“Your role here is extremely important, Finn. Do not forget that. Those in the sunlit world above depend on you now,” Damon said quietly as he, too, turned to go.
Finn ignored them both, his gaze still locked on Fiona as she hesitantly approached him. Grinding his teeth he forced the magic to remain locked safely away and nodded for her to continue. She stopped several feet back from him and held out both pale hands between them. The air stirred faintly and slowly an image began to take shape. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized Jala standing in her white coat, her arms wrapped tight about her. Valor stood just beyond her, his black and silver cloak pulled up against the snow buffeting the two of them. Everything surrounding them was shrouded in a blinding curtain of falling snow.
“Where are they?” Finn asked softly, his eyes searching the terrain for any landmarks he might know. He wasn’t familiar with Merro at all, but the place they stood looked nothing like Merro. Heavy snow rarely touched the southern lands and what they stood in resembled one of the northern blizzards.
“They stand on the border of Glis and Arovan,” Fiona informed him quietly, her attention focused more on him than the scry she held open.
“Why?” Finn asked. His breath caught again as Jala turned to look up at Valor causing her hood to fall back from her face. Dark circles hung under both of her violet eyes and she seemed far too pale. Her Bendazzi moved beside her and she rested a hand gently on his back. Jala’s face was normally so animated and filled with life. Her eyes had always gleamed with vibrancy and yet now she seemed so empty. The wind stirred a lock of her beautiful wine colored hair and she raised a hand to brush it away. In mute horror Finn stared at the mangled remains of her hand as it moved across her drawn face. Two of the fingers were gone completely and the rest of it looked little better.
“To save a life.” Fiona’s voice pulled his attention back from the image and the scry flickered out between them. “One that you could have spared had you more control over your power. She shouldn’t be where she is now. There is too much danger there. If you don’t learn swiftly she may be one of the lost souls roaming the Darklands very soon,” she added.
Finn nodded slowly, the last image of the scry still strong in his mind. Looking up he met Fiona’s gaze and nodded again more firmly. “Then teach me.”
Chapter 13
Glis
The wind tore at her coat as Jala struggled to blink the snow from her eyes. Valor moved carefully in front of her shielding her from the worst of the blizzard. Wrapping her arms tighter around herself she moved closer to Valor.
“Can you do anything about this wind?” Jala asked, her voice nearly a scream as she struggled to be heard over the gale.
Valor shook his head slowly and leaned back to speak to her. “It’s a weather casting. I’d have to break the spell to end it. Until I know why they want a blizzard, I don’t want to ruin their casting,” he explained. “Where are we?” he asked in a slightly louder voice as the wind picked up once more.
“In Glis,” Jala replied with a shrug. “This is where I sensed that he is,” she added to clarify her reasoning for being here.
Marrow tensed beside her and dropped to a crouch. Jala looked down at the Bendazzi and then quickly around them. Beyond the blinding snow and the mostly obscured trees she saw nothing else. Ears twitching, the Bendazzi scanned the area before letting out a vicious snarl. The spines on his back sprang forward and his tail lashed in threat.
“What is it?” Jala gasped, her eyes still searching in vain for whatever the Bendazzi was sensing.
Duck! Marrow’s voice echoed off her skull with the force of a command and she staggered forward into Valor’s back, pushing them both into a snow bank as a massive black furred claw crashed into the ground where they had been standing. Marrow sprang forward with a snarl toward their attacker as Valor rolled back to his feet.
“Wait, Korv, you know me!” Valor yelled, struggling to free himself from his tangled cloak as the attacker lunged toward him again. The creature resembled a bear in most respects but stood straighter with a more human posture than any animal could manage. “Korv, it’s Valor Hai’dia!” Valor bellowed as he dodged beneath another swiping blow from the brute.
“Valor dead. Not Valor,” Korv snarled, his words mangled by his current form. The bear-like muzzle apparently lacked the essential elements for clear speech.
“I’m not dead, Korv, I’m right here. Please stop and listen!” Valor objected, holding both hands up in front of him to show he was unarmed.
“Valor always in metal. You not,” Korv returned, his next attack delayed as he struggled to find the white Bendazzi in the blizzard. It was obvious that the Shifter knew of Bendazzi and even more obvious that he considered Marrow a bigger threat than the unarmed man before him.
“My armor was damaged and my sword lost, but it’s me, Korv,” Valor insisted taking the break in the assault as opportunity to shift his position. With careful steps he placed himself between Jala and the Shifter, taking care to keep his back toward Jala at all times.
“Korv, stand down and let them approach the gate.” A woman’s voice broke through the wind in clear perfect notes. Jala shifted in the snow bank, struggling to get a look at the speaker.
“Blue!” Valor gasped, his voice filled with relief. His shoulders sagged as he backed another step toward Jala and offered her his hand.
She accepted it gratefully and dusted the worst of the snow from her coat. With chattering teeth she glanced back behind them once more, then to Valor. “Blue?” she asked in confusion.