Page 162 of The Shadow Path
“Nêrys?”
“What’s up?” Laura’s face was red as she walked toward Carys. “You sound panicked.”
“We have to get back to the Brightlands. Now.”
Duncan and Cadell exchanged a look.
Nêrys—
“Carys, what is going on?” Duncan asked. “You want to go back to London tonight?”
“We can always come back if we need to, but I think something is happening. I don’t think all this was because of Cian— I mean, some of it was because of Cian and Dru, but the Crow Mother?—”
“The Morrigan.” Cadell spat out her name.
“Rhiannon tried to warn me.” She grabbed Cadell’s arm. “She told me not to spill blood on Saris Plain.”
“We stopped the battle,” Duncan said. “You and Cadell?—”
“We stopped the battle.” Carys turned to Duncan. “But blood was still spilled. A lot of blood. A lot of powerful,magicalblood.”
Laura’s eyes went wide. “So much blood that a giant snake managed to swim all the way to Stonehenge to eat an army of monsters.”
“Thatwas the sacrifice,” Duncan said. “The fae and Fomorian blood spilled in battle.”
“That was the offering the Crow Mother wanted from Queen Orla.” Cadell put his hand on her shoulder. “Nêrys, pack your bags. Pack whatever you want to take back to the Brightlands. You’re right—we need to go now.”
“Give me ten minutes,” Laura said. “I’ll be ready.”
“I’ll send a message to Lachlan,” Duncan said. “Tell him what we think is going on.”
Carys ran to her room and started to pack. Her heart was pounding out of her chest as she heard Rhiannon’s words over and over again in her head.
“More than just the fae prince waits. More than Elatha’s son is hungry for power. You must not let them spill blood on Saris Plain.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Carys, Laura, Duncan, and Cadell were heading out the door, packed and ready to walk through the fae gate, when Godrik and Naida found them.
“I ran into this one in the courtyard.” Naida’s face was blank and her nose wrinkled when she saidthis one. “He wouldn’t let me pass. As if he has any authority in the Cymric king’s territory.”
“I didn’t say she couldn’t pass,” Godrik growled. “I simply asked her where she had been. No one has seen her for days.”
“That’s none of your business.” Naida looked up at the giant wolf. “Where have you been? Not in London. I smell the sea on you.”
“Because I was in Eskari territory checking on the— You know what?” He crossed muscled arms over his chest. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you either!”
Cadell narrowed his eyes at both of them. “This is a tiresome conversation, and we have things to do.”
Both Naida and Godrik spoke at the same time. “The children were not the sacrifice.”
Carys blinked. “What?”
The small fae woman and the wolf stared at each other with shock.
“How did you know?” Godrik asked.
