Thom’s voice carried on the wind as the pair drew closer to the forge.
“You can’t tell me that you’re not feeling it, too.”
“I am feeling it,” J.T. said as Cameron and Thordin ducked into the warmth of the forge. “I’m just trying not to damn well think about it. I’m not supposed to have intuitions and hunches like you and Marin. Hell, I’m not even supposed to see ghosts.”
His face backlit by the flames of the forge, Matt snorted softly, the sound barely audible over the roar of the flames and the hiss of the bellows. “Good luck wishing to stop see them, Jay,” he said. “I don’t know that you’ll ever get it.”
“It’s not something I asked for,” J.T. said.
“None of you asked for the gifts that you have,” Thordin said as he pushed Cameron deeper into the dim warmth. “But you’ve got it just the same and you’ve got it for a reason. Are you two feeling as unsettled as I am? I don’t like the sound of that wind.”
He almost regretted giving voice to the words, but the look on the faces of his companions told him it was undoubtedly the right thing to do. Concern creased Thom’s brow and J.T. suddenly became very interested in his boot laces. Matt snorted again and shook his head.
“The better question is, has anyone told the girls?”
“No,” Thom said firmly. “And you’re not, either. Not until we know whether or not we’re just being damned well paranoid.”
“And when has it ever been simple paranoia?” Matt asked as he straightened from pumping the bellows.
“Once or twice,” Thom said.
Matt shook his head. “I don’t believe you. Thordin, take over, will you?”
Thordin frowned, but switched places with Matt. “What are you going to do?”
“Round up Kellin and my sister,” he said. “Maybe one or two of the others and bring them up here.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just go back down there?” Cameron asked, glancing toward the door. He shivered slightly, as if remembering the wind and thinking better of his suggestion.
“Possibly,” Matt said. “But there’s also greater chance of being overheard, and nobody in this room wants that if we’re just—how did you put it, Thom? Just being paranoid?”
“Marin was getting some extra sleep, Matt,” Thom growled. “Don’t you dare wake her.”
“If something’s about to show up and eat us, I’m pretty sure she’d want to be awake for that.” He shrugged into his coat and headed for the door.
“Nobody said anything’s coming to eat us,” J.T. said.
“Nobody said something isn’t, either, and when everyone in this room’s got a bad feeling, that gives me a bad feeling. I’ll be back.”
With that, he ducked out into the driving wind and blinding snow.
