Page 8 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

The mere idea made her want to vomit, but Oralia insisted it was the best assignment she could have been given.

Tessa begged to differ.

She should be paying attention to what was being said, absorbing every word. It was all she’d been doing for months. That was how she’d been able to turn the tables on Theon. She already knew everything that was being said anyway.

Lord Jove had been the one to tell her of her mother’s bloodline. That her mother was a descendant of Achaz, but he didn’t know how far down the line. Closer than he was, thatmuch was certain. He claimed he was still more powerful than her. She didn’t think that was the case, but she hadn’t trained enough with her own power to know.

Yet.

The Lord may be full of confidence and poise in front of the other realm rulers, but she knew he was observing her more than anyone else.

He couldn’t summon the Hunters.

He didn’t have wolves that answered to him and him alone.

He wasn’t both beginnings and endings, light and dark.

And he didn’t know that her grandfather was Arius, the god of death and endings himself.

She wasn’t stupid. She’d kept that card close, and apparently so had Theon. Outside of those who had been in the room when Scarlett had shared that truth, she was sure no one else knew her paternal lineage.

Secrets were currency after all.

It was the reason Lord Jove shared just enough truth to show he was working with the others. The other rulers had to know he was withholding information. They had secrets of their own, and Tessa had collected so much currency as of late, she might very well be the wealthiest being in Devram.

Tired of the velvet rubbing against her skin with every step, she dropped into a chair. She could still hear everything being said. Arguments about where she should be housed, as if Lord Jove would let them remove her from the Achaz Kingdom where she belonged. But he entertained their arguments, and she tipped her head back, her eyes falling closed. She hadn’t had a good night’s rest in weeks. Not since the last night she’d slept between Theon and Luka.

And when she did sleep, her dreams were…not dreams at all.

That thought alone had her lurching to her feet. She could not fall asleep here. If she had a vision, she never knew whather mental state would be when she woke. She felt more chaotic away from them, and that was saying something considering she’d been told she was chaos her entire existence.

Slipping her socks back on, she picked up the heeled, black ankle boots she’d worn so they wouldn’t click against the stairs as she made her way down. The entry of the Tribunal building was bustling with all the Lords and Ladies here, and she cursed under her breath when she spotted Dex and Oralia standing off to one side. Of course Dex was positioned to see her only exit. It was as if he suspected she would make an attempt to leave.

Scowling, she debated what to do for only a few seconds before climbing halfway back up the stairs and conjuring a portal. The gateway flared brightly, making her squint as she stepped through directly into an alleyway beside the building.

“Neat trick,” came a male voice that Tessa knew all too well, and she turned to find Brecken leaning against the wall.

The male was dressed like Dex was in black pants and a white button-down shirt. As he lifted a cigarette to his lips, the sleeve pulled up, revealing his markings— Celeste Estate, air element, and in service to the Achaz Kingdom.

“What are you doing out here?” she demanded, dropping her boots to the pavement and sliding her now damp feet into them. Great. As if socks weren’t bad enough, now they were wet socks.

“Smoking,” Brecken answered, taking a drag off the thing. “Your turn.”

“Sneaking away from Dex,” she retorted.

Brecken grinned. “Usually we’re sneakingwithyou, Tessie.”

She was about to say something in response when the scent of his smoke hit her. “Are you… Is that lull-leaf?”

He lifted a dark brow before he took another drag and extended the roll to her. “Is that you asking for a hit?”

Tessa glanced at it, worrying her bottom lip. Itdidsound nice. She knew it would ease her nerves, but…

She’d only smoked lull-leaf with Tristyn Blackheart.

And he’d only been using her.

And Auryon had betrayed her.

---