Page 34 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

She shrugged, idly stroking her hand down Luka’s scales again.

Another soft huff from Luka had Theon turning his attention back to his friend, where he’d moved enough for Theon to see the source of the howling.

Two wolves were standing along the riverbank. One was dark charcoal grey. The other was such a light grey, it was silver in the moonlight. They had to be the same two wolves that had been with the Keeper at the Emerging Ceremony. There was no such thing as coincidences when it came to Tessa.

Tessa noticed them a second later, her hand dropping to her side. She took a step forward, but Luka was already there, nudging her back with his head.

“They won’t hurt me,” she said, her voice holding that eerie ring it sometimes held these days. “They’re making sure I’m all right.”

“How can you know that?” Theon demanded.

She shrugged again. “I just do.”

The wolves stared back at the three of them a moment longer before they turned and disappeared into the surrounding trees.

“Shift back, Luka,” Theon said into the silent night.

“He can just…shift back?” Tessa asked, her hand smoothing down his scales once more.

There was a soft flash of blue light, and Luka stood there, Tessa’s hand now pressed to the naked skin of his muscled abdomen. She snatched it back as if he’d burned her.

“That was rude,” she muttered.

“You’re the definition of rude,” Luka said, eyes still scanning their surroundings.

“How do you have pants?” Tessa asked.

Luka arched a brow. “Are you wishing I didn’t?”

“Gods, no,” she scoffed with a curl of her lip.

“We should get out of here,” Luka said, already striding for the vehicle.

It wasn’t until they were crossing the boundaries back into the Acropolis that Luka said, “Any ideas who they were, Theon?”

“I know exactly who they were,” Theon answered, glancing at Tessa who was back to staring out the window. Her bouncing knee was the only tell he needed to know she was worked up about everything that had happened tonight. The only tell he needed to know that she was listening to every word. “They were the Augury.”

7

TESSA

“For fuck’s sake,” Luka muttered, turning onto a street Tessa recognized. “The Augury. That’s what you’re going with?”

“I don’t hear you offering any ideas,” Theon said, his defensive tone making Tessa glance at him sidelong.

She’d been quiet on the drive back to the Acropolis. They all had been. Each of them processing the events of the last hour in their own way.

She’d felt her power, and Theon had been right. It had been terrifying. And Luka had been right. She’d been nervous. But the relief when Theon had taken the second band off? When her power had taken control?

Thatwas freedom.

Not having to think.

Not having to feel.

Her power— wild and untamed and fierce—had let her simply be. Had let her simply exist.

Until Theon had started using his power with hers. Then she’d felteverything.

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