Leviathan regarded them for a long, silent moment before he nodded. \u201cThen I presume that they pose no threat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur agreement is that they\u2019ll defend us\u2014and this place\u2014if needed. It\u2019s their home, now, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan crossed his arms. \u201cBut as you\u2019ve said, you mean no harm to us if we mean no harm to you, and I am more than capable of assuring you that we mean you and yours no harm.\u201d His gaze flicked toward the ghostly figures beyond Leviathan. He could see Eriu wending her way among them, a flaxen-haired wraith among all the drowned or frozen souls that Lake Michigan\u2014perhaps all the lakes and connected waterways\u2014had claimed over the centuries. She was one bright spot of color amidst their strange drabness. \u201cThough harm is a thing I find myself questioning, considering the size of the army of spirits you\u2019ve brought along.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is his power so great that he can command them, or is it more like me and the people here, where he\u2019s earned their trust and respect, but it\u2019s a choice to follow him?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cCuriosity and fear are powerful,\u201d Leviathan said cryptically. He shifted his weight, smirking. \u201cThey make you uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArmies of anything at our gates make us uncomfortable,\u201d Phelan fired back. \u201cThat hasn\u2019t changed.\u201d<\/p>\n Leviathan smiled and a chill shot down Phelan\u2019s spine.<\/p>\n I still don\u2019t like this. I don\u2019t like this at all.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll send them away,\u201d Leviathan said. \u201cClearly, there\u2019s no harm meant here, so there\u2019s no reason for them to linger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could send them to their rest, if they\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n Leviathan\u2019s attention snapped to Matt. \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n Damn, damn, and damn.<\/em> \u201cIn the old way,\u201d Phelan rushed to say. \u201cYou\u2019re familiar with the old rituals.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly in passing,\u201d Leviathan said, some of the tension easing. \u201cDruids, women of the royal houses, that rot, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Phelan nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. Why the hell did you have to bring that up, Matt?<\/em><\/p>\n Leviathan\u2019s gaze shifted to Leinth. \u201cAnd you\u2019d be doing the sending?\u201d<\/p>\n Leinth, mercifully, kept her mouth shut. She shrugged eloquently. Phelan breathed a mental sigh of relief.<\/p>\n \u201cI imagine most of them would pass on the offer, in any case,\u201d Leviathan said. \u201cThough I suppose I will let them know that it\u2019s been made.\u201d He took a slow step back. \u201cI\u2019ll take my leave, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Phelan inclined his head.<\/p>\n The smile that Leviathan gave him left him chilled, but the other man withdrew, turning and walking back toward the sea of drowned souls beyond them. He disappeared into their midst and one by one, slowly, the souls winked out of visibility, drifting away like fog as it burns off under the sun.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a bad feeling about this,\u201d Matt muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cMe too, Matt,\u201d Phelan murmured back. \u201cMe, too.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Leviathan regarded them for a long, silent moment before he nodded. \u201cThen I presume that they pose no threat?\u201d \u201cOur agreement is that they\u2019ll defend us\u2014and this place\u2014if needed. It\u2019s their home, now, too.\u201d Phelan crossed his arms. \u201cBut as … Continue reading