Page 135 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

She didn’t want to know what that meant.

“How have things been at the Acropolis? Your lessons are going well?”

Tessa was becoming more anxious by the minute. “Yes.”

Rordan took a sip of his tea. “And your magic training?”

She hesitated.

“I see,” Rordan said. “Not to worry. We will take care of that this week.”

“And the testing?” Tessa blurted. She immediately pressed her lips together, inwardly wincing at the impulsive outburst.

“No need to worry about that until later this week,” he said with a smile.

Easy for him to say. He wouldn’t be the one enduring it.

“But back to your lessons,” he continued. “I am assuming you are not being provided any additional instruction?”

“I spend extra hours with Mother Cordelia, but?—”

When she hesitated again, Rordan said, “You can speak freely, Tessa.”

“I do not find the additional instruction helpful,” she finally said.

“And you’ve told the Arius Heir?”

“He is working on finding a replacement, but he’s…busy,” Tessa answered.

“I see.” He set his tea aside, lifting a hand. There was a swirl of golden mist, and when it dissipated, he held a book. An oldbook, from what Tessa could tell. When he held it out to her, she blinked at him. “Take it,” he said.

Setting her own tea aside, she took it from him. The cover was leather, smooth and worn. She ran her fingers over it before pulling at the leather strap that held it shut. When she flipped open the first page and found another language, she said, “I can’t read this.”

“You’ll learn in time.”

Leafing through a few more pages, she paused again, her gaze snapping back to his. “These are Marks.”

“Among other things.”

“I am not a priestess. I can’t…”

“The most powerful can perform the Marks, whether they are a priestess or not,” Rordan said. “That now includes you. But that is beside the point. Theon should have given you something similar. All the Legacy are taught such basics.”

“They are?” She turned another page, studying the Marks scattered among words she couldn’t decipher.

Lord Jove hummed a response. “You can take that one with you for the time being.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” she said hastily, closing the book and trying to hand it back to him.

“Of course it is. Wherever you end up in Devram, you will need to know such basics.”

“What do you mean ‘wherever I end up?’”

“Exactly what I said. It seems your future is yet to be determined.”

“And how, exactly, will it be determined?” Tessa asked, unease creeping in.

Lord Jove smiled again as he picked up his tea once more. “That choice, my dear, is up to you.”

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