Page 213 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

She started when sapphire eyes peered down at her. She’d forgotten Luka was in here.

“Are you planning on changing tonight? Or are you sleeping in that dress?”

“I need a minute,” she answered, suddenly exhausted by the events and emotions of the last few hours.

Luka nodded, disappearing from her line of sight, and she closed her eyes. It felt like mere seconds had passed when Luka spoke again.

“It’s been ten minutes, baby girl. Let’s get you changed.”

Her eyes fluttered open to find him crouched beside her, a shirt in his hand. He pulled her to her feet, handing over the clothing before he unzipped the side zipper on her dress. She made her way to the bathroom to change, wash the makeup from her face, and brush her teeth. Then she crawled into bed where he was already waiting for her.

“Do you want to talk about tonight?” he asked, his fingers combing through her hair.

“Theon and I fucked in an alcove.”

“I’m aware.”

“Am I…”

“Are you what?” Luka asked when she trailed off.

“I don’t know how to feel. About anything. None of this… I don’t…” She trailed off again.

“You have to face it some time, Tessa.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Which parts?”

“All of it,” she whispered. “What I am. My purpose. What I should do. How I should do it. Devram. My lineage. This power I never asked for. Dex. Oralia. Brecken. Tristyn. Axel and Kat. Lange and Corbin. Rordan. Valter. Eviana. Me. I don’t know how to face myself,” she finally admitted. “I am wild and untamed. I am uncontrollable. I am utter chaos.”

His hand never stopped moving through her hair while she spoke, but when she fell silent, Luka said, “It helps to talk things through with someone you trust, but you have said so yourself, you trust no one. Take things one at a time. You cannot simply ignore them and seek out distractions. Not anymore. Chaos or not, you still control your path.”

“Salvation or destruction,” she murmured, eyes growing heavy.

“And Theon and I? We’ll wait.”

“Both of you?”

“Yes.”

“And you are all right with that?”

“Yes.”

“What if itisboth of you?”

She felt his smile as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “We’ll wait for you to figure it out.”

Her hair whipped around her as she clung to the horse’s mane, her thighs squeezing tight. Nylah and Roan ran with them, somehow keeping pace with the horse. She had no idea how to ride a horse. She’d only been on one with Theon, but the horse had shown up when she’d been desperate. One of Theon’s own prized stallions. With no saddle or bridle, he’d lowered beside her so she could climb on. Then he was up and racing, her only option to cling to his mane, but the horse seemed to know she didn’t know what she was doing.

“No one is coming to save you this time, Tessalyn,” a dark voice echoed around her. “You killed them all, just as I needed you to.”

A voice she knew.

Achaz.

He was here.

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