\u201cHow can you be so sure?\u201d I asked, finally daring to meet Phelan\u2019s gaze. He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want a lie, or the truth?\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed weakly and shook my head. \u201cNever mind. I don\u2019t want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not,\u201d Phelan agreed, then smiled. \u201cBut regardless of how I know, it\u2019s true. Matt knows what he\u2019s doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know he does,\u201d I said, my throat tight. \u201cI just worry, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has to survive to watch over my son when Thom and I leave like we do\u2014like we do in every vision I\u2019ve had about it. Matt\u2019s there. He\u2019s there for Lin.<\/em><\/p>\n My eyes fluttered closed. Phelan squeezed my shoulder again.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing and everything,\u201d I murmured, then sighed, opening my eyes. \u201cWhat do you think is out there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot sure yet,\u201d he admitted. \u201cBut Leinth\u2019s probably right. It doesn\u2019t feel like the Hecate or the Grays to me, either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s something new,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n \u201cOr something old,\u201d Phelan muttered. \u201cVery, very old.\u201d<\/p>\n He glanced back over his shoulder, toward the fire and the sheds beyond.<\/p>\n I shivered.<\/p>\n \u201cYours? Thordin\u2019s?\u201d I paused. \u201cNeve\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeve didn\u2019t make many enemies,\u201d Phelan said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cMany isn\u2019t none<\/em>,\u201d I pointed out. I loosened my grip on the haft of my bow, realizing that my fingers had started to hurt.<\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t heard another blast of the whistle since it had initially alerted us to something being wrong. My stomach felt suddenly hollow.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m done waiting, Phelan.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d He shifted his shoulders, letting his hand fall away from mine. \u201cYeah. It\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n I hadn\u2019t needed his permission, but something about knowing that I had his support made it even easier to square my shoulders and head for the gate, hoping against hope that whatever was out there was a far lesser threat than I feared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cHow can you be so sure?\u201d I asked, finally daring to meet Phelan\u2019s gaze. He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. \u201cDo you want a lie, or the truth?\u201d I laughed weakly and shook … Continue reading