Part 30 (2/2)

”Thank you.” Kieran looked away and smiled. ”Your wife needs you. She wants her bread and your son is eager to join this world.”

”My son?”

”The babe is a boy. I can feel his soul. He's strong and good, like his father. Now I, too, must go.”

He stepped back, toward the shadows.

”Will I ever see you again?”

Kieran shook his head. ”I'm forbidden to have contact with my family. But know that I hear you every time you think of me and tell Ewan to stop cursing me every time he sees water. It gets old.” He smiled as if he heard Lochlan's thoughts. ”I love you, too, brother.”

And with that, Kieran vanished right before his eyes.

Lochlan stood there for several minutes, wondering if he'd dreamed it.

”It wasn't a dream.” Kieran's voice echoed in his head.

”Lochlan?”

He turned at the sound of Catarina's voice. ”Aye, love. I was just coming.”

She stopped on the short trail to scowl at him. ”Are you all right?”

”Aye, I couldn't be any better.”

”Good. I was talking to Bavel just now and we've decided on the baby's name should it be a boy.”

”And that is?”

”Kieran, after your brother. Would you mind?”

Lochlan glanced back to where Kieran had appeared to him a moment ago. ”Nay, love, I think that would be wonderful and I'm sure it will make my brother happy.”

”And what of you?”

”So long as you are with me, la.s.s, I can be nothing but delirious.”

end.

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