Page 6 of Broken Veil
“We can hear each other in our minds,” Cadell said. “If I’m being honest, I feel like I might be able to shift if I tried.”
“Please don’t,” Carys whispered. “I do not want to try to explain a dragon flying off the Chelsea Bridge.”
Godrik shoved his hands in his pockets and shook the silver and black hair that fell into his grey eyes. “You let her cross the gate, Lady Carys. Whether you realized it or not, that was amistake. Now one of the most powerful gods in the Shadowlands is rising in England. I might know how to fight the fae in Anglia, but this isn’t my world.”
Duncan looked at the crowds gathering on the bridge, the humans pointing at the flying wisps as more and more of them appeared in the trees. “From the look of the people on this bridge, the fae gates of London aren’t going to remain hidden for long.”
Carys heard another splash in the water. She walked to the edge and looked down. There was the distinct movement of a serpentine wave spreading as something moved under the dark surface of the Thames. Then a large ridged back became visible for a second before it slipped beneath the water and disappeared from view.
CHAPTER TWO
“Ireally wish my dad was here,” Carys whispered.
They were sitting at a half-empty table in the morning room, waiting for the house in Belgravia to wake.
Duncan turned to her and took her hand. “Why?” He didn’t look dismissive, just curious.
“I just always felt like Dad would know what to do.” Carys looked up. “All the time. In any given situation, I felt like he would be able to fix it.”
“Even a problem like magic creeping across fae gates and into London?”
“I mean, he figured out how to marry my mother, so he had to know about magic, right?” Carys hadn’t even considered that her father hadn’t known about the Shadowlands. “He had to know.”
Duncan slowly shook his head. “I have no idea.”
“Don’t you ever feel that way? Like you just need someone older than you to figure something out?”
“I can’t say I ever?—”
“Duncan?”
He looked at the door a moment before his mother appeared. “Yes, Mother?”
Lady Alexandra Morrison Murray, mother of the laird of Murrayshall and current heiress to several large fortunes, appeared in the doorway leading to the hall. She was dressed in what looked like hiking pants and a bright green cardigan.
“Randall is in the kitchen.” Alexandra glanced at Carys. “Does she prefer a full breakfast or a continental one?”
“Sheprefers an omelet,” Carys said. “If that’s something Randall can manage.”
Alexandra wrinkled her forehead as if she were surprised that Carys could speak. “I see.”
“We’ll let Randall know what we want for breakfast, Mother. What are you doing this morning?”
Alexandra said, “I’m headed out to the garden. The roses have gone wild in the past few days. I suppose it’s the heat.”
“Do you think so?” Duncan murmured. “Let me know if you need any help.”
It was summer in London, which according to Duncan could be cold, hot, or anything between. This morning was damp and cool, not warm at all.
Alexandra waved a hand as she pulled on a glove. “Gordon is already trimming the beds. I’m simply overseeing the pruning.” She looked up, glanced at Carys for another silent second, then disappeared.
“She’s cold but not naturally rude,” Duncan said. “She just doesn’t know what to do with you.”
Carys suspected that Duncan had enjoyed springing her existence on his mother the night before, so she was inclined to ignore the way his mother spoke to her even if it felt like discourtesy. “You didn’t exactly give her a heads-up that you were bringing someone home to meet her, I’m guessing.”
He shook his head. “I did not. Bit too busy averting a fae war on the other side.”
She could hardly fault Duncan for prioritizing that. “Well, how did she treat your other girlfriends?”
