A chill washed over and through him, as if he’d just jumped into a clean, cold mountain lake. He caught the sharp scent of herbs and evergreen cuttings before the scent was gone and the chill was gone, leaving him tingling from head to toe.
They’d crossed the boundary and he found himself a little more impressed than he had been a moment before.
“I assume that it works,” he said quietly, glancing back toward the invisible wall they’d passed through. “It feels like it should.”
“It works better than most of our enemies have ever suspected,” Phelan said, his tone abruptly grim. “Though not as well as we’ve hoped. It hasn’t been tested lately—but it’s only a matter of time before it is.”
The blonde at his side looked at him curiously. “You’re about due for that to happen, aren’t you? For something new and nasty to attack?”
Phelan shuddered visibly. “Thank you for pointing that out, Sif. Thank you so bloody much, because it hadn’t already crossed my mind a dozen times already.”
The blonde shrugged and looked innocent. A chill crept down Gray’s spine.
I’m sorry I asked.
“I take it that you’ve had your share of problems?” Aoife surmised quietly, looking squarely at her brother. Phelan exhaled a sigh.
“You could say that,” he said, as he continued up a slope toward two blue and white striped tents. “I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you, though. You’re about to be assaulted by new names and faces and more than a few gifts, unless I miss my guess.”
“Gifts,” Gray echoed. “What do you mean by that?”
Phelan paused, glancing back over his shoulder at Gray. “You’ll see,” he said after a moment of silence. “Trust me. You’ll see and you will absolutely understand when you see it.”
Hmmm….
From Phelan’s tone, I’m wondering if he means physical gifts or if he’s seen something about Grey’s mystical gifts.