Page 96 of Reflections of Peonies
Yes, that reminded me. Someone ought to be aware, “Did you know he talks to himself in the mirror?”
“Damen?” Finn tilted his head. “Yes, he does that sometimes.”
Funny, Finn didn’t seem to be concerned. Was everyone in his family just very odd? “And you think this is normal? He seemed very angry.”
He shrugged, something distant entering his expression. Then he pulled from me, moving to his feet. And without another word, he left the building.
I scrambled up and followed him.
Finn never walked away from a conversation. He wanted me to come. And sure enough, he was already sitting cross-legged at the edge of the water.
I sat on my knees and tucked the white gown around my legs.
“It works best with mirrors or slow waters. But this will work for a demonstration,” Finn replied, frowning at one of the small pools.
“What are you going to show me?” I leaned forward.
“One of the ways an onmyoji can scry.” Finn pressed on my shoulder, forcing me back. “We can use it for fortune-telling.”
“You see the future?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief from my voice. “Since when?”
Finn shot me an even look. “Since always.”
“Are you still learning?” I asked. “Because you had to know I’d hate you. Plus, we almost died.”
His gaze returned to the water. “I’ve always known you were going to hate me, Bianca. But seers also don’t know everything. We can only glimpse bits and pieces. However, what happened with the Cole familyismy fault. I should have been paying more attention.”
My breath caught. “Is that an apology?”
“No.” Finn didn’t even hesitate.
I should have known. Finn would never apologize. But I still had to ask. “What about the fact that you lied to me? Do you admit that you were wrong?”
“I wasn’t wrong,” he said.
My temper flared, heat rising to my face.
But then he glanced at me, his mouth a thin line. “But I do regret having to do it.”
The quasi-admission made me pause. It wasn’t an apology, but from Finn, it was an olive branch.
Should I accept it? I wasn’t sure. This was why I’d been avoiding talking to him. His betrayal still ran thick through my blood. But as things unfolded, it was becoming harder to keep him as the sole focus of my anger.
“What is scrying?” I asked.
“It’s the practice of focusing your attention on an object to limit distractions from the outside world. When you’re concentrating, it becomes easier to use your third eye. It’s also easier for onmyoji to communicate between realms with reflective surfaces.” Finn gestured toward the water. “I use water, usually in a dark bowl. Damen likes scrying with mirrors.”
“So Damen 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.”
“What’s an Overseer?” I asked. “I thought you were in charge.”
“I’m Damen’s Er Bashou.” Finn squared his shoulders. “I’m an Officer. My focus is in this realm. However, four Overseers run things in the Underworld for Damen. He checks in on them from time to time.”
“The Underworld?” Damen had mentioned this before. “Does he go there frequently?”
“He can, but hasn’t in this lifetime,” Finn answered. “It takes a certain amount of power to transverse between realms, and he’s been limited.”
