Page 179 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

Theon immediately turned to Luka. “You felt nothing from her, right?”

Luka nodded, getting to his feet. “That’s going to be a problem.”

“You couldn’t feel her before the second Mark and seemed to understand her just fine,” Theon said.

“That’s the problem,” Luka replied. “She’s not blocking the bond. She’s feeling nothing. Eventually, she’s going to break,and when she does, I don’t know if we’ll be able to bring her back. Not again.”

The two of them stood there, side-by-side, staring at the closed bathroom door. What was there to say at this point?

“She learned about her visions,” Theon said.

“That’s what it sounds like.”

“My father wants a report of her time in Faven by the end of the day.”

Luka made a sound of acknowledgment.

“It doesn’t feel right to ask her about it with everything else going on.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

He didn’t know what he was going to do about any of it. Once again, he’d lost control over everything.

“I should go get her clothing,” Theon said after another silent minute of staring at the bathroom door.

“Probably,” Luka agreed.

Theon left the room, climbing the stairs slowly to the third floor. The message of her using Luka’s shower had been more than clear. Just as her demand to sleep in his room had been. She didn’t want to go into their room right now, and it again left Theon wondering what exactly she’d walked in on when she got home.

He hadn’t been up here at all, but the room was exactly as he’d left it. The bed was perfectly made. He hadn’t slept in it in two days. He’d packed up his books and papers as always, not trusting Ford not to go snooping. Nothing looked amiss, but he knew that didn’t mean anything. If Felicity was in on something with his father, Ford would have made sure her tracks were covered.

He brushed his teeth and took the fastest shower of his life before grabbing a few necessities for her, along with a pair ofleggings and a sweater. When he’d learned she would be back early, he had already cleared his day, but that didn’t mean his father wouldn’t drop in unexpectedly as he’d been doing more and more lately. He would have loved to just let Tessa wear something relaxed and comfortable, but they had to be ready for anything.

When he returned to Luka’s room, she hadn’t emerged yet. Luka had finished dressing, wearing a button down with his black jeans. He’d pulled his hair back, tying it on top of his head, and he was writing something on his tablet. He glanced up briefly when he heard Theon before going back to whatever it was he was doing.

“Have the plans for today changed at all?” Luka asked.

“No. We’ll let her set the pace for the day. I want to go through that information on Cordelia if I can,” Theon answered, setting Tessa’s items aside. “I heard movement across the hall. Axel and Kat must be awake too.”

Luka nodded. “I already told Ford we’d be down in the next hour for breakfast. Here.”

He held the tablet out to Theon, and when he looked at the screen, he found several names written on it in Luka’s quick scrawl. Some were circled, others had question marks beside them.

“Felicity is obviously involved in whatever this is,” Luka said. “But I don’t know that she’s cunning enough to pull something like this off by herself.”

“She’s smart, but she’d need help with this. My bet is on my father,” Theon replied, noting the question mark beside Valter’s name.

“You need to be sure, Theon.”

“I am. I told you what he said to me yesterday. He knows we’ve been plotting against him this entire time. Of course he was going to come for me. He’s always used my weaknessesagainst me,” Theon said. “He wants this bond severed. What better way than to cause a rift between me and Tessa?”

“He’s not the only one who wants it severed,” Luka said, taking the tablet back. “All the Lords and Ladies do.”

“You think there’s more involved? Thatthisis what has somehow brought the kingdoms together?”

“I don’t know what to think right now,” Luka answered, glancing at the bathroom door. “But she was dropped off here, which leads me to believe Achaz Kingdom is also involved.”

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