"That's very good. The creatures seem very intelligent, too- they'd probably notice anyone behaving strangely." They're not quite familiars, but they seem close enough in Felix's mind. And he'd trust his familiar's instincts to spot a threat well before his own.

He considers, then cautions, "Probably best not to experiment with sending them away, of course."

Because Adia was surely thinking of that too. Right.