Page 88 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

“I mean, I guess it was the stuff you said too,” she admitted. “I don’t know that I’m necessarily worth it, but I’d like to think I am.”

“You are, Tessa.”

She shrugged again, sinking into the water up to her chin. “I don’t…” She sighed. “I don’t want to feel that defenseless ever again, Luka.”

“Then we make sure you aren’t,” he said, and there was a fierceness in his voice that had her turning to look at him. And gods, the look on his face said he believed that. He truly believed she was worth his time. That he could teach her to not only defend herself but actually fight back.

She cleared her throat again. “You brought snacks?”

“Those are for me.”

She couldn’t stop the bark of laughter. It hurt her chest, but it also felt good to laugh. “The doughnut too?”

“Especially that. You can have the crackers,” Luka said, and the corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile so small it could barely be called one, but it was there.

“Ass,” she muttered.

She heard his huff of laughter as she slid beneath the water again.

After she’d bathed and was dressed in fresh clothing, the two of them went out to sit with Katya. She was reading a book on the sofa, but Tessa went straight to the bay window she’d spent so much time in weeks ago. Luka indeed let her have the doughnut, and she was just finishing it off when Theon and Axel came through the door.

She’d felt him approaching, the bond buzzing with excitement. Theon must have felt it too, because he came rushing through the door, tossing his suit jacket over a chair. He was across the room in a few long strides and taking her face in his hands.

“You’re awake,” he breathed, his thumb sweeping along her jaw.

“Awake, bathed, and fed,” she retorted. “Your babysitter did well. Better tip him extra.” Theon’s eyes fell closed as though he were thanking Arius himself. “What is wrong with you? Luka told me the Healer said I would be fine.”

His eyes opened, emerald irises bright with emotions she could feel down their bond.

Emotions she didn’t like one bit.

“I haven’t been able to feel you, Tessa. Nothing. Not a single thing.”

“I’m fine. Just a little sore still,” she said, pulling back from his touch.

He turned to Luka. “Is that true?”

Luka nodded, his legs stretched before him where he sat on the sofa. “You’ve seen the wounds. They’re healed. She said it still hurts, but Gia said that would linger.”

“Who is Gia?” Tessa asked. “Luka mentioned that name earlier.”

“The Healer who fixed you up,” Axel said, sitting on the arm of the chair where Kat sat. She didn’t acknowledge him, and Tessa found herself a little jealous that she seemed to be more comfortable around them than she was. How had the female become that comfortable in such a short period of time? She had to be convinced to sit and eat with them, but here she was fine.

Axel leaned over, pointing to something in the book. Tessa couldn’t hear his question, but Kat shook her head, turning a page and pointing at something else. She wasn’t even listening to what Luka and Theon were discussing now, too intrigued by what she was watching. Those two seemed like the ones who had a bond, not her and Theon.

“Dinner will be brought up in an hour,” Theon was saying, pulling her from her thoughts. “Tomorrow we go back to the Acropolis.”

Tessa nodded, turning back to the window. The gardens below were becoming barren, leaves beginning to fall and littering the ground. Rain would become snow soon, the rivers turning to ice. She suspected a layer of frost would blanket everything in the morning being this high in the mountains.

“Do you think I can make it snow?” she wondered aloud.

Whatever small chatter had been happening went quiet, and she tilted her head to look up at Theon. “Why would you think that?” he asked cautiously.

“You told Cienna you believed I could control the weather.”

“You made it raininsidethe Pantheon,” Axel said from across the room.

“Not on purpose,” she argued, immediately going on the defensive.

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