Chapter 8 Pollen Talk #3
Finley, he’s used to seeing you as a helpless, useless human. He’ll want to protect you. He’s an immortal himself so the magic you wield now will be unnatural in his eyes, too, the professor warned. And if you were so sure of him, you wouldn’t have pulled away. I don’t control your behavior.
No, I know. People are going to misunderstand this magic.
Or those who won’t, will want to abuse it, the professor pointed out. You’ll have to be very careful who you tell and what you do with it. You’re its keeper now, Finley. The first one in over fifty-thousand years.
Fifty-thousand?!
Yes, no one who has the power to truly wield it has passed through the doors of the temple in some time, the professor assured him. You truly are special, Finley. You’ve no idea how special. But you know what happens to special people, don’t you? You’ve seen how your friend Declan was ostracized.
So was I.
Yes, you were. They sensed the difference in you as well. But this difference–this specialness–will set you even further apart, the professor warned. You must be careful. You must be circumspect, yes?
Yes, you’re right, professor. I’m so glad that… that you remained near me until I could hear you again, Finley confessed softly. Though…
What, Finley? What concerns you?
If you’re here with me then that means you haven’t moved on, Finley frowned. That isn’t what I wanted for you.
Oh, dear boy, the professor chuckled softly. Don’t you worry about me! Time is different for the dead. A decade–two, ten, one-hundred–well, they just aren’t the same for me as they are for you.
So you’re okay? You’re not stuck or anything? Finley didn’t have any understanding of what happened to souls now. He actually believed in souls now. It was amazing and strange.
Another dry chuckle. I’m quite well, Finley. I knew that you had a great destiny before you. I wanted to be there to help you. And so here I am!
A great destiny… Finley rolled those words in his mind. That sounds wonderful, but also overwhelming.
Of course! And you’re smart enough to see both sides of this coin! But don’t worry! You’re not alone. I’m with you all the way, the professor assured him.
Thank you, Finley smiled. I’m so glad you’re here.
They’d gone quite a distance from the garden where he’d found Rhalyf and his head felt a little clearer.
He had moved back into Rhalyf’s arms. In fact, he was practically suction-cupped to Rhalyf’s side.
He was leaning against Rhalyf, rubbing his cheek against the Kindreth’s robes like a kitten wanting petting.
His mind went back to all he had done since he’d met Rhalyf.
Finley blinked. And colored. He stopped the rubbing.
“Rhalyf, the pollen you keep mentioning…”
“Aphrodisiac, I’m afraid. Vex planted it all over the place to encourage orgies after the re-enactment of the Forever Hunt,” Rhalyf answered.
“Oh.”
Rhalyf sighed. “You mustn’t be embarrassed, Finley. I’m quite chuffed you think I’m relatively handsome–”
“Gorgeous. I believe the word I used was gorgeous,” Finley answered faintly.
“Don’t worry! I won’t bring that up. Too often,” Rhalyf chuckled, totally pleased with this.
Finley stopped in his tracks. He wasn’t sure why he was going to say the next thing he did to Rhalyf. Really the Kindreth had given him a perfect way out. The pollen had caused him to act this way with the elf! These weren’t his real feelings! He was just drunk on pollen and…
“I did mean what I said, Rhalyf,” Finley told the elf. Rhalyf was back to holding his hands again.
“Well, I–”
“No, please don’t say anything to deflect what I’m trying to tell you.
” Finley grimaced. Rhalyf had gone silent and the joking smile was gone.
His expression was unreadable. “I hope I didn’t embarrass you by what I said and did.
You’re an elf. Beautiful and everything.
While I’m just human.” With a skeleton army!
“So I realize a human mooning over your beauty is likely–”
“Wonderful,” Rhalyf cut him off. “Because it’s you, Finley. And you don’t say or think those things about just anybody.”
Finley blinked. That sounded suspiciously heartfelt. Which was good. He lowered his head. “The pollen didn’t make me think those things about you. They’re true. I just hope I didn’t offend you by expressing those things to you so physically.”
“Offend me? Finley, I…” Rhalyf tipped his chin up so that they were looking at one another. “I was honored. And nothing you did offended me. But I promise not to read anything into you speaking them outloud or acting on them physically.”
That teasing smile was back, but this time it was welcome. It wasn’t dismissive. It was almost a challenge.
Finley opened his mouth. He wasn’t sure what he would have said right then, because there was a sudden roar, hiss, shatter, break! The sound was like a million rattlesnakes had suddenly come to insane life and were about to strike.
“Leviathan!” Finley gasped.
“Yes, and lots of them,” Rhalyf muttered. His head lifted and he pointed in a direction somewhere north of the city. “There! It’s coming from there! And I sense Aquilan and–”
“Declan!” Finley felt his best friend’s magical signature. It was like a supernova. “We need to get to them!”
With determination, Rhalyf growled, “Yes, we do.”