“Probably,” Nox agreed but offered Clancy a sly smile. “I bet he wasn’t expecting us to havethreevalkyries with us. That had to be a fun surprise for old Hugh.”
That got a chuckle out of Clancy. He rubbed his nose and pretended to inspect the tips of his oxfords. “Ingrid trained them well, didn’t she?”
“I feel like a proud uncle,” Nox said, making Merlin hum in agreement.
“Ineverthought I’d live to see such a sight but they were truly magnificent! A wonder and a terror to behold!” he said excitedly.
Smoak’s face pinched and he glanced at Clancy with obvious disapproval. “That’s a hell of a secret to keep,” he muttered and Clancy’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t it?” he replied with a heavy dose of facetiousness.
“And for a very good reason,” Merlin stated as he pinned Smoak with a scolding look. “Couldn’t risk anyone leakingthatto Dùbhghlas.”
There was a sheepish wince from Smoak. “I might have told him if I’d known,” he admitted. “But the fact remains that he knowsnowand he’s seen that the sun god can melt giants with his bare hands. He knows what you’re all capable of.”
“He’s right,” Nelson chimed in. “But what canwelearn from that fight?” He turned to Merlin. “What would it take to raise a dozen Fomorians?” he asked and received a delighted gasp from Merlin as he went to one of his rolling boards. For Nelson, that was his cue to get his pencil and notepad out and prepare to copy.
“That’s our Nelson! Always asking therightquestions.” Merlin picked up a piece of chalk with a dramatic flourish, then pointed it at Nox. “What do our texts tell us about the fate of the Fomorians?”
“They were all driven into the sea in the time of Nemed?3, with the exception of one boat, carrying thirty Fomorians. History lost track of those surviving Fomorians and we’re just told they scattered,” he explained with a suggestive lift of his brows.
Merlin had been writing down names and dates, but spun, his little fists shaking. “It would behighlyunlikely that the Huge Douchebag could have raised Fomorians from the sea. He may have mastered the art of dealing with demons, but to pry a dozen Fomorians from Manannán?4? Ha!”
“Manannán?” Nelson parroted and Nox touched the center over his chest, smiling softly.
“He is the son of the sea and the great mist that protects the sacred resting places of the Tuatha Dé?5.”
“Alright…” Nelson frowned at his notepad. He’d scribbled what he thought were the keywords so he could do more research later but he already had a bad feeling about the partshe understood. “This son of the sea wouldn’t be likely to help so Dùbhghlas found as many asthirtylost Fomorians and turned them into giant zombies.”
“Fuck!” Bryn said as he scrubbed his face with his hands. “That’s a hell of a hunting expedition. I was trying to figure out how he found the dozen he had at Coudersport, butthirty?”
Marlin made an ominous sound. “That would require a very specific set of skills and I can think of only a few creatures that possess them.”
“Shit!” Arawn popped to his feet and stormed to the decanters. “A hellhound or a valkyrie. We’re the ferrymen of souls and we do not forget those we’ve carried,” he told them and Clancy swore, nodding tightly.
“This isn’t the work of any demon.”
Everyone looked in Smoak’s direction but he held up his hands, shrugging. “My horde knows better and they know how I punish those who defy the sanctity of death.”
“Fair enough,” Nox said, then cleared his throat. “Have you or any of your horde heard of Dùbhghlas adding any hellhounds or a valkyrie to his team?”
“Are there any other hellhounds?” Smoak asked, looking at Nox and the twins expectantly. “Iwasn’t aware that there were any valkyrie slumming it in the Beltway but it appears there were three.”
The twins traded looks before shaking their heads. “We only know of each other but we didn’t associate with any other magickal beings before we met Everly and Nox,” Arawn said. “We kept to ourselves and minded our own business because that’s what was safest for us. We didn’t know who else we could trust.”
“Numerous mythologies have hellhounds,” Nox said simply. “Secrecy has always been safest and it’s whywe’restill standinghere. But Dùbhghlas hassomehowmanaged to find another hellhound or a valkyrie.”
Merlin humped, setting down his chalk. “Find? Do you suppose he just happened to cross paths with one during his travels?” he asked with a dubious sneer. “I do not and I do not think alivingspecimen would have suited his purposes.”
“So he found a dead one or he killed one,” Nelson summarized, his anger and his need for justice overwhelming him.
“Easy!” Nox whispered as he watched Nelson, then winced at Merlin. “Let’s hope it’s just one. Necromancy ishardand it takes a terrible toll on those who practice it. Dùbhghlas is in deep with the darkness and must have consumed some powerful demons if he’s already this strong.”
That got another scowl from Smoak. “Who allowed him to get that strong?” he asked Nox, but it was an accusation.
“I see…” Nox rubbed his lip thoughtfully. “Should I cut downanyonewho could become a threat to me in the future?” He raised his brows at Smoak. “I’d have to start with you, obviously, but where would I draw the line? Do I only strike down those that are powerful now, or do I take a more proactive approach and wipe out anyone whose magickal abilities or ambitionscouldthreaten mine?”
Smoak gave him a bored, flat look. “The writing was on the wall a long time ago with Dùbhghlas.”
