\u201cOut looking at the wards again, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled ruefully at Thom as I joined him and J.T. near the fire.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was your first clue?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d he said, smirking as he stood up and came to me.\u00a0 His hand were warm as he cupped my face between his palms.\u00a0 \u201cIt could be the red in your cheeks or the fact that you\u2019re wearing two sweatshirts and a winter jacket.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the second clue, then.\u201d\u00a0 I grinned and leaned in to kiss him, siding one arm around his waist and squeezing gently.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone had to have a look and I figured if I went out early enough, I\u2019d be back before Neve woke up.\u00a0 She and I have been trying to put together some histories based on what she knows and what I know of mythology.\u00a0 It\u2019s been\u2026interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom laughed, smoothing my hair back from my face.\u00a0 \u201cOnce a historian\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d\u00a0 I stole another kiss and stepped back, stripping off my gloves and starting to unzip my coat as I edged closer to the fire.\u00a0 \u201cShe wants all the kids we\u2019ll have someday to know what really happened, in case she and Phelan and her brother and Phelan\u2019s sister aren\u2019t here to tell them the stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom winced and J.T. shook his head as he poured her a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe doesn\u2019t have to worry about that, Mar,\u201d J.T. said as he passed over the mug.\u00a0 \u201cNothing\u2019s going to happen to any of you while that ghost friend of Phelan\u2019s his hanging around.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shuddered at the mention of \u00c9riu and shook my head.\u00a0 \u201cI try not to think about the fact that she\u2019s here.\u00a0 Thanks for reminding me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shrugged and sat down next to Thom, shrugging out of my coat.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all right.\u00a0 I just prefer not to think about her, that\u2019s all.\u00a0 It\u2019s weird.\u00a0 I can remember a life when she was my daughter and that\u2019s\u2026more than a little unnerving sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s our ally in keeping him in one spot,\u201d J.T. offered, smiling weakly.\u00a0 \u201cAs much as she can be, anyhow, being disembodied and all.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u2019s a soul healer.\u00a0 Being disembodied isn\u2019t that large of an impediment to her abilities at this point.<\/i><\/p>\n
I swallowed bile and leaned against Thom, who wrapped his arm around me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Mar?\u201d he asked, ruffling my hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cRory and I talked about Phelan today,\u201d I said, taking a deep swallow from my cup of coffee.<\/p>\n
J.T.\u2019s brows went up.\u00a0 \u201cIs he a new ally in our scheme?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came up with a scheme,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I happen to think it\u2019s a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d\u00a0 Thom shifted slightly so he could see my face.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019d he come up with?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat we should let him walk\u2014as long as he takes you, Rory, Thordin, and Jac with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom stared at me as if I\u2019d grown a second head, his jaw tightening slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally.\u00a0 And you think that\u2019s a good idea?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do,\u201d I said softly, straightening.\u00a0 \u201cI absolutely do.\u00a0 And if this is the plan we\u2019re going with, you\u2019re going with him.\u00a0 I don\u2019t trust anyone else to keep the rest of them safe and I don\u2019t trust anyone else to bring them home.\u00a0 It\u2019s you or no one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom opened his mouth and then closed it again.\u00a0 I reached up and stroked his jaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t have a knee-jerk reaction,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cThink about it, Thom.\u00a0 Think really hard.\u00a0 Then you can tell me that I\u2019m crazy and wrong, but not until you\u2019ve thought it over long and hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at me for a long moment.<\/p>\n
Then he nodded and didn\u2019t say anything else on the matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cOut looking at the wards again, weren\u2019t you?\u201d I smiled ruefully at Thom as I joined him and J.T. near the fire.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was your first clue?\u201d \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d he said, smirking as he stood up and came … Continue reading