Boreal and John Grey Season 1 (13 page)

“Like a porcupine,” she muttered, her own lips lifting in a matching smile. It was nice to see Finn happy — or at least pleased with his weapons. “What about guns?”

“Here, Finn.” Jeff lifted a Heckler and Koch USP CT pistol for inspection, a calculating gleam in his eye. What was he going for? “Semi-automatic, lightweight and accurate. Give it a try.”

A concentrated look on his face, Finn stepped forward to receive it. She opened her mouth to ask if he knew how to use it, but she needn’t have worried. He checked the magazine, and when Jeff threw him a shoulder holster, he pulled it on, tugging on the black leather straps as if he’d been doing it all his life.

Jesus
. Who was he anyway?

The straps pulled on the neckline of his t-shirt, exposing a swath of muscled chest and his left shoulder. Before he adjusted it, a mark drew her eye, sort of like a starburst.
A birth-mark?

“Have you used one of these before?” Jeff beamed at Finn, obviously considering him a kindred spirit.

“Similar one,” Finn grunted. He sheathed the pistol in one of the two holsters hanging over his ribs and folded his arms. Armed to the teeth, legs spread, head bowed, he looked ready to take on a whole army of Shades.

Jeff winked at Ella. “Well, well, Elly. Where did you find him? Ex military, is he?”

That was a thought. Might also explain why Finn was so mum about his identity and past. “Thanks, Jefferson. Now we can go to the lab. Finn?”

Finn lifted his head, his gaze unfocused. “At your command,” he whispered, shoulders tensing, back straightening, and the funny thing was he didn’t seem to be pulling her leg at all.

***

“It’s a piece of white skin,” Jake the lab technician said, motioning at the report on his desk. “Thick and tough like an elephant’s hide.”

The small laboratory had a contract with the Paranormal Bureau, all the better for keeping their secrets. No other technicians were in today — just the three of them among the white counters and shelves laden with vials and bottles.

“An albino elephant?” Ella made a face.

Jake chuckled and scratched his clean-shaven chin. “Yeah, well...”

“If the skin’s so thick, how the hell did Simon grab a sample?”

“We think the creature might be molting; shedding its epidermis. You know, the way snakes do as they grow. Anyway, that’s our working hypothesis.”

Ella rubbed her face. “And the analysis?”

“The DNA analysis suggests something vaguely similar to a reptile. There was a little bit of sequence similarity there, but a lot of it doesn’t match anything we have in our databases.”

She scanned the report. Simon’s weapons hadn’t been used, his gun hadn’t fired, his knives were clean. As if he’d been caught by surprise.

Finn was leaning against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets. “The skin, does it have any feathers or scales?”

Jake blinked up at him. “Who are you?”

“Finn. He’s with me,” Ella said.
My new, sullen partner
.

“Right.” Jake looked Finn up and down. “And how did you...? Nevermind.” He cleared his throat. “There was a scale attached to it, coated in an iridescent film, much like—”

“Where is it?” Finn pushed off the wall with a grunt.

Jake gestured at the microscope. “It’s there. Help yourself.” He turned to Ella. “I was going to tell you, but first we wanted to be sure—”

“No worries.” Ella kept her eyes on Finn who bent to look through the lens. When he straightened, he was a new shade of pale. “Finn? What is it?”

“We thought of snakes, albino snakes, some new species,” Jake was saying, “but the claw marks discount that possibility, and the—”

“
Freki
,” Finn said. “Wolf.”

Jake gaped, then grinned and wagged a finger at Finn. “Oh, that’s a good one. Scaly wolves. That’s funny, that’s...”

Finn didn’t look amused; in fact he managed to look both pissed and horrified. His eyes were wide. “
Inguz dyr
,” he hissed, or something like it, spitting it like a curse. His nostrils flared, and his hands twitched against his sides. “
Adramar
.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

Finn shook his head and limped toward the door, still muttering.

A perfect partnership
.

“What’s going on?” Jake glanced from Finn’s retreating form to Ella and back. “What’s up with him?”

Damn if she knew. “Jake, you’re sure you’ve never seen anything like it?”

“Not that I can recall, no. I’ll have to go through the archives, see what I can dig out.”

“Do that. Let me know if you find anything else.” Ella grabbed her backpack and strode outside, through dim corridors and the empty lobby. “Finn? Wait.”

***

The snow that piled up overnight had melted, leaving muddy pools and dirty patches. Finn stood by the car, hands fisted at his sides, staring into the distance. She came around to face him. His gaze was bleak.

“Okay, Finn, spill.” She laid a hand on his arm and he recoiled. She let it drop. “What’s that scale?”

Finn grimaced. “The Gates,” he whispered with a shuddering breath. “Too late.”

“For what?” Cold born of fear spread its tentacles inside her. “Are you saying something came through a Gate and got Simon? Whatever it is, I’ll kill it.”

He gave a bark of laughter, short and bitter. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“But you obviously do, so talk to me. What’s Adramar?”

“The Queen.”

“Queen of
Aelfheim
?”

“
Aelfheim
.” The way he pronounced the word was odd — drawn out but the consonants harsh, infused with longing, sorrow and anger all at once.

“What of
Aelfheim
?”

“It’s... a cold world.” Finn stared blankly ahead, his hands clenching and unclenching. As if on cue, snowflakes drifted down, catching in his hair. When had it started snowing again?

“Finn?”

He shuddered, as if coming out of a dream. “The cold age lasted forever. Snow and ice. When the frost didn’t end, when the snow reached a man’s height, the People looked for another world.” It sounded like a passage from an epic, lines learned by heart.

“People?”

“
Aelfar
. Through the Gates, they first sent the small ones —
f+frildia ok fuglar
.”

“Insects. And birds?” Her Old Norse was a little rusty. “Why the hell are you talking to me in a dead language?”

“Then they sent their animals.” His voice dropped. “
Frekar, nadrar, drekar
.”

“
Frekar
.” She frowned. “Wolves. Wolves, snakes and dragons?”

He peered at her, strands of silvery hair blowing across his face. “Yes. The white animals of
Aelfheim
crossed, and then the Boreals.”

“You’re saying that’s what’s happening? They’re getting ready to cross?” She swallowed, her throat gone dry. “You could be wrong. Maybe it was something else.”

“Wishful thinking.” A tremor went through Finn.

Damn, the rising breeze was icy-cold. “Let’s get in the car.”

Ella squelched her way around the car and climbed inside. She waited for Finn to take his seat, her hands resting on the wheel, and gave him a sideways look. She opened her mouth to ask more questions, but he raised his hand to stop her.

“Sh.” Finn leaned forward, his gaze narrow and focused like a laser beam. Then his breath hissed out and he gripped the dashboard, making it creak. “Drive.”

“Look, this isn’t—”

“
Vaettir
.” He reached up and yanked out his pistol. “Shades.”

“What?” It took her a moment to comprehend, then something smashed into the windshield. With a gasp, she revved the car, set it in reverse and backed out into the street. “What the hell?” And just when Finn had finally decided to start talking. Figured.

A hunchback goblin intercepted them and she spun the wheel to avoid it. Cars honked and pedestrians jumped out of the way. Another hit broke one of the back door windows.

Finn raised his pistol, twisted in his seat, and fired through the rear windshield, smashing it. The goblin staggered, then faded. Cold air blasted through the broken window.

“Go,” he snapped.

Why hadn’t she heard the Shades arrive? She stepped on the gas and sped down the street, trying not to look over her shoulder. Finn fired another round, then climbed into the back seat.

 “Finn!” What was he doing?

A growl sounded so close to her ear the hairs on her nape lifted. The car shook. Goddammit, something was inside with them. She tried to see in the rear-view mirror, but all she saw was a tangle of limbs, human and leathery goblin-like.
Fuck
.

A honk brought her attention back to the road and she swerved to avoid a frontal collision with a van. Finn yelped and she glanced around, her heart pounding in her throat. A blade flashed, and then she had to turn to the street again, just in time to avoid climbing a sidewalk.

Something smacked into her seat, throwing her forward. Blades swished and Finn grunted, crashing into the back of the other seat. A leathery fist closed around his arm and hauled him out of sight.
Damn
. The car rocked, its springs whining.