All Chapters of The Pack's Emissary: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Narrigil, Present TimeThe Mer had closed in on the little town from the coastal side. Narrigil and the Van Helsings there had to know that an army was approaching – the sheer size of the Mer force made it impossible not to know, however, unlike on the other side of the river, there was little sign of devastation and destruction.The army was taking advantage of the wait in order to rest, repair, and eat, and Niarthen’s path wound through and around sleeping soldiers, cooking fires, and parked vehicles. He was greeted warmly by a large man whose silver armour held a band of color around one arm. They spoke in Mer as if they knew each other well and, unable to understand more than a word here and there, Lyric’s eyes wandered the soldiers around them.They were being watched by the Mer soldiers around them – some openly, others discretely. Lyric tried to interpret the expressions of those watching hoping to gain some insight into the conversation between Niarthen and the other man, but

Havermouth, Present TimeSigrid hung up and crossed to the glass doors. The air was fresh with greenery as she stepped out of the hospital into the courtyard. Delwyn led a meditation group amongst the plant life, cross-legged, eyes closed, and oblivious to the drama unfolding inside. As Sigrid crossed to stand at the rear of them, Delwyn’s eyes opened.“And awake,” she said soothingly. “Take your time to ground yourself in the present.” She rose fluidly to her own feet and wove between those still seated, in order to meet Sigrid. “Sigrid,” she inclined her head in greeting. “Do you seek me?”Sigrid turned and strolled a little way from those slowly rising from their mediation, knowing that Delwyn would follow her. “I did not know you were still here.”“I come, I go,” Delwyn replied. “Today I am here. Perhaps there is a reason for that, from the look upon your face?”“The Mer are invading the land,” Sigrid told her. “All the lands. I wondered… Did the Goddess speak to you of such a thi

Trayrock, Present TimeAislen fell through the aether and jerked awake, her legs kicking and her hands gripping onto the nearest man, causing them all to start, Cameron’s snoring broken off into an exclamation of alarm.“What the actual fuck?” Rhett had been the recipient of both the grip and the spasming kicks and blinked at her through the fall of his hair. Her fingernails clawed into his tattoos, drawing blood, the scent of it in the air, and wet beneath her fingertips.“Little Demon,” Talen’s hand rested on her shoulder, the palm warm. He smoothed from shoulder to elbow and back again. “You are safe. We are all safe.”She knew that he was right. They were in the surprisingly cosy makeshift bed, in a room heated by five sleeping bodies, and until her attack on Rhett, they had all been deeply in a much-needed sleep.“Sorry, Rhett,” she was embarrassed, releasing her hold on him. “I scratched you.”“It’s just a scratch,” he dismissed it. “My shins and balls are more upset. Were you p

Trayrock, Present TimeIn the car park at the hospital, the two vehicles parked side by side and wound down the windows between them.Talen leaned his elbow on the open window. “So, how do you wish to play this, little demon?” He asked, looking at Aislen.There were two aspects to consider, Aislen thought. They wanted to give the reporters only good things to see from their side, and bad from the Van Helsings, so she didn’t want to expose them to any unprovoked violence by supernaturals. However, some violence would be needed in order to get into the hospital in the first place.“Nadia and Roger, with Cameron, Heath, Rhett, and Philip Salem are going to approach from the inside entrance to the hospital and see if they can get past the guards there through subterfuge,” Aislen decided. (Or violence) she thought to Heath very clearly, sliding him a look from the corner of her eye, and saw him nod slightly in acknowledgment.“Ember and Samuel will be above,” she squinted up at the sky. Sh

Narrigil, Present TimeThey had been waiting so long that Lyric’s legs had begun to get pins and needles. The Mer around her were so still and attentive that she had not felt that she could squirm or fidget in order to relieve it. She recalled reading about soldiers on ceremonial guard duty doing small muscle flexes and wriggling their toes in order to maintain circulation, and wondered if the Mer used such tricks.When the order came, it was out of the blue. A single word was spoken, heard in her helmet. She didn’t need translation – it was obvious. “Go.”Her group of Mer surged towards the wall. Some moved so quickly that Lyric was treated to a view of blood spraying as they carved up the guards on duty – the card players taken by such surprise that they had not even dropped their hands to the ground, and the cards drifted from lifeless fingers.The guards above were slow to respond, uncertain as to what they were seeing – a liquid-like ripple across the ground, until that splatter