\u201cMonsters,\u201d Thom echoed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan held up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou said to the west.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gwilym\u2019s gaze bounced between the pair before he swallowed, nodding in answer to both questions.\u00a0 \u201cYes, monsters, yes, in the west.\u00a0 It was on the other side of the lake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they come from the west?\u201d\u00a0 Phelan asked, his lips barely moving.<\/p>\n
Thom looked at him sidelong, frowning.\u00a0 Why the hell would that matter?\u00a0 What is he trying to get at?<\/em><\/p>\n Phelan\u2019s gaze slid toward Thom and their eyes met, stark terror in the once-druid\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAnything that\u2019s come out of the west either survived the destruction of Yellowstone or appeared because<\/em> of it.\u00a0 Neither possibility bodes well for us, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s got a point there.<\/em>\u00a0 Thom grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about the rest of the pack?\u00a0 Any losses?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we\u2019re still mostly in one piece.\u00a0 Injuries only.\u00a0 They\u2019re a few days behind.\u00a0 Like I said, I\u2019m the fastest.\u201d\u00a0 Gwilym looked at Phelan.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re still on your scent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Phelan said with a grimace.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ve caught up with us a few times since you left.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing you could have done about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind of monsters?\u201d\u00a0 Thom asked again.\u00a0 Some kind of bizarre comfort that another group is having as many problems as we are when it comes to things they\u2019ve never seen before.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWomen with wings of fire and claws the size of steak knives,\u201d their guest said, huddling in the bush.\u00a0 \u201cBat-winged lions with gold eyes, giant lizards that breathe poison.\u00a0 I\u2019ve glimpsed some myself, heard tell of others.\u00a0 The winged women attacked us while we were sheltering with the community.\u00a0 We turned them back, but it was a near thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Phelan shuddered, looking at Thom.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t sound like it,\u201d Thom agreed.\u00a0 \u201cBut what does it mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat there\u2019s far more at play here than we ever dared to think about.\u00a0 We\u2019re in trouble, fear fiach<\/em>.\u00a0 We\u2019re in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cMonsters,\u201d Thom echoed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell are you talking about?\u201d Phelan held up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou said to the west.\u201d Gwilym\u2019s gaze bounced between the pair before he swallowed, nodding in answer to both questions.\u00a0 \u201cYes, monsters, yes, in the … Continue reading