“No, you don’t understand. We are bound …” He trailed off.

“Fine,” I said. “You can’t get into details because it violates our agreement.”

“That’s not why I stopped, Olivia. I will say only that it isn’t possible for a pack of Cŵn Annwn to abandon their hounds. However, an individual Huntsman may leave the pack.”

“And take a hound with him?”

“Technically, no. The pack wouldn’t allow it. A hound may bond to one Huntsman—they usually do, like your dogs—but they belong to the pack. Both the Cŵn Annwn pack and the hound pack.”

“So this one’s fellow hounds might have ripped it up like that when it left.”

He shuddered. “Never. But if a hound was badly injured, it could lose its connection to the pack—its psychic bond.”

“Broken,” I said, thinking of Pepper.

“Yes, fae can be broken psychologically, much like humans and other animals can be. If a Huntsman separated from his pack and wanted a hound, he would be able to take one like that.”

“If he applied the right pressure, he could force it to do his bidding rather than return to its pack. It would be damaged but still useful.”

“Any Huntsman who would do such a thing—” Ioan spat the words, before biting them off. “He does not deserve to be a Huntsman.”

“Which he isn’t,” Ricky said. “If he’s left his pack.”

Ioan nodded. “Yes,” he said. “He is not.”

“So we seem to have a lone Cŵn Annwn near Cainsville,” I said. “And his hound showed up in Chicago at the site of a murder.”

Ioan frowned. “Another lamia murder?”

“No, but it’s connected.”

“What happens to Cŵn Annwn when they leave their pack?” Ricky asked. “Do they keep doing the same thing as independents? Tracking crimes against fae?”

“Rogue Cŵn Annwn are extremely rare. Yes, they could keep pursuing justice. Or they could take another path.”

“Like torturing and murdering a human to gain information on missing fae?”

“Absolutely not. A Cŵn Annwn who strayed that far from our goals and our purpose would be hunted himself. Subject to the same punishment as any of our prey, because he would be no better than them.”

“But we’re talking about a guy who obviously hasn’t formed a loving, companionable bond with his hound. If you’re going to treat an animal that way, it’s not a huge leap to torturing humans.”

Ioan went quiet. Then he said, carefully, “I cannot imagine that any Huntsman could torture a human or a fae. But nor could I imagine one would mistreat a hound. So the answer, then, as much as I hate to give it, is that I don’t know what you have here. But you can be assured we’re going to find out.”

I was heading to Cainsville with Gabriel. As we turned onto the highway, he said, “I would like to speak to you about this plan, requesting Cainsville as a refuge for the lamiae.”

“That was the idea, right? That we’d discuss it. Anytime you disagree with me, I expect you to say so. You’ve never had a problem with that before.”

He said nothing, just zoomed into the fast lane, bearing down on the car ahead of him.

I twisted to look at him. “I rely on you for advice, Gabriel. You know that, right? I need someone to tell me when I’m full of shit. When I’m about to do something stupid. That’s you.”

“All right. Then I believe you’re about to do something that is unwise.”

“By asking the elders to give sanctuary to the lamiae? You think it’ll put me in their debt.” I shook my head. “They owe me, Gabriel. The balance is clearly weighed on my side.”

“Where it should stay. You will be asking them for a favor. That is not free.”

“It shouldn’t be a favor,” I said. “Melanie and Pepper may not really be street kids, but they are vulnerable. I’m not asking the elders to throw open the doors to all lamiae. I’m asking them to take in a small group, just until we solve these murders.”

“Then let Melanie plead their case to the elders. Agree to arrange that meeting. Do not otherwise intercede on their behalf.”

Silence ticked past. Then he said, “This is why I was reluctant to bring it up, Olivia. I know how it looks. You want to help vulnerable fae. In saying you shouldn’t, I appear cold and heartless.”

“I never said—”

“It is cold. It is heartless. And it is exactly the advice I will give, because my concern is for you. I do not want to see you invoke favors from the Tylwyth Teg on behalf of strangers. I do not even particularly want to see you putting yourself in danger on behalf of strangers. But I understand that you cannot stand idly by when you feel you have the power to help. I will help you solve these murders, and I will accompany you to speak to the elders. But I’m going to ask you to be careful, Olivia.” He turned to me. “Be very, very careful what you give up to help these girls.”

I remembered Gwynn and Arawn counseling me to forget the lamiae, while saying they knew I would not. I could not. It was what kept me human. Yet Gabriel wasn’t really telling me to forget the lamiae. Just don’t go falling off bridges for them. Don’t go putting myself in the elders’ debt for them.

“Will you keep me from doing anything stupid?” I asked finally.