Mike popped the cork and poured amber liquid in the fluted glasses. “A toast to our wannabe chef and best boyfriend ever.”
The clinked glasses and Ella took over the serving. At least this was something she could do passably well.
The food was great, even Mike had to agree Scott had done a stellar job, and Finn’s chips got the usual exclamations of delight.
“You should open a restaurant and sell just the chips,” Scott declared.
“Without the Shades, that might be an idea.” Mike waved a hand. “I can see it. Finn’s. Exotic dishes from another world .”
Ella laughed.
“Any news on the sniper? And the dragon?” Mike served himself more chips.
“Nothing so far. Hey, where’s Missy?” Ella realized she hadn’t seen the kitten around.
“In our room,” Scott said.
“She was acting up today.” Mike shrugged. “Scratched me pretty bad when I tried to catch her. Bled me dry.” He showed the evidence on his forearm.
“Oooh, poor baby.” Scott snickered.
“You should have those scratches checked out,” Ella said, keeping a straight face. “They might be lethal.”
Mike sighed dramatically. “No respect for your elders.”
“By a year.” Scott scoffed.
“You’re not older than me,” Ella shot back. “You’re my little brother.”
“By a month.”
“Yeah, well, a month’s a month.” Ella stuck her tongue out.
Mike sipped his wine, pretending to ignore both of them.
“Talking of older...” Ella said. “How’s Norma? Any news?” The old lady had helped Ella save Finn and he seemed to love her like a mother.
“She’s out of danger, according to the doctors.” Mike sobered. “We could go visit her, huh, Finn? Finn, hey.”
“Earth to Finn,” Scott said, waving.
Finn had been silent the whole time, Ella realized, which was unusual. He’d started to open up when it was just the four of them.
Now he sat staring into space, the food on his plate untouched.
“Hey.” Mike leaned forward. “You’re not eating, my man. The steak’s bloody, just the way you like it.”
Finn flinched.
“What’s wrong?” Ella muttered.
He rubbed his face. “Headache.”
Damn. There went the last of her anger, leaving her cold with worry.
“It’s the change in the weather,” Mike said. “I got one today, too, a sort of tinnitus. A buzzing in my ears that was driving me crazy. I had to take a ton of painkillers.” He rose. “I’ll bring you some.”
Finn nodded. “Thanks.”
“Must be why you limp like that,” Ella said, frowning. “We should go to a physiotherapist. Not a doctor,” she rushed to say. “Just for some massage. It can work wonders.”
“I know a great physiotherapist,” Mike said, returning. “You’ll love her.”
“I’m okay,” Finn said, his jaw clenching. He took the pills Mike offered and gulped them down.
Infernally stubborn. Ella wanted to punch him, only he looked miserable already.
Come to think of it, he’d been too silent for days now. Too closed off and distant. She thought of the Veil, of the golden lines, of Finn’s struggle to mend the Veil in Dave’s office.
“You get these headaches often?” Mike asked, taking his seat again.
Finn shrugged half-heartedly. “This past week.”
“Season change. Told you. It won’t last long, although you should really go and see my physiotherapist. Uh uh!” Mike lifted a hand when Finn opened his mouth. “No arguing. Now eat before the pills drill a hole in your stomach.”
***
Finn wore a black muscle shirt with the words ‘Don’t Fuck With Me’ scrawled in silver across the front. A gift from Mike, most likely. Not Finn’s style, which tended toward the sturdy, generic variety.
It had been three days since the dinner. Three days without a sighting of the dragon, making her wonder whether Finn hadn’t whispered in the creature’s ear a command to lie low and hide.
Could he do something like that? And why would he?
She hated not knowing what
The clinked glasses and Ella took over the serving. At least this was something she could do passably well.
The food was great, even Mike had to agree Scott had done a stellar job, and Finn’s chips got the usual exclamations of delight.
“You should open a restaurant and sell just the chips,” Scott declared.
“Without the Shades, that might be an idea.” Mike waved a hand. “I can see it. Finn’s. Exotic dishes from another world .”
Ella laughed.
“Any news on the sniper? And the dragon?” Mike served himself more chips.
“Nothing so far. Hey, where’s Missy?” Ella realized she hadn’t seen the kitten around.
“In our room,” Scott said.
“She was acting up today.” Mike shrugged. “Scratched me pretty bad when I tried to catch her. Bled me dry.” He showed the evidence on his forearm.
“Oooh, poor baby.” Scott snickered.
“You should have those scratches checked out,” Ella said, keeping a straight face. “They might be lethal.”
Mike sighed dramatically. “No respect for your elders.”
“By a year.” Scott scoffed.
“You’re not older than me,” Ella shot back. “You’re my little brother.”
“By a month.”
“Yeah, well, a month’s a month.” Ella stuck her tongue out.
Mike sipped his wine, pretending to ignore both of them.
“Talking of older...” Ella said. “How’s Norma? Any news?” The old lady had helped Ella save Finn and he seemed to love her like a mother.
“She’s out of danger, according to the doctors.” Mike sobered. “We could go visit her, huh, Finn? Finn, hey.”
“Earth to Finn,” Scott said, waving.
Finn had been silent the whole time, Ella realized, which was unusual. He’d started to open up when it was just the four of them.
Now he sat staring into space, the food on his plate untouched.
“Hey.” Mike leaned forward. “You’re not eating, my man. The steak’s bloody, just the way you like it.”
Finn flinched.
“What’s wrong?” Ella muttered.
He rubbed his face. “Headache.”
Damn. There went the last of her anger, leaving her cold with worry.
“It’s the change in the weather,” Mike said. “I got one today, too, a sort of tinnitus. A buzzing in my ears that was driving me crazy. I had to take a ton of painkillers.” He rose. “I’ll bring you some.”
Finn nodded. “Thanks.”
“Must be why you limp like that,” Ella said, frowning. “We should go to a physiotherapist. Not a doctor,” she rushed to say. “Just for some massage. It can work wonders.”
“I know a great physiotherapist,” Mike said, returning. “You’ll love her.”
“I’m okay,” Finn said, his jaw clenching. He took the pills Mike offered and gulped them down.
Infernally stubborn. Ella wanted to punch him, only he looked miserable already.
Come to think of it, he’d been too silent for days now. Too closed off and distant. She thought of the Veil, of the golden lines, of Finn’s struggle to mend the Veil in Dave’s office.
“You get these headaches often?” Mike asked, taking his seat again.
Finn shrugged half-heartedly. “This past week.”
“Season change. Told you. It won’t last long, although you should really go and see my physiotherapist. Uh uh!” Mike lifted a hand when Finn opened his mouth. “No arguing. Now eat before the pills drill a hole in your stomach.”
***
Finn wore a black muscle shirt with the words ‘Don’t Fuck With Me’ scrawled in silver across the front. A gift from Mike, most likely. Not Finn’s style, which tended toward the sturdy, generic variety.
It had been three days since the dinner. Three days without a sighting of the dragon, making her wonder whether Finn hadn’t whispered in the creature’s ear a command to lie low and hide.
Could he do something like that? And why would he?
She hated not knowing what
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