\u201cSo let me get something straight,\u201d Aoife said as she slowly seated herself by the fire, her gaze taking in all of us\u2014me, Thom, Seamus, her brother. \u201cNo one has dealt with this Hecate problem yet? After thousands of years, that bitch is still out there and is still gunning for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan stiffened next to us. \u201cUnfortunately,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cShe\u2019d been out of sight and out of mind up until Teague started seeing Kira and I wasn\u2019t exactly inclined toward kicking any hornet\u2019s nests before that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I reached out to touch his arm but he shook off my comforting gesture, as if he didn\u2019t deserve it.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe if I\u2019d taken care of her during one of the other incidents where she was after me, we\u2019d be in better shape,\u201d Phelan continued, his voice dripping with bitterness. \u201cBut I was always more interested in keeping myself out of her hands. But by all means, go ahead and blame me for something else, little sister. I\u2019m not carting enough around already, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPhelan\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head and I went quiet, leaning into Thom, who held me a little tighter, his expression oddly blank as he stared at Aoife.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave your brother alone,\u201d Seamus said. Phelan opened his mouth\u2014probably to tell his cousin to shut up, too\u2014but Seamus held up a hand. \u201cYou don\u2019t know the whole of the burden I foisted off onto his shoulders when I went away, Aoife, and you were always too hard on him. Apparently your relief at his survival and his relative state of well-being has worn off\u2014a little more slowly than I thought it would, actually, to tell the truth\u2014and we\u2019re right back to where we always are with the two of you. Let me tell you something, though, Aoife, something you might not understand because you\u2019ve never been what I was or what he is<\/em>: carrying the mantle of Taliesin isn\u2019t easy and it means more than being just yourself and doing things that you, personally, may think are necessary or right or need to be done for your family or your friends. It\u2019s a duty and a calling and sometimes we don\u2019t have a choice in what we do\u2014we do what has<\/em> to be done. Ending the Hecate has never been something that has<\/em> to be done. Staying out of her clutches has been.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cSo let me get something straight,\u201d Aoife said as she slowly seated herself by the fire, her gaze taking in all of us\u2014me, Thom, Seamus, her brother. \u201cNo one has dealt with this Hecate problem yet? After thousands of years, … Continue reading