Page 174 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

Blinking, he looked around, trying to figure out where they were. The waters here were dark, shimmering black under the dying sun. He only knew of waters like that in the Night Waters in Arius Kingdom. What were they doing so deep in the kingdom?

The snarling of wolves had him turning to find Nylah and Roan deep in a fight. In fact, down the bank, there was more than a fight happening. Robed figures were battling against translucent ones. The Augury and Tessa’s Hunters. And in the middle of the fray, he could make out Tessa and Theon. He was swinging his short swords with the lethal grace and skill he’d honed for more than a decade. His power surrounded him, darker and thicker than the waters as he shoved a sword through an Augury member while swiping with the other. But the Hunters? Gods, the Hunters were feasting. Their excitement was palpable as they cut through people with their gold weapons.

And Tessa?

She was beautiful with her own weapon, but she hadn’t been trained as long. She was working on instinct. Her grip on her sword was all wrong, but she compensated with her power. Lightning flickered, striking the ground sporadically as thunder rumbled above them. Theon was trying to shield her while she let her power free to protect them both.

Luka wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but he was running, yelling at them that he was coming. Neither seemed to hear him. No one seemed to be able to see him either. The Hunters glided past him. The Augury didn’t acknowledge him, but as he drew closer, he could hear Tessa and Theon.

“He will come, Tessa. Just keep fighting,” Theon ordered, his sword never ceasing its movements.

Tessa shook her head as she lifted a hand, power arcing from her palm and bringing an Augury member to the ground with a scream of agony. “He will not,” she panted, spinning to take on another. “He is too angry. He will not forgive?—”

“He will,” Theon snarled, cutting off whatever she was going to say. “He will come because we are his as much as he is ours.”

“You need to call Eliza and Razik,” she said, shaking her head. She was drawing up more power, her entire body glowing as gold and silver embers swirled around her. “He will not come, Theon. My betrayal was too deep.”

“Whatever you did— Tessa, move!”

Theon dropped one of his swords, reaching for her and yanking her to him as an Augury member got too close, but he hadn’t seen the other one coming from the opposite direction. A moment before a blade met Theon’s side, Tessa’s hand connected with the person’s throat, and before he could scream, black webbing erupted all along his skin. She released him, and as he sank to the ground, her power flared even brighter.

That was when the Night Children appeared.

As fast and strong as any Legacy, they were vicious and skilled. They were blurs as they moved; even the Hunters had trouble keeping up with them.

“There are too many!” Tessa cried. “We can’t fight them all, Theon.”

“We can, Tessa! Luka will come!” Theon replied, having retrieved his dropped sword. Darkness rolled from him like a wave, shrouding several vampyres. When it receded, they lay dead on the ground.

“He won’t, Theon,” she argued, turning to him. “He’s too?—”

But her words turned into a garbled mess as blood bubbled from her mouth. When she’d turned to speak to Theon, a Night Child had struck. A sword with a crimson blade and a gold hilt had been shoved through her back. As she dropped to her knees, the vampyre pulled it out.

Theon bellowed a roar, dropping down to Tessa and pulling her close. His magic lashed out, wrapping around the vampyre and dragging them closer. “You can’t kill her with a sword, but I will make you wish for death for even thinking you could achieve it.”

Hood still in place, Luka couldn’t see who spoke, but they laughed. “It may take seven of those blades to kill a god, but only one should be needed for her.”

His head twisted to the side at an unnatural angle. Luka heard the crack from where he stood as Theon’s magic broke his neck before ripping the entire being in half.

“No!” Theon cried as death rained around them. “No, no, no! Where the fuck is Luka?”

“I told you… He won’t…” Tessa tried, but she trailed off.

Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and Theon held her closer, his magic wrapping around her while she clung to him.

“I’m here!” Luka yelled, but no one heard him.

And no one else came when a Hunter sank a gold blade into Theon’s back.

It was the only vision he was pulled into while Tessa slept nearly two entire days. When he’d come out of that vision, Dex and the female had been there. She had appeared furious, leaving the room before he’d had a chance to reorient himself. Dex had just sat back in the chair, but he hadn’t stayed. For whatever reason, he’d left that night. He came back every hour on the hour, but he never stayed. He never asked if she’d woken. Never said a single word.

With Dex no longer hovering, they could have gone back to using their phones to communicate, but he and Theon had continued to use the bond. They were both hoping that by using it, it might call to Tessa and wake her. That maybe she’d be drawn to their voices, but it had yet to work.

Luka hadn’t slept. Not for a single minute. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the vision she’d pulled him into. Why would he not show up? Especially if both sheandTheon were in danger. It went against the Guardian bond, and it went against… He didn’t know what it was with Tessa. Even if he was supposed to have been her Guardian, there shouldn’t be this draw or pull. That was not how it worked. Or maybe it was, and he just didn’t know it because he’d been alone in this realm for twenty-five fucking years, the only one of his kind, and when another finally did show up, he was a godsdamn prick.

“Luka?”

He looked down, startled. Her eyes were open—not glowing, thank Sargon—and she was staring up at him. He could feel a faint worry down the bond, and that hadhimworried because there was no way she had the inclination to be blocking the bond right now.

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