Caomhnóir – Manny - 37

Manny frowned deeply at Keegan. “You can read my thoughts?”

“Nope, you’re a Caomhnóir, but your face says it all. I don’t know how Cerdic found out, but he was right, I don’t have to blindly obey orders any longer.”

“Why not? And can you quit all together?”

“I sort of doubt that I could, but then I don’t want to so that’s a moot point. The one thing I do know is that I don’t have to vanish for a year because they want me back in the past.”

“By the way, Manny,” Thom interjected, “have you told Hamlin about that?”

“That part, no. Hell, he’s just beginning to understand the rest and what I am. If he finds out I’ll very possibly vanish on him for twelve months—“ Manny shook his head. “I’ve got almost nine months. I’ll tell him when the time’s right.”

“Take it from someone who’s been there, done that,” Thom responded, “the sooner you do, the better. Sure, this is all a shock to him as it is, but he loves you so he’ll be able to deal with it. If you wait too long he’s going to be pissed as hell, thinking that you didn’t trust him enough to handle it.”

“I suppose you’re right, but what if—if he can’t handle it?”

“Manny,” Keegan said firmly, “if he cares half as much for you as you seem to care for him, he’ll be fine. It’s not as if you’ll be leaving forever, and with the boys at the house, he’s got what amounts to a family here to keep him busy so that he doesn’t get lonely.”

“I guess. I just wish—Oh well. May I ask what happened that you can stay here, now, and not go time traveling, Keegan?”

“I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. It’s something each one of us has to come to on our own. And apparently it doesn’t happen often from what Alasdair said.”

“But it does happen, so there is hope.”

“There is.” Keegan smiled, and then said, “Now we should get our butts to bed. You for one, Manny, definitely need to rest or you’ll have Hamlin on your ass come morning, and not in a good way.”

“Good point.” Manny chuckled, easing himself carefully out of the chair. Thom leapt to his feet and helped him into his bedroom, laughing when Manny pointed out succinctly that he’d be fine with getting undressed on his own “considering that at this point all I’ve got on is half a pair of pants and my boots. So scram.”

Once Thom was gone, Manny managed to do as he’d said and finish undressing. Then he fell into bed, too tired to care that he still had dried blood all over him. That he would take care of tomorrow.