She tried, but the sky was so bright, blinding her. “Finn?” she asked, her throat raw. The air felt lighter now, cleaner, but it still hurt to breathe. And she couldn’t stop coughing.
“I’m here, Jessa.” He pressed a hard kiss against her temple. “I’ve got you, you hear me?”
She nodded, relaxing against him. “Finn.”
“Shh, it’s okay. Dante, she needs water,” Finn said, sounding desperate. “Slow breaths, Jessa.”
She nodded, twining her arms around his neck and burying her face against his chest. “Wait. Wait, Finn,” she said, forcing her eyes open. “Ellen?”
“Ellen?” Dante appeared, a water bottle in his hand.
“She stopped them,” Jessa said, wiping at her eyes. They were still watering, preventing her from seeing clearly. “She saved me.”
“She saved you?” Finn repeated, his expression fierce.
“Short black hair? Tattoos?” Dante asked, surprising Jessa with his detail.
“Is she…” Jessa’s heart sank, her obscured vision catching snippets of smoke, the burning field, and signs of a gruesome fight.
“She’s unconscious,” Dante assured her.
“Bring her.” She sipped the water bottle, the burn making her groan. Finn’s hands tightened on her. “Please, bring Ellen. She betrayed them—for me and the baby.” She blinked slowly, until she could focus. And all she could see was Finn. “Please.”
“Bring her,” Finn said, unable to look away from her. He was beautiful. Real. Here. But she’d never seen that expression on his face before. And it scared her.
“Finn?” she asked.
He shook his head, pressing a kiss to her lips. “You’re here. You are––” he broke off, clearing his throat roughly. “I’m so sorry Jessa. This should never have happened.”
“Finn?” She coughed, her throat too shredded to talk. She sipped the water bottle, her arm wavering. Now was not the time to be weak. She pushed against him. “Walk,” she said.
He shook his head. “You might be able to walk. But I’m not ready to let you go.” Fear and desperation colored every syllable.
Dante appeared, Ellen’s arm draped around his shoulder.
“Car,” Ellen said. “Here.” She shoved keys at Finn, wheezing heavily. “Go.”
“We’re going.” Jessa agreed worried about the amount of blood Ellen was losing. “And you’re coming too.”
“Leave me,” Ellen argued.
“Shush,” Jessa said, slipping from Finn’s hold and securing Ellen’s other arm around her shoulders. She could feel Finn’s disapproval but ignored him.
Ellen was bleeding heavily, but she tried to walk. “Need to shift,” she said.
“You’ll heal faster?” Jessa remembered Finn saying as much. “Can you?”
Ellen nodded, releasing her.
It looked incredibly painful. With Finn, it had been quick, almost natural. But Ellen’s broken and battered state seemed to impede the process. She glanced behind her, expecting Cyrus or Byron to come back—to drag her away. But Finn was here. And he would protect her.
Even now, he put himself behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders.
Where was Cyrus? A knot of apprehension rose in her chest, pressing against her ribs. It was still hard to breathe, after inhaling so much smoke. Her tension didn’t help. She glanced back, shivering, but there was no sign of Cyrus. Only the billowing black smoke and roaring flames.
Finn’s hands squeezed her shoulders. “He’s gone, Jessa.”
She nodded, stepping closer to him. Finn wouldn’t let anything happen to her.