Page 151 of Broken Veil
“I see nothing,” Cadell said. “Are you sure?”
Dark waves of magic floated over the land, flowing upward and toward the violent tear like blood flowing into a wound.
“I’m sure.” She leaned on him and felt his skin pebble under her fingertips. “Resist, Cadell. We have to get to the top of that hill.”
She’s gathering power from those who are giving her worship.
“I want to protect you more than anything.” The dragon’s voice was deeper, more like the beast within him. “My instincts tell me that I could protect you better in my natural form.”
Not yet, old friend. You must resist.
“She’s right.” Carys put a hand on Cadell’s cheek, anchoring him to his human body. “Remember who she is.”
The Morrígan was a goddess of war, bloodshed, and chaos.
Seren said what Carys was thinking.
The moment you give in to the violence that your instincts are telling you to unleash, she will use that violence to add to her power.
Cadell nodded, but his jaw was clenched tightly.
“You have this.” Carys nodded. “You have this, Cadell.”
Massive crowds had gathered to the Morrígan. Most of them seemed peaceful, but it was no coincidence that gods of despair and anger were among them.
The Morrígan had gathered a brush pile of acolytes around her, and all it would take would be one spark to make this situation explode. One spark, and there would be violence and chaos.
And all that violence and chaos would only feed her power.
“I can’t kill her,”Carys said to Laura as they walked. “But Seren and I can defeat her.”
“How?” Laura asked. “With love and understanding?”
The hillsides were singing with magic. Bright wisps flew overhead, and the humans watching them seemed to delight in the show.
“They probably think it’s some kind of trick or special effect.”
Most of them were recording the play of light and the dancing pixies with their mobile phones.
“We have to… dampen the power she’s gathering somehow.” Carys knew it was going to be difficult. Even she felt the seduction of the magic dancing through the air, though she could also see the dark energy pulling from the crowd andup toward the gash in the sky where crows were circling and cawing.
“I know the magic she’s gathered is dark,” Naida said, “but the little ones don’t know that.” She was smiling at the delighted pixies that danced along her fingertips. “The world is so beautiful.”
“It’s dangerous,” Godrik said. “But I cannot deny that seeing so many Brightkin surrounded by magic is seductive.”
That’s exactly what she wants. She wants the worlds to merge so she can create war in both of them.
“We’ve got to resist the urge to join them.” Carys couldn’t argue that on the surface, the crowd felt like the biggest party ever thrown.
There were musicians playing music when they reached the base of the hill and started on the winding path upward.
“Flowers from the goddess?” Young men and woman were handing out yellow and white flowers near a bonfire where people were dancing. “Flowers to celebrate Macha?”
“Thanks.” Laura took a flower.
One of the tall young men handing out flowers put one directly in Cadell’s short hair.
“Joy, brother,” the young man said. “Macha has returned.”
