Ricky told Ioan that if he wanted to win my favor, he should be a little more concerned with positioning himself as the side I could trust. And Ioan said nothing. Because Ricky was right. Even Brenin came in to watch, the alpha hound’s gaze swiveling between Ioan and Ricky, watching and assessing.

Lloergan lay at Ricky’s feet, giving Brenin a look that warned Ricky was hers. I smiled at that. There was no chance Brenin was considering a change of allegiance. He was just processing the fact that “his” alpha was listening to Ricky, which boosted the newcomer higher in the pack hierarchy.

After Ricky finished, I said to Ioan, “So who’d you make the deal with?” When Ioan didn’t answer, I said, “The deal to cure me. You made it with the sluagh, didn’t you?”

More silence.

Ricky looked at Ioan. “Did I just waste my breath? ’Cause I really feel like—”

“No, you didn’t,” Ioan said. “I’m framing my response in a way that explains, without seeming as if I’m attempting to dodge responsibility. Also, preferably, in a way that doesn’t make me look like a complete idiot.”

“You didn’t know it was the sluagh,” I said.

“In modern times, such deals are almost unheard-of. I had only been asked once before Todd, and in a situation I rejected without further investigation. Todd was different.”

“When you heard I had spina bifida, you knew it was one of the possible side effects of fae blood. That’s why you asked about my mother. You realized she was from a fae family in Cainsville. Add that to Todd’s Cŵn Annwn blood and I fit the criteria for Matilda.”

“I’d heard rumors that a Matilda had been born, disabled. Which meant if I could help, I would. While a physical disability would not prevent you from playing your role, it would be easier if you weren’t dealing with that challenge on top of the others. You would be safer having the full use of your legs.”

“So, to make the deal, you contacted…?”

“That was the problem. Having never seriously considered such a deal, for me it was theoretical. Like a story passed down through generations. In that, I fear, I was little different from your father, who only knew he had our blood through family legend. These deals are typically made with what human folklore calls Celtic deities and the Christian invaders labeled demons. They’re more aptly called forces of nature. The Cŵn Annwn work in their service—yet, like humans and their gods, it’s a distant relationship of faith and service rather than a personal relationship.”

“You can’t just summon them for a chat.”