Page 28 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

“You need to take those bands off, little storm,” Theon said gently.

She spun back to face him once more. “What?”

“I know those bands are making things difficult, Tessa. I know what happens when your power is trapped. I know that agony. They need to come off. Your power needs a chance to breathe,” he answered.

“But your father said…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “No, Theon. No. I can’t be responsible for another… We cannot make him angry again.Ican’t make him angry again.”

“Luka and I have this all planned out, Tessa. He will not find out, and if he does?—”

“Someone else will suffer to punish you!” she cried.

Clever. She’d pieced together how his father worked.

“And it will be because ofme. Again. No. I don’t want to do this,” she went on.

She swallowed thickly, clear panic settling over her. He hadn’t expected her to have this kind of reaction.

“I’m doing fine. I’ll be fine,” she went on, sounding like she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince him.

“You’re not fine, Tessa,” Theon said, trying to sound soothing, but even he could hear the bite of frustration.

He was exhausted. He’d hardly slept since the Emerging Ceremony. Dealing with the fallout of his own failures,preparing for the Tribunal hearing, along with all his daily responsibilities, he was managing an hour or two a night, if that. Legacy didn’t need sleep like a mortal did. They didn’t even need it like the Fae did for refilling power reserves. That was what Legacy drank Fae blood for. Legacy could go a few days without sleep, but he was pushing the limit, especially after having to heal from a fucking nightstone stab wound.

He’d known what his actions would cost him yesterday. He’d known that showing weakness in front of his father would result in more pain, but he hadn’t cared. When he’d heard the slight panic in Tessa’s voice at the idea of him taking another Source, he hadn’t cared. His father would view it as weak and pathetic and would attack that weakness immediately, and he did.

“My father said we couldn’t take those bands off in the training arenas, where others could observe the extent of your gifts. We’re going somewhere secluded,” Theon said.

“You think you can outmaneuver your father?” Tessa demanded. “Hekilledsomeone, Theon. Someone you actually cared about?—”

“No, Tessa.Axelkilled someone.I’vekilled people. Luka has. My father rarely does the actual taking of life. He finds the message gets across clearer when the blood is on our hands,” Theon cut in. She fell quiet, fiddling with the hem of her jacket. Theon took another breath before saying tightly, “I have been outmaneuvering my father for years now. He will not learn of this. We made sure of it.”

She nodded mutely, looking back out the window, and Theon let her be, tipping his head back against the seat and letting his eyes fall closed for a few minutes.

“This needs to happen, Tessa,” Luka said into the quiet vehicle. “You can’t tell me those bands aren’t driving you half-mad.”

“I can handle it,” she retorted.

“But you don’t need to, little one. Not when we can help. We can help with this.”

And the tone of his voice had Theon cracking his eyes open to peer at his best friend. He’d kept his distance from Tessa from the very beginning, constantly telling Theon that she wasn’t the one for this and that he’d made the wrong choice. But ever since they’d started their training sessions, things had been changing. He pushed Tessa more. Theon knew he’d do that during training, but the taunting on the way to the vehicle was new. And so was the somewhat soft assurance he was giving her now. That same assurance Theon suspected he’d whispered to her during the hearing to help her keep control of her emotions. Assurance that obviously worked since she was seeking him out for help in the middle of the godsdamn night.

“He’s right, Tessa,” Theon said. “It’ll be better to release some of that power before the next Mark is given. That will be unpleasant enough without the additional strain of your power being trapped.”

“That Mark is a week away.”

“We will do this every other day.”

She nodded once, pressing her lips together. “Well, thank you, then.”

“You don’t have to thank me for taking care of you.”

“I suppose not. I’ve already paid the cost for such basic decency many times over,” she retorted.

“Did you not choose this just yesterday?” Theon demanded.

She clicked her tongue. “Don’t kid yourself, Theon. Neither option was desirable.”

“Then why choose this over the alternative?” he challenged, leaning towards her.

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