Page 11 of Finn's Solace

"Yep. It's spelled," Levi said, then reached out to pet the tiny cat's head. I felt a wave of magic wash over me, like it was enveloping us in a bubble, and gave him a questioning look.

"It's a cloaking spell of sorts. It softens the noise outside the little bubble it created around us, and keeps others from listening in. See, it's mentioned here in the menu."

I'd completely missed that. Rory really had gone all out with this place. I didn't really know him well, but I wanted to change that. First, though, I wanted to catch up with Levi.

The last time I'd talked to him—other than my fumbling freak-out yesterday—I'd been so sure we would never make itout alive. And then the assholes holding us captive had told us Levi was dead. I'd missed him a lot, and sometimes, I'd wished I'd died instead if only to be free, which had then made me feel guilty because Penny and Dean had needed me.

Levi and I met under the worst of circumstances, and while we'd become friends, I didn't know if it was just the result of our shared trauma. What if we couldn't connect anymore?

"Sorry," Levi said, making me glance up at him. "If you can't tell, I'm really fucking nervous, which is why I'm talking about everything except what we're supposed to talk about."

I bit back a chuckle because I felt exactly the same. I opened my mouth to tell him as much when a server showed up, and we took a moment to place our orders. I went for a Luxurious Latte while Levi chose a Chaotic Cappuccino, both off the supe menu, along with two slices of chocolate cake. The server, a sweet human girl named Jenna, told us she'd be back with our order in a few minutes, and I spoke the moment she stepped out of our invisible bubble.

"I know what you mean. I wanted to apologize again for running out yesterday. I was just shocked to see you alive, and yeah, I did think you'd broken your promise. I can't believe you came back. We'd been rescued by that point, but I'm still grateful you did."

I was glad he'd been late, because otherwise I never would've met my dads or Cam and Micah or Neel and Pax. I had a loving family now that I wouldn't have had if Levi had found us in time.

Levi

"Rescued?" I asked, leaning forward curiously. Greta was curled up on my lap, and I assumed the cloaking spell was making the humans ignore her too because I hadn't had a single 'well-meaning' human approach me to tell me why I shouldn't keep a skunk as a pet.

Jenna reappeared with our drinks and cake before Finn could elaborate, and I thanked her as she placed everything on the table, smiling when she gave a cheerful "You're welcome! Holler if you need anything."

When I glanced up, Finn was watching me with an unreadable look in his eyes, his glasses halfway down his nose. Since he seemed to have lost his train of thought, I prompted, "You were rescued?"

Finn blinked, then nodded sharply. He slid his glasses back up, and told me everything in a condensed version that included all the facts and none of the feelings. How he and the others had been rescued by a group of soldiers who policed the supes, how they'd killed every single one of the bastards who'd kidnapped us and regularly drained our blood to use in their black magic, how the team's leader, a man named Maximus, had brought them to this town because he knew the dragon would keep them safe in case anyone else tried to find them.

Finn and his siblings, Amelia, and the twins had all been adopted by different people in the dragon's clan, and they'd all gotten the chance to grow up in a normal, loving family.

The relief that filled me as Finn told his story was unimaginable. I'd spent years imagining the worst, torturing myself with the what-ifs. I was glad I hadn't sentenced them to death or a life of misery by running away and not finding them in time.

"God, Finn. I'm so glad all of you are safe and happy."

"I'm glad you're okay too. They told us you were dead, and I believed them," Finn said with a shake of his head. "I should've told Maximus about you. He could've found you. You could've grown up with us here."

That...that didn't sound half-bad. I would've enjoyed growing up with the others. While I was almost three years older than Finn, we'd always gotten along well, and I imagined we'd have been the best of friends if we hadn't gotten separated.

"That would've been nice, but it's not like I had a bad life out there. Sure, I struggled for a bit, but once I got a hang of my magic, nature became my best friend, and I could always find enough food and a place to sleep. Then I got a job at a nursery, and made some friends. I've had a good life since I escaped. Don't worry, okay?"

Finn nodded, then eyed me curiously as I took a sip of my drink and hummed at the warm, caffeine-rich goodness.

"So why the move to Mistvale? Any particular reason?"

"I spent the last few years in a big city. The nursery I worked at was great, but the city itself didn't have much natural land.Everything was concrete and brick, and it started to feel stifling. So I decided it was time for a change. I heard about this supe-friendly town, and here I am."

"Just like that," he said with a smile, and I chuckled.

"Yep. Just like that. I never thought I'd run into you, but boy am I glad."

Finn smiled, making his eyes crinkle up. He had such beautiful eyes. I'd always thought that. But while he'd been a brave little kid the last time I saw him, he wasn't a kid anymore. Neither was I. And I was starting to realize that I might like Finn. I had no idea how Finn felt about me, though, since our two interactions had been poles apart. Was he even interested in men?

There were so many things I still didn't know about him—like why he insisted on wearing those glasses, or what kind of supe he was—but I liked what I did know. I liked the man he'd grown into, and I wanted to know him better.

Greta woke up from her nap, stretched, and then stood up on my legs, peering at Finn over the table. He smiled when he spotted her, and she hopped up onto the table.

I glanced around, grateful for the spell because people really didn't seem to care about her. When I turned around, Greta was sniffing Finn's fingers, and he was watching her with a besotted look on his face. She'd clearly suckered him in already. Maybe she could be my way in for spending more time with Finn. Or I could ask him to reintroduce me to Amelia, Mateo, Miles, and his siblings.

"Ow!" I jerked Greta back as she bit Finn, but the damage was already done. There was a bite mark and a thin trail of blood running down his index finger.

---