Page 186 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“Then we best be figuring out what those questions are. We are running out of time,” Razik said, returning to his reading, which Theon had come to learn was his way of saying he was done with the conversation.

But he was wrong.

They weren’t running out of time. They were already working on borrowed time, and Fate would come collecting soon.

34

AXEL

He sat up straight on the small bed. Fully clothed, he yanked the earbuds from his ears so he could focus fully on the Tracking Mark. For four days he’d been at this inn waiting for Tessa to show up at the Acropolis, and finally she was here.

Axel had left the Underground the morning after his dinner with Bree, telling her he had some loose ends to take care of in the kingdoms while he still could. She’d seemed a little suspicious, but ultimately hadn’t objected. Even if she had, he was still an Arius Heir for a little while longer. He didn’t want to burden Theon with protecting Kat. It was his own responsibility. Theon had enough to worry about, and while he knew Theon would never feel threatened by the life growing in Kat’s belly, an irrational overprotective part of him didn’t want him to know yet. If his father ever found out, he would certainly have the child killed. Theon needed an heir before Axel would be allowed to have one, and even then, that heir could never be half Fae. He’d contemplated Luka, but again, he was Theon’s advisor. Tristyn was an option, he supposed. Cienna clearly already knew, but Kat and Tessa were friends. Surely Tessa would want to makesure she was safe. Surely she would help him get her out of the Arius manor house somehow without the others knowing.

That was what he was counting on anyway.

Slipping on his sweatshirt, he pulled the hood up to shield his eyes from the sun. It wasn’t even sunny out, but the daylight in general made his eyes hurt when he was in it too long. He slid on sneakers and left his room, taking the stairs down to the tavern on the first floor. None of the patrons paid him any attention as he made his way out to the streets. He wasn’t technicallyinthe Acropolis. This was a rundown area on the outskirts, and it was perfect for keeping a low profile.

Keeping to the shadows, he followed the pull of the Tracking Mark into the heart of the city, and that was where he found her being escorted into one of the finer dining establishments. Well, fuck. He certainly wasn’t dressed for that restaurant, and even if he was, she was with those Fae that had been claimed by the Achaz Kingdom. Dex and that female. What was her name? Olive? Orleen? It didn’t really matter, but he’d need to get her away from them if he had any hope of speaking to her.

Making his way to the alleys, he found the door to the kitchen of the restaurant. Knocking a few times, he waited until a haggard-looking cook pulled it open.

“We don’t give handouts,” he snapped, already shutting the door, but Axel was there with his shadows, sending them down his throat. Muffling the man’s startled cry, he pushed inside, kicking the door shut behind him. He yanked the hood of his sweatshirt back, letting his magic drift across his irises.

“You know who I am, yes?” Axel hissed.

The male nodded, eyes wide.

“Then kindly forget you saw me here,” he added, stepping back and pulling his magic with him.

“Of course, my lord,” the male said, eyes on the ground. “My apologies.”

“Accepted but not needed,” Axel replied. “Now, where would I find the sound system for the restaurant?”

“The…what?” the male asked, wiping his hands on his apron.

“The music that plays in the background while people eat,” Axel explained impatiently.

“I don’t know, my lord,” he stammered. “The main office maybe?”

“And where would I find that?”

The male gave vague directions, and Axel decided it would probably be easier to find it on his own at this point. The cook did tell him about the side passages the staff used, though, which was helpful in moving about unseen. In the end, the office wasn’t too hard to find, and even better, it was conveniently empty. More than that, it came with a one-way window that overlooked the dining room. Flicking the lock behind him, he stood at the window, searching until he found Tessa seated at a table near the back. Dex and the two other Fae were with her, but there was another male there too. Axel immediately recognized him. A relation of some sort to Rordan, he was an Achaz Legacy. His father oversaw a seaside city, Astown Port, in the south of Achaz Kingdom where the Wynfell River met the Asning Sea.

The male’s blond hair was dark with brown undertones. He was tall and thin, and for the life of him, Axel couldn’t recall his name. Theon would know it, and Axelshouldknow it. He watched them for a minute. The male was speaking, his gaze fixed on Tessa. She was sipping on a glass of wine, her back to the window.

Moving to the sound system, he pulled up the current music selection before syncing his phone. Corbin had taught him a few tricks in their short time together, and he moved back to the window to watch Tessa as he clicked the first song on a playlist he’d created just for her.

He saw her stiffen and her head tilt as the new music drifted into the room. A few other patrons looked around as well, but for the most part, no one seemed to notice. He let the song play for thirty seconds before clicking on the next. After thirty seconds, he moved to the next. On the fifth song, he watched Tessa set her napkin on the table and excuse herself, likely to use the restroom. Dex said something to her, but ultimately she left the table alone.

Perfect.

Being sure to disconnect his phone, he let the original music resume as he rushed from the room and down the stairs. He ducked into a restroom. Male or female, he didn’t pay attention. He made sure it was empty, and then he waited by the door for the Tracking Mark to tell him where she was. When he felt her right on the other side, he yanked the door open and pulled her inside.

Then he was yelping a curse as shocks rippled through his body.

“By the gods, baby doll,” he muttered. “It’s me.”

“Axel?” she said, staring at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

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