Cameron darted forward as soon as Neve started to collapse.\u00a0 Thom took a deep breath, pulling the door closed behind him and latching it, watching as Cameron sidestepped the sword laying on the floor and crouched in front of Neve.<\/p>\n
She looked like she\u2019d fainted dead away as Marin held her half upright.\u00a0 Cameron made a sound halfway between a sigh and a sob as he gathered Neve into his arms and cradled her against his chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand any of this,\u201d he whispered, voice broken and confused.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does Seamus have to do with any of this?\u201d\u00a0 He glanced sidelong at Thom as he slowly straightened and carried Neve toward their bed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does he have to do with that woman?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMore importantly, where have you<\/i> seen her before?\u201d\u00a0 Marin asked, carefully picking up Caliburn and returning it to its sheathe.\u00a0 \u201cThat seemed to upset Neve more than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were pictures,\u201d Cameron said.\u00a0 \u201cOld, old pictures back from the very earliest parts of the twentieth century\u2014the teens and twenties, I think.\u00a0 She was in a white lace dress with my great-great grandfather.\u00a0 Maybe it was my great-great-great grandfather.\u00a0 I don\u2019t remember.\u00a0 I remembered thinking that they both looked really young and I didn\u2019t quite believe my aunt when she was telling me about them\u2014if the clothes hadn\u2019t been right for the time frame she was talking about, I\u2019d have thought that she was wrong about when the pictures were taken because they just didn\u2019t look old enough.\u201d\u00a0 He stared down at Neve, brushing her hair back from her face.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know why it matters,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t care where she comes from.\u00a0 Why should it matter who I may have in my family tree?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom and Marin exchanged looks.\u00a0 His wife shivered a little, gnawing on her lower lip as she hung Caliburn up again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what she implied, right?\u201d\u00a0 Marin asked softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course I know what she implied,\u201d Cameron snapped.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s making it sound like\u2014like\u2014\u201d\u00a0 He stopped and sucked in a breath, leaning against the edge of the bed.\u00a0 \u201cLike somehow, I\u2019ve got Seamus the Black\u2019s blood already running through my veins, god only knows how many generations back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re the last legacy Seamus could leave to her,\u201d Marin said, staring at Neve for a long moment.\u00a0 She went to the side of the bed and tucked the blankets up over her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re fucking related,\u201d Cameron said, his voice flat.\u00a0 \u201cDammit, I love her and we\u2019re somehow related<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf a dozen generations back and more,\u201d Thom pointed out.\u00a0 \u201cAnd trust me, it\u2019s not as weird as you think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d Cameron muttered.\u00a0 \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it change how you feel about her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not,\u201d he snapped, glaring at Thom.\u00a0 \u201cHow could it?\u00a0 She has me already, body and soul.\u00a0 My heart\u2019s hers.\u00a0 It always will be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you don\u2019t have anything to worry about.\u201d\u00a0 Thom shot him a weak, wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019ll be fine once the shock wears off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom\u2019s gaze flicked toward Marin.\u00a0 She met his gaze head-on, one corner of her mouth quirking toward a weak smile of her own.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Thom said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cameron darted forward as soon as Neve started to collapse.\u00a0 Thom took a deep breath, pulling the door closed behind him and latching it, watching as Cameron sidestepped the sword laying on the floor and crouched in front of Neve. … Continue reading