Page 260 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

Too wild.

The beings beside her seemed to sense her shift, wicked smiles pulling at their perfect mouths.

There was nothing said. She gave no command, and the beings didn’t say a word to each other. But they descended as one. All of them pulled swords from the air as they glided forward, converging on the Augury members.

The same way the Augury had come for her. Trapping her. Bringing her to her knees.

And they screamed.

There was no fighting against the beings. The weapons of the Augury went straight through them as if they were nothing but wisps of fog. The golden blades of the beings, however, were very, very real. Blood mixed with the falling frozen rain, turning everything red.

Tessa had never felt more free as she moved among the death swallowing up everything around her. No one touched her. No one came for her, too busy trying to stay alive.

And she smiled.

A voice she recognized had her turning her head as the Augury member tripped over his robes and fell to the ground. A being glided over to him, blade raised.

“Wait!” Tessa called.

The being immediately stilled, his head turning to her while he still held the blade aloft.

“My grace?”

My grace?

That made her pause. She’d never been addressed as such a thing.

Quickly gathering herself, she used her foot to kick the mask from the Legacy’s face. She felt his power swirl around in the wind, but he must have used an abundance of it because it scarcely touched her. Or maybe that was the being beside her? She didn’t really care as the male’s eyes landed on her, something akin to relief flashing through them.

“Thank the gods,” he said, a hand swiping down his face and leaving a smear of dirt and blood.

“Why do you thank gods that do not care for this world?” Tessa asked in curiosity. “They will not save you.”

“I… I don’t—” He stuttered, the panic reappearing.

Tessa held up her wrists. “You were the one who forced me to put these on, yes?”

Now his eyes were wide as he frantically tried to push away from her, crawling backwards.

“I did make it clear you would be the one to die for this,” she said with a mocking sigh.

She held out her hand to the being, not even sure if it would work, but he placed the golden blade in her hand. Her fingers curled around the hilt. She’d never held a sword. Luka had never trained her to use such a thing. But she was pretty sure as long as the sharp end went through skin and tissue and muscle, it would accomplish its task, and she could certainly shove it into a chest.

“Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding on your end,” she said, stepping closer, the being moving with her. “I am still going to kill you, and I do not need my power to do so. Although it would likely be more satisfying, I suppose a blade will do.”

“No! Wait! I didn’t mean to?—”

She clicked her tongue. “Hush now. Don’t be a liar as you cross to the After. You would have shown me no mercy, and to be frank, the Legacy deserve none.”

And before he could reply, she plunged the golden sword into his throat before dragging down. She didn’t know what kind of blade this was, but it was sharp enough to slice with ease as she slid it to his heart and plunged deeper.

Howls sounded again moments before Roan and Niylah appeared, jumping into the fray and taking down Augury members who were managing to escape the beings she’d summoned.

Hers.

That’s what Auryon had said.

The wolves were hers.

---