EPISODE TWO
Doing her best to present herself as a benevolent manifestation of the dreaded Iron Bones, Millie ingratiates herself into the folk at the faerie bar enough to learn that Rivenholt at some point visited the nearby Sushi joint. There they find another enchanted drawing. As long as Millie doesn’t touch it, it remains enchanted. As long as it’s enchanted it seems to speak deeply to her of a sense vulnerability.
Because of Millie’s apparent deep connection to the charmed drawings, the success she had in connecting with the fey and getting a solid lead, Caryl decides not to suspend her for hitting Teo. “You ratted me out to the bosses?” “Yes. I said you wouldn’t be kicked out for it. I didn’t say you’re allowed to just knock me unconscious with your cane any time I bug you.”
They all head to Santa Barbara to an incredibly high-end spa resort.
While Caryl goes to check for guests under Rivenholt’s aliases leaving Millie alone, Brian Clay introduces himself to Millie in a way that allows her to believe he is an LAPD officer without ever actually lying to her.
They find VIVIAN CHANDLER, formerly a Countess of the Unseely Court until lost that gig when she unleashed a plague upon her own people for reasons Vivian has yet to explain is staying at the resort.
In order to plant a tracking spell on Vivian Caryl has to send her invisible dragon Elliot to do some things which leaves her without a construct on hand to keep her emotional life under control. Witness to a hazardous negotiation with a dangerous rival in which Caryl is brought to tears by a mean faerie, Millie steps in to handle things that are way, way above her paygrade. She goes face to face with Unseely royalty and gets them all kicked out of a resort spa by security.
Meantime, Elliot manages to accomplish his mission and a spell he left behind will give our heroes an advantage down the line.
EPISODE THREE
Millie gets an Arcadia Project Phone. It’s a weird rite of passage.
The adjustment to living in only one of two worlds, both of which contain magic and faeries has caused Millie some anxiety. She has begun alleviating it by cutting herself.
As FLASHBACK SEQUENCES become somewhat more prevalent in this episode, some of the events at college that led to her suicide attempt come clearer. Some flashbacks we’ve seen before, MOS, now take on new dimension and meaning as we hear the dialogue at the time.
BRIAN CLAY approaches Millie with a hunch that Berenbaum knows where Johnny Riven (Rivenholt) is and is holding out. He seems to have learned English from Bogart movies. Berenbaum, though, is above his paygrade.
Millie confronts Berenbaum and they ascertain that Rivenholt bought a train ticket out of town. He is wholly helpful. In fact, he offers to set her up with a Directing gig if she can bring his Echo back. She takes the train information and goes.
Millie learns of a new studio deal being done between Berenbaum, Vivian Chandler and movie star INAYA WEST. This deal has enraged Berenbaum’s current producers. The three are planning to open their own studio in Manhattan Beach together.
Millie overcomes her fan-girl silliness and leaves a message for Inaya West, that sounds incredibly brusque and maybe a little pissy.
She meets Brian the cute, bent-nosed cop and learns that he was among those on scene the night she lost her legs. There is a strange connection in that. Right? Everybody felt that?
When Inaya returns Millie’s call, Millie steps away and Brian steals the train info from her.
She and Teo meet up and head together to Union Station. They do not find Viscount Rivenholt. They do find blood on the tracks.