Page 61 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

Theon’s head whipped to her. “No, Tessa. We need to discuss which questions we will ask.”

“She said we each get one. Not that you get to assign us each a question to ask.”

“Tessalyn,do not speak,” Theon ordered, the entrancing stilling Tessa’s tongue.

And Axel watched as the violet in Tessa’s eyes flared bright with rage. Her fingers curled in, but he could swear light had crackled there. She had her bands on though…

“So foolish to play with things you do not understand,” Cienna said cryptically.

“Then help me understand,” Theon said in frustration.

“I am waiting for your questions.”

Theon’s darkness made an appearance, telling Axel just how irritated his brother was getting, and Cienna gave him an unimpressed stare. Then her head tilted to the side as she watched his magic drift towards Tessa.

“By the gods,” Luka muttered. “I’ll ask a fucking question. What is the Everlasting War?”

Cienna straightened, her palms flat on the tabletop. “That is not a question I anticipated.”

“It appears to be something we need to be concerned with,” Luka replied.

“Is this the Augury thing?” Axel asked, watching Katya tentatively pull a book towards herself.

Cienna noticed as well, taking the book from her, but also sliding another towards her.

“The ‘Augury thing’ is apparently very real considering they tried to kill Tessa,” Theon retorted.

They’d filled Axel in on that night, though no one had come after Tessa since. Still, it wasn’t nearly enough proof to convince him. A secret society who thought their purpose was to keep a prophecy from coming true was too much for him. But it still begged the question of who had attacked them and what this war was. Because yeah, if a war was coming, they should probably be prepared for that.

He unwittingly moved closer to Kat, and now he peered over her shoulder at the book she was looking through. He couldn’t read it though. From what he could tell, it was written in the Lost Language.

“So this war…” Axel urged when Cienna remained silent.

“The Everlasting War began long before Devram was created,” Cienna said. “It is why it is called everlasting. It was believed to have been won for a period of time, but choices were made that altered Fate, and the war continues across the realms.”

“But what—” Tessa rolled her eyes when Theon sent her a look telling her not to ask a question.

“I can research that more on my own,” Theon said. “We need to be careful with our questions unless Cienna suddenly finds herself in a more generous mood.”

“Has your father rescinded his order for my death?” Cienna asked sharply.

“No,” Theon answered.

“Then be grateful I am seeing you at all, Theon St. Orcas.”

Theon inhaled deeply, clearly calming himself, before he said, “Tessa has the ability to create storms of some kind. Shecan manipulate the weather. I know of no god or goddess that can do that, which leads me to believe she is not a Legacy.”

“What?” Tessa demanded. “You’ve said nothing of this to me.”

Axel slid his hands into his pockets. Theon liked to have everything figured out before sharing his thoughts and plans with everyone else. He and Luka were used to it, but Tessa…was not.

Theon didn’t look at her, keeping his attention on Cienna when he asked, “If she is not a Legacy and she is not Fae, what other options are there?”

Tessa scoffed, pushing off the table and wandering around the space again. “Other options. As if I am one of his prized hounds,” she muttered to herself, but they all heard her. Luka threw an exasperated glare at Theon.

“How else am I supposed to word that? Is that not what we are trying to figure out?” Theon asked, his thumb and forefinger rubbing at his brow.

Cienna fell silent, appearing to debate her answer. Or maybe she simply didn’t know how to answer it. Axel wasn’t sure. She had always been somehow vague yet helpful.

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