Page 106 of Hidden
I should have known. Finn would never apologize. But I still had to ask. “Were you wrong about lying to me?”
“I wasn’t wrong,” he responded.
My temper began to flare through me, and my face warmed. But then he glanced at me, his mouth pressed into a thin line. “But I do regret needing to do it.”
The quasi-admission made me pause. It wasn’t an apology. But from Finn, the statement was an olive branch.
Should I accept this attempt? I wasn’t sure. This was one reason I’d been avoiding talking to him. His betrayal still ran thick through my blood. However, as the chapters unraveled, it was getting more difficult to keep him as the sole subject of my hatred.
“What is scrying?” I asked. At his surprised blink, I rushed to continue. “You’ve never told me anything about the paranormal. I don’t even understandwhatyou are outside of what Damen told me about himself.”
“It’s the practice of focusing your attention unto an object, to limit distractions from the outside world. When you’re concentrating it becomes easier to use your third eye. It’s easier for onmyoji to communicate between realms with reflective surfaces as well.” Finn gestured toward the water. “I use water, usually in a dark bowl. Damen likes scrying with mirrors.”
“So Damen really was talking to someone?” I asked.
“Sure,” Finn replied, shrugging. “If he was angry, then it was probably Belial. He’s a bit kinder to the other Overseers. But Belial and Damen fight a lot.”
“Overseers? I thought you were…” I waved my hand. “Well, his next in command. What’s an Overseer?”
“I’m Damen’s Er Bashou.” Finn squared his shoulders. “I’m an officer. My focus is in this realm. Four Overseers control the underworld since Damen resides here, but he checks in on them from time to time.”
“The underworld?” Damen had mentioned this before. “Does he go to Hell frequently?”
“Not in this lifetime,” Finn answered. “It takes a certain amount of power to transverse between realms, and he’s been limited.”
A sense of foreboding filled me. “Or hewas.”
Finn frowned, glaring out over the water. “He still is.” He sounded sullen. “At least until we can test your bond with Kiania.”
He was going to talk about Kiania? My fists tightened over my knees. “What about—”
“Damen is taking everything personally, and so he hasn’t thought this through. What this bond has potentiallychanged,” Finn continued. “I’ve been doing research myself over the last few days. You’re a strategist, you always have been. But you’ve never beenclairvoyantbefore.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“‘What should you do if you think you’ll be used in a cannibalistic ritual’,” Finn quoted. “Because of recent events, I’ve started second-guessing your browser history.”
“That isnothow I phrased it!” I couldn’t believe he was bragging about this now. “And it was a real concern!”
“Why?” Finn asked. “What made you think something like that would happen?”
“There were reasons!” I didn’t need to explain myself. Usually, I looked up the first thing that came to mind, but that was none of his business. My heart was racing as I panicked.
What else had I searched? Did he know about my illegal books?
Would I go to prison for downloading pirated comic books?
Although, the phone had been inhisname. So, if justice was served, Finn would be the one to suffer.
“Focus.” He snapped his fingers in my face. “This is why we’re discussing scrying. I’ve another reason to bring you here besides Damen. I know Brayden is supposed to be going over working with your emphatic abilities. Granted, now that you’re off your medication, you’ll befeelinga lot. But I’m more concerned that you can see the future.”
“I’m always right!” I argued.
“You’re known for beinglogical.” Finn pointed at me. “That’s whatMuwas known for. But your conclusions do not follow that thought pattern.”
How dare he. “I’m still right.”
“Then Damen said you thought they were monks, and I thought—”
