Fate Succumbs by Tammy Blackwell

Author:Tammy Blackwell [Blackwell, Tammy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781479101764
Publisher: Smashwords
Published: 2012-09-08T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Miriam is a talker. The woman used more words in a single day than Liam does in a year. During the week we stayed in Fargo I learned about different Shifters and Seers involved in the whole rebellion, including various tidbits about their personal lives, especially the parts they probably didn’t want anyone else knowing. She talked about what Liam and Alex were like when they came to live with her after their parents died. She laughed at Alex’s non-stop antics and worried at Liam’s unbreakable seriousness. I even endured countless stories about her family, including her favorite nephew, Diaz, which explains how Liam knew a gang leader in Texas. However, despite Miriam’s love of gossip, I got the impression she thought her nephew was a nice, law-abiding boy.

Hank turned out to be Fargo’s most well-respected lawyer, which meant he was either in his downtown office or court most days, but he always made it a point to be home for dinner. He would then spend the evening watching Liam and me spar, offering up some pointers for the both of us, or he would huddle in his home office, talking with Liam about Shifter politics and making conference calls to other Shifters and Seers around the world.

Hank and Miriam’s house felt like a home. We didn’t know each other well enough for it to be a home filled with love, but feelings of respect, concern, and safety abounded. Even Liam seemed to relax during our stay.

But for me, and I would wager Liam too, there was a sadness clinging to every corner of the house like a cobweb of grief and loss. Every time Miriam shared an Alex story, I could see the ghost of him there. I could only imagine how much worse it was for Liam, who had seen Alex lounge on the sofa in the family room and eat at the counter in the kitchen. By the time we left I couldn’t decide whether I was grateful to run away from the reminders of the dead, or heartbroken to be leaving the only comfort and safety I had known in a long time.

Liam looked on the verge of tears when he hugged Miriam goodbye. Hank drove us out to a Wal-Mart on the outskirts of town and helped us load our bags into a pickup which had seen many better days. There was a tarp over the back, and I could just make out the shape of something that had to be a small boat underneath.

“Thank you,” Liam said, shaking the older man’s hand in a stiff and formal manner. “I owe you one.”

Hank used the hand Liam was shaking to pull him into a hug. “You owe me nothing. I’ve told you time and again, I will always be here for you. Always.” Liam merely nodded, his lips pressed together tightly. Then we got in the truck and watched Hank drive away.

And then we continued to sit there.

After three full minutes (I know because I clocked it), I turned to Liam.

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