Page 142 of Broken Veil
“Carys, is that you?”
“We need to get to Cley Hill!” Carys said. “And I need to find some place called Hogg’s Well.”
Duncan held out his arms. “I’m not sure if I can come and get you. Can you keep walking?”
“I’m okay. My legs feel normal now—I’m just cold.” She stumbled to him and threw her arms around his solid warmth. “Let’s get out of here.”
“You’re freezing.” He rubbed her back. “And soaking wet. Where’s Angus?”
“Gone.” Her teeth were chattering. “I think that was all he was meant to do, so he’s gone.”
“Fucking arse,” Duncan muttered. “He could at least have said goodbye.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Duncan was on the phone with Laura as soon as they got back in the car, so by the time they reached the house, everyone was ready and waiting to go.
“Where is the goat man?” Cadell scanned the car. “Did he remain in Annwn?” The dragon leaned into Carys’s neck and hissed. “Which god has branded you?”
“Okay, the sniffing thing is weird; please don’t do that.” Carys knew Cadell had trouble with boundaries, but she hated when he smelled her.
“Nêrys.”
“The Mothers, okay?” She pulled back her shirt so Cadell could see the gold embedded in her skin.
His eyes softened. “A gold collar from Dôn. My lady?—”
“Don’t start with the ‘my lady’ thing, okay?” She blinked back tears. “I’ve already seen my mom today, heard the hounds of Arawn, and lost Angus. I need to focus.”
Laura nearly fell out of the van. “You saw your mom?”
“Yes, and I’m still cold, I’ve got sand in my underwear, and I’m emotional, but we need to get to Cley Hill.”
“No.” Duncan turned off the van. “Go inside,” he said. “Take a shower and get warm. Change your clothes.”
“Duncan—”
“It’s going to be a long fucking day. It’s a three-hour drive from Swansea to Warminster. There’s no point in your being miserable the entire drive.”
“He’s right.” Lachlan opened Carys’s door. “Carys, you need to take care of yourself. Battles are lost because of boots.”
“I don’t know what that means.” And she was tired again.
Go to Hogg’s Well, take the water in your left hand, and put it in your right eye.
Do not drink it. Do not put it in both eyes. Only in one.
“It means,” Godrik added, “that a warrior whose feet are sore will fail in battle even if he is the greater power.”
“Okay, that makes sense.”
“They are right,” Naida said. “You didn’t sleep well last night. I could hear you pacing. We’ll get the car ready. It’s not even noon, and you’re already exhausted.”
She was going to cry, and she didn’t want to break down in front of her friends.
Laura got out of the car and helped Carys down from the passenger’s seat. “Come on, dummy, listen to them. Take a breath. And take a shower. You smell kind of weird. Like realm-of-the-dead weird, which is its own special kind of funk, and I don’t think we want it getting into the upholstery of your boyfriend’s nice new van.”
Carys burst out laughing and crying at the same time.
