\u201cShe didn\u2019t love him the way that you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
She held up a hand and I went quiet, staring at her. She smiled again and shook her head. \u201cI know he cared for her and she for him. I know it\u2019s not the same as he and I have been. But he still remembered her fondly, spoke of her with a kind of…I don\u2019t know…softness to his voice that I didn\u2019t often get to hear. I liked it, really. I owe her a debt.\u201d Leinth stared at me for a long moment. \u201cI owe you<\/em> a debt, Marin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t owe me anything,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n She laughed, a sound like winter wind making the icicles sing. \u201cShe taught him to be an attentive lover, Marin, and then you<\/em> convinced your brethren to allow the Wild Hunt to remain here in exchange for Seamus\u2019s freedom from them. I owe you\u2014and her\u2014more than I could ever hope to repay.\u201d There was genuine warmth in her smile as she looked at me. \u201cThough I\u2019ll admit that won\u2019t keep me from trying a little.\u201d<\/p>\n I laughed, too, then got up to pour her a mug of tea. \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad that you\u2019re glad. I was worried for a moment there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy fearsome reputation\u2014such as it is\u2014must have gotten the better of you.\u201d Her smile faded as she took the mug I handed her. \u201cWhen I gave you that warning, Marin, all I wanted to do was make sure that his bloodline was safe. It was a warning, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d I sat back down and hugged a knee against my chest. \u201cI forgave you for scaring us a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter I helped save Phelan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout then.\u201d I took a deep swallow from my mug. \u201cIf you can\u2019t thank me enough for Seamus, then I don\u2019t think I can thank you enough for Phelan. We haven\u2019t known him in this<\/em> life for very long, but I can\u2019t imagine life without him anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Leinth gave me a sympathetic look and a wry, lopsided smile. \u201cHe has that effect on people. Remind him to apologize sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n I laughed, really laughed, and for the first time that day, I felt something close to normal again\u2014and like maybe, just maybe, everything would be all right somehow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cShe didn\u2019t love him the way that you\u2014\u201d She held up a hand and I went quiet, staring at her. She smiled again and shook her head. \u201cI know he cared for her and she for him. I know it\u2019s … Continue reading