Page 4 of Finn's Solace

The drive to TOSS was pretty straightforward, and I fell into the familiar routine of finding a parking space, then finding a cart and filling it with items.

Focusing on a task always made my mind go blissfully quiet.

While most days, my past was nothing but a distant memory, and I enjoyed every moment of my present, sometimes something random would send me hurtling back, and suddenly, the nightmares and the memories would be back. Being away from my siblings and unable to make sure they were safe didn't help either.

When my dads had first adopted me and my siblings, we'd all gone to therapy. Back then, I hadn't really trusted anyone, and I hadn't been able to relax enough to actually share my problems with Dr. Griffin, the therapist I'd seen. I'd been worried my new parents would decide I was too much trouble and try to separate us, even though Dr. Griffin had assured me whatever I said would stay between us.

I'd gone to Dr. Griffin again when I turned eighteen and my magic revealed itself. That time had been a little better, and while I'd learned some coping methods and tricks to remind myself my past was just that, I still struggled sometimes.

I blinked as I realized I'd been standing in the middle of the aisle and staring at the list for a few minutes now. Actually scanning the list revealed I had everything I needed. I made my way to the checkout counter, cheering mentally when I found one open. Mistvale was a small town, so the counters were usually open—unless youreallyneeded them, of course.

The cashier, a cheerful person named Juan, started scanning my purchases as they small-talked, and I tried my best to stay in the present and engage. Sometimes, I was terrible at talking to people I didn't know well.

Someone stepped in behind me as I handed Juan my card, and I turned to the stranger, giving him a smile. The man was shorter than me, maybe 5'10",and stocky, with messy black hair and ocean-blue eyes. Something about him looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I could sense he was a mage, an earth mage. Had I seen him around town before? I had a feeling I'd have noticed him if I had.

He tilted his head, and I realized he was watching me just as closely as I'd been examining him. The curiosity in his eyes probably mirrored mine. Just who was he?

"Those eyes..." he mumbled, and for a moment, my heart stopped as I wondered if I'd lost control of my powers, if he'd seen a flash of my basilisk. But then, he said, "Gin?" and all of a sudden, I remembered exactly who he was. There was only one person who'd ever called me Gin (short for Ginger, because of my reddish hair, such an original nickname) and he was supposed to bedead.

Levi

Finn. He was really here. He wasalive.

"Levi?" His voice came out a little choked, and I wondered if he'd thoughtI was dead too.

"It's me," I confirmed, and his eyes widened behind his glasses. I wondered what that was about? Supe eyesight didn't exactly weaken, but it'd been years since I last saw him. Had those monsters harmed him further after I'd escaped?

"Holy shit," he mumbled, his eyes roaming all over me, a furrow between his brows. I had no idea what was going through his head, but mine was filled with excitement. I'd thought I would never see him again. I'd spent years feeling guilty I hadn't found him and the others in time. The others…

"Penny and Dean?"

Finn's face softened, and he dipped his head in a shallow nod. "They're okay."

"Here you go. Thank you for shopping!" the cashier—Juan, pronouns they/them, according to their name tag—said as they handed back Finn's credit card.

Finn glanced back at me, and a dozen expressions seemed to flash across his face one after the other before he looked away. He exhaled loudly enough for me to hear, then shook his head.

"I have to go," Finn said as he grabbed the grocery bags and started making his way to the exit. Wait, what?

"Gin! Wait up!"

Instead of waiting, Finn picked up pace and disappeared through the exit, leaving me standing there with a cart full of groceries and a mind full of confusion. What had just happened? I'd thought we were catching up. Was Finn not as surprised to see me as I was him? Or was I just a reminder of an awful time in his past?

Moving to Mistvale had been an impulsive decision after I'd heard about the supe-friendly town from another supe at a club. I'd just quit my job, and I'd been looking for a fresh start. Mistvale had sounded like as good a place as any.

Now I couldn't help wondering if I was meant to be here. What were the chances I'd stumble into the man I'd spent years missing in my first week of living here?

The last time I'd seen Finn, we'd both been kids, though he was three years younger than me. Thirteen and far too small for his age, yet desperately protective of his little sister and brother. He was the strongest person I'd ever known, and I wished I could've taken him with me when I ran, but he never would've left his siblings behind, and I couldn't have ensured their safety if they'd come with us.

Not that staying at the mercy of a bunch of terrible people who were regularly draining our blood was any safer. I'd always planned to come back and rescue them and the others once I was stronger, once I'd healed enough to have access to my magic again, but when I returned, the place had been abandoned, and there was no sign of where they could've gone or if they'd even survived.

Finn was on my mind as Juan finished scanning my purchases, and I drove home with a million questions jumping around my head. I needed to find Finn again, to have a proper conversation. I had to figure out why he'd taken off the way he had. Had I said something wrong,donesomething wrong?

When I walked into the house, Greta was already waiting for me just inside, her dark eyes full of judgement at having been abandoned for hours.

Greta eyed me for a long moment, then climbed up my leg before wrapping herself around my neck like a furry little scarf.

"Guess who I met today?" I asked her as I carried the groceries into the kitchen. I loved my new place. It was bigger than my old one, but cost about the same. Small towns were great like that.

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