Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Cassie giggles as they edge past her. “I think they’re just being friendly. I wondered where they went.”
The big hounds make their way to their target. Me. All three crowd in, trying to get near me. There’s nothing unfriendly about them. They’re big dogs looking for cuddles and treats. It’s hard to remember they’re supposed to be hellhounds.
“The king had them held in the royal kennels,” Lee replies, looking down at them with a vague smile on his face. “I’m pretty sure he was going to…” He draws a hand across his throat in the universal sign for get rid of in the meanest way. “My father’s not a pet person. Hey, guys. Did you seriously think these were real Cŵn Annwn?”
“How were we supposed to know?” Rhys asks with a huff.
“Well, you’re Fae for one thing. I suspect you have some in your home sithein. These are kind of runts.”
Then I would fear seeing the real thing.
“I didn’t spend a lot of time there except when I was a child,” Rhys admits. “There weren’t a lot of hellhounds on the planes where we hid out. But there were dinosaurs.”
“What is a dinosaur?” Lee asks, absently petting one of the hounds.
I shake my head because we are not going there. “They’re extinct in every plane that counts now. So these aren’t Arawn’s hounds? Your father said something about them being from this plane. Would the crone have been, too?”
“If it’s the same crone I’m thinking of, she used to be one of the King of the Dead’s councils. At least on this plane,” Lee replies. “From all accounts she’s the real thing. I know many Fae visit her for her wisdom.”
“So she would have been working for Myrddin, but she could also have told the truth about some things.” Rhys seems to know where my head is at. He’s asking the same questions I have.
“Very likely, though I’m not sure when she was last in Annwn. No one has been in a long time.”
“How would you know?” I ask.
He seems to think about the question. “I guess I wouldn’t. No one’s come back. Which since it’s a land of the dead makes sense. What I do know is every soul that has died on this plane in the last year hasn’t gone. Our witches tracked the energy.”
I can guess. “They’re going to the mountains in the north. But there has to be a cutoff point because I met some spirits in the forests where we came out.”
“But that forest is connected to the tunnels we found on Snowdonia.” Rhys has put on his thinking cap, and his big brain is working. He might have been forced to flee traditional education at the age of eleven, but Sasha taught all the kids how to think critically. Well, he taught Rhys and Evan at least. Fenrir is more of an emotional thinker, and Lee thinks with his dick. “The legends place Snowdonia atop Annwn, the Welsh version of Hell.”
I shake my head. “Annwn was never Hell. It was the afterlife. The idea of Hell is a Christian belief. Viewed in that way, Annwn would be more like Heaven, but I get your point. It would also likely have some effects on the land around it. Perhaps there’s a reason those spirits wouldn’t go further into the forest.”
“The proximity to Annwn protects them,” Rhys agrees. “There might be other distances that would be safe, but we can’t count on that. Whatever spell Myrddin’s put in to attract the souls of the dead is definitely working in other parts of this sithein.”
Lee nods. “From what they can tell. We’re not allowed close to the mountain. My father has guards on all the trails. It’s been going on since shortly after he first met with Myrddin. We had a couple of spies make it to the mountains, but they didn’t come back.” Lee gets to one knee as the hounds roll around and offer their bellies up. “We’ve had some disturbances as well that led our witches to believe something is wrong.”
“So he did something to the mountain.” I think carefully about what the gnome told me. “Something that attracts the recently dead. They’re drawn in through Myrddin or the king. Likely via some spelled object they’re wearing. If one could see it, it might appear as though the soul was being consumed.”
“Are you telling me my father isn’t a soul eater?” Lee asks.
“I don’t think so, but it might be possible to use those souls as fuel for something. I don’t know if it would destroy the soul however. I think that might be impossible. But it could damage it.” I consider the problem as my hand strokes down Fluffy’s back. I like the fact that they’re here. They weren’t responsible for tricking us. They only wanted some affection and treats. “A spell like that could disrupt the balance.”