Phelan came to them later, as the day slowly gave way to night, the sun sinking lower and sparkling against the snow. Never had lost track of how long she and Cameron had stood there together, staring out at nothing but snow, distant trees, and a future neither of them dared predict.
She felt his approach as much as heard it, half turning to see him and wincing as her body protested. Damnation. I feel like some kind of old woman. Someone ancient.
Well, I guess that fits—because I am.
“I see you’re alive,” she said, struggling to keep her tone level. There were gashes down the sides of his face, neatly stitched but already showing signs of healing faster than they should have.
“Apparently so,” he answered with a wry smile. “Another narrow escape from the jaws of death.”
She sobered immediately, all thoughts of teasing evaporating in a heartbeat. “How narrow?”
“I didn’t see my life flicker before my eyes,” Phelan said, one shoulder hitching in a shrug. “But I scared Jacqueline and Jameson, at the very least—probably Thom and Marin, too.”
It was a close call, then. She caught her lip between her teeth and leaned into Cameron. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping it off, then?”
“You know me. I work until I drop and then I sleep for a week. I think I’ve got another few days in me.” He gave her a cheeky grin that shrank after a moment, something distant and painful in his eyes. “It’s Yule, Neve.”
She stiffened. Cameron glanced down at her.
“Neve, you just got all tense. What’s the significance?” he asked, looking between them. “Must mean something beyond Yule logs and the darkest day of the year.”
I can’t do it. I can’t. I’m not ready for it—not prepared. There’s so much that goes into being ready to do that…he’ll ask. I know he’ll ask. But I’m going to have to tell him no.
“It’s nothing,” she whispered, though the words were a lie.
“I need you to do it,” Phelan said half a second later.
“Do what?” Cameron asked.
“It’s nothing,” she repeated, her voice a little stronger this time. Cam, quit asking. Phelan, stop it. “It’s not important.”
“Sing them home, Neve.” Phelan’s voice was quiet, but firm, on the bleeding edge of pleading without slipping over the line. “No one else can do it.”
“You have Jameson,” she snapped. “He can do it.”
“He doesn’t know how. Someone has to teach them, Neve.”
“Teach Marin.”
“I can’t.” He fell silent for a moment.
“You can,” she answered. I know that you can. It’s not that difficult. You know the concept. You’d be able to figure it out.
“Will one of you please start making sense?” Cameron demanded.
Neve just buried her face against her lover’s neck and said nothing. Phelan held his peace as well and for a moment, she thought that maybe, just maybe, he was going to let it all go.
No such luck. Phelan broke the heavy silence a moment later. “Ériu came to me today.”
Hellfire. “She’s still…?”
“It’s like I’m speaking another language,” Cameron muttered. “Will one of you please explain what’s going on here?”
“When we were young, back where we’re from, Neve was one of the women who would sing the souls of the dead across to the Summer Country. Every turning of the season, every festival—she and my sister, most often—they’d sing the dead home.” Phelan looked away from Cameron and toward Neve again. “And I need her to do it now. We’ve done it once and it was…clumsy. It didn’t go as well as I’d have hoped.”
Neve’s fingers dug into Cameron’s arm. “I can’t,” she breathed. “Phelan—”
“If you don’t, Neve, who will?”
“I told you,” she said, tears gathering in her eyes. “Teach one of the others. I can’t do this, Phelan. I can’t do this now.”
Cameron’s arms closed around her. “Why not?” he murmured in her ear.
“I just can’t,” she whispered. “Please don’t ask it of me.” Not when I just want to curl up and hide from death Herself. Please, don’t ask me.
“Then it won’t be done,” Phelan said softly. “They’ll have to wait until an easier time—the autumnal equinox again, I guess.”
Shivers shot through her. “Hell,” she swore under her breath. “Phelan…”
“No. You said you won’t.”
“But I have to.”
He stared back and nodded slowly. “Yes. You do.”
Neve squeezed her eyes shut. “Then I will. But I’ll need something to wear.”
His lips quirked into a smile. “I think that can be arranged.”
Phelan can be such an ass. Makes me wish something goes terribly wrong. The consequences would be interesting.
Good on Cameron for making them explain something.