Chapter Three
Finnick
Iwake to the late fall sunlight dancing across Ollie’s hip. I grin and let a hand go to her waist. At my touch, she slowly rolls over and I take in Kai and Lonan on her other side.
“Traitor,” she murmurs sleepily.
I chuckle and lean in to kiss her. “Sorry, beloved. I need to teach Barak how to ride a griffon today, so I must be able to sit.”
She wrinkles her nose in an adorable way and I kiss the bridge of it. She threads her fingers in my hair and looks at me with heart-stopping tenderness.
Could I really be finding a place in her heart?
“Will you shower with me?” I ask on a whim.
She nods with a smile. “Think we can escape this massive bed without waking them?”
I grin and start to roll slowly for the edge behind me.
Once standing, I hold out my hands for her.
She takes them and we move as silently and calmly as we can.
I know both her mates are very dangerous Fae who more or less sleep with one eye open, so when she’s standing next to me and they are both still asleep, I’m a bit shocked.
I tug her silently to Lonan’s ridiculous bathroom. I look around, shaking my head. Ollie sees it and snorts.
“He’s water, like you. Didn’t you have a huge tub to soak in?” she asks, but even as the words come out of her mouth, her face falls. “Oh. Oh. Of course you didn’t.” Rage crosses her face. “Fuck them.” She takes a deep breath, “How upset would you be if I killed them?”
“Oleander!”
“Fine, wound them, merely?”
“No!”
She pouts. “No one harms what’s mine. Even if they weren’t mine at the time. They’re awful, Finn. Let me kill them.”
I laugh. “No. My parents have some rather big flaws, I admit, but you cannot kill them.”
She rolls her eyes and turns to step behind the stone half-wall. She leans in and turns on the shower. I notice a variety of soap bars sit in slotted trays on top of the half-wall. Ollie lets out a squeak as the water spray hits her.
“Cold,” she answers my questioning gaze as her olive skin prickles with goosebumps. “I guess Kai must handle the temperature himself, for me, until the pipes warm up.”
I smile at that bit of thoughtfulness from Kai as I step into the shower. He has an awfully rough exterior, but he’s a big softie inside, I can absolutely feel it.
“What is what?” I gesture at the bars.
She points, “For curly hair, for straight hair, for faces, for bodies, for bodies—but less manly smelling.”
“And which do you use?” I ask, lifting up a half-wet strand of her wavy white and green hair.
She grabs both the hair bars, one in each hand and starts to rub them in her hair. I laugh, my heart warming. My betrothed is such a silly creature and so kind as well. I am so lucky, I think, as I quickly push away the memory of showering with another, that Fae’s plush curves under my soapy hands.
Ollie’s eyes trace up and down my body. It seems appreciative and my heart dances at that, that she likes the look of my body.
But she says, “You don’t have gills.”
I deflate a bit. “Oh, yes. My mother doesn’t either. She was proud of that.”
Ollie’s face is unreadable but she presses her body to mine and kisses my chest. “I don’t care either way, Finnick.”
Her words ease something in me; solidify my belief that I might, for once, be able to be what someone needs.
We finish our shower as we laugh and chat. I’m still getting to know her, and my every moment with her is precious. As she turns off the shower, I reach out and grab a towel, wrapping it around her. She gives me a soft look as I rub my hands over it, drying her.
She stands on her tiptoes and presses the lightest kiss to my lips. I melt into her, hands gripping her waist.
She eases back, a smile on her face. “I need to get moving. I promised to help Cook today. And I need to see what evening would be best for her for a girls’ night.”
I nod, pressing my forehead to hers. “Afternoon tea, then?” I ask, a shimmer of nervousness hitting me.
“Yes, perfect.” She kisses me again and slips out of the bathroom. I lean against the wall and close my eyes, again struggling with how much my life has changed in less than a month.
I don’t know how long I stand there, naked, but a cough snaps my eyes open.
Lonan peers at me from the doorway, one dark eyebrow raised. “Would you like to use my bathtub?”
Realization crashes through me and my mouth opens and closes.
“You... you weren’t asleep, were you?”
Lonan eyes dance away, the amusement clear on his face.
“And you heard...?”
“Not everything. Kai and I were... busy as well. But I did catch that you likely haven’t had the chance to submerge yourself recently and I wanted to offer...”
My eyes suddenly fill with unwanted tears. I snap them shut, turning my face to the wall.
“Hey, hey,” Lonan’s voice comes closer, and a hand is pressed to my bicep. “I’m sorry, Finnick. I didn’t mean to... drag up any bad memories. It must not have been easy, being raised by fire Fae.”
I take a deep breath. That’s an understatement.
My father had been livid with me and with my mother, who had water in her lineage, even though she personally was a fire. Growing up had been hard.
I understand Ollie’s protective desire to murder my family, even if I don’t think they deserve it.
I shake my head, silent, as my eyes meet Lonan’s maroon ones. His gaze is steady and I suddenly understand why his people trust him so much as a leader. He waits calmly.
“That would be nice,” I finally say softly.
The grin he gives me makes something in my chest turn over.
AS BARAK AND I LAND our griffons, the young Fae gives me a huge grin. I hop off and stride over to clap his shoulder.
“Well done! He seems like he’s really starting to trust you.” I smile.
Barak nods. “I came up with a name for him. Aero. I think he likes it.”
I smile, “I imagine so. No one at Larkstead agreed with me, but I always got the best results from griffons that I named.”
He nods, happiness evident.
I continue, “You and Faust will be the leaders of the griffon flight, so you must—”
Barak cuts me off, “Wait, sir, will you not lead?”
I hesitate. That part of my conversation with ‘the mates,’ as I’ve been calling them in my head, didn’t really get flushed out. “I’m not sure, Barak, but having you trained and ready to lead is only a positive thing, whether or not I fly with you.”
I clap his shoulder as his pale skin flushes. I turn and head for the keep, worried I’m late for tea.
When I get to Lonan’s apartments, I hear all three of them chatting. I take the steps two at a time, eager to see them.
“Finn,” Ollie greets me and I hope I’m not imagining the excitement in her voice.
She crosses and kisses me. She’s in a bold yellow gown that drapes over her shoulders, a plum corset pressing her gorgeous breasts up over the neckline.
I let my fingers dig into her hips, just to remind myself that she’s real, not a fever dream where after I’ll wake up in my dark rooms back in the castle.
Kai quickly crosses and presses himself against my back. He wraps his arms around me, to Ollie, in a rather platonic manner, but my heart thuds loudly nonetheless.
“I’m not a big tea fan, but I have beer,” Lonan says, unstoppering a large glass bottle. He pours four glasses.
Ollie laughs, still settled in my arms, “So it’s beer time, not tea time?”
I chuckle, “I’m in.”
Kai lays a silent kiss on my shoulder and pulls away, going to help Lonan pass out drinks as we all sit.
“Soooo,” Ollie starts looking mischievous. “How was everyone’s morning?”
We all chuckle.
“We’re not doing a debrief,” Lo laughs.
“We’re also not doing sex, I guess,” Kai rumbles.
I cough on my beer, “Was that on the table?”
Lonan and Kai both give me arched looks and I blush.
“Well,” Lonan changes the subject, “I have some news from Cas and Korben.”
Ollie makes an interested noise.
“Knife’s Edge seems to be flirting with Alder.”
“Fuck,” Ollie curses.
“Exactly,” Lo nods, “I’m guessing they are trying to avoid an invasion by suggesting they might align with him. The Mayor of Knife’s Edge is a cold bitch, and I mean that in the best possible way, so I doubt she’ll bend the knee.”
Kai’s eyes land on me as he licks some foam off his lip. I feel heat creep up my face and I turn my eyes down.
We all sit in silence a few moments, the quiet atmosphere comfortable, aside from my brain trying to consider what else Kai’s tongue does. Oh fuck, I want to see him eat out Ollie.
Well, shit, now I have a hard-on. Think political thoughts, godsdammit.
“I went down to see Indigo. She’s low on bottle-ear. I’m going to take Lu and go searching for some. It’s late in the season for it but it’s worth a shot.”
I tilt my head. “Who is Indigo?”
“Oh,” Ollie answers, “She’s one of our healers in Thistle Grove. She uses magic and herbs, which not all healers do. She’s great.” She has a kind expression on her face, like they are close, and it makes me smile. Ollie continues, “Cosmo is our other healer, he sticks to magic, like most do.”
I open my mouth to ask to meet them but Lonan cuts me off.
“Oh, shit, I forgot to tell you all. I got some very interesting news about Ordained Rafe.”
I swear I see Ollie shiver. I frown.
My hand reaches out for Ollie’s knee, where she sits near me on the couch. “Who is Ordained Rafe?” I ask feebly.
“Alder’s main advisor. There are a few others responsible for guiding his wandering mind, but Rafe is top of my personal hit list,” Lonan says, voice rough.
Ollie places her hand on top of mine and I frown harder.
“Mine too,” Kai adds, looking pissed.
Lonan continues, “Engineer Zola said one of her wings at the South Stockmont saw him arrive in Homestead Village."
They all seem to understand the implications but I’m not quite sure I do.
“Why would he be there?”
“Returning to the Monastery Isles,” Ollie mutters. “Fucker.”
I decide I hate this Fae as much as the three of them. If they hate him, I hate him.
Kai clears his throat. “Finn, tell us something.”
Ollie grins, but I imagine I look merely confused.
“It’s kinda a game,” Lo shrugs, smirking. “Just tell us something about yourself.”
I think silently. What can I say that’s interesting? But also not embarrassing or too revealing?
“If you don’t come up with something quick, I’ll just ask a question,” Ollie grins.
Shit.
“I learned to ride a griffon at age eight.” I blurt. Boring. But safe.
Lonan nods. “And when did you learn to ride a Fae?”
Shit.
All three stare at me, waiting.
I clear my throat. “Uh, I was forty. Rather old, I know,” I add quickly, hoping to avoid any commentary on it.
“What about you all?” I blurt, again trying to keep the conversation away from me, but I cringe as I process what I asked. Shit.
Lo and Kai answer at the same time: “Twenty-eight.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Together?”
Kai nods, a glint in his eyes, but he turns to look at Lo with devotion in his gaze.
I look to Ollie.
“Um, depends on your definition. Anyway," she stands and throws back the rest of her beer in one go. “I gotta get moving, I don’t want Indigo to run out of an important herb over the winter.”