\u201cIs this what we\u2019re going to be dealing with for the rest of our lives?\u201d Cameron asked, staring at his still-bloody hands. \u201cMonsters coming out of nowhere with grudges against all of you\u2014or one of us\u2014for some real or imagined offense from god knows how long ago?\u201d<\/p>\n
I winced but stayed quiet. I couldn\u2019t blame him for being angry. I was a little angry myself.<\/p>\n
A little bit of warning<\/em> might have been nice.<\/p>\n At the same time, I couldn\u2019t be too upset\u2014who knew how many enemies they\u2019d made over the years, myself included? Who knew what might<\/em> come?<\/p>\n We\u2019d be jumping at shadows for the rest of our lives, seeing danger where none existed, and would end up raising our children to be as paranoid and neurotic as we\u2019d made ourselves. That was no way for any of us to live and I knew that.<\/p>\n Phelan, Seamus, and Neve were all silent as they sat with us by the fire. Phelan and Neve looked like they were both in pain; Seamus concentrated on washing Thordin\u2019s blood from his hands. He\u2019d joined J.T. and Jacqueline in their work as it became increasingly clear that his skills would be needed, weakened though they were after centuries with the Wild Hunt.<\/p>\n \u201cIs one of you going to say something?\u201d Cameron asked, his voice practically a growl. Thom nudged him with a boot, earning a sharp glare. \u201cThey need to answer us, Thom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they don\u2019t,\u201d Thom said, crossing his arms. \u201cWe\u2019d like them to, but they don\u2019t have to. None of us have to do anything at this point except for deal with the consequences of what\u2019s happened. Nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cD\u00e9ithe agus arrachtaigh<\/em>, I sure as hell hope it\u2019s not what we\u2019ll be dealing with for the rest of our lives,\u201d Phelan finally rasped. He looked as tired as I\u2019d ever seen him, eyes sunken into dark hollows above cheekbones that suddenly seemed too sharp, too prominent in his face. \u201cIf everything we\u2019ve pissed off could just bloody well forget that we existed, I think we\u2019d all be happy.\u201d He looked at me, pain in his gaze. \u201cI know I would be.\u201d<\/p>\n I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. \u201cHow likely do you think that is, Phelan?\u201d<\/p>\n His laugh came out strangled, but it was still a laugh. \u201cLet me have my hope, le\u00e1nnan<\/em>, will you? A man\u2019s got to have something left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething,\u201d Cameron echoed, then shook his head. \u201cHow are we supposed to raise our children when things like this happen all the freaking time?\u201d<\/p>\n Neve looked at him hard. \u201cWe\u2019ll find a way, Cam. You know we will. Nothing\u2019s going to touch them. I swear it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeve doesn\u2019t have the enemies the rest of us do,\u201d Phelan said, his expression growing more grim by the moment. \u201cAnd we\u2019ll be making sure the ones that she does<\/em> have stay the hell away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d Cameron asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t quite figured that part out yet,\u201d Phelan admitted. \u201cBut I\u2019ll figure it out. Somehow, I always do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that alone,\u201d I said softly.<\/p>\n He smiled weakly and nodded. \u201cI know. Just like this one wasn\u2019t my fault. The next one might be, though.\u201d He looked at Cameron. \u201cYou\u2019ve got every right to be upset. All of you do. I\u2019m just glad that this wasn\u2019t worse. It could have been. It could have been a lot worse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it wasn\u2019t,\u201d I said, forcing every ounce of conviction inside me into those words. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t as bad as it could have been. We\u2019re all still here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor the moment,\u201d Seamus said softly. \u201cHe might not make it, Marin.\u201d<\/p>\n I exhaled with a shiver. \u201cI know,\u201d I whispered. \u201cBut we\u2019ve got to hope. We have<\/em> to hope. We can\u2019t give up on him. You\u2014the three of you\u2014know him better than we do. You know he\u2019s a fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s tired,\u201d Neve said, hugging a knee to her chest. \u201cHe\u2019s so tired, Mar. He\u2019s ready to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo am I,\u201d Phelan said to his cousin, his voice impossibly gentle. \u201cBut I\u2019m still here because living is preferable to whatever comes next. At least, that\u2019s what I think. I\u2019ve never been dead before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLeinth and \u00c9riu are keeping watch,\u201d Thom said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Seamus nodded, drying his hands. \u201cMaybe this time, it will be, but the next time? Or the time after that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll deal with it as it comes,\u201d I said. \u201cJust like we always do. We don\u2019t have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n We never seemed to have a choice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cIs this what we\u2019re going to be dealing with for the rest of our lives?\u201d Cameron asked, staring at his still-bloody hands. \u201cMonsters coming out of nowhere with grudges against all of you\u2014or one of us\u2014for some real or imagined … Continue reading