Page 91 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“I imagine you do after being confined to the Estate for so many years,” he said.

“Yes,” was all she managed to say, her fingers curling in her gloves at her sides.

At least they let her wear pants, even if they were incredibly impractical. They were, of course, white. Everything was white and light and?—

Gold.

Just like the large gate they’d stopped in front of.

Well, the gate itself wasn’t gold. It was actually two large panels that had gold designs inlaid into it, all gleaming and glinting in the daylight. Symbols of the gods. Marks she knew and some she didn’t. Without realizing it, she lifted a hand to trace one, but a hand clamped around her wrist, stopping her.

“They’re enchanted,” Dagian said tightly. “Touching them would end unfavorably for all of us.”

“What happens?” Tessa asked, a frown pulling at her mouth.

“I’ve never had to find out,” he answered.

She glanced over his shoulder where Sasha was dutifully a step behind him, her brown eyes holding a pleading warning for her not to push this. With a sigh, she pushed down her curiosity and shoved her gloved hands into the pockets of the long wool coat she was wearing.

That was also white.

She startled when the gates started sliding open, and Dex’s hand was on her arm, steadying her.

“Relax, Tessie,” he murmured quietly. “They’re just letting us in.”

She looked up, meeting his dark eyes. “Have you been here before?” Looking past him, she said to Oralia and Brecken, “Have you?”

None of them answered, maintaining their demeanor of servitude, but Brecken winked at her. When would they have been here? They hadn’t been in service to the Achaz Kingdom that long.

“Your grace, it is a pleasure to welcome you once more,” came a male voice that had her turning back to the now fully open gates.

A sentinel was bowing to Rordan and Dagian, and when he straightened, his gaze fell on Tessa. Uncertainty flickered across his features as he took her in, and Tessa sent him a cheeky smile with a wink of her own. Maybe she didn’t need Theon after all. She just needed to find someone else. Or someones. She didn’t really care.

“Put this on,” Dagian said, holding out his hand. In his palm was a thin rose gold ring.

Looking around, she found everyone sliding identical rings onto their fingers, but she’d witnessed rings and bracelets andcollars be more than just an adornment. She wasn’t about to blindly put on a piece of jewelry.

“Why?” she asked, her hands still firmly shoved deep into the pockets of her coat.

“Do you have to question everything?” Dagian ground out, trying again to get her to take the ring.

“Is that an honest question?” she retorted, still eyeing the ring.

“The Sirana Villas are devoted to Sirana herself,” Rordan cut in, taking the ring from his son. “Her presence is felt more strongly here because of that, and not even the strongest of us are immune to those effects.”

“I still don’t understand,” Tessa said, taking a step back and bumping into a solid chest. Looking up, she found Brecken towering behind her.

“You’re going to want to fuck, Tessa,” Brecken said, taking the ring Rordan held out to him while tugging her hand from her coat pocket.

Her mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious. Just by stepping through the gates?”

But hadn’t she just been entertaining the idea of finding someone to replace Theon?

“Sirana is the goddess of love and fertility,” Dex said as though he was speaking to a child. “Her presence is felt strongly here.”

That was the most ridiculous thing she’d heard. The gods had abandoned this realm. How could her presence be felt here?

“And the ring does what?” she asked as Brecken tugged her glove from her hand.

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