“I don’t think they ever leave.”

“Exactly my point.” He opened the door. “Hello, Ida.”

“We’d like to speak to Liv.”

I walked into the hall and saw that “we” meant Ida and her consort, Walter. There was no sign of Veronica, which suggested they were going behind her back for this visit. Veronica had a habit—terribly annoying to Ida—of insisting I not be treated like a lottery ticket found on their doorstep.

“I know why you’re here,” Gabriel said. “By contractual agreement, you have one week before you can begin your campaign to win Olivia. You are hoping to open preliminary talks, so on that date you may begin full negotiations. The answer is no. You will wait another week.”

“It’s a ridiculous contract.”

“Then you ought not to have signed it.”

Ida glowered at him. The problem with having humans as the living embodiments of Gwynn, Arawn, and Matilda? It’s like trying to draft all-star quarterbacks who don’t give a shit about football.

“If you’ll excuse us…” Gabriel said, waving me to the door.

I grabbed things and squeezed past Ida and Walter with a quick, “Hey, how’s it going? Sorry to run. Gotta pick up a hound.”

“A what?” Ida said, following me down the front steps.

“Hound. Cŵn. Ricky’s. With him away in Miami, she’s not eating, so I’m bringing her here.” I walked backward. “That’s okay, right?”

She gave me a look. A cŵn in Cainsville meant a spy in enemy territory.

“We could do an exchange,” I said. “Make Ioan take one of Cainsville’s owls. Or a gargoyle. I could insist that Ioan prop one up by his door to keep an eye on him while I have Lloergan here. They’re stonework spies, right?”

“There’s no point in fishing regarding the gargoyles,” Ida said. “We will be very happy to explain everything…as soon as you lift the terms of our agreement.”

“Oh, fine. One last thing,” I said. “If a woman shows up claiming to be Seanna Walsh, can you give her something to drink? Whatever it is you guys use to send someone into permanent la-la land. That’d be swell.”

“Seanna—? Did you say Seanna Walsh?”

“Gotta run,” I said, hopping into the car before she could reply.

CHAPTER FOUR

Ioan wasn’t thrilled when I showed up with Gabriel in tow. He was gracious enough, though, having learned that anything else makes me surly. Gabriel, Ricky, and I fight against our roles as pawns by sticking together. That’s where the original three failed. We will not repeat their mistakes.