Free Boreal and John Grey Season 2 by Chrystalla Thoma Page B

strode to the car.
    “Finn, wait. Why are you so mad at Dave?”
    “He knew.” Finn’s hands clenched. Then he slammed his fist on to the car roof. The bang reverberated in the empty street.
    Ella approached cautiously. There was a fist-sized dent in the metal. “Knew what?”
    “Nothing.” Finn let out a long breath. He flexed his fingers. “You can’t drive. We should take a taxi.”
    “I feel fine.” Less shaky. The pain radiating, burning hot, from her chest, served to clear her head. “Will you please explain what Dave did?”
    “He did... nothing.” Finn sighed and opened the car door. “Maybe a shower,” he whispered. “Can’t do this any longer.”
     Ella blinked. Right, that... made perfect sense. Maybe she’d hit her head on the rooftop?
    Or Finn had hit his?
    And she should still be furious with him, shouldn’t she?
    “A shower,” she muttered as she lowered herself gingerly behind the wheel. “Sure, take a shower.”
    If only everything in the world was fixed so easily.
     
     
     
    ***
     
     
     
    Ella sat in their living-room with a cold pack pressed to her chest, right over her right breast. The pack was a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel. Since Finn had moved in with her, the freezer was full of stuff. Made her wonder if Finn found the concept fascinating or if he was used to storing food in ice.
    It wouldn’t surprise her.
    There was so much she wanted to ask, to learn about him and Aelfheim, but now...
    Shaking her head, she leaned back and blinked at the ceiling. She didn’t know how to do this. How to accept things with Finn would be different from now on.
    Didn’t know if she could.
    See, falling in love so soon was a bad idea, and you knew it, Ella.
    God. Would she ever learn?
    Something rattled in front of her and she started.
    Finn was standing not five feet away, looking at her. Damn elf, making no sound when he walked about.
    He’d placed a steaming cup on the table in front of her. The aroma of freshly-brewed tea reached her, soothing.
    “Thanks,” she whispered, putting down the cold pack and wrapping her fingers around the cup, realizing how cold she was.
    Finn observed her, his chest was rising and falling rapidly, his eyes uncertain.
    Good. Let him be uncertain for once. She was done flailing about, not knowing what to do. She blew on the tea, her throat tight.
    “Ella...” He swallowed. “Take a shower with me.”
    Ella gaped. God, she really was going to punch him. “I’m not in the mood, okay? Just got shot and all that.” 
    Finn flinched. He took a step back. “Please.”
    “No.” Dammit, Finn. “Take your shower. I want to be alone.”
    He waited for a few heartbeats, his mouth a thin line. Then he nodded, a jerky dip of his chin, turned on his heel and strode out of the room.
    Shit. Why did she feel like the bad guy now? He was the one who’d shut her out and wouldn’t even explain why.
    She put the tea back on the table, amazed she hadn’t spilled it. All this made no sense. Finn had opened up with her, even with Mike. He’d shared every terrible detail of his childhood with her, and although he’d probably had no say in the matter, he’d seemed relieved to find her in his dream-memories. Had drawn strength from it and then—
    A crash came from the bathroom. She was pretty sure it was the bathroom.
    Heart in her throat, she shot to her feet.
    Now it was too quiet.
    Sweat slicked her palms as she stepped out of the living-room, listening for any other sound, and pushed the bathroom door open.
    The mirror was cracked, shards glinting on the sink. Golden lines filled the room, criss-crossing space. They flickered and dimmed as she watched.
    The Veil , she thought, blinking her watering eyes. She reached for her knives. Goddammit, the Veil was tearing right in front of her.
    Where was Finn? She was as good as blind in the brilliance. She took another step, cursing. The threads quavered, screeching like electric wires, sending an ache