Neve leaned against her crutches, trying to take deep, even breaths so she could ignore the pain that hummed through her body, reverberated down to her bones.\u00a0 Something unexpected had come, something powerful, something that had almost knocked her cold even when they\u2019d been buried underground for the duration of the fight.\u00a0 The residual impressions still sent shivers through her bones.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey made it,\u201d Cameron observed quietly as he eased up behind Neve.\u00a0 \u201cWe all made it.\u201d\u00a0 His hand pressed against the small of her back and she shivered for entirely different reasons.\u00a0 The touch was warm, comforting, almost unconsciously possessive.\u00a0 Neve exhaled and leaned back against his palm.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d she agreed quietly as she stared at the shadows on the snow cast by the dying rays of daylight.<\/p>\n
The gates to the settlement stood open now that the threat had passed.\u00a0 It was the kind of bright winter day that begged for birds to sing despite the bitter cold.\u00a0 Instead, it was still and silent except for the normal sounds of human activity in the camp.<\/p>\n
Normal.\u00a0 Three, four hundred years ago, this would have been near to that.\u00a0 This is the new normal, I guess.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d\u00a0 Cameron asked.<\/p>\n
She shook her head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cNothing,\u201d she lied, her voice soft.\u00a0 She leaned against his hand and he smiled, sliding his arm around her shoulders and holding her gently in the crook of his arm.\u00a0 Neve leaned into him and sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the part where I tell you that I know you\u2019re lying about that,\u201d he murmured into her hair.\u00a0 \u201cI saw the look on your face when we were still down there.\u00a0 Tala saw it, too\u2014she said something to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neve winced.\u00a0 \u201cHow long will it be before it\u2019s all over camp?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think she\u2019ll stay quiet for a little while, anyway.\u00a0 Last I checked, they were all fretting over Phelan getting clawed in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n
She winced again, feeling a momentary pang of guilt.\u00a0 I should check on him.\u00a0 Make sure he\u2019s all right.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cIs there a reason to fret?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw him with J.T. heading up to the forge, so I imagine that he\u2019s probably going to be all right.\u00a0 Moving under his own power and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Better than yours truly.<\/i>\u00a0 Neve nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 Aoife and Teague would come apart if something really bad happened to him.\u00a0 I can\u2019t let that happen, not while I\u2019m here.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cThey need him.\u00a0 I need him.\u201d\u00a0 One hand strayed to her belly.\u00a0 Cameron\u2019s free hand covered hers, their fingers knitting together.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s family,\u201d Cameron murmured.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 Neve smiled slightly.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMore, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.\u00a0 \u201cMore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d think by now that I\u2019d know better than to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cameron shrugged slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI like to think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neve smiled again and closed her eyes.\u00a0 The feel of whatever had been here was more distant now, held at bay somehow.\u00a0 \u201cThere was something terrible out here today, Cam,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cSomething none of us expected.\u00a0 Worse than what we thought was coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I can feel it.\u00a0 Just like I can feel the ghosts that were here, feel the battle\u2026I\u2026this is different for me.\u201d\u00a0 There, I said it.\u00a0 It\u2019s out there.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been able to sense things quite like this before,\u201d Neve said softly.\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u2019s changed.\u00a0 More than I realized.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor better or worse?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cD\u00e9ithe agus arrachtaigh<\/i>, for the better, I hope.\u201d\u00a0 Gods and monsters, for the better, I dearly, dearly hope.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Neve leaned against her crutches, trying to take deep, even breaths so she could ignore the pain that hummed through her body, reverberated down to her bones.\u00a0 Something unexpected had come, something powerful, something that had almost knocked her cold … Continue reading