“I see.” Essos mulls over my words. “There is something I can do for Catalina.” He takes a measured sip from his coffee. “I’ll make sure that Sybil makes time for it in my schedule. You’re a good friend, Daphne.” He brushes a strand of hair out of my face, and I can’t reconcile the version of Essos before me and the one that would go as far as stealing his brother’s wife.
But it’s already done, and Essos lowers his hand and stands abruptly. “I’ll take care of it.” He turns to go, leaving me sitting on the cold bench.
“Wait! There’s one more thing.” A rueful smile is on his face when he looks at me again. “Some of the girls wondered if TV might be a thing that we can have access to. Pop culture is sort of a big deal for my generation, and I think the girls might like it if we could have a movie night instead of a dance night.”
I don’t get a response to this question. Instead, he just nods and walks back toward the house.His lack of response makes me deflate.
Although he warmed me up with his magic, I feel a cold regret inside at his absence. Instead of going inside right away, I walk around the garden, touching flowers as I go. It seems as if in the week since I was last here, more flowers have appeared than the space knows what to do with.The gardens have exploded since my first visit.
I linger, picking a few flowers here and there to make bouquets for my and Cat’s rooms. When I turn a corner, I’m startled to find Finn sitting alone among the irises.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he snarks, eyeing my flowers. “Thieving around the garden?”
“I guess that depends on your definition of thieving. I was trying to make something nice for Cat.”
“She’s a grand girl, your Cat.”
I nod and sit beside him.
“Is Galen still harassing you?” Finn prods gently. I wonder if Finn has made the connection between Galen and the onset of the headaches.I haven’t told him about the headaches and the nosebleeds, not because I’m actively keeping it from him, but when we’re dancing, I’m focused on trying to improve. It helps to keep my mind on the dance steps rather than who Essos is with. There’s no way Finn doesn’t know about the incident in the shower and any of the other times I’ve had a nosebleed. I may have known Essos for only a short time, but I know he would have told Finn—his close friend and my escort—to keep an eye out for any signs of trouble.
“He’s actually kept his distance since Essos had us join him in the office for Take Your Concubines to Work Day. I’ve also been avoiding him a little.”
“That’s probably for the best.”
I focus on rearranging the flowers to avoid Finn’s gaze. I’m afraid that if I look at him, he’ll know I’m keeping something from him.
“So, I know about the problem between Essos and Galen, but I don’t understand the problem thatyouhave with Galen.” I’m hoping to get Finn to open up to me.
He chuckles and stands up, then looks down at me. “It’s really not that hard to understand. I think you’re just being daft, Daphne.”
“Well, that’s rude. It’s also not an answer. I know that it has to do with a woman. I know that Galenwasmarried, and that Essos had a woman in his life as well.”I stand up too, offended. He’s still taller than me, but the difference is less dramatic now at least.
Finn folds in half and pulls on his hair with an aggravated groan. “Whatyou’redoing is rude. You’re hearing hoofbeats and thinking zebras. You need to be thinking horses.” Once upright, Finn shoves his hands into his jeans.
“I am thinking horses! What am I supposed to think, with these dreams and flashes!” I shout back. I probably could have gotten away with the admission, but like any guilty person that just screamed something they didn’t want someone else to know, I clap my hands over my mouth, eyes wide.
Finn prowls toward me with preternatural grace, and for the first time I consider he’s not only a man but likely a god too. “Flashes?” he hisses, crowding my space.
I push Finn back, and he lets me. “Yeah, I mean, I had that whole meltdown with the nosebleed.”
“Essos may have mentioned it. Go on.”
“Right, and I’ve just been having these weird…flashes that I think, maybe, are memories.” I test my theory on him, but Finn has a perfect poker face, because he lets nothing show.
“I am going to be as clear as I can within the boundaries of the Calling. Stop talking to Galen. Nothing good will come from you pushing this issue. You need to keep your eyes on the prize, which is the crown. Be the crown, Daphne. Get to the ball, and just ignore that fuckface. Not everything is what it looks like.”
“You do realize that you’re being just as cagey as Essos, and that makes it really hard to listen to you.” I stand my ground. “If you would justtellme what’s going on, maybe I would have a clue and be able to navigate it appropriately. Instead, you all continue to treat me like a child. It’s bullshit.”
Finn doesn’t seem to like what he’s hearing, because he sticks out his lower lip in a pout while pulling petals off a flower.
“Just accept that you can’t always get what you want. Accept that you need to let this run its course. Usually, I admire your stubborn streak and willingness to fight for those you love and what you believe in, but right now? In this circumstance? It’s making itveryhard for me to like you. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.” His words aim to hurt, but I don’t let them.
“The feeling is mutual. But Finn, I can’t talk to you about this. You’ve made it abundantly clear that regardless of what I tell you, you’re not in a position to help.”
We stare each other down for another moment before Finn throws his flower petals at me. I’m too far away from him for them to hit me, so they just flutter to the ground.
“My gods, woman, you are soinfuriatingsometimes.”