\u201cWait, what?\u201d Jacqueline stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head hard. \u201cYou know what, never mind. We\u2019ll deal with that later. I\u2019m not going to worry about that right now. I\u2019ll help you talk to them, but you\u2019ve got to do something for me first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seamus sucked in a ragged breath. \u201cYou need my help with Thesan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBingo.\u201d Jacqueline\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t woken up, Seamus. I need him to wake up. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n
His gaze flicked momentarily to Neve, who looked a little helpless, her shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. He sighed quietly and nodded. \u201cMaybe I do. I\u2019ll help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019ll help you talk to the others about…about what the Hunt\u2019s asking for. Do they all<\/em> want to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t even know,\u201d Seamus said, then sighed again. \u201cI\u2019m still in shock myself. I\u2019m going to have to ask him to repeat everything he said in a way that\u2019ll sink in.\u201d He pushed himself to his feet and offered Neve a hand up. \u201cAlthough it probably won\u2019t make much more sense when I hear it the second time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out,\u201d Neve said softly. \u201cRight now, we\u2019ve got to figure out Phelan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Seamus shook his head. \u201cI can\u2019t believe\u2014there must be something more to all of this. He should be awake by now. Unless…\u201d Dread coiled in his belly. It couldn\u2019t be that, could it?<\/em><\/p>\n Bloody hellfire and monsters. What else could it be?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSeamus?\u201d<\/p>\n The tremor in Jacqueline\u2019s voice made him shiver. \u201cDon\u2019t ask me,\u201d he whispered. \u201cNot until we talk to her. Let her say it.\u201d He started to walk toward where they were keeping her, his daughter by blood though not in spirit.<\/p>\n Neve frowned, hurrying to catch up, her limping gait paining him as much as it must have pained her. \u201cSeamus, you\u2019re not making sense again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure I want to,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I hope by all the powers above and below that I\u2019m wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n If she sundered his soul, I don\u2019t know what we\u2019re going to do about it now.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWait, what?\u201d Jacqueline stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head hard. \u201cYou know what, never mind. We\u2019ll deal with that later. I\u2019m not going to worry about that right now. I\u2019ll help you talk to them, … Continue reading