Free Of Blood and Honey (Fey and the Fallen) by Stina Leicht Page A

was holding and prayed the rest would sort itself out.
    Once Patrick Kelly was gone, Mr. Gallagher spoke in a quiet voice. “Mary Kate, there’s never been any stopping you.” He sighed. “If you want to marry, your mother and I will consent.”
    “Thank you!”
    She left Liam’s side, and hugged her father. Liam felt the lack at once. Watching them together, he made up his mind. “Mr. Gallagher, sir?”
    “Yes?”
    “I wish to wait,” Liam said.
    “What?” Mary Kate asked. “After all this?”
    “We have to. I don’t want to ruin everything. It has to be right,” Liam told Mary Kate. “For you.”
    Mr. Gallagher stared at him, and Liam felt himself being measured. Afraid the black thing would be worked into the equation, Liam looked away.
    “I love her, sir,” Liam said. “I do mean to marry her. I don’t think I could live without her. Not after—” He stopped himself before he said anything he would regret and shrugged. “I’ll do my best. For her. I swear. Everything I can. More. Give me a year. To find work. I’ll leave if I have to. Head down south. She’ll be safe.”
    “Leave Derry? Are you mad?” Mary Kate asked.
    “Mad enough to marry you,” Liam said, shivering with cold.
    One corner of Mr. Gallagher’s mouth turned up. “Welcome to the family, son.” He held out his hand.
    Liam took it. “Thank you, sir.”
    He swore to meet Mary Kate only while chaperoned until they married. And with that, Liam walked home, teeth rattling in his head and soaked through, only to find his mother standing at the front door, crying. A large laundry bag rested at her feet.
    “Why did you do it?” she asked, holding out his coat.
    He took it from her and put it on, thankful of the warmth. “I love her, Ma.”
    “Not that,” she said, whispering so her voice didn’t carry down the hallway to Mrs. Foyle’s. “Always knew there’d come a day. Mind, I’d much rather you’d waited. What were you thinking? What if the girl is pregnant?”
    “We’ll marry sooner, I suppose.”
    “Simple as that, is it? You’ll learn, my lad. You’ll learn. And you’ll stand by that girl too. You’ll not have to worry about her brothers or her father. Oh, no. I’ll break both your legs myself. No son of mine runs out on—”
    She would too. He smiled. “Don’t worry, Ma.”
    “She’s a good girl, Mary Kate. She’ll see you don’t get into too much trouble.” She put a hand to his cheek and looked down at the bag. “No. It’s your father. Why did you have to press him?”
    “He’s not my father.”
    Her eyes flashed up at him.
    Might as well, he thought. I’m out anyway. “If he was a Protestant, I don’t care. Surely, I can have his name at least? Munroe is all I have.”
    “I’ll not answer that question. Not now. Not here. Don’t ask it.”
    “Who are you protecting?”
    “You,” she said, closing her eyes with a deep breath. “I want you to go to your Gran’s for a while. I called her. She’s expecting you.”
    “No.”
    “Just until your—until matters settle. You won’t have to stay long. A few days. I’ll talk to him. In the meantime, you’re to go to confession tonight, or I’ll hear of it. I spoke to Father Murray at the church. You’ve until six.” His mother picked up the sack. “Look at you. Why did you have to go off without even a coat? You’ll catch cold.”
    “I won’t.” Resigned to his fate, he took the laundry bag from her. Sadness welled up inside of him. He had only just gotten home.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow. At your Gran’s.” She hugged him. Her hair smelled of lavender as it always did. “I love you.”
    “Love you too, Ma.”
    She clung to him like he was going to vanish. “You’re a good boy. You’ve always been so—no matter what anyone says.” She whispered in his ear. “Packed your birthday present. Don’t you go opening it until tomorrow.” She let him go with a sniff and fled, slamming the door shut behind her.
    Liam didn’t