\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Thom?\u201d<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t even turned to look at him.\u00a0 We\u2019d known they were coming\u2014he and the rest.\u00a0 J.T. and I had decided that they\u2019d show up inside of an hour after we\u2019d been gone for the first sixty minutes.\u00a0 They worried and it was probably a good thing.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t much reason for us to be out here for two hours and we probably wouldn\u2019t have been if J.T. and I hadn\u2019t gotten to talking about he and Carolyn, about the future, about what I\u2019d seen for them.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t been much.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t seen much of them, heard more than I\u2019d seen, so there wasn\u2019t much to tell.<\/p>\n
Then J.T. had gotten to talking about the ghosts he\u2019d been talking to\u2014the ones that had stayed behind even though Neve had sung them to their rests.\u00a0 Constance and a dozen others remained, mostly at a distance, watching quietly, silent, unseen sentinels safeguarding the living as best they could.\u00a0 They lingered without any of us knowing why.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, J.T. had said, he thought that even they didn\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n
Thom stopped alongside me, flanked by Phelan, whose eyes unfocused as he stood alongside the barrow. \u00a0I studied them both for a moment, frowning.<\/p>\n
Something happened.\u00a0 But what?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThere are monsters coming out of the west,\u201d Thom said.\u00a0 I tensed, looking around quickly, then forced myself to relax.\u00a0 There was no way he\u2019d be this calm if they were practically on top of us.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d we find that out?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe howls ended up being one of Daniel\u2019s packmates,\u201d Phelan said as he came back to himself.\u00a0 He glanced over his shoulder toward Thordin, who was maintaining a respectful distance, his eyes watchful and wary.\u00a0 I frowned slightly and shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket.<\/p>\n J.T. frowned at me.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHowls?\u00a0 You didn\u2019t say anything about howls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was one and it wasn\u2019t worth mentioning.\u00a0 You said you needed to come out here and I wasn\u2019t going to let you come alone.\u00a0 We don\u2019t do this alone anymore.\u201d\u00a0 We\u2019ve learned our lessons on that by now.<\/em>\u00a0 I turned my attention back to Thom and Phelan.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of monsters?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually,\u201d Phelan said, \u201cwe were sort of hoping you\u2019d seen something that could help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was hoping,\u201d Thom said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d just as soon have it be neither of us seeing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n I shivered, meeting his gaze.\u00a0 There was fear in his blue eyes, fear that was familiar and close.\u00a0 I squeezed his hand tightly.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish that was the case,\u201d I whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI really, really wish that was the case.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s not?\u201d\u00a0 Thom asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u00a0 No, it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n I took a deep breath and began to talk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Thom?\u201d I hadn\u2019t even turned to look at him.\u00a0 We\u2019d known they were coming\u2014he and the rest.\u00a0 J.T. and I had decided that they\u2019d show up inside of an hour after we\u2019d been gone for the first … Continue reading