Page 51 of Broken Veil
“He could bash them to pieces,” Lachlan said. “I think he’s strong enough.”
“If the serpent destroyed the locks, the concrete would fall in on it and kill it,” Cadell said. “It is not stupid.”
Duncan rasped, “There’s the problem, dragon. It’s not stupid. So how are we going to get it in the lock?”
Carys looked at Cadell. “You can talk to it?”
“I can. The Morrígan has possessed it, but underneath her influence, the wyrm’s mind is intact. Confused but intact.”
“Tell it to start swimming toward the lock,” Carys said. “But don’t tell it why.”
“I can try.” Cadell walked toward the river and started pacing along the bank, clearly trying to communicate with the serpent circling in front of the weir.
Carys strode up the riverbank and toward Wade and Frida, who still appeared to be hanging out and chatting like a giant serpent swimming up the River Ouse was something that happened every Sunday afternoon.
The crows and starlings swooped low over their head as if trying to eavesdrop on the sea god and his daughter.
“You!” She pointed at Wade. “I need you to open the lock gate. Or someone. Someone has to open the gate.” She could tell that a mechanism of that size was not going to be cranked open by hand.
Wade’s eyebrows went up. “You’re asking a favor of me?”
Damn. The crows flew lower. Listening. Probably reporting back to their mistress.
She stepped closer and kept her voice low. “Not a favor. You told me I needed to get rid of the sea serpent before it got to York.”
Wade glanced up and kept his voice as low as hers. “And you’re proposing that I open the gate that could take it upstream.”
Carys was starting to fume. “I’m not telling you to open both gates, Wade. I’m telling you to open the downstream gate so the giant snake can go inside so” —she spoke through gritted teeth— “we can figure out what to do.”Before it jumps over the tiny dam that would barely hold back a salmon.
She didn’t say that part out loud.
Wade smirked. “So you’re asking me for a favor.”
“I’m trying not to kill it, okay?” She threw up her hands. “Do you want me to just fire arrows at it until it’s dead? We can go that route if you want. I have my gear in the van.”
“Oh, stop bein’ an arse, Da.” Frida shoved away from the truck they were leaning on. “She’s tryin’ to help and you’re bein’ an arse.” She shoved her giant shoulder in the direction of a small house on the edge of the embankment. “Come with me, human.”
Carys fell into step beside Frida, practically running to keep up with her long strides.
Frida muttered, “You think you can get it back out to sea?”
“Cadell can speak to it. Serpent mind to serpent mind or something. He says the Morrígan has possessed it, but underneath that, it’s just confused.”
“Figured it was her” —Frida glanced at the crows and starlings overhead— “what with this bloody racket.”
They walked over to what Carys was guessing was the lock-keeper’s house.
“Wait here.” Frida disappeared into the thick fog.
Moments later, Carys heard a creaking sound and then a groan from the direction of the locks.
“You’re lucky!” a voice called out. “The water was already in your favor.”
Carys took that to mean the lock gate was open.
Cadell. She paged the dragon in her mind.
Nêrys.
