in an equal amount of silence. This kind of thing might have intimated someone else, but not me, and I think she knew it, for the moment the door shut us in alone, she stopped what she was doing and raised herself up to look at me fully.

"You're the Tin Man, aren't you? General Cain?" When I nodded, she explained, "Tobias told me all about you. I'm pleased to meet you."

That same friendly tone that was pooch's calling card rang in Adele's voice as well, and I could not help but feel immediately at ease. I tipped my hat to her then and replied kindly, "Likewise, Ms. Adele, although I'm at a bit of a loss. I didn't know you were Tutor's sister until today."

Adele smiled broadly. It was the kind of smile that lit up rooms, and I almost forgot what I was doing there for a moment until she reminded me in a smoky, if not sultry tone. "Tobias told me you were quite the Tin Man, but he said nothing about you're being a gentleman on top of it all. What can I do for you General Cain?"

This woman was smooth, I'll admit that. She might not have inherited her brother's ability to shapeshift, but she certainly had a magic all her own. It was like I was compelled to answer her honestly, and in the moment I realized it, I was suddenly glad that I'd brought the apples, for that was what I presented next like I was some kind of puppet on a string.

"DG gave me this bowl of apples, and as much as I love eating one a day, I'm afraid they'll go to waste. Do you think you might be able to do something with them?" I asked her honestly as I placed the ruby red fruits gingerly on the table.

That friendly smile seemed to change, turning warmer if it was possible, and when she reached for the apples, her voice was elated. "Oh, Ms. Dorothy is growing her apples again, that's wonderful." She turned the apples, each in turn, eying them like jewels and when she'd reached the last, her eyes flicked on me once more. "I'll help you General, but you'll have to come back tomorrow morning to test out the results."

Again, that feeling of being manipulated seemed to drive me, and without even meaning to, I tipped my hat to Adele and thanked her in parting before I turned on my heel and exited the kitchen. I can't say that I very much enjoyed the feeling of being someone's puppet, but I was intrigued all the same by Tutor's sister. In the back of my mind, it occurred to me as I slid out of the bustling galleys, I knew that the real challenge would happen when I returned tomorrow. I wouldn't have any subterfuge to help me sidestep Adele's unique abilities, and I certainly didn't want to beg for her help in getting Tutor to come out.

By the next morning, I'd interviewed as many of the staff as I dared, and I was starting to get desperate for some kind of break in the case. The way that Tutor had suddenly disappeared seemed to indicate that the pooch knew something, so I was betting that he'd give me that break. All that said, I'd have to get past his gatekeeper, who was more effective than ten monkeybats in throwing me off the scent. She was nice about at least, so that same image of me begging for help was becoming more and more palatable. I was holding out hope for a miracle though, and so I entered that pastry kitchen again with my proverbial fingers crossed.

When I pulled that door open, the scent of baked apples and cinnamon rolled over me like a heavy perfume. It was so intoxicating that I might have begged to get a taste of whatever was cooking, except I knew it wasn't necessary.

"General!" Adele's voice rang out, bringing me back to my senses and making me aware of the woman standing at the other end of the room, working around a golden pie that sat on a rack at the end of her work table. "You're just in time to try the first slice of your pie!" She gestured to the pie and grinned fondly at it as she stood behind it, leaning on the table with both hands. With a fond sigh, she explained, "It's been a little while since I made one of these. Used to make at least one a week with Ms. Dorothy when she was little. She just couldn't keep her hands still, so I taught her how to make a good pastry crust. Next thing I know, she's bringing me apples with that beautiful smile of hers, and I just couldn't say no."

Hearing Adele reminisce felt like I was talking to a favorite aunt, and I was compelled to sit at a nearby stool so I could take in more. While I watched her cut a slice and place it carefully on a plate for me, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked, "You call her Dorothy, but no one else does, how did that happen?"

Adele pulled up her own stool and sat at the adjoining corner of the table with the pie between us. She handed me a fork and indicated that I should try my slice while she talked. "I may not look it, General Cain, but I was raised at court. I was always intended for great things; except I couldn't shift like my brother. It might have all worked out very differently if it weren't for the Queen, and although I've always been grateful to her majesty for what she's done, I'm still a lady. Now, Ms. Dorothy is also a lady, even though she acts like a little tomboy half the time and tells everyone to call her DG." She paused to laugh fondly, and she added, "That's not really her name though, you know that. She just hides behind that nickname so people won't see how special she really is." I noticed Adele's eyes becoming misty, and she sniffed slightly when sighed, "I just hope she remembers that soon and comes to see me. I've been missing her."

She was swiping her eyes now like she was trying to stop a flood, and she gestured again to the slice of pie, still untouched on my plate. "Look at me, running my mouth. Go on and try it, I want to see what you think."

I looked down at that slice on the plate below me. It was still steaming somewhat, and the perfume of apples seemed to tickle my nose and trigger memories that had long sat dormant in the back of my mind. I yearned, in a way to take a bite, so that maybe I might fully unlock those images and maybe be transported to a place where I was still young and unscarred. When the first morsel hit my tongue, it was like an explosion both sweet and tart hit me, and I was indeed transported. Adele and the kitchen around us seemed to have disappeared, and everything was a blurry haze until a voice, clear as a bell and as sweet as that pie rang out.

"Wyatt!" I heard Dorothy's voice call out, and the moment it did, I was suddenly back in DG's garden with the princess running to greet me.

It was a brilliant morning and the suns' light threw a golden glow on everything around. The air was heavy with the scent of apples, and the deeper I breathed, the more intoxicated I felt. DG had been sitting on a blanket just ahead of me until I stepped into that memory and seeing her sitting there framed in light made my heart catch in my throat. She had been working in the dirt, and the moment I appeared she brushed the dirt off her hands and sprang to her feet with a laugh. Her chestnut hair flew behind her when she ran to greet me, and when she bounded into me, her body hit mine with such force that it knocked the wind out of me. It wasn't unpleasant though, and I couldn't help but laugh as I swung her in my arms. It felt so good to have DG within the circle of my arms, and I could swear I felt her heart thumping against my chest. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this had never happened between us - not yet anyway, but I hoped for it all the same. Thinking on it, I realized that I must have imagined it probably once a day without even meaning to, but then Adele's laugh shook me free of this daydream, and I was back in the kitchen again.

Adele's smile was warm on mine when I blinked blearily at her, and she waited patiently for me to right myself once more to my circumstances. "That's some pie, Adele," I muttered, wondering if I'd be transported by taking another bite.

Adele laughed again and reached across the short expanse between us to place a hand on my shoulder. "You've got a good heart, Tin Man, and I'm real glad that Dorothy's got someone like you on her side. Now, for my brother – " She paused to push the remaining pie in my direction while continuing, " I guarantee that if you to take this pie with you, and you share it with your friends, that ought to draw out anyone who's been lurking in corners."

Despite the apparent intrusion into my thoughts, I couldn't be mad at Adele, because she'd brought me closer to DG than I'd ever been in real life. Sure, we'd hugged a handful of times, and she'd certainly cracked my veneer a few times enough to hear what my laugh sounds like, but I'd never truly allowed myself to be completely at ease with her. At first, I told myself that I was honoring Adora's memory, and then that I was respecting our differences in age and station, but Jeb had been good enough to blow holes in all those excuses within a few minutes.

"Dad, mom would want you to be happy." He'd said.

"But I'm too old for her, and she's a princess. I'm just a rusted old Tin Man." I'd grumbled in reply.

Jeb had fixed me with a disbelieving expression like my own. "Dad. Look at yourself. You can't be any older than when you got stuck in the suit. That makes you only five annuals older than her. Besides, the Consort is a slipper commoner. That didn't seem to bother the Queen when she married him. Why should a Tin Man and a war hero be any different?"

I couldn't ignore any of that logic, and honestly, given that DG's reactions to me in my fantasies were not much different from the genuine article, it stood to reason that I might not have to do anything to win DG's affections. Meeting Adele had somehow restored some of my positive frame of mind, and for some reason, I felt like finding DG was more certain than it had been before, despite the fact that I had yet to find a solid lead. As she'd reminded me, however, her brother might hold some of the answers to help me find my way. I just needed to draw him out, so with what I can only describe as a boyish grin, I swiped that pie off the table and headed out in search of my friends.

There had to be some magic in that pie, and not just in the woman who created it, because no sooner had I sat down in study with the pie than my cohorts began filing in as if drawn there.

"Hey, there's pie? Can I have a slice Cain?" Glitch gasped in excitement as he ambled in first, pleading with me like a naughty kid when he got within striking distance of the table we normally eat lunch at. Raw had slid in right behind him and merely sat at the table, looking ready for me to send a slice in his direction.

Seconds later, Azkadellia sauntered in with her pink, raw silk dress swishing behind her, seeming momentarily confused at her own presence within the space until she spied the apple pastry across the room. "Ooh! You found Adele, didn't you? Can I have some, Cain? It's been such a long time!"

I shrugged at them each in turn, and within moments, we were all sitting around the table, enjoying Adele's pie. It wasn't until Glitch reached for the pie for seconds that things got a little serious. "Leave it, Glitch," I rumbled out between bites of my own slice, nearly stabbing him with my fork in the process of getting his mitts away from the plate.

Glitch groaned childishly in reply, whining "Ah, come on Tin Man, have a heart."

Azkadellia eyed me suspiciously and murmured, "Are we waiting for someone, Cain, or are you just hoarding the leftovers?"

A sheepish smile spread across my face that was almost entirely unintentional when I explained quietly, "We're hunting for a pooch, if I'm being completely honest. It was Adele's idea."

Azkadellia offered me an impressed smirk. "She liked you. She doesn't do that for everyone that wanders into her kitchen, you know. The last person to win her over was DG if I'm not mistaken." She stifled a fond smile and asked conspiratorially, "Do you want me to lock him in when he gets here?"

Putting the odd correlation between me and DG aside, I was grateful for Azkadellia's offer, and I nodded quietly while I considered the odd feelings bubbling up within me. Things hadn't really changed much since I came back – I was still short one Princess, and I was wholly uncertain of my future at that moment – but I couldn't help but feel a giddy sense of good fortune. It was like nothing could go wrong. Whether it was all as easy as pie depended on the dogman, but before I could even begin to question that, the sound of his little puppy paws clicking on the tiles just outside the door shut down any doubts that might have entered my head. Pooch was just as drawn in as the rest of us apparently and was so busy sidling up to the table to notice the quick flick of Azkadellia's wrist when she locked the doors magically. He was too busy morphing back into Tutor, and the look on his face at the sight of that pie was almost as priceless as the shock that took over when the doors clicked closed on their own.

"Aw now, come on Mr. Cain. That's just not playing fair," Tutor bemoaned, all while sitting down among the rest of us.

His look of shock and betrayal began to melt the minute I slid a piece of pie before him, and he eyed me suspiciously as he picked up his fork. "This came from my sister, didn't it?"

I nodded silently, and then added for good measure, "she said I have a good heart."

There was a round of scoffs and snorts from my friends, which caused another unsolicited grin to spread on my own face. Any other time, I might find my own levity irritating and a bit troubling, but I just couldn't be bothered. It was almost enough to keep me from finishing the slice on my small plate.

"Yeah, well. Adele is a pretty good judge of character. I guess I'll take it then," Tutor grumbled before he dug into his own slice.

It was quite around the table while we all finished off the pie, with Tutor being given the lion's share as down payment for what was universally understood as his compliance in hunting down DG. Over the past handful of cycles, we had all spent so much time around each other that none of us truly needed to speak to convey these kinds of things. Even Tutor had probably intuited the reason for our gathering, and seemed prepared for an interrogation when he finally pushed his empty plate aside.

"Alright," he sighed, "go ahead and ask. I know that's what we're here for."

I smirked at the dogman's resigned expression and the way he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He might not be truly willing to have this conversation, but he'd at least given up running, so I launched headlong into the toughest question to see if he'd continue to play along.

"Why are you running, Tutor? Do you not want us to find DG?" I asked, not hiding my fatigue.

I was expecting some kind of defensive posture, and Tutor didn't disappoint. "I wasn't running, Cain, I was just buying DG time." His expression was pained when he spoke, and his voice almost pleading.

I could feel a frown forming on my face, but Glitch saved me the trouble of speaking. "I feel like I've heard that before," he chimed in absently, which caused Tutor to fiddle nervously with his fork.

I folded my own arms to mirror Tutor and leaned back in my chair. "Pretty sure we have, Glitch, and funny enough it was about DG that time too." I let my chair drop back down onto all four feet abruptly and I leaned forward in my seat when I rumbled quietly, "Stop stalling Pooch. Why did you run off when DG went missing? Did she tell you something that you didn't want to give up?"

"It wasn't so much what she said, Cain, it was what she's become capable of doing," Tutor replied quietly all while still turning his fork nervously in his hands.

I noticed Azkadellia's back straighten, and her own expression turn hard; her voice rang out sounding dark like the Sorceress' shortly after. "What did you do, Tutor?"

Tutor seemed to shrink with Azkadellia's change in tone, and he continued his stream of defense in a much louder, high pitch voice. "I didn't do anything that the Queen didn't ask me to do, I swear Princess," He cried defensively, and seeing that none of us were buying, he confessed, "She can change her appearance, okay, and if she can do that, then there's not much else she can't do, although I'm not sure she knows that."

Somehow, what Tutor revealed didn't surprise me. Instead, I could feel my rankles growing and rattling against my skull like they were begging to get out. I wasn't so much angry with Tutor for what he'd done and subsequently revealed to us – it was more what the Queen had ordered him to do and failed to mention to me the day before. Once again, the image of the Queen as a poker player entered my mind, but I very nearly scrapped this analogy since she was clearly more adept at strategy and power play than I'd given her credit for.

What I wasn't sure of was how much Azkadellia knew, so when Tutor revealed the extent of DG's training, I glanced across the table at Azkadellia to gauge her response. Her mouth hung open in a rather ungraceful manner, and her face had grown (if it was possible) a shade or two paler than it had been before.

"She told you to do what? Has my mother completely taken leave of her senses? Why would she want to give DG exactly what she needs to slip her security detail? Did she give you a reason for why she wanted DG to be able to perform this kind of magic?" Azkadellia blurted this series of questions in a steady, outraged stream, and her face morphed from shock to anger, and finally worry, which caused her brow to furrow and her hands to be drawn up to her chest, where she rung them nervously.

Tutor looked thoroughly ashamed, and he stared down into his now open hands while he searched for a way to answer the princess. "I addressed these same concerns with your mother when she issued her orders, Princess, but she was insistent, and you and I both know that I'm not in a position to say no to the Queen. Not if I want to keep training you and DG and perhaps your daughters one day."

Azkadellia's expression turned apologetic, and she might have even issued an apology to the dogman, except I broke in, knowing that I needed to keep the conversation on DG before I lost my chance to wring out as much information as I could from the slippery man.

"Pooch, you said she could change her appearance. How?" I inquired in a dangerously quiet voice.

Tutor's brown eyes shifted from Azkadellia to me, and he was oddly accommodating in his answer given his prior shame. "When DG and I met last week, she could only change her hair and eye color. It may not seem like much, but it would be enough to slip out of the castle."

He was holding something back, I could tell, because his mournful eyes continued to shift to the side. "What else aren't you telling us Tutor?" I prompted him, not being able to help sounding like I was scolding him.

Tutor sighed, and he replied simply, "I didn't want to say this, not because I'm hiding anything, but because it's personal to the princess. She only seems to be able visualize platinum colored hair and a certain kind of steely blue eyes when she shifts. We were working on others, but DG couldn't seem to get past it."

Azkadellia, Raw, and Glitch all glanced at me, trying their best to hide their expressions in various ways. Azkadellia hid her smirk behind her hand, Raw refused to look up for a minute, and Glitch's dreamy smile was aimed at the ceiling, as if none could see him as long as he wasn't making eye contact. I could feel my face growing red and a rush of energy making my stomach drop as if I'd been put onto a carnival ride. I wanted to stew in the revelation that DG couldn't seem to keep my image out of her head, but I also had gotten the lead I needed. In that moment, time seemed to both slow and speed up, and I stood up quickly, and placed my fedora firmly back onto my head.

"Thanks Tutor. That's what I needed to know," I announced quickly, knowing that I couldn't waste any more time loitering about the castle.

I now knew how DG got out, and what she probably looked like. I only hoped that the rain would continue a bit longer, because as long as the sky continued to drip, DG was probably still close enough by to make it happen.