"I'm older," Patrick said. "Cwn Annwn don't live nearly as long as other fae. That's because--"
Ioan cleared his throat, cutting him off.
"Oh, come on," Patrick said. "Let me tell her. The rules of the agreement are temporarily suspended."
Gabriel shook his head. "That opens the door to retaliation, and we have a case to focus on."
Patrick sighed. "Oh, sure, be reasonable about it."
"He must get that from his mother's side," Ioan said.
I shot him a warning look and said to Patrick, "Tell me more about mha..."
"Mhacasamhail. It's Gaelic, meaning counterpart or equal, which is not exactly accurate, but it's the term that was chosen for these families."
"And if they're going to pick a term, why not go with the toughest one to pronounce?" I said. "Do I even want to know how it's spelled?"
"Probably not. The Americans go by samhail. Typical immigration. Come to America and simplify your name because we wouldn't want anyone to strain themselves linguistically."
"Uh-huh," I said. "So modern samhail--"
"--are a fairy tale," Ioan grumbled. "In the most literal sense of the term."
"You may state your case for that when Patrick's done."
Patrick chuckled. "Liv knows when she has the upper hand, and she's not afraid to use it. Must get that from her mother's side."
"Enough," I said. "Seriously, you two. I feel like I'm trying to plan a wedding with rival mothers-in-law. Patrick, focus. The samhail."
Patrick explained that they used the word for counterpart to recognize an equal relationship. A symbiotic one. An entire bloodline of the samhail would bond to a specific type of fae and provide any assistance those fae needed when interacting with the human world. In return, the fae would use their powers to enrich the samhail's lives.
"You may confirm that in my library when you get home," he said. "I can also tell you Ioan's side. He'll say the samhail were real but have long since died out. Whether he actually believes that is another story."
Ioan bristled. "The Cwn Annwn do not lie."
"I know, it's one of your many failings."
"Stop," I said. "Ioan, is he right? The part about the samhail, at least?"
"He is. I will admit that we have had sporadic reports of them. Very sporadic, though, and unproven. I suspect they are humans who know about the fae and assist them but are not samhail."
"But the lamiae would only accept the girl's help if there's a familial bond," Patrick said. "One allowing them to trust her. I know of no other group who match that description. Do you?"
Ioan hesitated, then shook his head.
"Then I propose that we tell Liv about the samhail," Patrick said. "On the understanding this young woman may or may not be one of them. Agreed?"
I nodded.
"Excellent. Ioan, the floor is yours. Then Liv may get further information from my library."
Ioan snorted. "Nice try, bocan. I'm not telling you what the Cwn Annwn know about samhail."
Patrick sighed and turned to me. "I'll amend my proposal to this: Ioan and I will conclude our visit and allow you to rest, and when you're released, we'll provide you with what you need, separately, on the understanding it won't be shared. Now, Ioan, let's see if we can walk to the parking garage together without bloodshed."
Ioan nodded and said his goodbyes. I thanked him for the flowers and the basket. When Patrick cleared his throat, I ignored him.
"Tell Ricky I said hello," Ioan said before he started out.