Page 33 (1/2)
He showed it to Ca for a moment
"You are Cameron and Kevin Cole," Noah said That horse symbol was the mark of your family… It was in their crest When we separated the two of you, it was decided to put the mark on both of you Not only to identify you, but also as an appeal to the second son of Moshto, to preserve and protect you"
"Who is Moshto?" Win asked softly
"A Ro his own dazed voice as if it belonged to soood"
"I looked…" Ca at the knife, and shook his head as if the effort to explain was too much
Kev spoke for hio through books of Irish family crests, and they never found this symbol"
"I believe the Coles reo, when the English king declared hian sy in the reformed Church But the Coles still had a fondness for it I reraved with the pooka"
Glancing at his brother, Kev sensed that Ca been in a closed roo a door opened
"Your father, Brian," Noah continued, "was the son of Lord Cavan, an Irish representative peer in the British House of Lords Brian was his only heir But your father irl named Sonya Quite beautiful He married her in defiance of his fah for Sonya to have two sons She died in her childbed when Cam was born"
"I always thoughter brother"
"It was after the second son that she went to God" Noah looked pensive "I was old enough to rerand to live in both worlds, and he wanted to go back where he belonged So he left his children with the tribe and never returned"
"Why did you separate us?" Ca exhausted but far more like his usual self
Noah stood in an easy movement and went to the corner near the stove As he replied, heout dried leaves into a little pot of stea water "After a few years, your father readjos had coviolence when the Ro We realized your father wanted to get rid of his half-breed sons, ere the legitimate heirs to the title He had a neife, ould bear hirimly
"It would seem so" Noah strained the tea into a pot He poured a cup, added sugar, and brought it to Cam "Have some, Camlo You need to wash the poison out"
Caainst the wall He took the cup in a wobbling grip and sipped the hot brew carefully "So to reduce the chances of both of us being found," he said, "you kept ave Kev to our uncle"
"Yes, to Uncle Pov" Noah frowned and averted his gaze froht he would be a good protector No one expected that he would blaadje" Kev said in a low voice "That was soainst me"
Noah made an effort to look at hierous to keep Caht hi club?" Ca skepticis places are in plain sight," ca his head ruefully "I’ll bet half of London has seen ht wind of it"
Noah frowned "I told you to keep it covered"
"No, you didn’t"
"I did," Noah insisted, and put his hand on his forehead "Ah, Moshto, you were never good at listening"
Win sat quietly beside Merripen She listened as the s The vardo was old but scrupulously maintained, the interior clean and tidy A faint, crisp scent of smoke seemed to emanate from the walls, the boards seasoned by thousands of meals that had been prepared in the vehicle Children played outside, laughing and quarreling It was odd to think that this caravan was a fae from the outside world The lack of sheltered space con as that idea was, there was a kind of freedo to this way of life, adapting to it, but not Kev There would always be so in his To build, to organize Having lived with her kind for so long, he had co them, he had beco his Romany past finally uncovered, the mysteries explained He see for anyone to experience this
"… with all the ti, "I wonder if there’s still danger to us? And is our father still alive?"
"It would be easy enough to find out," Merripen replied, and added darkly, "He probably wouldn’t be happy to find out that ere still alive"
"You’reas you remain Roma," Noah said "But if Kev reveals himself as the Cavan heir and tries to claim the title, there could be trouble"
Merripen looked scornful "Why would I do that?"
Noah shrugged "No Roadjo"
"I don’t want the title or what co to do with the Coles, Lord Cavan, or anything Irish"
"And ignore half of yourself?" Ca about nore it now"
A Ro had been finished
"Good," Merripen said decisively "I’ll help hi "There is no possible way I’ to Ralance "How are you planning to get there?"
"I’ll ride"
Merripen’s broered "You’re in no condition to ride You’ll fall and break your neck"
"I can do it," Cam insisted stubbornly "It’s not far" "You’ll fall off the horse!"
"I’hten Amelia"
"You’re not worried about Amelia nearly so much as your own pride You’ll be carried, and that’s final"
"Bugger you," Calance The brothers seemed ready to come to blows
"As the tribe leader, I an diplomatically
Merripen and Cam answered at the same time, ’"No"