Finn understood her meaning. She was worried he might have come close to destroying this body – his avatar. Not that he blamed her. Bilel had nearly drained him dry, and the ever-present ache in his limbs indicated that he still hadn’t fully recovered. His skin seemed to alternate between too hot and too cold, perhaps evidence that he was still feverish.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m okay.” Finn tried to raise his arm to take his daughter’s hand, to offer some comfort.
And that’s when he saw it: witnessed his left arm – or what was left of it.
He could belatedly remember what he had done. It had been an act of desperation – an attempt to sever the connection and to stop the energy that had been draining out of his left arm and flowing into that staff. When Abbad had removed the restraints… Finn hadn’t had time for finesse, or to consider the implications of what he was doing.
He’d only been thinking of survival… of Rachael.
Now he saw clearly what that had cost him. His forearm had been severed just below the elbow. The metal sphere must have melted fully under the intense heat of the staff and Finn’s own mana, trapped between those two opposing forces, causing the metal to wrap around the stump – merging fully with the remaining fragments of bone and flesh. Now only a dark metal lump remained where his arm had once been, tendrils of metal coiling around his elbow and up his bicep like dark flames.
His left hand was gone.
His tattoos had also been shorn away – his induction mark. The emblem of a fire mage. The journeyman tattoo. And his ability to multi-cast…
In an instant, he knew it was permanent. Even if he died, the metal had bonded to the bone, embedded deeply into his ruined elbow. The arm was gone.
He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to remain calm, his resolve wavering in the face of what that battle had cost him. Yet the pain still throbbed and ached, refusing to be ignored – forcing him to face the reality of his situation.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Julia murmured, watching his reaction, the pain and horror in his eyes. “The only silver lining was that your injury removed the journeyman mark.”
Finn barked out a harsh laugh. “How is that a benefit?”
“Abbad explained that the mark is actually a tracking ward. You’re merchandise, after all. The tattoo helps the guild keep tabs on its more senior mages, preventing them from running away. It’s how the Emir – Bilel – knew we had arrived at the city gates and had soldiers waiting for us. So now he shouldn’t be able to track you easily.”
Abbad must have survived then, Finn thought. That was good, because he still had many things to address with the librarian. He planned to hold him to account for what he had done, even if he had ultimately chosen to help them in the end.
Julia hesitated only a moment. “Kyyle was forced to burn off his own mark. It was excruciating – although, I suppose your wound is worse…”
Finn slumped back against the makeshift bed, his eyes open and staring at the canopy above him. He felt numb after everything that had happened – everything they had gone through. The Seer hadn’t told him about his arm, he realized belatedly. She’d held that tidbit of information back as well, relying upon the strange circumstances of her tent to keep that from him – even for a few more minutes.
Manipulative bitch, he thought bitterly.
Although this didn’t really change anything. It was just another problem – another handicap. It was a price he had paid to take one more pain-filled step forward in the game that was being played. He still had a mission to complete and a goal to accomplish. He would have to find a way to hold up his end of the Seer’s bargain – with one arm or two.
“Are you alright?” Julia murmured.
He almost said yes but then paused. “I don’t know,” Finn answered truthfully, his voice full of emotion. “I spoke to the Seer while I was unconscious.”
Julia’s eyes flashed, hope and anger mixing there. “And?”
Her question hung in the air. Finn knew what she was really asking.
Had that been enough? Was Rachael – her mother – coming back?
“We’re not done,” Finn croaked, his eyes drifting back to the canopy. The path the Seer had laid out before him felt nearly impossible – far more challenging than anything they had faced before. “We still have a long, long way to go.”
“Then we’ll keep going,” Julia replied firmly. Finn’s attention snapped back to his daughter, meeting her eyes. He saw her strength shining there – a determination and certainty that reminded him of her mother. “And we’ll do it together,” she said, offering her hand.
A small, pained smile tugged at Finn’s lips. Then he reached forward with his right hand, accepting her grip. “Together,” he murmured.
The End
Thank you for reading!
I hope you all enjoyed the story! I don’t know what it is about this character, but he just resonates with me… Flawed and competent in a way that makes him incredibly fun to write.
Anyway, the plan is to continue onward to book three (AO: Inferno). That one is already underway. I’m hoping to get Inferno finished up quickly and then move back to Jason. The goal is to publish all three books in 2020 – a bit ambitious, I suppose, but we’re currently on track to make it happen!
Besides, I’m in a hurry. I can’t wait to show you all what’s in store next…
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Acknowledgments
I’d also like to give a shout-out to everyone who helped me write Awaken Online: Flame. Like most great things, it takes a village to write a book. Or at least one that makes sense and is (relatively) error-free. Thank you all for your help and support!
Ashley Anderson (Editor)
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David Stifel (Narrator)
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Jay Taylor
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Michael Vincent
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Duncan Vandecarr
Evan Moore
All of my Patrons. You guys are awesome!
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