Page 41 of Broken Veil
“Shhh.” Duncan gathered her into his arms and rocked her as silent tears fell from her eyes. “Carys, we don’t have any control over that.”
“We give birth to life and death at the same time,” Carys murmured. “To light and dark. That’s why the fawn is covered in blood.”
He stroked her hair back from her forehead and kissed her temple. “I think you had a bad dream, lass.”
Not a bad dream. Not a bad dream. It was a memory.
“You can’t think about it that way,” Duncan whispered. “If there was no life here, there would be no life there.”
She blinked. “Lachlan is alive.” She pulled back so she could look at Duncan. “If you have a child, the fae would give the other twin to your brother. But Seren is dead.”
Duncan rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s too early for this.”
“I know.” She closed her eyes and rubbed a hand over her face. “I’m not even making sense to myself. We’re both exhausted and I’m still tired but I had this dream and I woke up thinking?—”
“Not that kind of early.” Duncan’s voice was hoarse. “Carys, you know I love you. I loved you before I even met you. And now I’m just… I’m mad for you, woman.”
She melted into his chest and slid her arms around his waist. “I love you too.”
“So what makes you think I’d want children with anyone but you?”
Carys froze.
“See?” He laughed a little bit. “It’s too early to have this conversation.”
“Oh.” Her face heated. “Yeah. It is.”
“I understand why you had the thought. I’ve thought about that most of my adult life, but I always took comfort in the idea that if I had children, Lachlan and Seren would raise their other selves.”
“But Seren is gone.”
“And? Lachlan is still around. As much as my Shadowkin annoys me at times, I trust him like no one else.” Duncan took Carys by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “Would you want that world to not exist? Would you want the Shadowlands to fade away? To have no more nêrys ddraig. No more alchemists or healers to learn fromunicorns.No more human children who grow up… dancing with pixies in the meadow! Not even a little part of humanity to live with all that magic?”
“Of course not.” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to stay in the Shadowlands, but she would never want it to fade away.
He stroked her hair. “Know that whatever happens with us, any child you have—either here or in Baywood—their Shadowkin would be treasured.”
“You’re right.” She hugged him hard. “I know you’re right.” She sat back and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
“Carys, you’ve been hit with about ten different realities crashing in on you over the past month.” He held her tightly. “You’ve nothing to apologize for.”
“I just had all these realizations hit me at the same time. I’m remembering dreams and things from my childhood in an entirely new way, so I try to remember more and then I wonder?—”
“Carys.”
“I know.” She gave him a shaky smile. “Spiraling again.”
She blinked and looked at him.
Then shereallylooked at him. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” Duncan was shirtless and rumpled. He had pillow marks on his forehead and hooded eyes that still hadn’t woken up entirely.
And there was a very prominent bulge in his boxer shorts.
He saw her looking and sat up against the headboard. “Ah, lass, it’s morning. He has a mind of his own.”
Carys pushed Duncan back against the pillows. “I feel like he might be trying to distract me.”
