Page 260 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“She should be here,” the Anala Lady said. “This hearing is about her, after all.”

“After what she has done, she gets no say in her own fate,” the Serafina Lady snapped. Her silver glare fixed on Theon. “Youshould be outraged more than anyone, Arius Heir.”

Theon held her stare for a full five seconds, the room going quiet, before he said, “It is my understanding the Augury attacked her yet again. Are we now doling out punishments for defending ourselves? Is that not what our entire realm is built upon? Proving who is the most powerful?”

“Hundreds of your people died,” the Celeste Lady cut in. “If you are this cavalier about it, I question whether you are fit to be the Arius Lord.”

If only she knew he questioned the same as of late.

But he said, “Losses that could have been avoided if we could get the fucking Augury under control. How many times do they have to come after Tessa before we do something?”

“The Augury is a myth,” scoffed the Celeste Lady.

“Tell that to the souls of the dead,” Theon deadpanned.

“You cannot possibly still be defending the girl after all of this,” the Serafina Lady said.

“Tessadid not ask for any of this,” he retorted, sitting up straighter. “She was chosen against her will to be a Source. Then, when it was discovered she wasn’t Fae at all, a hearing was held to determine her fate. She has never had a say in any matter. None of the Fae ever have.”

The Ladies stared back at him, and it was the Falein Lady who said, “What are you saying, Heir St. Orcas?”

“I’m saying maybe it’s not Tessa or the Augury that led to this. Maybe it’s this whole godsdamn system.”

The Serafina Lady straightened. “It is how things have been done since the creation of the realm. The gods decreed it.”

“The gods don’t come here. They don’t give two fucks what we’re doing thousands of years later,” he retorted.

“Let’s all take a moment,” Lord Jove interrupted, his voice ringing out above the arguing. When everyone fell quiet, he continued. “I know you are new to this, Theon, but it has long been the responsibility of the ruling Lords and Ladies to uphold the laws and traditions of Devram.”

“And you were all around when these so-called laws and traditions were decreed by the gods?” Theon asked.

“Of course not,” he scoffed.

“Then how do we know? How do we know what the gods decreed before they abandoned us all here?”

“It has been passed down from the Lords and Ladies before us,” Rordan replied coldly, his eyes narrowing. “Are you suggesting we should shun those who came before us and the gods who gave us everything we have?”

“I am saying it is foolish to expect an entire realm to continue to operate in the same way for thousands of years without anyadvancements or changes,” Theon said, a sneer curling on his lip. “But that’s not entirely what has happened either, is it?”

“Whatever do you mean?” asked the Anala Lady, but when Theon swung his gaze to her, he could swear she was fighting a pleased smile.

“Yes,” drawled the Serafina Lady. “Please expound on such a statement as if you have the experience to speak about anything. You are achild.”

“Do I have experience in withholding information for my own personal gain to try to manipulate people into doing and being what I want? To make sure I keep control and power?” Theon countered. “Not only do I have that, but I’ve been on the receiving end of it my entire life. It is why I believed it to be normal. It’s what I was taught, and all I’d ever known. But that was all by design, right?”

Lady Isleen sat back in her seat dramatically, as if affronted, but Theon pushed on.

“But to answer Lady Aithne’s question, I think the Lords and Ladies over the yearshavechanged and adapted over time, but those advancements were as manipulated as everything else in Devram. All of those advancements were instituted to widen the divide between not only the Legacy and Fae, but also among the Legacy themselves. The mortals have been left alone because they could never challenge beings of power, but the Fae?” He chuckled derisively. “They could pose an issue if not kept under control, right?”

“That is enough,” Rordan snarled, but Theon had seen the Sources in the room shifting on their feet, cutting glances at each other. “We are not here to discuss how Devram has evolved or been ruled in the past, and we are certainly not here to discuss how it will be run in the future. We are here to discuss the fate of Tessalyn.”

“Death is the only fate I will accept in this matter,” the Celeste Lady replied sharply.

“That seems a bit foolish, Luna,” Rordan scoffed.

“It is anything but,” she all but squawked. “The girl has been nothing but a menace since her power was awakened. Even before, her records state how she was a constant nuisance at her estate during her formative years. She has been given numerous chances only to prove time and again she cannot control herself. She continues to fight, and the people of Devram continue to fall. We gaveyouthe chance to prove you could control the uncontrollable, and you have failed in that regard as well, Rordan. This is the only viable option I see moving forward, or Devram as we know it will fall.”

“Do I not have her under control at this very moment?” Rordan demanded, light flickering around him, a golden mist swirling at his feet. “She is locked up at the Pantheon. You know the manner of beings those cells hold. She is under control there until an understanding can be reached. She is already responding favorably and has signed a Match Contract she was previously resistant to. She is wild, yes, but it just means she is taking a little longer to understand her place in this world.”

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