\u201cI thought you might be out here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin turned toward Seamus and he could just barely see her smile in the dim predawn light. She was wrapped in her parka, boots laced up to mid-calf as she stood in the snow near the gate. \u201cYou\u2019re up early,\u201d she observed, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. \u201cCouldn\u2019t sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI could make the same observation and ask the same question,\u201d Seamus said as he walked toward the wall. \u201cLet\u2019s assume that our answers match. How do the wards look?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSolid,\u201d she said, glancing back toward the wall. Seamus could sense more than see the faint glimmer of power that ran beneath the wall and shimmered up through the seams and cracks in the concrete and brick barrier. \u201cOf course, there\u2019s no reason they wouldn\u2019t be,\u201d she said, following his gaze. \u201cKellin and I keep too close of an eye on them for it to be otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been on you to share that load,\u201d Seamus observed quietly.<\/p>\n
She nodded. \u201cYeah, they have been. It just doesn\u2019t feel right. I set these, Seamus. They\u2019re mine to tend until I can\u2019t anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
He felt a pang. \u201cUntil you can\u2019t anymore?\u201d he echoed.<\/p>\n
Marin sighed. \u201cThat day will come.\u201d There was a sad certainty in her voice that sent shivers down his spine.<\/p>\n
How much do they already know?<\/em><\/p>\n He glanced away. \u201cWhat makes you say that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t play coy,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cYou were the Taliesin before Phelan. You know things\u2014maybe more things that he does. There are things that you didn\u2019t tell him, aren\u2019t there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere wasn\u2019t time to tell him everything,\u201d Seamus murmured, and the words were true. What he neglected to add was that he\u2019d purposely omitted other things to spare his cousin pain\u2014things that hadn\u2019t seemed important then, things that Seamus didn\u2019t regret keeping to himself at all.<\/p>\n They deserve to be happy for as long as they can be. I know that better than anyone\u2014and more than I\u2019ve known or believed anything in my life.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI thought you might be out here.\u201d Marin turned toward Seamus and he could just barely see her smile in the dim predawn light. She was wrapped in her parka, boots laced up to mid-calf as she stood in the … Continue reading