Seamus sighed, staring after her.
She was right. She was always right about this kind of thing—he knew that from experience.
Would that their father had listened to her more often than he had. Perhaps the world they lived in would be a much, much different place if he had.
His hands curled into fists and he took a pair of breaths, trying to settle himself down. His muscles ached from the fight against the shadowspawn, but his senses hurt even more. It was strange, no longer being bound to the Hunt as he’d been for so many centuries. The world felt different now than it had then, felt different in ways he couldn’t begin to understand.
Spending a few millennia riding among a warband of men and women who are all but dead to the rest of the world will certainly skew your ideas of what is and is not normal, won’t it? He had no doubt that doing the same had affected the abilities he’d honed while living amongst his own people, being trained to succeed his father on the throne—if and when the day came. They’d atrophied from disuse and worse, he knew he’d consciously and ruthlessly suppressed them from the time he’d left home as bridegroom to Albina until now.
Until he’d regained his freedom.
“Seamus?”
He sighed quietly, turning toward the sound of Leinth’s voice and managing a smile. “Did you see Neve?”
Leinth nodded. “She’s worried.” She took his hand, her fingers cool even against his chilled flesh. “We’re all worried, truth be known, even old enemies.” One corner of her mouth quirked into a faint smile and Seamus chuckled softly despite himself.
“They didn’t know,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her tightly against his chest. “You don’t blame them, do you?”
“For loving you and hating the person they thought had betrayed you to your death? No. How could I?” She reached up and brushed her fingertips along his jaw. “They love you as much as I do. I would be angry if they hadn’t hated me for a time.”
“But they don’t anymore?”
“I hope not.” Her lips brushed his cheek. “Come on. You need a bath.”
“Mm.” He did.
Then he needed to sort out what was happening, in case no one else could.
