Page 233 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“I amyourGuardian,” Luka countered. “Not hers.”

“Maybe not her Guardian, but you’re hersomething, Luka,” Theon said. “Take me to Dark Haven, and then come back here and figure it the fuck out. I think it’s the only way we’re going to survive this anymore.”

Tessa had fallen quiet, feet back on the ground. Her violet gaze flicked back and forth between them while they argued.

“If there are Hunters involved, we need to find Auryon,” Luka finally said.

“She’s dead,” Tessa supplied.

“What do you mean she’s dead?”

“I mean a Hunter killed her. This was hers,” Tessa said, helplessly lifting the bow she still held.

“I told you we should have brought Razik and Eliza here,” Theon said. “They’ve dealt with the Hunters before. Or at least Razik has.”

“And I toldyouhe isnotcoming to my cave,” Luka growled. “I’ll take you to them. They can go with you to Dark Haven.”

“Fine. We don’t have time to debate this anymore,” Theon said. Then he added, “Luka will be right back, Tessa. Less than a minute.”

“Don’t touch anything,” Luka muttered.

She was still flipping him off when he grabbed Theon’s arm and Traveled him directly into Razik and Eliza’s room at the Arius manor. His brother glanced up from whatever the fuck he was doing, but didn’t say a word. Eliza sighed, resting her chin in her hand and waiting for an explanation.

“There are Hunters in Dark Haven,” Luka said. “Don’t let Theon get killed.”

They were both lurching to their feet, but he was already Traveling back to his cave to find Tessa still standing where he’d left her. She said nothing when he reappeared. Just stood there, holding that godsdamn bow in her hand.

Luka waited, unsure of what she was going to say or do. He never knew with her, and it drove him mad. She might be calm and collected, ready to have a civil conversation. Or she might lose her ever-loving mind and start ripping things apart with her power. It was always one extreme or the other.

He wasn’t expecting her to lift the bow up after nearly five minutes of silence and say, “I don’t know how to use this.”

“What do you need to use it for?” Luka asked, watching her carefully.

“Auryon said it was my birthright to have it. I don’t know. I don’t understand.” She trailed off, her bottom lip disappearing between her teeth. “I know you don’t want me here, but?—”

“I know you don’t want to be here,” he interrupted. When she sent him a perplexed look, he clarified, “In Arius Kingdom.”

Although, she hadn’t said much about the cave either, and she’d basically said it was just like being in the Underground. Which she loathed. So he supposed she’d said all she needed to about what she thought about the space he’d spent hundreds of hours and an exorbitant amount of coin to make it feel like anythingbuta hole in the side of a mountain.

“You were with Theon?” she asked, still not moving. “That was why you didn’t come?”

There was a clear accusation in the question, but he also heard the undercurrent of hurt. They’d spent every night sleeping beside each other these last weeks, ever since she’d been on her knees before him. Ever since she’d given him something she didn’t have to. It was more than her “sucking himoff,” as she’d so eloquently put it to Theon. Or it had been more to him. He thought it had been for her too. Thought he’d made it clear, but apparently not if it was just another means of torture for Theon.

“You didn’t show up for training,” he started.

“Don’t start with that,” she sneered.

“Would you just listen?” he retorted. She huffed, moving to cross her arms before realizing she still held the bow. She looked around, trying to decide where to set it down.

“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered, closing the distance between them and taking it from her.

He made sure not to yank it from her hands, gently easing it from her grasp. It was obviously important to her, despite the fact he was certain she hadn’t been close to Auryon.

After carefully laying it across the dining table, he returned, keeping distance between them again. Her fingers were curling into the hem of her shirt as she worked to keep herself grounded, splatters of red and gold marring her clothing and skin.

“Are you hurt?” he asked suddenly. He couldn’t believe neither he nor Theon hadn’t asked that immediately. They would have felt it down the bond if she had been hurt, but they usually still asked for peace of mind.

Tessa shook her head. “They tried to hurt us. The others tricked us.” Right on cue, her hands flew into her hair. “Theyusedus.”

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