Caomhnóir – Manny - 14

“As I said, the daggers are the only way to kill us, and if ritual words are spoken at the same moment we are truly dead and redeemed.” Manny paused, and then added, “Well, I suppose if you cut off our heads that might kill us too, but that’s not what’s bothering me right now. While I was gone I had an assignment to stop another Scriostóir’s schemes. I did, but it seems he found out that it was me. He sent someone after me and I got shot, twice, in places that would have killed me if I were a human.”

Hamlin shook his head. “From what you’ve been saying, that makes not sense at all.”

“Exactly. And now I’m wondering why he did that, or if he’s actually the one who set it up. Something I’ll have to take up with mijn commandant.”

“Commandant, that sounds very military.”

“I suppose it does, but then this is a war,” Manny replied seriously, “One that I’ve been a part of since I died.”

There was a long silence then, each man wrapped in his own thoughts. Manny kept his eyes on Hamlin, longing to know what was going on inside his head but afraid to ask. Then Hamlin looked back at him and he saw a small smile curving his lips up.

“This is absolutely, totally, the weirdest, off-the-wall story I’ve ever heard.” Hamlin saw the sadness in Manny’s eyes before his face closed down. “Hang on, I’m not finished,” he said softly. “In spite of that I believe it. All of it. I can’t say that it’s easy to accept, and I still have enough questions to keep you busy answering them for the next week I suspect, but Manny, I do believe you.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re going to stick around though.”

“Don’t go putting words in my mouth, because I didn’t say that, and unless you want me to get out of your life now I intend to be with you for as long as you wish.” He reached across the space that separated them, taking one of Manny’s hands in his. “If you just want me as a friend, I can accept that, but I want more. I want what we had before. All of it.”

Manny looked down at their intertwined hands for a moment then raised his eyes. “You’re certain? It won’t be easy.”

“You mean ten years from now, or twenty, when people look at us and think I’m robbing the cradle?” Hamlin replied, grinning.

“That too.” Manny chuckled softly. “But all of it. Starting with the fact that I’m the one who killed Cerdic, and I’ve killed others before him.”