by Kim Iverson
Lana’s brows rose. “Again, your point?”
Finn’s attention dropped and stayed there long enough for her to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. “That’s why I want you to stay away from him. You’re a distraction. He’s good for this place. You’re not.”
“Wow. And how many do you think I’ve helped?”
His head turned left and right. “No. Not what I meant. His thoughts are consumed with you. What do you think a child would do? Take him from this world. A world that needs this man right now. More than ever. You’ve felt his power. I’m not saying you’re not powerful. What I’m saying is his power is needed now. There is a private group of people who manipulate the chromosomes of much larger creatures than rats. They’re trying to create things that shouldn’t exist. Splicing things together that Mother Nature saw fit to remove. If Mason doesn’t figure out who it is, and stop them, this place will have far worse problems on their hands than what there is now.”
Chapter Seven
“You could do a lot of good,” Lana said.
Finn and Lana spent more time together since he knew about the child, and Mason had yet to come back. Despite the quarrel between them, they became what some may infer as friends. Lana preferred to think of it as a mutual tolerance.
Finn told her time and again when he showed up that he came by for Mason. For Mason’s son. Lana felt otherwise, but didn’t tell him so. She appreciated his help when needed. Because her pregnancy weighed on her and exhausted her, she had him carry out the saving when she felt too weary to handle the job. And weary she did get. Seemed her boy wished to exhaust her in more ways than one. He took the powers within her as much as her physical.
“You think I want to?” Finn lounged on the edge of the building next to her.
With the heat of the day, and her exhaustion, she chose to change into a summer dress, and find a place to relax. Once she found a nice building that overlooked the river, she sat and swung her legs over the edge. Sure enough, not a moment later, Finn showed up.
The irritation he showed made her roll her eyes. “Does that matter, Finnegan?” She smiled. He opened his mouth to argue against using his full name, and she cut him off. “You’ve learned to grow wings. You’ve learned to manipulate your own shadow into becoming a thing to back you up in fights. There is so much more you’ve figured out on your own. You can use those. Dumbass.”
Finn laughed. “Whatever you say, sweetie.”
“Stop calling—”
“You sweetie? Okay pumpkin.” His blue eyes shimmered underneath the sunshine, matching that of the clear blue sky. Lana forced herself to stop staring . . . and not to smile. She chewed on the inside of her cheek.
A boat’s horn bellowed to another off in the distance. Lana sat in silence and watched the two boats as the vessels moved slowly past each other in the shallows. People on deck waved to one another. A common courtesy of boat travelers who passed by one another. The captains held a wary eye to how close the other boat grew, to avoid tapping the other and causing damage to the hull.
Why hadn’t Mason come back, or sent word? They were important to each other. At least she felt they both were on the same wavelength. It had been a few months. For some reason, she felt that he wouldn’t come back. Or at least not until he found a way for them not to be together.
“Hormones.”
Lana twitched, turned Finn’s way, raised her eyebrows. “Hmm?”
He smiled that devastatingly handsome smile and her nerves did a happy dance. She gritted her teeth and diverted her attention. “Hormones. I see the look in your eye. You’re worried. Next you’ll start crying. Stop it. Don’t be a girl or I’ll leave you alone.”
“Funny, I believe that was the reason I came here in the first place. To be alone. So that’s not a decent threat on your part. Watch me much?”
“You know you love me, gorgeous. You like having me around.” He winked.
“You get on my last nerve. Why are you here? I told you the last time that I didn’t need a babysitter. I like the quiet.”
“Nope. You tell me when you hear someone crying, I go save the idiots. Easy.”
“Such a charmer. What if they found out how much you hate them?”
Finn raised a shoulder. “Don’t much care. I save the humans for Mason.” His disgust amused her since he was a human. Or at least she believed he was part human. She never had quite determined what he was. “When he comes back, and yes, he will come back, shortcake. When he comes back, he’ll still have his good name.”
Lana shook her head. “Annoyance. I’m not a shortcake, either.”
“Strawberry shortcake. Probably taste as sweet, too.”
“God!” Lana squeaked and stood. “You’re so crass.” She whirled around and found him in her face.
I hate when he does that.
“I was referring to kissing you again. Nice to know you’re thinking about more though. Think about me a lot, do ya?”
Lana shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, no.” She shoved past. He grabbed her and pulled her back.
She tried to protest, but he kissed her. Deeply. Passionately. Hormones were right. She was so full of them, she went to push him away and instead, slid her fingertips over his chest. A small purr escaped her.
Finn broke the kiss and went back to the ledge. Lana’s cheeks brightened. His moves were stiff. If she had to guess, she would assume he enjoyed the kiss far too much, and was shocked by his reaction. Her fingertips floated over her lips.
Finn cleared his throat and caused her to look at him. “I was right.”
He still had his back to her, so she was glad he couldn’t catch the way he made her blush further with that comment. She glanced about. Should she leave? Stay? Now what was she to do? He got her all confused. Her brain malfunctioned.
“Why did you kiss me?” she blurted out.
“You asked for it.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “I did not!” Lana put her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed dangerously.
Finn leaned back so he could regard her upside down. “Getting a little worked up there, sweetie.”
“I think you need a flying lesson.”
“Dare you. But if you do, I’m getting a treat for not killing you when I get back.”
“Couldn’t if you tried pretty boy.” Finn’s legs were dragged from under his body and he was sent airborne, upside down to the river as though an invisible line were attached to his legs.
This time, Lana knew better. Not only did she hold her grip around him, she launched him straight into the river. Shows him. A plume of water burst forth from the impact of his body. Once he disappeared from view, Lana grinned and spun on her heel.
Chapter Eight
One moment she stood on the building, and with the next step she took, she stood inside the atrium garden attached to her home. This time she wouldn’t underestimate Finn.
Lana inhaled as deep as possible, enjoying the roses, lilacs, heliotrope, and jasmine that intermingled in her nose. The flowers teased her senses and calmed her nerves.
Some of her best moments were spent in this room relaxing after a hard day, reminding her that she didn’t need to please anyone but herself.
The atrium garden rose as high as the rest of her large estate. Where she stood, near the fountain in the middle, remained wide open in a circular pattern around her. Gravel lined the walkways that meandered throughout the enclosed room. Glass rose up all sides, anchored by old iron frames.
Finches, parakeets, and other small soft spoken birds flitted about, happy she came back. Which meant they were happy she was going to feed them. Those weren’t the only animals who reacted to her presence.
Various small lizards, and other creatures that loved the warm rainforest environment, scuttled through the larger plants, trees, and bushes. They peered out, happy that she arrived back safely. A few snakes had also appeared during the time she lived there.
One particularly large ball python who
took to hanging in the trees dipped his head down to greet her. Simon, as she affectionately called him, loved to curl up near her when she fell asleep in her garden swing. She would wake to find a snake’s head lying across her neck, curled under her arm, a leg, or a heavy body coiled on her stomach. Why he seemed to believe her to be his mother, she would never understand. She never learned how to explain to him that he was a wee bit heavier than he realized.
No animal was caged. Most of the time, the sliding glass roof stayed open to the elements, as well as the door near the front of the atrium. The animals stayed on their own. They seemed to sense that living in the atrium was safe for them. They even seemed to know what time the roof would open and close. By the evening hours, without fail, Lana could pick each one out, as they came in to roost, so to speak.
She did employ a caretaker for the garden, but Lana enjoyed taking care of it most of the time by herself. With her pregnancy further along, she ended up relying on the older gentleman more.
The small birds launched off the branches in unison, before settling down a few moments later. Lana wasn’t alone in the atrium anymore. Odd, because nobody knew where she lived, and nobody could find the place. Mason had never even been here.
A dark shadow developed in front of her on the gravel, growing larger with each second. Finn. Water dripped onto the gravel. Each droplet of water sounded as irritated as he must feel.
Plunk . . . plod . . . ploppp. . . .
She sucked in a breath and spun around.
Black wings around twelve feet tall, twice the height of Finnegan, rose behind him. The black wings glistened in the light. The water dripped down the feathers. Drip, drip, drop, they hit the gravel. The wings remained their full height, reaching to the ceiling in an arc. The width of them three times that of his body.
To say handsome would be to lie about how captivating he looked in that form. His wings were a sight to behold. Beautiful, and yet they held an air of danger that couldn’t be described in so many words. Those wings alone could either seduce you, or convince you that you faced the Devil.
His clothes were drenched to the skin, the t-shirt clung to his tanned form, his jeans plastered to his lower half, hanging low off his hips from the weight of the water. His blonde hair was plastered to his head. Single beads of moisture slid down his forehead to his cheeks and on down, which her attention followed. The flight didn’t dry him at all.
His eyebrows were knotted together, his lips pursed together. Lana pressed her own lips together to keep from giggling. One miserable looking fallen angel. Oddly enough, that made him look all the more adorable. The smug playboy went bye bye, and left in his place stood a drowned little boy. Lana couldn’t tear her gaze from the brilliant sapphire eyes, glaring from beneath long dark lashes.
He inhaled and exhaled, inhaled and exhaled, and fixed a hard stare on her. He appeared to be resisting the urge to throttle her. Lana’s amusement faded. He’s really mad.
Her attention dropped to his mouth before returning to his steady stare. She should get away from him. Standing within arm’s reach wasn’t a good idea when he was this angry.
Lana took a step back and before she could take another, his wings curled downward in an arc, lower and lower to form a cocoon around her and him. The cold wet wings slid behind her and with a feather-light touch, but no less disturbing, they touched her back. Lana yelped and stepped forward to avoid the cold. A breath separated her and Finn.
He encased her in his hold and darkness enveloped her. Finn’s wet scent engulfed her and she gritted her teeth to keep from remembering their kiss earlier, which didn’t help.
A soft glow formed within the depths of darkness. She raised her hand to illuminate the cocoon and her heart skipped a beat. His eyes held her captive, caging her as did his wings. His eyes appeared to darken. A second later the glow puffed out. Did he just stop me from using my powers? How on earth could he do such a thing, and how can he see in the dark?
“There are many things I want to do to you right now,” Finn whispered in the dark. It took all his effort to remain as calm as he was. “Not going to argue?”
Lana glanced over her shoulder, still seeing darkness. “Plan on keeping me hostage?”
“Yes. I’m enjoying myself.” She could hear the smile in his voice and wanted to hurt him for it. He shouldn’t take such amusement from this.
Lana narrowed her eyes. “You kissed me. You shouldn’t have. I got mad. Now I’m over it. You should be too. Leave me alone . . . Finnegan.”
Finn’s wings slid over one another, closing the space further. Lana squeaked and moved forward to prevent the icy cold from touching her again. Space was limited. She had nowhere left to go and ended up pressed against his cold chest, her palms smacked into his chest.
Finn didn’t stop sliding his wings together until he made sure she couldn’t go anywhere. He didn’t allow any breathing room.
“Can’t you leave, sweetie? What’s the matter? Wings prevent your magic from working?”
Lana hadn’t considered that. She chalked it up to her nervousness, or hormones. “Is that why you’ve got me encased in this damn blackness? Knock it off, Finn. I can still kick your ass.”
Finn chuckled. “Shouldn’t have thrown me off the building.”
“Shouldn’t have kissed me.”
“Remember what I said before that, Lana?”
Lana wracked her brain. “No. . . .” Her words died. His words came back to haunt her. I’m getting a treat for not killing you when I get back. Her eyes widened in the darkness. She pressed her palms into his chest, trying to gain distance, only to smack into the freezing cold wings. She suppressed her squeak and shoved back.
The wings were stronger than she gave him credit for. The wings didn’t move. Solid bone and muscle beneath those silky cold feathers.
Finn snatched her hands and tugged them out to the side. She smacked into his wet chest with a huff. She recovered and again, trying to place distance. He released her hands.
Before she could stop him, his cold palms encircled her face in his grip, and a moment later his warm mouth was upon hers. The cold was replaced by warmth that spread from head to toe, sizzling back up her spine until her entire body tingled. A soft murmur escaped her.
Finn deepened the kiss and Lana’s body molded into his, forgetting the fight.
Their mouths separated and Finn murmured in appreciation, “Can’t seem to stop myself from doing that. I get mad, then all I want to do is to kiss you.”
It took a moment for Lana to register that he spoke before her mind focused. “You piss me off,” she managed to whisper. Odd, that wasn’t what she planned on saying. Let alone the tone she planned to use. Her mind spun in circles.
Finn’s lips fluttered against hers. “So stay mad.” He crushed his mouth down once more until the outside world dissolved, leaving her wrapped in silky darkness, floating on a cloud.
Chapter Nine
Finn let her go and took a step back, dissolving his wings into thin air. Lana stared at him, dumb-founded for a moment. “Will you please stop doing that?”
Finn smirked and strolled past her, still dripping water. The arrogant way he strode was defied by the squish, squeak, squish of his shoes. Watching him that way made her guilty conscious come forth. It’s Finn of all people. Who cares? She struggled internally for a moment, weighed the pros and cons of helping him, before finally sighing.
“I hate that I’m about to be nice to you,” she said, crossing the atrium to where he stood.
He spun to face her and Lana went to place her palms against his chest. He stepped back in a rush, shaking his head. His hands had come up and were ready to grab her wrists. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t trust me?” She laughed.
“No.” His face held no emotion whatsoever.
“This coming from a man who just kissed me. Now you think I’m going to sigh, look reluctant to help you, and then hurt you?”
Finn gave her a h
ard stare before spelling out. “W-i-t-c-h.”
Lana pursed her lips. “Childish.”
“Experience.” He shrugged.
Lana tilted her head toward him. “Decent point. Now come back here.” She waved him over and for a moment he seemed reluctant. He caved and with great hesitation, stepped forward. Lana pressed her palms against his chest and warmth spread outward. A moment later, his clothes were as dry.
“Impressive.”
She shook her head, spun around, crunching the gravel under her sandals, and strolled off, calling over her shoulder. “Man of few words. Now leave.”
Finn rushed to catch up to her. “Nope. You still owe me. I’m still angry, and . . . now I’m hungry.”
Lana knew she couldn’t get rid of him. She didn’t waste her time trying. All the effort she expended left her depleted. Her hand stroked her stomach, you take too much from me lately. I hope you plan on coming out soon.
“So be it. I’ll make you dinner.”
“You can cook?” he asked, his voice raising a notch.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” Lana glared at him.
“I noticed something. Can I say it without you cutting me into bits?”
They entered the kitchen with Lana motioning to the booth in the corner. The closest seat to where she cooked. Lana made the booth for any guests who may want to keep her company while she cooked. So far Elizabeth had been the only one in her kitchen with her. The booth was more of a nook with a seat, a window facing the atrium, and a clear view of the kitchen, but the seat was out of the way. For her that was a big deal. Lana never enjoyed people in her kitchen while she cooked. That booth allowed visitors to remain in the kitchen without being in her way.
Finn nodded, took his seat.
“Go ahead,” Lana said, opening the fridge and checking what she had on hand.
“You seem tired. Is that because of that thing inside you?”
Lana froze in the midst of placing a chicken ready for roasting on the counter. She stared at Finn for a long time. The giggles welled up and burst. She laughed for a while and once she could catch her breath, she was met with a hard stare.
