She dropped to her knees beside him and called on the healing magic. His blood soaked through the knees of her dress, a subtle reminder of how close to death he was.
“The bastard got me the same way I did him. Only he did it better. I suppose that’s only fitting though. He is the master of his craft,” Finn said, his voice choking on each word.
“Hush, Finn. Don’t talk. Let me work and you will be fine,” she whispered to him, wondering how he still had the strength for words. Any other man would be dead from the blood loss alone. Finn Sovaesh was stronger than any other man, though. She only hoped he was strong enough to pull through this.
“Won’t do any good, Vezradesh. The bastard put shaved Barllen in the poison. I can feel it draining what little magic I do have. There is Tezrae in there, too. I can’t regenerate through it,” Finn gasped ,and more blood flecked along his lips.
He was right, she realized as she felt the first of her healing magic simply disappear. She swallowed heavily and forced the lump in her throat back down. “Just sit still Finn. I’ll draw the Barllen out and then heal,” she said, already working on a spell to pull the metal from him. Most of her energy would be wasted as the Barllen absorbed the magic, but if she used enough power it might work.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs behind her and she looked up just long enough to see Valor storm into the room. At the sight of Finn, he pulled his helmet off and dropped to the floor on the other side of Jala. “What can I do to help?” he asked still breathing hard from the fighting and running.
“See if there is another wound on that side. If there is, try to staunch the bleeding. He has Barllen in him and I have to get it out before I can heal him,” Jala explained, her focus already back on drawing out the metal.
Finn shook his head at Valor and chuckled weakly. “It’s in my back, two stabs. I’m not rolling over for you, though,” he said and let out another ragged breath. His lung was filling with blood despite the dagger still lodged there. She knew better than to try to remove it from the wound. If she did he would be dead within moments. “Valor,” Finn gasped.
Tears welled in her eyes as she heard Finn spending the last of his strength on words. “Finn, please stop talking and just lie still,” she pleaded.
He coughed and shook his head at her. “Valor, swear to me you will protect her. By my blood and your honor keep her safe for me. Get her out of this damned city, Val. This is no place for our child.” Finn’s words were broken by gasps and fresh blood covered his teeth.
“Damn you Fortune, don’t you dare let me lose him,” Jala sobbed, the tears nearly blinding her now. She could feel her magic working slowly. It wouldn’t be in time, though, and she knew it. “I won’t lose you, Finn, just please hang on a little longer,” she pleaded, fighting against the grief that was already building.
“I swear, I will,” Valor replied his voice solemn as he gripped Finn’s hand. “I won’t need to though, Finn. If you will do as your wife asks for once, and shut up, she will have you healed in no time.”
Finn gave another quiet chuckle and coughed again violently. He shook his head at Valor and smiled at Jala. “Build something beautiful, Vezradesh. Make a land like they have never seen before,” he whispered and leaned his head back against the wall. His eyes closed again as they had been when she had first entered the room.
She worked frantically, pushing the metal shavings out through the wound in his back. The bond between them grew fainter as his breathing grew more ragged. It was so unfair that she had come so close to reaching him in time. He was being snatched from her hands while she was utterly helpless to stop it. Her vision blurred again with fresh tears and she wiped her nose on her sleeve as she pressed the magic pouring all of herself into the spell.
“Love you,” he whispered, his words barely audible. She felt the last of the bond fade as Finn’s immeasurable supply of strength finally gave out. A ragged sob tore from her throat as his body relaxed against the wall.
She let the magic drop and wrapped her arms around him collapsing against his chest, willing him to breathe again. “Please Finn, no, please come back,” she sobbed, her face buried in the thick fabric of his shirt. She felt empty without the bond now. Even when she hadn’t been paying attention to his feelings, a part of Finn had always been with her. The void it left now reminded her all too much of memories of ashes and begging for her father to return. Despair warred with grief as his body cooled beneath her.
“Jala, we have to go. I don’t think the Fionaveir are winning this fight,” Valor whispered finally. His voice as choked with grief as her own was.
“I won’t leave him here, Valor,” she said, though she wasn’t sure he could understand her words. Her throat was so tight it was painful to breath. She wasn’t sure how long Valor had let her cry. From the expression on his face his pain was a mirror of her own. It’s not just Finn he is grieving for, she reminded herself. He lost his sister and niece as well, and now his best friend.
“I’ll carry him, Jala. I won’t leave him here either,” Valor assured her. “I wouldn’t leave him here either,” he added in a quieter voice.
She sat up slowly and looked at Valor across Finn’s body. “Do you think they can bring him back? He killed Devron and they brought the bastard back. Can someone bring Finn back?” she asked, frantically seizing on the idea. Where she had come from dead meant dead, but not here. She had seen the dead return to life in Sanctuary.
“We can try,” Valor promised, his own dark blue eyes still glassy with unshed tears. He gave her a firm nod and started to pick the body up.