Reign of Evil

Sassy regarded Walker. “I know what you’re thinking, but stop that right now.” Walker was about to respond, but she shushed him with a wave of her hand. “You’re thinking of your girl, aren’t you? If her soul can survive in the body of one of these ghouls, then you can be together again.” She shook her head again, this time looking 1,000 percent witch. “She is not at all like she was. What’s left of her soul has done terrible things, things from which she can’t come back. Ever.”

Walker stared at Sassy, understanding and not caring. He repeated his question. “What are they used for?”

She sighed and glanced at Holmes.

“Answer his question,” he said.

“The hounds are formed from the strength of a person’s soul. They manifest as real when attacking, but spend most of their existence as a wisp of wind or a billow of fog. They are sustained by Tuatha magic and belong to the Hunt. But on occasion, if an empty vessel is available, a witch or warlock can summon a hound to do their bidding. The soul of the person who was harvested for the hound is pleased to be once again in a human form and shows their gratitude through sharing of the magic that made them.”

“Have you ever done that?” Holmes asked.

“I told you. I’m not that kind of witch.”

“Why do they sew their lips shut?” YaYa asked, joining the conversation.

“The Tuatha have their secrets and don’t want them told.”

YaYa couldn’t help himself. “So they take some poor waif, rip out her soul, sew her lips shut so she can be a vessel?”

She stared at him flatly. “Being judgmental isn’t going to get us anywhere.”

Holmes jumped in. “She’s right. Let’s figure this thing out.”

Just as they were about to start, the lieutenant’s cell rang. He stepped away from the table and carried out a brisk conversation. He glanced at Holmes and Ian twice. When he finished, he rejoined them.

“Don’t know what to make of it. I sent two men to Glastonbury to keep tabs as requested. They’re sure that the people in the house know they’re there, but they don’t seem to be concerned. In fact, they’re still having their party.”

Holmes uncharacteristically cursed.

“What is it?” Ian asked.

“They’re not worried about freedom of movement.”

Walker figured it out the same time everyone else did. “It’s happening today, isn’t it?”

Holmes nodded and checked his watch. “We have less than twenty hours and they could do it anytime. We’ve got to get out there.”

“And do what?” Ian smacked his hand down on the table. “We don’t even know what they’re trying to do.”

“No, but at least we know where they are. There’s got to be something we can do… whatever it is.” To Laws, Holmes said, “Have everyone ready to go in twenty.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Sassy and I are going to speak with the Tuatha. If something’s going down then it knows. It’s time for the Tuatha to come clean.”

CHAPTER 35

POINT BRAVO, WARWICK, ENGLAND. LATER.

While everyone else checked weapons and loaded kit, Holmes and Sassy had a private conversation in the back of the room. He decided to begin, letting her know as close to what he felt as he could afford.

“First of all, I appreciate everything you’ve done for us. We’re more used to things we can shoot and kill. A lot of folks might think that to do our job we’d need a lot of special equipment. But they’d be amazed at what a simple round from a rifle can do if delivered on target.” He checked to see if she was listening and she nodded. “But the hounds are another matter. We can’t affect them. Our bullets do no damage. That is, unless you or the Tuatha have something to help us.”

She started to say something, then stopped, as if she was listening to something. When she looked up, she said, “There’s little mortal hands can do to deter the hounds of the Wild Hunt.”

“What about magic? Is there something, I don’t know….” He felt silly saying the words aloud, but there was no other way he knew to describe what he wanted. “Can you make magic bullets?”

Sassy smiled, but it wasn’t her smile. It was too wide and too strained. There was a flash of fear in her eyes before it was replaced with a competent calm. “The residual of our magic is what mortals like my host tap into for power. These are nothing but slick shadows of what we once were. The hounds were created from original magic. It is pure.”

“So you’re saying there’s nothing we can do?” He had a hard time believing that. He frowned. Was this some sort of test? He knew he was speaking to the Tuatha now. However it was happening, he wouldn’t have much longer if it was against Sassy’s will. “Then how were you defeated before? Who was it, the Milesians?”

Again with the alien smile. “You’ve studied my people. What is it you want to know about them?”

“They defeated you. What did they use?”