Page 94 of The Shadow Path
“Nope. The surest way to give a god power is to pay attention to it.”
“Ah.”
Powerful she might be, but other than the kids hanging out in the forest, there were very few people in modern Britain who were actual acolytes of the Morrigan, and if there was one thing that Carys knew about old deities, the gods obtained power through sacrifice, elemental strength, natural phenomena, but most of all through human adoration.
That meant in modern London, the Morrigan likely had less power than the latest contestants on a reality dating show.
“Are we really just ignoring her?” Laura whispered.
“She’s a goddess,” Carys said. “And gods love the sound of their own voices. She’d like nothing more than wasting hours of our time, talking us in circles.” She looked over her shoulder as they made it back to the wider part of the forest path. “We’re not going to get answers from her no matter how long we stay.”
In the distance, the song picked up again, drifting faintly through the rustle of the trees.
“Oh the oak and the ash and the bonny ivy tree. They flourish at home in my own country… how I wish once again in the west, I could be…”
“So that’s it?”Laura asked when they were back in the cab. “We’re just going back to the…” She glanced at their driver, who was bopping along to the latest Punjabi pop hit and talking rapidly to someone via an earbud. “You know, the other place.”
Cadell stared at the mundane human who began singing along with the car stereo. “Human, we’re four travelers from a hidden magical dimension where dragons, fairies, and unicorns exist. Can you get us to a fae portal forthwith?”
“Eh?” The driver cocked his head. “I get you to the… Mandarin Crown on Knightsbridge, right?”
“That’s correct.” Cadell looked at Laura. “I believe we can speak freely here.”
Carys leaned toward Duncan. “There’s a pharmacy right on the corner of the?—”
“Already thinking ahead,” he muttered. “You and Laura grab some instant coffee at the corner market, and I’ll?—”
“Yep.” It was only midday in London, so they’d be returning to the Shadowlands in the middle of the night. “We’ll get it done.”
The black cab stopped and started through the clogged streets of Central London as Carys leaned into Duncan’s arm and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. She was sleepy. It was a little like jet lag, and the feeling of the sun on her skin was another kind of enchantment that was its own magic.
Duncan knit his fingers through hers and leaned over, kissing the crown of her head as she dozed.
“You’re so like your mother.”
Carys blinked and sat up. She wasn’t in the cab anymore but sitting on the edge of the loch near Sgain Castle, staring at a woman with long wavy hair the color of chestnuts and dark brown eyes.
The woman stood on the edge of the water, but she was looking at Carys.
Carys looked around and rubbed her eyes. “Where am I?”
“In a taxi cab driving through London.”
“No.” Her head swiveled from side to side. “I’m obviously not.”
The woman smiled. “Aren’t you?”
“I’m dreaming.”
“Yes.”
Carys blinked. “Are you… are you fae?”
“The fae cannot visit dreams.” She turned from examining Carys and stared across the loch and the still grey water that mirrored the cloudy sky.
She might have been in a dream, but that dream was set in Alba. Carys was dreaming of the Shadowlands. “You mentioned my mother.”
“I did.” The woman walked over and sat in the green verge that flourished along the edge of the loch. “Your waking mind belongs to your darling father, and your dreams belong to your mother.”
