Page 63 of Shadow Scorching
The long dark night of the soul,I heard someone whisper. I turned to see Murdoch staring at me. He was sitting in front of Jangles, who was curled by the fireplace.
I stared at him for a moment.Was that you?
Yes, but you knew that.
Who are you, Murdoch? I know you were Letty’s familiar.
Let’s say shethoughtI was her familiar. Don’t worry yourself. You know I’m not harmful. Go enjoy your food. Enjoy your down time. You aren’t going to see much of it in the upcoming months.With that, he walked over to Jangles, waking her, and the two headed toward the bedroom before I could ask another question.
As I watched them go, a cold wind passed through me, chilling my heart. Murdoch was right. I could feel somethinglooming in the future. A force far too familiar, yet alien as fuck. And it was aimed our way. I tried to shake it off. I was too tired to deal with whatever it might be right now.
I returned to the living room, to the glow of the Yule tree and the crackle of the fire. Outside, it was snowing lightly—the last day before this storm cleared out.
My friends were here—my comrades. As I surveyed the room, a fierce protection rose up within me. And that protection was fueled by my inner demon. These were my people and they were her people. I knew that someday soon, she would emerge and integrate herself into me.
And these people? These tribe members, clansmen, kin-of-choice? I’d do everything I could to make certain they were happy, healthy, and protected.
As I settled down on the floor beside Penn, she reached down and took my hand. She gazed into my eyes and mouthed, “I feel it, too.”
But we turned the conversation to our upcoming Lord of the Rings party, and everything else that was bright, cheery, and merry. After all, the future would come regardless of whether we were ready or not. There was nothing we could do to stop it. But for now, we could grab stolen moments of joy along the way.
