“Because human belief in their deities comes from a spiritual plane. Our belief in our magic comes from the natural plane, from what we see with our eyes. The former is faith. The latter involves no faith, merely acceptance. Acceptance is important, but faith, I’ve learned, has its own unique power. At least that is what I’ve surmised over the centuries.” He turned to Rose. “The only supernaturals I’ve seen enter a place of religion are those who have turned to gods to explain their existence.”
“There are supes out there who believe God made them this way?”
He nodded. “They think the stories of the fae are fairy tales. Remember, very few people in the supernatural community believe the origin story is true.”
Well, that made the prospect of going on the run seem a little more plausible if she wasn’t constantly up against fae fanatics. She sighed and studied the basilica. “I don’t feel uncomfortable.”
“You will. And that’s why I brought you here. In a fight, you’ll most likely be outnumbered and thus disoriented. You need to learn to focus through that.”
Aghast at the realization he truly meant to train her inside La Sagrada Familia, Rose gaped. “You can’t train me within the sanctity of a world-famous church.”
“I can and I will.”
“Uh … I’ve been in there, Fionn. There are security scanners, cameras, and a lot of guards.”
Her mentor tsked at her as he stared down in mock disappointment. Then he lifted a hand and waved it comically. “Faerie,” he reminded her.
The whole thing was so un-Fionn-like, Rose couldn’t help a bark of laughter. If anyone looked the opposite of the human depiction of a faerie, it was Fionn Mór.
The lights that lit up the basilica illuminated Fionn’s face and the amusement glittering in his green gaze.
Grinning, she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for two tourists to stroll out of earshot. “So, what are you going to do?”
“I’m doing it. Their cameras are, as we speak, on a constant loop. Once we get in there, I’ll take out the guards—I’ll just knock them unconscious,” he assured her before she could protest.
“How are you going to do all that if you’re disoriented?”
“My dear Rose.” His tone was exasperated but the endearment still caused a flutter in her stomach. “I’m the oldest motherfucker on this planet. Very little can disorient me.”
That flutter intensified. “I’m not gonna lie … the ‘oldest’ part should put a girl off, but the whole badass immortal thing is pretty hot.”
Fionn closed his eyes and pinched his lips together for a few seconds. When he opened his eyes, his expression was admonishing. “Stop flirting and concentrate.”
She enjoyed irritating him way too much for it to be normal. “I’m a great multitasker. I can do both.”
“If God exists,” Fionn muttered up at the church, “give me patience.”
Deciding to offer him a reprieve, she clapped her hands. “Okay, in all seriousness, if we’re going to disrespect holy ground, let’s get it over with. What’s the plan?”
He studied her a moment and then, apparently assured of her earnestness, replied, “We will travel in. Be careful of anything that looks like iron. Most of it can’t hurt you—only pure iron can, like the dagger Ethan carried. But better to be safe than sorry. You’ve—”
“I just had a thought,” Rose cut him off and then gave an apologetic look. “How have I avoided pure iron my whole life?”
Fionn considered this. “It’s not used as often as mixed iron materials because there’s less carbon in it, meaning it’s softer, more pliable. There’s been a resurgence of its use commercially in the last few years, but it doesn’t surprise me that you’ve had no contact with it.”
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve avoided the stuff for three centuries, despite being attacked by supes in the know.”
She smiled and couldn’t help if it was somewhat coquettish. He brought it out of her. “You really are a badass.”
Ignoring her, Fionn gestured to the building. “You’ve been here before, which will make it easier. But as soon as you’re inside, you’ll feel the effects of hallowed ground. Dizziness, nausea, a lack of concentration.”
That did not sound fun.
“What about the guards?”
“I’m going in first to take them out. Travel in after me in five minutes.” Then poof, he was gone.
Rose blinked, glancing around to make sure no one had seen him vanish, but the humans standing outside the church had their backs to where Rose stood. “Shit,” she groused. “I will never get used to that. Also?” She threw up her hands. “I don’t have a watch.”
Waiting for an approximation of five minutes to pass felt like the longest moments of Rose’s life. Despite knowing no human could hurt him unless they were in possession of pure iron, she worried for Fionn. He’d been in her life a mere two days, and yet that didn’t feel correct. Despite all she didn’t know about him, he felt familiar in a way so little in her life ever had. She had feelings for him.
If another woman came to Rose and told her she had strong feelings for some guy she’d only known forty-eight hours, she would’ve staged an intervention.
“Life is so weird,” she mumbled, preparing herself to travel. Then she considered what she was about to do and mocked herself, “You think?”
Remembering the mammoth entrance to the church with its cathedral ceiling, marble floors, arched stained glass windows, and stone pillars, she visualized it as best she could. What she remembered most was the ceiling—how the columns split into branches to hold up the vaulting, like trees holding up the sky. How natural light poured in through spaces in the design. It was less alien inside than outside. Instead, it was like standing beneath the canopy of a great stone forest.
Rose focused, closed her eyes, felt the resultant tingle, and opened them again.
She stood inside the dark cathedral, near the chairs that faced the altar.
“You were seven minutes.”
Startled at the sound of Fionn’s voice, she turned toward him and felt the cathedral spin. “Whoa.” She put out a hand to find balance, but a wave of a nausea flooded her. Clutching at the nearest chair, Rose leaned into it. A memory hit of when she was seven years old, at her first gymnastics lesson. The dizziness after each somersault. A dizziness that had dissipated quickly as her body got used to spinning and tumbling.
Fionn stepped into her path. “I told you it can be disorienting.”
Rose frowned. She was an ex-gymnast.
No way was she going to let a little dizziness take her down.
She concentrated, focused, felt the room right itself, and stood. It still spun a little, but the nausea lessened. “The guards?”
Fionn eyed her a second and then nodded. “They’re out. Come.” He strode toward the center of the mammoth space.
Rose followed and felt the room spin again; she threw out her hands and imagined the floor was a balance beam, which helped her find her center. Following Fionn, she met him in the middle of the room.
“Very good,” he said.
“We’re not going to do any damage to the church, right? They’ve been working on construction for nearly 130 years.”
“I can fix anything we damage.” He shrugged, like damaging a Gaudí building, a religious one at that, was no big deal.
“You’re insane.”
“Keep insulting me. It’ll inspire me to be more creative when I attack you.”
Uncertainty made Rose retreat, and it was like doing it on a balance beam without concentrating. She stumbled. “Shit,” she huffed as she straightened. Rose, belligerent now, crossed her arms over her chest. “How exactly are you planning to attack me, oh ancient one?”
“That would be telling. You’re going to defend yourself using this.” He punched a fist against his gut. “Instinct. You ready?”
Before Rose could answer, she felt a rumble beneath her f
eet and stumbled again, this time because the floor was moving as the marble began to crack, breaking apart. It tore out of the floor, only to float up in a collection of hefty pieces that hovered almost exactly halfway between her and Fionn. “I’m not going to lie, this feels very disre—ahh!” She ducked as the pieces flew at her and over her head. “—Spectful!”
The largest piece didn’t fly over her head, though. It came straight for her face.
Son of a bitch!
Rose swiped a hand across the air in front of her, catching her finger on a sharp edge of marble. The piece immediately flew backward and once her surprise receded, she used her magic to slot it into its original spot in the floor.
Turning around, ignoring the way the room tilted at the edges of her vision, Rose concentrated on the broken marble that had landed behind her and commanded it back to where it belonged.
Wonder filled her as the pieces floated by and settled into the cracks. She watched the marble knit back together, good as new under her silent order.
Fionn heaved a sigh. “Are we going to fight, or are you going to spend this session cleaning up?”
She threw her hands up in disbelief. “It’s La Sagrada Familia!”
His lips twitched. “I had no idea you had such respect for religion.”