Under the Darkest Skies

Chapter 12

Stop hiding, Becky told herself, avoiding the window in the guest room Finn had decked out for her and Seth. On her way up, she had done a quick, nosy search, but soon learned that the only bedrooms in any state of readiness were theirs and Finn's own. At least Sora's not staying here, she had thought, knowing that was uncharitable and rude and still not caring much. After that envelope of pictures and stories, Becky wasn't quite sure how to talk with the blood-brewer normally.

After almost half an hour of wasting time—unpacking their bags, going to the bathroom, checking her back for any sign of sunburn—Becky was certain Seth would have come up looking for her, but when she peeked out the window, she saw that he was still deep in conversation with the blood-brewer. That's good, she thought. It means he's getting the answers he needs. She knew she could be down there with him, absorbing the knowledge and chiming in if she had anything to add, but she couldn't bring herself to go back down.

When her phone chimed, Becky dropped to the floor as if she were caught doing something illegal, but then she saw it was Finn's number. I'm coming up, his message read. A moment later, she heard Finn say something to Sora and then the door opened. His footfalls on the stairs were gentle, but the expression on his face when he found her getting to her feet was not. "Hiding, are we?"

"I can't," Becky whispered. "I know I should and... and on some level, I want to. I want to be there for him. But when I look at those pictures, I just see him on the table and... and I can't."

"I understand." He had said that countless times to her over the years and it used to infuriate her. It felt like such a cop-out, almost a dismissal; now she knew it was a clear, honest truth and she appreciated it for what it was. "Why don't you keep yourself busy and look for banshees?" he suggested.

Becky raised an eyebrow. "How? On my phone? That's hardly very secure."

Finn rolled his eyes. "No. Hold on." He left the guest suite and returned less than a minute later, carrying a laptop and a charging cable. "Password is on a sticky note inside. It's a secure connection," he added. "And there are lots of supernatural links in the bookmarks if you need a starting point."

"Thanks, Finn." Becky set the laptop and cord on the bed so she could hug him. "I'm just... worried. I don't know what to do. Once he gets a notion in his head, he gets fixated—"

"Sounds like someone else I know," Finn remarked warmly, ruffling her hair. "I'm trying not to eavesdrop, but he's been asking good questions, following up with the answers, getting clarification. He's taking it seriously, Becks."

"And I should be down there too. I know." Becky pressed her face to Finn's shoulder for a moment, remembering when things were so much simpler. But you didn't have Seth in your life then, she reminded herself. They had been friends, good friends, but nothing more, and now that she had so much more, she wasn't sure if she could give it up.

"It's up to him," Finn said simply. "Making the decision and how he comes to that conclusion. If he came up here and asked you to come back down, would you?"

Becky nodded. "Of course." There were a dozen conditions she could list, clarifications she could make, but the main answer was simple: if he wanted her help, she would give it. Always.

"There you go. He knows that. If you were uncomfortable, it's probably for the best that you stepped away." Finn kissed her forehead and moved back. "This gives him the space to ask things he might not want to talk about with you. That's not a slight—"

"I know it's not," Becky said quickly. "I... sorry. I know you didn't mean that as an insult."

Finn chuckled. "Doesn't matter whether it's a banshee or a demon: Irish is Irish." Then he gestured to the bed. "Get comfy and start searching. If you need anything, let me know. I have my phone on silent. I'm sure they both know where I am, but that's fine."