Boreal and John Grey Season 1 (12 page)

“Because he saved my life more than once.” She sighed. “Come on, Dave. Desperate times, desperate measures. He’s the best I can find on short notice and I can’t let you hand Simon’s case over to someone else. He was my partner, goddammit.”

“And that should be reason enough not to give you the case.”

Her nostrils flared as she sucked in a breath through her teeth, chomping on the curse that hovered on the tip of her tongue.

“I want you safe,” Dave said.

“And I want to find out the truth.”

He sat back down and dipped his chin to his chest. He hummed under his breath and tapped his fingertips on the desk in a quick rhythm.

“Dave...”

“Fine.” He grunted. “As long as you trust this person. I’m guessing this isn’t the end of trouble.”

Was he kidding? It looked like the trouble was just starting.

***

“You want me to be your partner?” Finn arched a pale eyebrow. “I’m not police.”

“No need to be.” An open door showed her an empty office. She stepped inside and after a moment he followed, a frown on his face. She closed the door behind them. “Look, I need a partner or I won’t be allowed to investigate on my own, what with agents going missing and turning up dead.” She swallowed. “I need someone who can see and fight the Shades. Someone like you.”

 “I hunt alone,” Finn said, his voice flat.

“You saved my ass twice, fought the Shades time and again,” Ella said. “This won’t be much different.”

Finn limped to a desk and leaned against it, holding his swollen wrist to his chest. “I can’t.”

Shaking her head, she sank in a chair. Maybe she was crazy to propose such a partnership; she barely knew Finn. But he’d proven he was a good fighter, and although he still moved cautiously and his leg gave him trouble, he healed well. He already looked much better since last night. And he’d shown he cared enough to protect others.

“Listen. I know you’re somehow involved in this,” she said. “You’re searching for answers, aren’t you? And you know about
Aelfheim
. You found something out and it’s turned your life upside down.”

He bowed his head, didn’t answer. But she caught a glint of blue under his white-blond hair; he was looking at her. Listening.

“You follow the thinning of the Veil, you said so yourself. Fighting the Shades. We could work together.” She gestured at the desks and shelves around them. “You’d get a salary, papers, weapons. Something really bad is going down and maybe together we could find the end of it. What do you say?”

He shook his head, jaw clenched tight. “I’m sorry.”

Dammit
. “We keep meeting where the Veil thins anyway,” she said. “I wouldn’t have to worry about you and you about me.” If Finn worried about her. Which she couldn’t know, but he didn’t open his mouth to correct her, and he’d insisted on coming along to HQ to
‘have her back’
, so... “We both win.”

It wasn’t to keep an eye on Finn, make sure he didn’t do anything suicidal, that he had warm clothes and a place to crash and to see that look in his eyes when she covered him up. No, that’d be ridiculous. Her hands clenched where they rested in her lap. She had Simon and...

And Simon’s gone
. “I need your help,” she muttered. “Please.”

She bowed her chin to her chest, swallowing hard. She couldn’t be like this, she couldn’t break down. Simon might be gone, but she needed answers. Besides, if not Finn, then Missy at least depended on her. She had to keep going.

“Okay,” he muttered.

“Hm?” She looked up at Finn who was rubbing the bridge of his nose. “What?”

“I said okay.”

“You’ll be my partner?”

Finn nodded, his brows drawn together in a frown. He didn’t seem overly happy about it, but she could live with that.

Simon’s case was hers. The wave of relief was dizzying.

“Great.” She jumped to her feet. “I’ll have to present you to Dave to get the stamp of approval first, then off to make you a temporary badge and to get you weapons. Afterward we’ll buy you some pants that actually reach your ankles and boots that fit, and maybe replace that dirty bandana—”

He reached for his bandana, a glint of panic in his eyes.

Ella lifted her hands. “Okay, maybe take it off so we can wash it?” He glared and edged away from her. “Or maybe not.” Who knew the history behind the damn bandana? And besides, let him wear a hula skirt and flowers in his hair if he wanted. All she cared about was the case. “Come on, let’s go see Dave.”

Finn hobbled toward the door, his movements slower than before. Muscles had probably stiffened, and it wasn’t like she’d offered him any breakfast. Or even dinner last night. She promised herself that would be the next thing on her list after Dave. They’d rushed into HQ with the crack of dawn, to identify Simon... Simon’s body.

Ella drew a steadying breath and followed Finn out.

***

“So this is the new partner, is it?” Dave managed to loom while sitting at his desk. “Name?”

“Finn,” Ella said when it became obvious Finn wasn’t about to reply. “Finn, this is the boss. You may call him Dave.”

Finn arched a pale eyebrow.

“No papers, you say?” Dave asked. “No ID or driver’s license? Who the hell are you, son?”

Finn just folded his arms over his chest and glared down at his borrowed boots.

“Look, Dave, he agreed because I practically begged him for help. Save the interrogation.” Ella swallowed a sigh of frustration when Dave shook his head. “It’s temporary, you said it yourself, until the Bureau sends a replacement partner for me.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue.

Dave’s attention returned to Finn. “And are you any good?”

Ella prepared to reply, but Finn lifted his head. “I can
see
.” As if that explained anything. Maybe it did.

“Seeing is not enough.”

“Dave—” Ella began.

“You fear the Gates are open,” Finn said quietly. “You fear what might come through, as do I.”

Ella cocked her head to the side.
Huh
. Now
this
she hadn’t expected. She hadn’t expected Finn to reply, period.

Dave’s bushy brows drew together. The silvery stubble on his cheeks caught the light. “How do you know this, son?”

“It’s Finn,” Finn said testily.

Ella would have laughed, but the memory of Simon’s bloody corpse was too recent. “Trust me on this, Dave, okay? He’s a good fighter. I told you, he saved my life more than once.”

“I was rather hoping you’d take the hint and keep away from work for a while,” Dave grumbled. “Keep safe.”

“Safe?” It was touching that Dave worried about her, but she wasn’t going to sit at home while the world fell apart. “I’m going to find out how Simon died, and what the hell is going on with the Gates. Until the replacement comes, and we both know it won’t be any time soon, I want in the game, so Finn’s in, too.”

Dave gave a reluctant nod. “At least tell us where you come from. Finn. You don’t have a criminal record, do you? Because that could really put a crimp on an already bad situation.”

Ella hoped Finn would answer, but he didn’t, just went back to glaring at the floor.
Just great
.

Dave shot her a worried look. “You sure you want to be partnered with him?”

“Yes.” Dave wasn’t taking her off the case, damn him. “We all have our secrets.”

Dave sighed. “As long as you don’t keep any from me. Go to Celia and get his badge.” He gave Finn a once-over, frowning. “A medical wouldn’t hurt, either. That wrist doesn’t look good.”

And he hadn’t seen the slashes in Finn’s side, although the limp was hard to miss. She glanced sideways at Finn and found him watching her intently. Simon’s paper with the code burned in her back pocket.
Secrets
.

“Thanks.” She turned to go.

“Ella.” Dave cleared his throat. “There’s something else.”

She froze with her hand on the door handle. “Yes?”

“A call just came through. In Simon’s hand they found a scrap of organic material.”

She turned around, excitement building in her chest. “The Shades don’t leave tissue behind. That means... It’s human. We can catch whoever did that.”

“They don’t think it’s human,” Dave said, his face unreadable.

“An animal then. Is it because of the claw-marks?”

Dave shook his head. “No, it’s the material. It’s skin, but it’s white and shiny and unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.”

A soft thump turned her attention to Finn. He’d slumped against the wall, his face an unhealthy shade of gray. “Finn?”

“It’s starting,” he whispered.

Chapter Two

White

“It’s my fault,” Ella muttered under her breath, dragging an unsteady Finn along the corridors of the Bureau, past closed doors. “I shouldn’t have let you come. You need to eat, you’ve lost a lot of blood, and...”

And Simon was dead, not that it was a valid excuse. She kept expecting to see him round the corner, a grin up to his ears, readying some new joke to tell her, to make her laugh.

Gone
. Her heart felt heavy like a stone.

The elevator door opened and she hauled Finn inside. He stumbled and barely kept his feet. Dammit, he’d looked more or less okay before the meeting with Dave — or maybe she’d been too busy with her anger and sorrow to notice. She didn’t know skin could be so white. The blue-grey of his veins showed through in his cheeks and forehead.

“Hang on.” She pushed him against the metal wall of the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor and the officers’ canteen. “You just need something warm in you.” A thought occurred to her. “When did you last eat?”

Finn grunted. She wasn’t so versed in Finn-speak to decipher that, so she held on, making sure he didn’t fall, and waited out the ride. As the carriage lurched, Dave’s words echoed in her head.
Organic material. Non-human
. And what had Finn meant,
‘It’s starting’
?

“I think Dave’s right,” she said as she slung his good arm over her shoulders and pulled him out of the elevator. He shuffled along, his lips moving soundlessly. “I should have the doctor look you over, get you some—”

“No doctor,” Finn snapped, although it came out wheezy.

Ah, back to the Finn we know and love
.

Their grand entrance into the officers’ canteen garnered them a few curious looks, but it wasn’t the first time she’d entered that way. She nodded at a couple familiar faces from other departments, seated at the old round tables, lit by hanging lamps. Shook her head when they offered to help. They’d probably heard about Simon, and they eyed Finn suspiciously.

“New officer?” Michael from the robbery/homicide division asked, putting down his coffee and wiping his goatee.

“New partner,” Ella bit out. “Temporary.”

Michael nodded, lifting a brow. “Thrown right into the deep end, huh?”

“Something like that.”

Reaching a free table, she deposited Finn in a plastic chair — and pushed him back down when he tried to get up. “I won’t be a minute.”

On the menu, as usual, were soggy bacon and eggs, bread rolls and strong coffee. She got an order for Finn and carried the tray back to their table.

He was shivering.
Fuck
. Was he going into shock? She dropped two cubes of sugar in his black coffee, and on second thought added two more for good measure. She stirred it and pushed it into his cold hands. “Here, drink. It’ll do you good.”

He sipped so obediently her worry went up a notch. No glare, no snappy comeback. He had to be feeling like shit.

Ella rubbed a hand over her face. He’d be fine. Liquids and iron tablets; that should put him right. And some multivitamins with minerals.

“I must see the skin,” Finn muttered.

“Hm?” She looked up from her contemplation of the yellow Formica of the floor. “What did you say?”

“The skin.” He placed the cup on the table with careful movements, his hands steadier now.

“Eat first. You look like hell, Finn. I’m not taking you anywhere in this state.”

Mouth set in a hard line, he shot his food a suspicious look. He poked the bacon with the fork, took the bread and started eating like a man on a mission. She only hoped he wouldn’t make himself sick.

He did slow down after the first few bites, grimacing, and pushed his plate back.

Canteen food, my man. Heals you or kills you
. “Feeling better?”

He nodded, although he didn’t really look it.

Vowing to buy some lighter food for him later, she slid her chair back with a screech. “Let’s get your badge.”

He stood with a wince. “I need to see the skin.”

“In a moment.” She was just as anxious as Finn to visit the lab, but she wanted to make the partnership official before Dave changed his mind.

Where the hell had Simon been headed that fateful night? Corner of Madison and Connegut. Just residential buildings and parks and... the Stevenson Library, a private collection. She thought of the code on the paper Simon had left wedged under his table.

A book. A library.

Son of a bitch
.

***

“What else did they say about the skin?” Finn edged away from the camera, giving it a distrustful look.

“I said you need to take off that bandana.” Officer Celia Kollett was in charge of producing Finn’s temporary badge and she was quickly discovering the joys of working with him. “Those are the regulations. We can stay here all day, honey.”

Finn didn’t even blink. Probably hadn’t heard a single word Celia had said. He scowled. “What about the claw marks?”

“We’ll talk about it later. Just take off the bandana and let’s finish here.” Ella kept loading her handgun. She’d need to ask for supplies soon.

“No.”

Ella looked up. Finn glowered, arms folded over his chest. God, he was serious.

“Head must be uncovered.” Celia lifted her hands, exasperated. “It’s for our digital records.”

“Can he leave the bandana on? He actually never takes it off,” Ella said, and saw Finn’s shoulders relax. “He’s only temporary, until the Central sends me a replacement. Nobody will know.”

Celia sighed, rolling her eyes heavenward. “I swear, Ella, for every regulation you follow, you break two.”

Ella shrugged. “It’s been a hard day.”

“I heard. I’m sorry.” Celia nodded, mouth turning down at the corners. “Ah, what the heck.” She printed the temporary badge and slapped a plastic over it. She flourished it at Finn. “Ta-da!”

He grabbed it, not even glancing at it, and shoved it into the back pocket of his pants. “We should go to the lab.”

“Slow down.” Ella started toward the door. “You were barely conscious half an hour ago. Armory’s next. You need weapons.”

He fell into step next to her, ignoring a bemused Celia who was wiggling her fingers goodbye. “Ella—”

“
Finn
.” She strode faster. “I need a partner who’s official so Dave won’t pull me off the case, and healthy enough not to fall on his face if and when the Shades decide to attack again.”

She chanced a glance at him and winced. If looks could kill, she’d be toast by now. Finn didn’t say
“Yes, Mom”
, but she could practically hear it.

“Sorry.” She slowed with an inward sigh. “But I can’t skip any more bureaucratic steps. Just bear with me for now, okay? And you do need a gun. You know how to use one?”

“I prefer blades.” That odd accent of his was thicker, maddening like an itch. And that wasn’t an answer.

“You don’t, then?”

He glowered.

Interrogation obviously didn’t sit well with Finn.
Heavy-handed, Ella
. Simon always said so. If only Finn deigned to answer from time to time...

The armory was on sublevel 4, so they took the elevator down two floors. The door opened with her code and they entered the cavernous hall where the instruments of death were hoarded.

Jeff lifted his shaggy head from a machine gun he’d been examining, nodded at her, and then his dark eyes fixed on Finn. “And who’s this, Elly?”

“Jefferson, meet my new temporary partner, Finn.”

Jeff gave Finn a long look, scratching his scraggly beard, then nodded again. “Heard about Simon. I’m sorry.”

There was nothing to say to that, so she shoved her hands into her pockets and took a deep breath. When had breathing become a conscious act? She felt she couldn’t get enough air.

“Finn needs knives, a gun and ammo,” she informed Jeff and rested her gaze on his collection. There was something soothing in the rows of shiny, dark guns.

Finn’s attention had strayed to a counter covered in blades of all shapes and sizes. He reverently touched a katana. Then he lifted a throwing knife. He twirled it between his slender fingers and Ella wondered if he’d cut himself to shreds. But he didn’t.

Her new partner. She shook her head in disbelief. How had things changed so fast?

“Grab two of those,” Jeff told Finn who jerked back and almost dropped the knife. Jesus, talk about jumpy. “And throwing stars.
Shuriken
. Good for catching the Shades from a distance. Pure iron, special delivery, came in today.”

Finn hesitated, glanced from Jeff to Ella, then ran his hands over the knives and stars. His eyes fluttered closed, as if he were playing a musical instrument, fingers moving lightly over the shiny blades. Ella held her breath.

“Good weapons,” Jeff said, “all of them.”

That snapped Finn out of his trance. With a little sniff, as if to say he’d be the judge of that, he proceeded to pick up various knives and test their balance and grip, spinning and thrusting them through the air.
So graceful
. It reminded her of the first time she’d seen him fighting Shades, moving like a dancer through the night.

When Finn selected two knives and prepared to pass them through his belt, she turned to Jeff. “Sheaths?”

 “Sheaths, yeah.” Jeff, who’d been staring at Finn, blinked and pulled out several from a drawer. He threw them at Finn who snatched them out of the air without missing a beat.

Jeff whistled, brows rising into his hairline.

Finn lifted his shirt and took off his belt to attach the sheaths, and Ella had to drag her gaze away from his perfect abs. She resisted the urge to fan herself.
Whoa, baby
. How hadn’t she noticed the night before?

Oh, right
. Finn, passed out in her car and then her couch, covered in blood. His abs hadn’t really been the first thing on her mind.

“That looks like a nasty wound.” Jeff nodded at the stained bandage on Finn’s side, and she made a mental note to check that too, later. Soon she’d need an organizer for all those mental lists.

Finn buckled the belt and sheathed his knives. He looked up and grinned. His smile was startlingly beautiful and she found herself gaping — again.
God, get a hold on yourself, girl
.