That simple. “And you have no idea how that happened?”
“I said no.”
“You know it sounds crazy, right?” She was crazy, even pretending to believe him, even listening to this shit. “Who created the Gate? Why won’t you tell me the truth, Finn? The whole truth?”
His mouth tightened. “I did.”
She got up, straightened her blouse, avoided looking at him. “I should give you to the authorities, to the army.”
He shuddered and looked away.
Dammit.
A coffee, that was what she needed to jump-start her muddled brain and sort things out in her head. Sort out the priorities. But she couldn’t leave Finn alone, not now. He might try to escape.
She had to tell Dave, of course, and then he would take over, interrogate Finn or turn him over to the military. That was her duty as an officer of the law, Paranormal super secret Bureau or not.
That was clear enough, wasn’t it?
Rubbing her arms, suddenly cold, she walked to the window and gazed outside at the swirling snow.
***
By the time Dave walked into the motel room two hours later, she’d made up her mind and some phone calls.
Pushing off the wall, she went to greet her squad leader.
“Are you all right?” Dave grabbed her arms and gave her a once over. He looked concerned, and it made her smile. “Sorry it took me so long to check on you. I had to take care of the chaos in the streets, and I was on the phone all morning with the Defense Ministry to organize our movements.”
“That’s okay.” She gently disengaged from Dave’s grip and turned to Finn who sat on the bed, arms folded over his chest. His cheeks were ashen and his face still but for a vein pulsing rapidly in his jaw. He swallowed hard, meeting her eyes for a second, then turning away.
“The dragon’s gone,” Dave said. “We can’t find any trace of the damn creature.” He gestured at her. “You are fine, right? They told me you were, but until I saw with my own eyes...”
“Perfectly fine.” She went to the door, opened it, glanced outside, and closed it. Leaned on it. “We need to talk.”
“Sure.”
“Look,” she said. “I want to talk to you about Finn.”
Finn made a small noise of distress. “Don’t—” he began, then clamped his mouth shut, shook his head and glared at the far wall. His hands clenched and twisted in the sheets.
“What’s this about?” Dave said, brows knitting.
“He fought the dragon off on his own” Ella said. “He saved many lives last night.”
Finn gave her a startled look, his hands stilling on the covers.
“I know what he did.” Dave straightened the lapels of his dark jacket and started to hum. “You think I wouldn’t hear of the stunt he pulled?” He pointed at Finn. “He’s on my payroll. Police officers aren’t acrobats.”
“No, their job is to save lives,” Ella bit out the words. “And that’s exactly what he did.”
“I see.” Dave’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll go out on a limb and assume you have a point with this, right?”
“My point,” Ella said, annoyed, “is that he saved my life, again, and many others besides. So maybe you could at least try and be civil to him. Treat him like a person and my partner, not talk as if he’s not in the room.”
“Dammit, Ella. I wasn’t trying to...” Dave huffed and shook his head. “I’m just worried and tired, that’s all.” He nodded at Finn. “Good work, son.”
“Finn,” Finn said, his voice just a breath. “It’s Finn.”
Back to the routine. And time to press Finn’s advantage a little.
“You know, boss...” Ella gave her sweetest smile. “How about an advance payment? He needs new clothes and we lost everything in the fire. What do you say?”
Dave gave her a suspicious look. “I don’t know if it’s possible. He’s not even officially employed by us.”
Ella shrugged. “Call it job expenses? You owe him as much.”
Dave sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Fair enough.” He turned to Finn who gaped like a stranded fish, his gaze going from Dave to Ella and back. “I’ll see to it,” Dave said. “Do you need more weapons, son?”
“Knives,” Finn croaked and turned to Ella. His gaze lingered on her, as if searching for clues. Then he swallowed and turned back to their boss. “And a gun. I lost mine.”
“Consider it done,” Dave said. “Well, if there’s nothing else...” He gave Ella a tight smile, tipped a nod to Finn, and left the room. The door clicked shut behind him.
Silence fell. It had an expectant quality to it, a big question mark flashing. Finn observed her under lowered lashes, his body strung tight with tension. As if he expected her to turn the tables again, call Dave back and tell him everything.
She picked up her cooling coffee from the window sill and took a sip. She grimaced at the taste. “As soon as you’re feeling up to it,” she said, “we’re checking out. I asked for Mike’s help while you were asleep. He found an apartment for us to look at.”
Finn clutched the bed sheets so hard she thought she heard them tear. He blinked rapidly, emotions fleeting over his face — confusion, fear, hope. She could read no trace of deception in his eyes.
He took a shuddering breath. “Why?” he asked.
Because I owe you my life and I can’t just throw you to the wolves. Because you deserve a chance to explain yourself. Because I want to trust you.
But what she said was, “I want you to talk to me. And this time I want the whole truth.”
***
It was a day later, a day spent between meetings with the insurance people and buying the essentials for both of them — clothes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, towels and bedsheets, blankets and pillows.
Now Ella followed the landlord, a cousin of Mike’s, through the tiny apartment, absently nodding at his enumeration of features and issues. There was some furniture, old and horrible. Two threadbare armchairs in the living room. Plain wooden bed frames in the bedrooms. A scratched table and chairs in the kitchen.
Over her shoulder, she glanced back at Finn who stood leaning against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest. He watched everything with hooded eyes. A black bandana hid the bandage around his head; he was better, although he still got dizzy when he moved too fast.
Ella hoped it would wear off soon. She’d rather he stayed in bed a while longer, but couldn’t trust him alone at the motel; wouldn’t put it past him to smash the door open or jump out of the window to follow her. It would be so like Finn to try.
And Finn shouldn’t be her main worry. She’d lied to her commanding officer, or rather not told him all she knew. Which amounted to the same thing. She’d hidden Finn’s nature from Dave at a moment when an elf invasion was anticipated. Compared to that, not telling Dave about the book she’d borrowed and what it contained seemed insignificant.
But if she hadn’t lied, Dave would’ve taken Finn away. Dave wouldn’t have listened, wouldn’t have given Finn a chance to explain.
Would he?
Had Simon really not trusted Dave, or was she building this all up in her mind? Maybe Simon simply hadn’t had the time to talk to their boss before he was killed.
“And here is the bathroom,” the landlord said, giving her a dark look. “Is anything the matter?”
“Oh, no.” She dredged up a polite smile. “Everything’s fine.”
Reassured, the man moved on to the kitchen, opening dusty cupboards and a fridge with rust splotches. “Mike’s just moved in next door,” he said. “Loves it here.”
Well, for that low a rent, she bet he did.
“So, miss, what will it be?” The landlord straightened and glanced from her to Finn. “What does the lad say? He hasn’t opened his mouth since you came here.”
Finn shot him an icy look. He’d already checked the apartment on his own while the landlord had shown Ella around. She also waited for his assessment.
F
inn nodded.
Translated, that meant Finn thought the apartment defensible, therefore good enough. He didn’t care whether the kitchen was falling apart, or that the bathroom had seen better days. She shuddered at the amount of cleaning they’d have to do over the next days.
Then again, for that low a rent...
“Looks like we’ll take it,” she said.
***
“What about your magic?” Ella asked.
Finn had finished carving protective charms into the doors and window frames, and was now scrubbing the shower tiles with his good hand, the other braced against the wall.
He flicked her an undecipherable glance, then went on scrubbing.
Ella wiped her sweaty forehead on her sleeve and got up from where she’d been kneeling, washing the toilet. Her knee was killing her. Flipping the toilet seat closed, she sat on top and stretched her leg, sighing in relief.
“I mean, if you can use magic to clean this place, can you please just do it?” She lifted a brow when Finn still didn’t reply. “It’s actually a serious question, Finn. I’ve never seen you use magic. Hell, you called me from a phone booth for help two days ago. Why would a high elf lord need the help of a mere human? Where are the fireworks?”
Finn sat back, mouth set. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I don’t have magic.”
Which she’d sort of expected — otherwise why wouldn’t he have used it so far? But then... “You said you’re a Boreal.” She tried to remember what he’d told her about them. “Boreals are dragonlords. Elite.”
“Born to the royal houses of the mountains,” Finn said tonelessly.
“Wait a minute. You’re royalty?” Her jaw hung open.
Finn’s shoulders slumped. He pushed them back and shook his head. “Not anymore.”
“Why the hell not?”
He shot her a hard look. “No magic.”
Ella stared at him, stunned. “Are you saying...” She waved a hand in the air. “You were what, disinherited? Because for some reason you have no magic?”
Finn nodded. Iron charms chinked against his chest, hanging from a silver chain. She’d given them to him as soon as they’d left the motel — protection against the Shades.
Well, if true, it made some sort of twisted sense. “I take it that it isn’t common for Boreals to lack magic?”
“It never happens.”
That didn’t sound good. “So what explanation is there?” A thought struck her. “Do other elves have magic? You know, those who aren’t royalty?”
“Some.” He squeezed the scrub sponge he held and soapy water dripped, soaking his pants. He didn’t seem to notice.
“And you?”
“I’ve got nothing.”
She realized she was gaping and closed her mouth, rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. Well, that was... interesting. If Finn told the truth. Come to think of it, wouldn’t she have noticed any signs of magic in the few days they’d known each other?
There had been one thing, though. “What about those reflective lines on your face and your hands?”
“Snow camouflage,” Finn said. “All of us living on the surface are born with it.”
“All of you?”
“All Ljosaelfar.” He let the sponge fall into the shower. “Light Elves.”
“But I saw the lines even when we were in my apartment, before it was burned down,” she pointed out.
“Fear.” He grimaced. “Brought the lines out.”
Fascinating. And Finn was opening up, finally, the questioning glances he still sent her way intermingled with trusting ones. When he wasn’t busy glaring, of course.
Was he really telling her the truth? The whole truth?
Finn sat still a moment longer, then bent again over the shower stall, scrubbing furiously. Looked like he considered the conversation over.
A knock came on the apartment door and she went to answer it. It was Mike, bearing gifts — pots and pans, some blankets and sheets, old stuff his mother didn’t need. Obviously some people had a good relation with their parents. Go figure.
“Come on in.” She held the door open for him. “I’ve got some cookies.”
“Choc chip?”
“You bet.” Grinning, she led him inside.
And found Finn standing in the corridor, gun aimed. His gaze was blank and laser-sharp.
Mike opened his mouth and closed it, eyes round.
“You remember Mike, right?” Ella said, trying to figure out if Finn was all there or not. “My neighbor next door in the building the dragon burned down. An oracle. You saved his life.”
“Yes.” Mike nodded vigorously. “Thanks for that, man. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
Finn held the gun pointed for another endless moment, then lowered it, blinking. “Mike.”
“That’s right.” Ella approached Finn cautiously and plucked the gun from his hand. Yeah, they still had a lot of ground to cover regarding Finn’s past. “Let’s have some tea and cookies, we’ve been working all afternoon, what do you say?”
Finn nodded, glared at Mike who flinched, and went to wash his hands.
“What was that?” Mike asked.
“Flashbacks?” Ella shrugged. She put the kettle on and fished three mugs out of a cardboard box. She’d picked up a few things in a dollar shop. These ones had animals drawn on them. “Finn seems to have a military background.”
“You don’t sound sure.”
Ah, Mike, if you knew... “Haven’t had a chance to ask him about it yet.”
“You don’t know much about him, but you moved in together?”
“Er.” She concentrated on pouring the water over the tea bags. “It’s not like that. It’s temporary. Until Finn gets his first salary and can rent his own place.” Or until the world ended. Whichever came first.
“So you guys really aren’t together?”
Ella carried the mugs to the bare basics living room — a threadbare couch Dave had donated and the old armchairs and scratched coffee table that came with the apartment — and sat. “No, we’re really not.”
Mike followed her. “Do you think then there’s any chance he swings the other way? Not that I’m interested. Scott is more my type.” Mike winked. “But, you know; if Finn isn’t into girls, then better to know from the start, right? Before you offer him your heart on a platter.”
“No chance of that,” Ella muttered absently. Finn, gay? She really couldn’t know, could she? He hadn’t given any indication as to his sexual preferences. Maybe he did swing Mike’s way. “I have no idea. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Finn chose that moment to enter. He glanced from her to Mike, tensing, brow furrowing. “What?”
“Here.” Mike smiled and pushed a mug with a dog drawing toward Finn. “Black tea. Sugar?”
Finn grunted. Mike went for the sugar pot but Finn beat him to it, glaring daggers. Mike drew back, paling.
“I guess not,” he said.
Finn’s scowl grew darker. “Not what?”
“Nothing,” Mike said in a small voice. “Ella and I were only wondering...”
Finn waited, a sugar cube in hand.
“If you take one or two sugars,” Ella offered.
Finn’s stare could cut through steel. “Three,” he said.
Ella blinked. Mike snorted, and the tension broke.
“Really?” she asked.
Finn shrugged. He did drop three cubes into his tea, though, so yeah, he wasn’t kidding. Was she surprised? Nah.
“How’s Missy?” Ella asked. Mike had taken the kitten in until Miss Meow got used to having Finn around. So far it had been a hate-hate relationship, all on Missy’s side. Finn didn’t seem to care.
“Shredding my furniture. Peeing in the corners. Well, I guess.”
Ella winced, but Mike didn’t really seem put out. “It’s temporary,” she said.
“Like your partnership with Finn here?” Mike raised a brow and grinned.
Heat rose to he
r face.
Finn drank his tea and ate a cookie, staring intently at the door. Maybe he was thinking of new charms to add to the apartment protection. Always so focused. Maybe he was asexual. Who knew how the minds and bodies of elves worked?
“And Scott?” Ella asked.
“He’s been great.” Mike’s grin turned into a soft smile. “I know, I complained about him before, but he’s...” He shook his head. “He’s amazing. So supportive and... I’m glad he’s here.”
At least some things had turned out fine in the world. Ella smiled in her mug. Now only an elvish invasion with scaled wolves and snow dragons to worry about and thwart.
Piece of cake.
Chapter Two
Spirals
“There’s a lull in the Shade attacks,” Dave said, turning away from his computer screen. “We don’t know what it means. Maybe the elves are preparing for the invasion, grouping their forces.”
“Maybe they’re still testing the Gates.”
Dave nodded. “I hope it all crashes down on their heads while we organize the defense. There’s a base outside town and the military are moving troops and arms there as we speak. We may need to evacuate the whole area soon. Meanwhile...” He shuffled a few papers on his desk. “How’s your partner?” He opened a case file and flipped a page, then took a sip from his mug. He looked up when she didn’t answer immediately. “What is it?”
“He’s fine.” She hastened to smile. It had been three days now since the dragon incident. “Much better than before. Doctor said he was good.” No doctor had been consulted, of course; she couldn’t risk it. “You should see the new apartment. The sofa you sent us is really comfy.”
Dave nodded. “Glad I could help.”
The office smelled as usual of carpet shampoo and a herbal perfume she’d come to associate with Dave. His cologne, perhaps.
“Why did you call me here today?” Ella sank in a chair and stretched, vertebrae popping in her spine. “No attacks, right?”
“The Shades are still active, but the wolves haven’t made an appearance, and no sign of dragons.”
“Good.” She cocked her head to the side. “So, what is it?” Finn was waiting outside, and she could picture him as she’d left him, leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest, a glare that could melt metal.
Boreal and John Grey Season 1 Page 15
