Marrow growled low at the question and looked up at her with a feline glare. Of course he didn’t notice. I’m a Bendazzi. I am a master of stealth, he grumbled.
“He followed him when he left. He says he used a portal stone in our district,” she whispered to Finn.
Looking down at the Bendazzi, Finn seemed to consider the news and shook his head. “We store that information for later. It will just create more problems if we get nosy now,” he decided and nodded to Marrow with respect. “Takes talent to follow a man like him and not get caught.”
“Today has been a whirlwind. I don’t really know if I could consider it good or bad. I think I just want to stop considering it all for a while,” Jala said with a sigh as they made their way through the Academy gardens.
Finn stopped at the stairs to their hall and gave her another kiss. “It will all work out. I promise you. Seeing how bad things are there shouldn’t depress you. It should show you what to do next. We can fix it, but it will take time. As for the rest of it, don’t worry so much.” He spoke gently and wrapped his arms around her again, resting his chin on the top of her head.
“How can you promise something like that? You don’t know it will all work out,” she whispered into his shirt.
“I do too. It will work out because you want it to so badly. Both you and I are determined people. When we want something we get it,” he reassured her and slowly pulled his arms back. “Right now I want to be in our room and see my wife smile.” Taking her hand, he led her up the stairs and held the door open for her and Marrow.
At the sound of the door opening, Wisp poked her head out from her own door. “I was hoping it was you two. I have some good news for you, Jala. I found a couple of healers that are willing to work in the Merro district,” Wisp said happily, stepping from her room into the hall. She took a moment and surveyed the two of them and cocked her head to one side with a concerned look. “What’s wrong Jala? You look upset.”
“We rode through the entire Merro district today. It was horrible,” Jala said quietly and moved over to Wisp giving her a light hug. “Thank you so much for looking for the healers. They are desperately needed there,” she added as she released the Fae and stepped back rubbing her face. Finn brushed his hand against her back and nodded to Wisp and continued past them toward their room.
“It was no trouble at all. I knew who to talk to about it. We can go meet them tomorrow after classes if you like,” Wisp offered.
“I’d like that a lot, actually,” Jala said somewhat distracted as she watched Finn close the door to their room behind him. She turned back to Wisp the moment the door latched and leaned closer. “He is going to duel Kithkanon. I don’t know how to talk him out of it. Any ideas?” she whispered quickly.
“What?” Wisp hissed back and glanced over Jala’s shoulder at the closed door. “Why?” she asked, looking back at Jala with even more concern written on her delicate face.
“Cassia hired Kithkanon and he had a scene with Cassia today and now …” she let her voice trail off. There was so much she could add that she wasn’t sure where to start explaining.
“That little bitch,” Wisp growled and looked as though she wanted to find Cassia just to strangle her. “Don’t worry hon. He will win, Finn always wins,” Wisp said and Jala could tell she was forcing herself to sound reassuring.
“So there is no way to talk him out of it? Is that what you are telling me?” Jala asked with a sigh.
Sadly, Wisp shook her head. “Not if he said he was going to. There isn’t much talking Finn out of things,” she said shrugging at Jala.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Jala said, her voice filled with resignation. Leaning over she gave Wisp another quick hug and turned for her room. She paused just before the door and looked back at Wisp. “I have training with Sovann and Neph tomorrow. Can we go to meet the healers right after school in the afternoon? I should have time then,” she asked.
“You have too much to do Jala. Yes that would be fine,” Wisp said shaking her head slightly. “You are going to go mad within a year at this pace.”
“I doubt it,” Jala replied with a faint smile and pushed the door open quietly. Marrow brushed past her silently and headed for his customary spot in the corner. She closed the door softly behind her and turned to look at Finn.
He was standing half-dressed by their bed, carefully folding his shirt and had a smirk on his face. “Dirty, asking Wisp for help,” he said with a faint chuckle.
“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” she mumbled and began to remove her jewelry.
“Did you think the door being closed would prevent it?” He asked sounding amused.
“Yes, actually. Most people can’t hear whispers through closed doors. What were you doing, pressing your ear to the door?” She rolled her eyes at him and pulled the pins from her hair. Yawning, she ran her fingers through the curls and opened her eyes to find Finn leaning against the bedpost watching her. “What?” she asked, lowering her arms slowly and raising an eyebrow at him.
“Just admiring,” he said quietly and then slowly shook his head. “I don’t have to lean against the door to hear things. Neph is reading aloud right now, Wisp is singing quietly and Jail is getting ready to leave his room,”
The sound of a door closing outside in the hall drew her attention as he finished speaking and she slowly turned back to look at him in shock. “You heard all of that?” she asked quietly.
“When I focus I can. I don’t focus all of the time or I would go deaf in bars,” he explained and crossed the room to her. With nimble fingers he began to unlace her dress.
“Then you know I don’t want you to duel,” she whispered.