Finn's Choice (12 page)

Finn's heart sank.

“And
crazy
is how we angels roll.” With a grin at his master, he reached up. He yanked a handful of strands from his head, then passed them across the table to Gideon, who folded them into a corner of his handkerchief. “Any chance I could come watch when Finn fires up for the first time? I might be able to help. Give him a few pointers.”

“Why are you doing this?” Finn blurted out. “Is it because I'm a halfer?”

“Well, sure. That's what we do—serve and protect humans. Hey! I just thought of something.” He snapped his fingers. A flame sprang to life on the tips. “Oops.” He made a fist, extinguishing it, then continued. “Basil, shouldn't we be helping guard the Steel family?”

“Gideon?” Basil looked at the Knight. “Would you like another layer of protection? Perhaps when the family is out and about in
their day-to-day lives? We're quite adept at that kind of covert surveillance, you know.”

“While I admit it hurts my pride,” Gideon said, “I accept. It would take some of the burden from Kel O'Shea and Mac Roth, as well.”

“Consider it done, then. I'll inform Flight Command to change up our duty rotation to include the Steels. If you would be so kind as to not mention our existence to them, it would be greatly appreciated.”

“They know about
us
,” Finn pointed out. “And Iona and the goddess. How much harder would it be to believe in angels?”

“And Katie and her parents handled it just fine, in spite of what happened afterwards.” Griffin added his support to Finn. At the younger apprentice's look of confusion, he explained. “Katie is…
was
…my girlfriend. She's mortal. Lives across the street with her folks.”

“Was?” Finn asked.

“Yeah. It didn't work out. But we're still friends.” A trace of a smile. “Which is still a pretty cool thing.”

I know what you mean
, Finn thought.

The Journal of Finnegan MacCullen: Thursday, October 17

Angels. Witches. Goddesses and goblins. And Fey. All we need are vampires, zombies, and space aliens, and our lives could be a television show. And what's this Burnt Bones thing? I asked Gideon, but he didn't want to talk about it.

He's worried. Which makes me worried. He tried not to show it, but he was really quiet during supper tonight. I wonder if he would really let the
Scatah
Scathah
Scáthach
take me? Would he be able to fight a goddess? He's good, but, come on—she's a goddess!

She could kill him.

I won't let that happen.

The Journal of Gideon Lir: Thursday, October 17

Sleep eludes me. Why do I think this is a battle we cannot win?

What the goddess is demanding of Finn is almost impossible. Is that why she chose these trials? Knowing we will fail before we even begin?

With a sigh, Gideon closed his journal and started to toss it on his desk, then stopped himself in time and laid it down. He glanced up the stairs disappearing into the darkness. Firelight and the soft glow from his lamp were the only lights in the darkened house.
Near to midnight
, he thought,
and the hours are slipping through my hands too fast. One day closer to the day. And this is only the first trial
. Frustration tightened his muscles. Cursing Fate and a goddess—two enemies he couldn't defeat—he rose from his desk, careful to keep the chair from squeaking.
Not that anything short of a full-blown explosion would wake the boyo
, he thought wryly, remembering all the times he'd had to drag Finn out of bed by the foot. The thought of his home being empty of a certain teen boy filled him with the old melancholy.

Unable to face that image, he clicked off the lamp and stepped over to the fireplace. After selecting a dagger, he walked to the front door, snagged his jacket from the hook, and slipped outside.

Cold air greeted him as he paused on the porch. Taking a deep breath, he opened himself to the night, stretching out his senses for any sign of Amandán. Nothing. He walked further into the yard and looked up. Stars vibrated against the blue-black of the sky,
as if the earth was whirling too fast for them to come into focus.

A light flared from the front window of Kel O'Shea's house next door. It threw an elongated square out onto the snow of her front yard, half-hidden by Gideon's truck. A moment later, the sound of a door opening, then closing, echoed softly in the darkness.

“Kel O'Shea?”

“Gideon?” The female's Knight's disembodied voice drifted over the truck. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”

“A bit o' yard work.”

“Funny man.” Footsteps crunched through the snow, then Kel O'Shea appeared from the far side of the vehicle carrying an empty cardboard box stuffed full of flattened ones. She dumped the load near the curb.

Bundled in a heavy jacket, she sauntered around to Gideon's front gate and leaned against it. “Can't sleep, huh? Worrying about Finn?”

“Aye. And what about you?” He joined her, speaking across the gate.

“I wanted to finish unpacking the last of those boxes so I can stop tripping over them.” She tucked her hands in her pockets. “Did you find those angels?”

“I did. They are willing to help us. And better still, they are going to help us guard the Steel family. Finn and I will meet with Iona on Sunday and try again.” Heedless of the bite of cold metal, he gripped the top of the wrought-iron gate. “Ye gods, I pray it
works.”

Kel laid a hand on his. “It
will
work. And if it doesn't, we'll find another solution. Or we'll find a way for Finn to stay with you.” Her hand tightened. “You're not alone in this fight, Gideon Lir. Mac Roth and I, we've got your back, to borrow a phrase from my apprentice.” She grinned.

As a shield in battle
. A weight seemed to fall from his shoulders. He smiled back, grateful for the warmth of the hand on his and the friendship that went with it.

“So.” Kel O'Shea straightened and stuffed her hands back into her pockets. “Since you and Finn have a few days free, want to do some more hunting? Tara is frothing at the mouth to win her torc. I think she wants to prove to Finn and Lochlan that girls can play in the big league with the boys. Plus, I want to send a message to that pack of Amandán not to mess with me or my apprentice or the Steels.”

“Right. Say, about midmorning? And just out of curiosity, how are you planning on delivering that message to those beasties?”

“Why, on the tips of my arrows, of course.” She grinned and headed back to her house.

Heart lighter, Gideon watched her until she disappeared with a wave, then he sauntered along the walkway, a faint smile on his face.

Standing in the dark living room, Finn peered through the curtains, watching as Gideon spoke to the other Knight. Unable to sleep, he had heard the soft snick of the front door closing and had crept downstairs to investigate.

He let the curtain fall into place as his master headed toward their house. Feeling slightly sick at having spied on Gideon, he hurried toward the stairs. As his foot hit the lowest tread, the front door opened.

“And just what are you doing up at this hour?” Gideon closed the door behind him and locked it. The
choonk
of the bolt sliding into place echoed in the silence.

Turning around, Finn started to say that he needed a drink of water. That he had forgotten something downstairs. That he had heard the door and wanted to make sure everything was okay. But instead, he blurted out, “What were you guys doing out there?”

“Oh, discussing the
Scáthach
, and arranging another hunt. Kel would like to—”

“Outside? In the middle of the night?” Finn hated the way his voice sounded whiny and accusatory. Hated himself. Self-loathing and anger swelled up in his chest like a bubble of lava. Shame over resenting Kel O'Shea when she didn't deserve it. Shame over begrudging the happiness she brought his master.

And anger at his master.
I was his apprentice before she came along. She's going to ruin everything. And I won't be…be first anymore
. Even as he thought it, he cringed.

“Never mind.” He ran up the stairs, kicked the bedroom door
closed, and threw himself on the bed. Disgust made him bury his face in the pillow.
You're acting like some kid trying to get attention from his parents
.

The door opened.

“Finn.”

“Go away.”

A snort of disbelief. A footfall. Then, the mattress dipped to one side. “What is troubling you, Finn, lad?”

“Nothing.”

Silence.

Silence.

More silence.

Son of a goat
. Huffing out a long breath, Finn rolled over. In the dim starlight, he could just make out his master's face.

“Nothing's bothering me,” Finn repeated.

An eyebrow lifted. “Care to try again?”

“It's…it's stupid.”

“Let me be the judge of that. Although, you being Finn, I'd place a wager that 'tis most likely so.” A trace of a smile. It faded after a moment. “This is about Knight O'Shea.”

“Well, kind of.” Finn looked away. “You like her, don't you?”

“Aye, I do. We've been friends for many years.”

“But you
like
her.”

Gideon shifted on the bed, rubbing his knuckles along his jaw. “You mean,” he paused and cleared his throat, “in a romantic way.” He studied a corner of the room.

Finn nodded, his own gaze locked on the window, wishing he had kept his mouth shut.

“While this is not a conversation I ever imagined having with you, I suppose I would be less of a Knight by shirking it.” Gideon squared his shoulders, as if preparing for battle. “Yes, I am fond of her.”

Finn waited for more. When nothing came, he prompted the Knight. “And?”

“And I believe she is fond of me.”

“Oh.” Finn played with the edge of the quilt, rolling it up. “So what happens now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you…like…dating?”

“Dating.”

“You know. Going out to dinner. Holding hands.”
Kissing
. Finn shuddered.

“Ah. Courting. No, we've not come to that. Yet.”

Finn didn't like the “yet” part. He wanted desperately for this conversation to be over. Just as desperately, he wanted to know—needed to know—what would happen in the future. “But if you do. Then, what about…what about…” He choked on the rest of the words.

Gideon nodded in understanding. “You're worried that things might change between you and me.”

“Yeah.” It came out in a whisper.

“They will not.”

The simple statement loosened the band around Finn's chest. His master's next words eased the tightness even more.

“Fondness for another does not diminish my affection for you, Finnegan MacCullen. Nor will any feelings I have for Kel O'Shea remove you from your place at my side.”