\u201cSeamus? Seamus, are you all right?\u201d\u00a0 Neve touched his arm and he jerked, startled by her sudden presence.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeve. Weren\u2019t you with Phelan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was,\u201d she said, her brow creasing in concern. \u201cWe\u2019re on our way to ask Thesan probing questions until she tells us why he\u2019s not awake yet, but never mind that. What\u2019s wrong? You look ghastly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tremors hit him in that very moment and he looked around for something to lean against. \u201cI\u2014I need to sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacqueline gasped his shoulder. \u201cHere, lean on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did as bidden, settling his weight against her and she brought him to a broken slab of concrete resting against a pile of rubble. He sank down against it, burying his face in his hands. \u201cD\u00e9ithe agus arrachtaigh<\/em>,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n Neve sat down beside him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. \u201cSeamus, what\u2019s the matter? I\u2019ve never seen you like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJacqueline…Neve…will your friends let them stay?\u201d<\/p>\n His sister frowned. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to stop, want a place to call home. They\u2019re tired. I\u2014I\u2019m tired.\u201d He scrubbed hand roughly across his eyes. \u201cHellfire and bloody madness. What is this world coming to?\u201d He felt like he was spinning out of control, and a piece of his mind that was still rational decided that he probably was<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cSeamus, I don\u2019t understand what you\u2019re saying. Please, for the love of everything holy and sacred, make sense<\/em>.\u201d His sister\u2019s fingers dug painfully into his arm. He winced, looking at his boots.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll release me,\u201d he whispered. \u201cBut they\u2019ve asked a heavy price for my freedom and its\u2019 not a price that\u2019s mine to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n She went rigid, eyes wide. Jacqueline cleared her throat and asked the question Neve could not, her voice calm and gentle.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the price, Seamus?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey want a home,\u201d Seamus said hoarsely, the words barely audible. \u201cAnd they hope it can be here.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cSeamus? Seamus, are you all right?\u201d\u00a0 Neve touched his arm and he jerked, startled by her sudden presence. \u201cNeve. Weren\u2019t you with Phelan?\u201d \u201cI was,\u201d she said, her brow creasing in concern. \u201cWe\u2019re on our way to ask Thesan probing … Continue reading