Page 12 of Broken Veil
Carys immediately felt the sting of professorial judgment. “Yes. About that…”
Dr. Beck continued, “Now a wolf and a dragon are sitting in the Weston Library, a friend from California is asking about early sources on the Morrígan, and a giant barrow has risen next to Stonehenge.”
Cadell’s voice was blunt. “Barrows happen. Sometimes.”
“Not overnight.” Dr. Beck continued to stare at Carys. “Anything you want to share, Dr. Morgan?”
“So a couple of years ago,” Carys started, “I met a nice man from Scotland who was traveling in California.”
Dr. Beck smiled at Duncan. “How lovely.”
“Not me,” Duncan muttered. “My Shadowkin.”
“Oh.” The professor’s eyes went wide.“Ohhh.”
“Yes. Complicated.” Carys nodded. “Anyway, his father wasn’t very pleased about him leaving Alba, so he sent some fae to collect him, and he just… disappeared. No explanation. So I went looking for him.” She gestured toward Duncan. “And met his Brightkin.”
“I bet that took some explaining,” she murmured.
Duncan cleared his throat. “It was an interesting conversation.”
“So I crossed over the first time in Alba and found my ex in Sgain Castle, and when I was there, I met” —she gestured toward Cadell— “my dragon.”
“Your dragon?” Dr. Beck leaned farther forward. “Yourdragon? As in?—”
“Carys Morgan is Nêrys Ddraig,” Cadell said. “She is a dragon lord loyal to the throne of Cymru and niece of High Kind Dafydd. Her Shadowkin was Seren, my bonded human and the heir to the Cymric throne, who was killed by the fae daughter of Queen Orla. Now Carys is my lady.”
Luna Beck’s mouth was hanging open.
“Been a few years since you’ve crossed the gates?” Laura asked quietly.
“Over fifteen.”
Naida said, “In fairness, things usually don’t change all that much from one decade to the next. These past few years have been unusual.”
“So…” Dr. Beck pointed at Carys. “You’rea dragon lord? How? You are Brightkin.”
Carys opened her mouth, then closed it. “Ummm…”
Though she’d conversed freely with Luna Beck in the past and had probably thanked her for her help countless times, she was suddenly wary of the woman she now knew was fae.
“Oh my dear” —Dr. Beck perceived the problem immediately— “I don’t have any magic here. I surround myself with old books in old buildings precisely because I get as weak as your friend in this world. Even if I wanted to work magic on you—which I would not—I don’t have the power.”
“I’m sorry.” Carys felt a wave of embarrassment. “I shouldn’t have been?—”
“No, no.” Luna waved a hand. “If you’ve been navigating the Shadowlands, I completely understand.”
“My mother was Shadowkin,” Carys said. “So technically Laura’s not the only one with a little something extra. Magic-wise.”
Dr. Beck was staring. “I really want to write this down, but that would not be appropriate or wise.”
“Why do you want to write it down?”
“In all my years, I have never heard of such a thing. And I study magic and myths.”
“So do I,” Carys said, “but can I tell you? The reality of the Shadowlands and the stories are not?—”
“Oh, not at all the same!” Dr. Beck shook her head. “Which is why I’m not sure how much this is going to help.” She pulled out a folder. “Obviously there is no lending at the Bodleian, but I was able to locate the earliest manuscript we have on the Morrígan. Older stories tend to be a little more accurate. Less French influence and all that.” She slid the file over to Carys. “I was able to acquire some scans of the manuscript, but they are in medieval Irish.”
