Inside the forge was warm and close, though my nose closed up at the smell of heated metal and Matt\u2019s makeshift quenching trough that was starting to look less and less makeshift every day.\u00a0 He was covered in soot from his forehead down to the cuffs of his jeans, his hands sheathed in heavy leather gloves and the leather apron Brandon had whipped together for him was spattered with tiny burns from molten metal and embers.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t glance up from pounding a sword into shape, though Thom looked up from the hilt he was wrapping and smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
The smile faded as he caught the looks on both of our faces.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked over the sound of Matt\u2019s hammering.<\/p>\n
Phelan waved a hand as he turned to survey the swords lined up against the wall, about half with their hilts wrapped and the other half waiting for Thom\u2019s attention.\u00a0 \u201cSlowing down,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, well, with Jay down, I\u2019ve got to wrap the hilts and hone the edges,\u201d Thom said, expression clouding.\u00a0 His gaze flicked toward me.\u00a0 \u201cDo we know how he\u2019s doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head a little.\u00a0 \u201cThere hasn\u2019t been a change.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t count on him to be able to help us with what\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that what\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0 Thom asked as he turned back to his work.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I lied even as Phelan said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom looked between us, eyes narrowing.\u00a0 I sighed and threw up my hands.\u00a0 \u201cWe had\u00a0 close encounter with one of our more powerful friends,\u201d I muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich one?\u201d\u00a0 Thom asked, tone flat.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorrigan,\u201d Phelan said as he picked up one of the swords and a whetstone, settling down on an overturned milk crate.\u00a0 \u201cPlaying mind games and offering warnings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom looked at me, apparently not quite believing Phelan\u2019s dismissive attitude.\u00a0 I shook my head slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told us that the other one\u2019s going to show up hard on Cariocecus\u2019s heels,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cWe might not have a lot of time to recover.\u201d<\/p>\n
He snorted humorlessly.\u00a0 \u201cShe should tell us things we don\u2019t already know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly,\u201d Phelan said, starting to work on sharpening the first blade.<\/p>\n
I took a pair of deep breaths and closed my eyes.\u00a0 God forgive me.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cShe did tell us one thing,\u201d I said quietly.\u00a0 I saw Phelan wince out of the corner of my eye, but I kept talking.\u00a0 \u201cThe Hecate\u2014the thing leading those hags the other night\u2014has been after Phelan for centuries.\u00a0 Since before he was the Taliesin.\u201d\u00a0 I frowned, turning my attention fully to Phelan.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell does that mean, anyway?\u00a0 The way she said it and the way you reacted, it sounds like some kind of title.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is,\u201d he murmured softly.\u00a0 \u201cA title.\u00a0 An office.\u201d\u00a0 I could barely hear him over the sound of Matt\u2019s hammering, which had slowed.\u00a0 He was listening, even if he wasn\u2019t talking.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s an honor that\u2019s been passed down through our maternal line since the beginning of time.\u00a0 Seamus was the Taliesin before me, our grandfather before him.\u201d\u00a0 He cursed softly as the whetstone slipped and he nearly slashed open his palm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it all mean, though?\u00a0 What are you supposed to do<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are prophecies,\u201d Phelan said.\u00a0 It sounded like it hurt him to admit it, to talk about it.\u00a0 \u201cProphecies that were old even when I was born, when my grandfather was born.\u00a0 The Taliesin is the keeper of those prophecies, the custodian. \u00a0The one who\u2026who watches for the signs that they\u2019re about to come to pass.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt\u2019s hammer fell with a strange kathunk<\/i> against the anvil, as if he\u2019d missed the blade he was working on, or struck it strangely.\u00a0 His voice came out strangled.\u00a0 \u201cYou came here because we\u2019re the objects of a prophecy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Phelan snapped.\u00a0 He squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and clearly fought an internal battle to find some scrap of calm.\u00a0 \u201cNo,\u201d he repeated after a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI came because Teague asked me to and because I knew that you would need help one way or another.\u00a0 You\u2019re blood of my blood.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t going to abandon you to all the dangers that are running amok in the world right now.\u201d\u00a0 His voice dropped to a whisper and he started at his hands.\u00a0 \u201cBut maybe it was a mistake.\u00a0 I\u2019ve brought more trouble than I\u2019ve ever intended.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering what the Morrigan said, I\u2019m thinking we\u2019d have run into one or two of these things with or without you being here,\u201d I whispered, moving over to put a hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 He flinched a little.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you figure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think Cameron and your cousin came here because you were here, Phelan,\u201d I said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd she said something about him being Seamus\u2019s blood, and the Hecate was hunting for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s more going on here than I can see,\u201d Phelan said quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe feeling sucks, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d\u00a0 Thom asked from behind me.<\/p>\n
Phelan snorted humorlessly.\u00a0 \u201cHardcore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing we can do,\u201d Thom said with a slight shrug.\u00a0 His fingers were deft as he returned to wrapping the hilt of the finished but unsharpened sword.\u00a0 \u201cWe roll with the punches and try to anticipate what we can.\u00a0 Everything else, we\u2019ll just have to face as it comes.\u00a0 Right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d I agreed softly, glancing between Matt and Phelan.\u00a0 Matt sighed and shook his head, lifting his hammer again.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhelan?\u201d<\/p>\n
He just kept staring at his hands for a few long moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cAye,\u201d Phelan said at last and returned to sharpening the sword.<\/p>\n
That was where we left it.\u00a0 There was nothing more to say on the matter\u2014not then.<\/p>\n
Maybe not ever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Inside the forge was warm and close, though my nose closed up at the smell of heated metal and Matt\u2019s makeshift quenching trough that was starting to look less and less makeshift every day.\u00a0 He was covered in soot from … Continue reading