\u201cShit,\u201d Cameron breathed, wide-eyed and staring. Thom closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to steady himself.<\/p>\n
He was shocked by how calm his own voice sounded as he asked Seamus, \u201cAny sign of a struggle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Seamus said quietly. He stooped to pick up Matt\u2019s battleax, left lying on the floor between the door and Matt\u2019s anvil. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
A shiver wracked Thom and he stepped away from Cameron, leaving the other man standing and staring in the doorway as Thom entered the forge. He took the ax from Seamus, his throat so tight it was hard\u2014too hard\u2014to breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t have just left this,\u201d Thom whispered, fingers tightening around the wood. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t have left without it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man is my brother and I\u2019ve failed him.<\/em><\/p>\n The thought wouldn\u2019t stop echoing in his head.<\/p>\n He barely noticed Seamus\u2019s hand on his shoulder until the other man spoke. The sound startled him, badly enough that he nearly dropped his brother-in-law\u2019s weapon.<\/p>\n \u201cI sincerely doubt that he had a choice.\u201d There was a grim certainty in Seamus\u2019s voice and Thom\u2019s stomach roiled, bile bubbling up to beat like waves against the stone lodged in his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you saying that\u2014\u201d Cameron broke off, swallowed hard, then started again, his voice weak. \u201cAre you saying that you think the Hecate took him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer or another opportunist.\u201d Seamus sat down slowly near one of the grinding wheels, his face half-shadowed in the forge\u2019s dim light. \u201cAnyone who could have figured out who he once was might want him for their own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat he once was,\u201d Thom echoed, feeling numb. He sat down slowly on the bench near the door. He realized he was shaking and set the ax aside, leaning it against the wall next to the door. \u201cYou mean the Ridden Druid.\u201d<\/p>\n Seamus inclined his head slightly. Thom swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in his throat to go away, to disappear.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt doesn\u2019t have any power,\u201d Thom whispered, his voice broken, like bits of glass shattered on the ground stirred by someone\u2019s toe. \u201cIt died with the Ridden Druid.\u201d<\/p>\n Unless\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n He closed his eyes tightly, trying to force the memory from his mind. The radio, Matt\u2019s face, his hand.<\/p>\n Unless Cariocecus or the Greys caused that. Unless that wasn\u2019t some kind of freak accident. Unless there was a reason for it happening, and happening to him.<\/em><\/p>\n Unless it wasn\u2019t a coincidence, random chance.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDammit, Matt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d The door swung closed behind Cameron, enfolding the three in darkness. \u201cWhat are you thinking, Thom?\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t say anything, just buried his face in his hands.<\/p>\n Dammit, Matt. Did you know?<\/em><\/p>\n What haven\u2019t you been telling us?<\/em><\/p>\n Whatever it was, it was too little, too late to ask.<\/p>\n He was gone and Thom didn\u2019t know where to even start looking\u2014if Matt Astoris could be found at all or ever again.<\/p>\n Seamus took a slow, quiet breath. \u201cIf she has him, we\u2019ll find him. We\u2019ll find them both. I promise you that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot soon enough,\u201d Thom mumbled, lifting his face from the cradle of his hands. \u201cI have to tell his sister.\u201d<\/p>\n How am I going to break the news to Marin?<\/em><\/p>\n Matt had been his ally in protecting her\u2014had been the only one to know his real fears at first. It had been that day, that moment after the radio had exploded in Matt\u2019s face.<\/p>\n Goddammit, I should have known. I should have figured it out then.<\/em><\/p>\n But his brother-in-law had always been steadfast in his denial.<\/p>\n So was I, once.<\/em><\/p>\n Thom swallowed hard. \u201cI have to tell her,\u201d he said again, then stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we sure she took him?\u201d Cameron asked, hesitant, his voice worried\u2014perhaps a bit afraid.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t have left his axe behind like that if something hadn\u2019t,\u201d Thom said. He scrubbed his hand over his face, wiping away the last of the rain\u2019s damp and the tears that stung his eyes.<\/p>\n Her brother. <\/em>My brother.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI have to tell Marin.\u201d<\/p>\n Thom walked out into the mist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cShit,\u201d Cameron breathed, wide-eyed and staring. Thom closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to steady himself. He was shocked by how calm his own voice sounded as he asked Seamus, \u201cAny sign of a struggle?\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d Seamus said … Continue reading