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Finn pulls back and looks down at me. “What do you mean, his blight?”
18
Terra
Raine turns in for the night, but Finn and Kai stay with me. We sit on the bridge that leads to the Nova House as we watch Finn’s phoenix circle above the lake. It’s so bright that it almost seems like daylight. I fill Finn and Kai in on Novas’ ability to blight if they are out of control. Their expressions are grave.
“So Raine’s going to… die?” Kai’s grief sounds sincere.
I nod. “Unless we can find a way to reverse it. I found a note in the library that I think gives us a lead, but we’ll need to compare it to the instructors’ handwriting.”
Finn sets his hand over mine and I don’t pull away. It actually feels really nice to have his reassurance and comfort—he’s always made it easy to love him.
“We’ll help any way we can,” Finn says and Kai grunts his agreement. Relief floods me and I lean over to hug Finn. His arms wrap around me hesitantly at first before he grips me tightly, as if he’ll never let go.
“Thank you.”
Kai stands and stretches. “I think I can find a way to get Kallos away from his study for a bit while you compare the notes. Or you can seduce him like you did in class. I’m one hundred percent certain he’d fuck your brains out and tell you whatever you wanted to know.”
Finn chokes on a breath and I let out a sharp laugh.
“I’m going to let my phoenix burn you alive,” Finn growls and Kai raises his hands innocently.
“Oh, I was just kidding,” Kai says but I don’t believe him for a second. “Too soon?” He looks between us. I know Finn’s filled him in on our past. There’s a light that shines in his eyes whenever he sees us together.
We both say yes at the same time.
“Can you give us a second, Kai? I’ll meet you back in our room.”
Kai’s smile grows suspicious and he nods happily before heading back to the castle, leaving Finn and me out here alone. I don’t dread it like I did the first night—being alone with him.
Finn looks up toward the stars and smiles bleakly. “Isn’t it weird that no matter what changes down here, the realms above us seem to always be in rhythm? It’s reassuring—always constant. I only pray that the gods haven’t forsaken us.”
I stare up at the same sky, pondering his words. Finn’s thoughts are as dark as my own and as consuming as the night.
“They must have forsaken us, Finn. How else would all this chaos be unfolding? They’ve turned their backs on us and we’re completely and utterly alone, plunged in hell,” I mutter, squeezing my knees to my chest and resting my head on them, watching Finn as he looks over at me with a smirk.
“Ever the negative, bleak girl I see,” Finn muses.
I chuckle at that. “Even more so now, I’m afraid.”
He reaches over and brushes my hair back from my face. “Once we get rid of Raine’s blight, I think I know how we can escape Alkrose,” Finn whispers as he studies my face. His eyes always fill with warmth when he focuses on my eyes. He’s always loved the emerald color of them.
“Really? How?”
He shifts to face me and I do the same, lowering my legs and sitting up straight. “Portals. We found one that leads to a far-off beach. I suspect it’s somewhere south—Lamnah, or even Tornfret. We can find someplace safe and start a new life.”
My smile fades. “They know those portals exist. Ash made them for Fernestia. I’m certain it won’t be that easy. Plus, I’m Elias’s… Shadow Mate. He’ll never let me escape. Even if we find a way off the grounds, he’ll hunt me down. I can never escape him, Finn.”
Finn’s eyes harden. “What?” He seems to have only heard the mate part.
I look away and shrug. “It sucks, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” He looks at me like he’s been betrayed, but wasn’t he the one who let me down when I needed him? It’s not my fault my Shadow is tethered to Elias. It takes all my strength to keep those spiteful words in my mouth.
“You know, I don’t want to sound like the jealous ex, but I can’t believe how fast you moved on, Terra,” he says weakly, hitting me where it hurts.
I stand abruptly and level him with a hard glare. “Finn, you’re the one that left me. What were you expecting?”
His eyes narrow with pain and he slowly stands. “I was keeping you safe from my father,” he says tightly. His black hair is disheveled in the wind, only he can make anguished eyes look so beautiful.
