\u201cIt was stupid to try to leave me in bed,\u201d Marin murmured to him as they headed for the wall, for the gate.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were tired,\u201d Thom said, his voice quiet as he leaned his head toward hers, trying to keep their conversation as private as possible.\u00a0 \u201cAnd with the nightmares\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t having nightmares.\u201d<\/p>\n
He just stared at her for a long moment.\u00a0 She stared right back and he swallowed hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u00a0 With the nasty visions you were having last night, I thought that since you\u2019d finally settled in I\u2019d let you get some of the sleep you\u2019ve been needing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sighed softly and leaned her head against his shoulder for a brief moment, fingers weaving through his and squeezing.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I need goes out the window in the face of what everybody<\/i> needs.\u00a0 I know that you worry about me more than you worry about everyone else, but that needs to take a backseat when there are dozens of other lives depending on us to make the right choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom fought against the tightness in his throat as he swallowed again.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u00a0 Of course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood, because I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt eased past them to arrive at the gate first.\u00a0 Thom gave Marin\u2019s hand a quick squeeze before he stepped away from her, toward the gate.\u00a0 Matt shook his head, holding up a hand.\u00a0 \u201cStay there,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll open the gates and you two head out there to meet her.\u00a0 Thordin and I can cover you from here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said come alone, didn\u2019t she?\u201d\u00a0 Marin smiled wryly and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cShe could get pissed that you two are here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ll be staying by the gate,\u201d Matt said.\u00a0 He gave his sister a weary, worried smile and turned back toward the gate, gloved hands making quick of lifting the latch.\u00a0 Thordin helped him lift the bar away and set it aside.\u00a0 Together, then men threw open the gates to the snowy expanse of field beyond the walls, dark in the pre-dawn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should have brought a lantern along,\u201d Thom muttered, shaking his head at his own lack of foresight.\u00a0 Marin laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have more than enough light soon enough.\u201d\u00a0 She looked beyond the gates to the snowy field, her eyes tracking the slender, shadow-cloaked form that emerged from the brush.\u00a0 The sound of boots on snow echoed eerily in the silence of the early morning.\u00a0 \u201cThere she is,\u201d she said softly.\u00a0 \u201cThe Lady of the Rowan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin tore his eyes from the specter and looked at Marin.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s how she identified herself to Matt and Paul.\u00a0 Lady of the Rowan.\u00a0 Paul told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
His gaze drifted back to the figure and he swore.\u00a0 Thom rocked back against his heels.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m coming out there with you,\u201d Thordin said, tone brooking no argument.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said that only Thom and Marin\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin cut off Matt\u2019s protest with a wave of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019ll deal.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was already crossing the snow pack before anyone could stop him.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod help us all,\u201d Thom muttered before he took off after him, dragging Marin in his wake.<\/p>\n
One of these days, it\u2019s going to be <\/i>him, not Phelan, that gets us all killed.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt was stupid to try to leave me in bed,\u201d Marin murmured to him as they headed for the wall, for the gate.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you do it?\u201d \u201cYou were tired,\u201d Thom said, his voice quiet as he leaned his … Continue reading