Page 14 of The Night Vision
“No way,” Silas said but Merlin hummed in confirmation.
“A truly barbaric practice and a cruel way to raise a child.” Merlin said as he worked, the hand with the chalk sweeping and tapping swiftly as dates and symbols filled the board. “I’m an ardent believer in experiential learning but the Ossors are like the Spartans with their children and would give up any that show signs of disability or illness, sadly. The communities are matriarchal and the women choose their partners, but they do not practice marriage.”
Silas was appalled. “They still do this?”
“It would seem so,” Merlin replied, trading the chalk for a pointer. “And it would explain why our query has been so difficult to track down and why Nox sensed a wolf in the vision. Like our families, the Ossors are from a very old but extremely isolated Irish lineage. They claimed to be the direct descendants of the werewolves ofOssory. Óengus Osrithe was the first kingof Osraige, or Ossory as it later came to be known, back in 100 AD. King Óengus claimed he was a direct descendant of Laignech Fáelad, a legendary warrior and chieftain. He and his most brutal and loyal fighters were known as the Werewolves of Ossory and were said to shift from man towolf.”
“Literally?” Nelson asked, looking up from his notepad. He appeared to be writing every word and absorbing the information on the board.
Nox made a hesitant sound. “Most scholars believe it was a figurative transformation, obviously. But as we’ve learned, historical and mythological depictions aren’t always symbolic. Sometimes, a harp isn’t just a harp and a metamorphosis isn’t always figurative,” he said, earning a dry snort from Nelson.
“Tell me about it. So, this Tighe Ossor might be a werewolf?” he asked and Merlin shook his head and tapped the end of the pointer against the board.
“We’re not talking about a werewolf from a horror film. But even if we were, it would be far less trouble than whatever Huge Douchebag has planned for our lost Ossor,” he said, making Nox chuckle.
“Nelson could take a werewolf. That’s just a man who turns into a beast during a full moon and can be stopped with a silver bullet. An Ossorliveslike a wolf and learns to fight like a beast. They claimed to be descended from werewolves but they were legendary for their brutality as warriors.” He gestured at Merlin who looked giddy as he stretched and pointed at the wordFianna.
“As you’ve been learning, Shelby, it was a tradition in Iron Age Ireland for noble families to send their young men to live in the wild, amongst small bands of warrior-hunters. They fed and dressed themselves with whatever they could kill and learned to fight. Once they had proven themselves, they could return to Túath and become landowning aristocrats. It was a right ofpassage but some stayed in the fían way of life and remained roving mercenaries. Because of their impartiality, the fianna were hired by the kings of Ireland as bodyguards and by towns to protect them from raiders and aggressive neighbors.”
“Fenianism and the Fenian Brotherhood are named after the fianna,” Nox added.
“Exactly!” Merlin said. “But the Ossors were the elite of the fianna and much like the Norse gallowglasses.”
“Just a minute,” Silas interrupted. “Nox said he sensed wolves in my blood and he called me a fian. Am I related to this Tighe Ossor?”
Was that why Silas had felt such an immediate and consuming love for the skull and thrilled at finally learning his name?
“I highly doubt that,” Merlin said dismissively. “The gallowglasses were Norse and Gaelic warriors and mercenaries who were wild men and exceptionally fierce in battle. The Werewolves of Ossory were as well, but they were believed to practice druidic magick and have a supernatural connection to the Otherworld.
“Eventually, the fianna and their ways were abandoned and the kings of Ossory were defeated by the Normans. Like us, the Ossors held onto their practices and they went deeper into the woods. Some made their way to America in the early 1600s, in search of a wilder, safer wilderness as the English and the Church took over more of Ireland. We know there are still Ossors in the Appalachians and where their women live. But we have never made contact and assumed they were nearly extinct.”
“His upbringing couldn’t bethatbad,” Nelson said as he flipped a few pages back. “Mr. Ossor is described as soft-spoken, kind, extremely generous and helpful to other hikers, and fond of books and tea. Some of the stations let him rummage throughtheir lost and found for clothes and gear but he’s most interested in books, they say. Specifically, literature and poetry.”
Nox whistled. “I can’t fathom why an Ossor would be alone and this far south but poetryfits,” he said, causing Merlin to sigh heavily.
“It certainly does. The fianna were fond of music and poetry, to pass on their history and entertain each other around the campfire,” Merlin said and smiled sadly at the name at the top of the board. “Tighe means poet in Gaelic.” His glance drifted to Nox and tightened. “There’s been a trend with this generation of Celtic descendants: they seem to run truer and stronger.Much stronger.”
Silas held up a hand. “I’m not following. Why is it so bad if he’s supposed to be a super hunter and a…super poet?” he asked and Nox grinned.
“I wouldn’t mind meeting a super poet,” he said before growing serious. “But Ossors arewildmen, said to be dangerously unpredictable. Feral, in the truest sense of the word. And I’m very worried about the dark warlock with a penchant for breeding monsters,” he explained, causing Nelson to whisper a curse.
“That’swhy Dùbhghlas would want him. What could he do with a true Werewolf of Ossor?” he asked Nox, then raised his brows at Merlin.
The older man threw his hands up. “There’s no telling! We’ve seen what he can do with a dead changeling child. Dùbhghlas has only grown stronger since we destroyed that monstrosity and is learning from his mistakes, mark my words.”
“Hold on!” Silas’s hand popped back up. “Dead changeling child?” he asked and immediately regretted it but he needed to know more about this Dùbhghlas guy and exactly what they were up against.
“Yeah…” Nox winced hard and hopped onto his desk, his legs kicking as he opened his laptop. “You met our changeling friend, Everly. He came to us after he was attacked by a zombie child that Huge Douchebag turned into a vampire that could suck the magick out of other changelings and magickal beings.”
“Oh. I see…” Silas gripped his forehead as an ache bloomed behind his eyes. He thought there was something strange about the ethereal, younger man. But Silas had scarier things on his mind at the time, like facing a demon and fighting for Niall. “I forgot about your changeling friend… Are they usually evil—like the ones in horror movies?” he asked but Nox snorted and swatted dismissively.
“Changelings areusuallyharmless and want to be left alone but Douchebag made something from a horror movie with the remains of a dead, tormented child. It was hollow and pure evil. Everly is nothing like that. He’s pure love and sunshine.”
“An angel,” Merlin stated firmly. “But through Everly we have learned that changelings are extremely malleable and capable of absorbing magick. He’s adapted and acquired many of Nox’s powers as well as the strength and abilities of a hellhound.”
Silas hadn’t forgotten the twins who had accompanied Nox and Nelson to Shenandoah. They were strapping men and Silas had noticed the way they grew even larger and more menacing around the demon that had been masquerading as a biologist named Dr. Chance Curn. Once again, Silas had been too petrified by the existence ofa demonand terrified for Niall to give much thought to the twins. He understood that they were something strange like Nox, but they were there to help so Silas focused on getting to Niall and saving him fromthe demon.
It turned out that Niall didn’t want to be rescued and believed he was meant to love and save said demon. That wasn’t any of Silas’s business and he knew it was time to walk away.Niall had made his choice and swore he was happy so Silas wished him luck and left with his broken heart. Thankfully, Nox and Nelson arrived at Silas’s office the following morning and gave his heart a new reason to keep beating.
