Caledonia by Hoff Amy

Author:Hoff, Amy [Hoff, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction & Literature
Publisher: Crooked Cat Publishing
Published: 2015-02-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“This certainly explains a great deal,” said Dorian. “Irresponsible isn’t the word, Aonghas. You have much to answer for – to Dylan first of all, and then to the Fae Council.”

Aonghas blanched.

“You…you wouldn’t put the Fae Council on me for this?” he asked.

Dorian ignored him, turning instead to Leah.

“Aonghas claims he was gone for an evening,” said Dorian witheringly. “But you’re a folklorist, Leah. Tell me how long an evening is.”

“Well,” said Leah, thinking, “in the Fairy Reel story of the two brothers, one stayed to dance and the other went home. The brother who danced – it was some weeks before he even completed the first reel, months went past, and years even…”

She turned slowly to look at Aonghas.

“You were gone…for years?” she asked.

“There are other Guardians!” Aonghas said defensively, holding his hands up. “They’re responsible too.”

“And how many of them, do you think, now owe a favour to this Sebastian?” asked Leah.

Aonghas closed his mouth.

“Leaving the city means leaving one edge of it open,” explained Dorian. “A tear in the cloth. Even if the other Guardians were vigilant, they face outwards. Once danger is within the city walls, so to speak, it is more difficult to sense. Anything could be out there now, Aonghas. Anything at all.”

Leah had been silent while they spoke. She looked up.

“So…” she said. “The shipping industry goes under. Poverty. Drugs. This has been a hard city since the beginning, but it was working-class hard. Are you telling me it’s like this, now – because you wanted to go to a bar?”

The storm in Dorian’s expression was unmistakable.

Aonghas did not reply.

They both looked at him. He shook his head.

“I don't think –” he began.

“We are caretakers, Aonghas,” said Dorian severely. “We do not get holidays. If you wanted to drink, Glasgow has pubs. It is not meant to be in our nature to desire a break. Even so, we were here. Why did you not tell us?”

“Because I am fed up with this!” cried Aonghas, turning to Leah. “Look at what your world, your city, has turned me into! A...A bum.”

“A Glaswegian,” said Leah. “If that is something you hate so much, have you ever thought that it was the lack of your guiding hand that helped cause it?”

Aonghas stared at Leah, utterly speechless. The truth of this shone brightly in his mind.

“Perhaps it is time to take up the mantle again,” said Dorian. “Take this poor young man under your wing, so to speak. It is time. It is too late for many, but there is time enough for those still to come.”

Aonghas nodded, and his mouth tightened against the first tears to visit him in centuries.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.