Page 49 of Broken Veil
“Lachlan, buoy’s in the water!” Duncan yelled. “Carys, stay down!”
Nêrys, I am swimming to you.
Stay on the shore!
Nêrys, I cannot.
She heard a distant splash, and Cadell must have grabbed the attention of the serpent, because the boat stopped spinning. Duncan steadied it, then ran to the side to look for Lachlan.
“Duncan, go!” a voice called.
Carys heard Lachlan’s voice coming from a distance.
“I can swim it,” Lachlan shouted. “Get her out of the water!”
The swiftly moving current of the River Ouse caught Lachlan and snatched him away, but before he disappeared into the darkness, Carys saw him clutching the bright orange ring Duncan had thrown.
Duncan ran to the wheel, gunned the engine, and pointed the bow of the cruiser toward the dock where Carys could see Godrik and Laura waving their arms.
They were getting closer.
Closer.
Thunk.
Carys, who had been on her knees in the bow of the boat, peering into the darkness, was thrown back.
“Carys, lie down!” Duncan shouted. “Get on the?—”
The bow tilted up, rocked to the side, and moments later, she felt the freezing, muddy water of the river swallow her.
She was sucked into darkness,water shot up her nose, and something grabbed her ankle, pulling her deeper into the river.
There was a roar in her ears and muffled shouting in the distance.
Just as suddenly as she’d gone under the water, she popped up, her lungs exploding as she gasped for air. She blew the water from her nose and hung on to the straps of the life vest that was keeping her afloat.
“Carys!”
She searched the darkness for the voice that called her name, but just as her vision cleared, something that felt like a rope wrapped around her ankle.
She went under the water again as high, snickering laughter surrounded her and angry caws sounded in the sky above her.
What death do you choose, daughter of Epona?
The whispering voice made Carys stop struggling. She listened and she stilled, waiting for more.
What death do you choose, daughter of two worlds?The voice was familiar.For death comes for all your kind— it was tinged with the cackle of crows —and I am guarding yours.
Carys’s lungs were on fire, but the darkness of the river was suddenly lit with an eerie blue light, and creatures emerged from the darkness.
Wide black eyes set in moonlike faces. Wide mouths as much fish as faerie. The creatures in the river grinned, revealing sharp, pointed teeth as their long, bony hands reached out and the Morrígan’s laughter echoed in her mind.
There was a crashing sound overhead; then a hand plunged down and grabbed Carys by the braid, yanking her up and out of the water with a roar.
Duncan wrapped thick arms around her as Lachlan dove underwater with his sword drawn.
“Grindylows!” Duncan shouted. “They’ve come through the gates, and they’re everywhere.” He kicked out, stretching one arm toward the shore.
