“I can find her,” Gabriel said. The confidence in that twisted at Ricky, just a little. There was no arrogance in the declaration, no one-upmanship, but Ricky still felt the knife-sharp reminder that he’d lost her. That he’d tried his best and lost her to someone who understood her better, connected to her better. Which should have made it easier. But his ego still felt the bruise—the sense that he’d done his best and it hadn’t been enough.

Gabriel knew where to find Liv; Ricky did not, and that proved, yet again, where she belonged.

Where she’d always belonged.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, a studying look that asked if Ricky was all right, even if he would never actually say the words.

Ricky squeezed his arm and said, “Let’s go get her,” and if his tone was a little too bright, he only got another searching look before Wmffre said, “We’ll head this way.”

They picked their way along the alley, past the bloodied melltithiwyd. Wmffre was talking to the cŵns, in Welsh, and when he lifted his arm, the two hounds took off to scout ahead.

Lloergan looked up at Ricky.

“Go on,” he said.

She leaned against his leg, like a kid clutching her father’s leg as the others took off to play. Ricky crouched.

“They’re your pack. Go with them. I’ll be fine.”

She still hesitated, but he gave her a gentle push, feeling like that dad, struggling between the impulse to keep her safe and knowing she had to separate, stand on her own, join her peers.

A sigh from Lloergan, one that made him smile, and then she took off, his hand skimming her back as he tried to give her a final pat.

“Be home before dark,” he called after her.

Meic chuckled. “She’ll be fine. She’s doing very well. It helps, being with you. It’s a tremendous boost to her confidence, being chosen by Arawn’s representative. You’re good to her.”

“She deserves a little good.”

The Huntsman dipped his chin. “Very true. Now, I believe if we go this way, we can keep an eye on the hounds. Let them scout and find Ioan and Olivia while—”

Meic stopped with a near-convulsive jerk, his head shooting up. Gabriel had gone still, too. “No!” Gabriel whispered, and then, “Everyone! Cover! Now!”

Ricky felt it. Felt it before he saw it, only a split second after Meic and Gabriel must have sensed the same thing.

Something’s coming.

No, not something. The darkness. The sluagh.

Gabriel was pushing him toward a door, and Ricky wanted to say no, it was just the sluagh, just that woman, and they’d dealt with her before, but even as he thought that, something in his brain screamed, Not the same. Not the same at all!