Phelan stirred awake only a few bare moments after she was gone.\u00a0 He groaned quietly, twisting in his blankets, eyes blinking open slowly in the dim light.\u00a0 J.T. watched for a moment, silent, the spirit\u2019s words still sinking in.<\/p>\n
Then ancient eyes fell on him and Phelan said without preamble, \u201cI was dreaming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf what?\u201d\u00a0 J.T. asked, meeting Phelan\u2019s gaze, curiosity edging the question.\u00a0 Did he hear her voice, I wonder?\u00a0 Does he remember who she is?<\/i><\/p>\n
I never did get her name, did I?<\/i>\u00a0 There was something easier about dealing with the spirits when he could name them.\u00a0 The faceless ones, the wraiths almost without form that he\u2019d only seen once or twice in the weeks and months since the end of the world were the ones that left him the most unsettled.<\/p>\n
\u201cHome,\u201d Phelan breathed, looking away again.\u00a0 \u201cThe Isles.\u00a0 I was walking with Finn and Brighid and their daughter.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t dreamed of the girl\u2019s voice\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His eyes slid closed again.\u00a0 J.T. swallowed hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas she your goddaughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan\u2019s eyes sprang open and he looked at J.T., brow crinkling.\u00a0 \u201cFor lack of better terminology, aye.\u00a0 How did you\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He pushed himself up on an elbow and groaned, putting a hand to his head.\u00a0 \u201cD\u00e9ithe agus arrachtaigh<\/i>.\u00a0 What actually hit me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe camazotzi<\/i>, apparently,\u201d J.T. said, his tone desert-dry and his expression serious.\u00a0 \u201cYour head got bounced off the ground a few times.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFeels like it.\u201d\u00a0 Phelan traced the stitches along the sides of his face with a fingertip and winced slightly.\u00a0 \u201cIt also feels like one of them danced on my chest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t there, so I can\u2019t say for sure whether one did or not.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. edged forward in his chair a little.\u00a0 \u201cYou feel okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOther than the headache and being able to feel most of my ribs every time I breathe, yes.\u201d\u00a0 Phelan eased back down to his pillows again and exhaled a heavy sigh.\u00a0 He stared at the wooden planks of the ceiling above, brow furrowing slightly again.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s something\u2026clover and heather.\u00a0 I can smell clover and heather.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at J.T. again, slowly, realization dawning in his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cThere was a ghost here.\u00a0 A spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n
J.T. nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI was out by the fire.\u00a0 Jac was sitting with you when I saw it go by.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it?\u201d\u00a0 Phelan started to sit up again, more slowly this time.\u00a0 He winced, but made it upright, sitting up in his bed and wavering only slightly. \u00a0\u201cThe spirit.\u00a0 What did it look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA girl.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. closed his eyes, easily able to conjure the image of her against the black backdrop of the closed lids.\u00a0 \u201cSmall, blonde hair\u2014not golden blonde, but white-blonde\u2014with all kinds of silver trinkets knotted into it.\u00a0 She had a pretty face.\u00a0 Voice reminded me of wind chimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan\u2019s breath caught, the color draining from his face.\u00a0 He uttered a quiet oath under his breath, words tumbling over themselves so quickly that J.T. wouldn\u2019t have had a prayer of deciphering them even if he\u2019d been fluent in Phelan\u2019s native tongue.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
J.T. shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cShe made it sound like I\u2019ve got a more powerful gift than I\u2019d ever imagined.\u00a0 How\u2026how rare is what I can do?\u201d\u00a0 How deep will I end up going\u2014how much further out of my depth am I about to be?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cRare,\u201d Phelan said, eyes sliding shut for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cMore rare now than in ages past.\u00a0 Unlike some with similar skill, I fear that your abilities will only grow as time goes on, rather than leveling out or beginning to fade away.\u201d\u00a0 His bright eyes blinked open again and he offered the younger man a weak, wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cLong and arduous road for you, Jameson.\u00a0 I\u2019m afraid I don\u2019t have much good news in that regard, beyond the fact that I know you\u2019ve got the strength in you to control it before it controls you.\u201d<\/p>\n
J.T. shivered, remembering the conversation he\u2019d had with Marin months before.\u00a0 How long before it controls me? How long before I cross over that threshold?<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cAnd healing the soul?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBloody,\u201d Phelan breathed, then stopped himself.\u00a0 \u201c\u00c9riu did a number on you, didn\u2019t she?\u00a0 How much did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToo much,\u201d J.T. murmured, \u201cbut enough.\u00a0 She touched you and you\u2026you healed.\u00a0 She said something to you and you relaxed.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what she\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy soul,\u201d Phelan said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cShe touched my soul, Jameson.\u00a0 Healed a part that I didn\u2019t realize was broken.\u201d\u00a0 He closed his eyes, swallowing hard.\u00a0 \u201cGods and monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know that I can handle that kind of power,\u201d J.T. said.\u00a0 \u201cHow can she be so sure I\u2019ve got that kind of talent?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan shook his head, a sad smile on his face.\u00a0 \u201cBecause she always knew and she tried to tell me long ago\u2026but I didn\u2019t listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cD\u00e9ithe agus arrachtaigh<\/i>, but I didn\u2019t listen.\u00a0 And I should have.\u00a0 Forgive me, Jameson, but I should have.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Phelan stirred awake only a few bare moments after she was gone.\u00a0 He groaned quietly, twisting in his blankets, eyes blinking open slowly in the dim light.\u00a0 J.T. watched for a moment, silent, the spirit\u2019s words still sinking in. Then … Continue reading