Page 25 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“You cannot recognize injustice?” she countered. “Because from what I understand, there are those in this realm whocan, and have been working for decades to counter it.”

“Please direct me to these referenced revolutionaries,” Theon drawled because where the fuck did this Fae get off telling him all about this realm when she’d been here a handful of days?

But again her eyes flicked to the two Fae on the sofa, and Theon stilled.

“That is not entirely true,” Lange interrupted. When Theon only arched a brow, he added, “I mean, how could it be? We’re not even decades old.”

“Then what is she talking about?” Theon said, and Corbin shifted so he was blocking Lange, but both of them swallowed thickly.

“I did tell you that you would find allies in unexpected places if you chose to fight back,” Corbin answered.

Theon didn’t have words as he stared back at the male. Hazel eyes held his stare, and Theon didn’t miss how tense Lange was. He knew his power was there, just below the surface, and somehow he also knew that he would attack a Legacy to defend Corbin.

And he also knew that the other two people in this room would side with them. He might be the most powerful Arius Legacy, and he’d take at least two of them out with him, but he wouldn’t win this fight with a dragon and three Fae of different elements before him.

Taking a deep breath, he stood, Lange and Corbin tensing even more, but Theon made his way over to the alcohol cart, pouring himself a measure of whiskey.

“We will discuss more of that in a bit,” he said after swallowing the entire glass. Pouring a refill, he turned to Razik and Eliza and said, “Tell me of your Source bond.”

Eliza’s brows shot up as Razik said, “What of it?”

“You chose her as your Source?” Theon said.

Razik glanced at Eliza, who had pulled her legs up onto the chair. Her hands were in her sleeves, fingers curled around the edges.

“We have a complicated history,” Razik answered. “But she offered to be my Source as a means to a different end. We discussed what that would mean after which I accepted her offer.”

“Soshechose to be your Source?” Theon asked in confusion.

“Yes, but it was not for my benefit.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Who else would it benefit?”

“We were in a war. My power was needed to win that war. I was needed for my power. She did it for the greater good, not for me.”

Theon nodded, watching Eliza carefully as he said, “But you are more than that now? It wasn’t a bond you necessarily wanted, but now you do? What changed? How did that happen?”

“There were other factors,” Eliza replied, leaning slightly into Razik. Theon was sure she hadn’t even realized she’d done that. It was just a natural thing that Tessa had done with him when she was too distracted to remember to hate the bond between them.

“Care to elaborate?”

“No,” she snapped.

His fingers clenched around his liquor glass as he tried to keep his composure. He wasn’t used to this. His entire life he had been taught to intimidate and silence those who questioned him. Resistance was met with a show of power. There wasn’t cooperation, only domination.

It was a realm full of villains after all.

Even these last months of trying to build relations with some of the other kingdom heirs it had all been about gaining an upper hand. Great if they could be amenable, but find something to lord over them? Make them bow to his wishes as much as his Source was supposed to? That was always the real goal because that was where the power lay.

But there was none of that here. Razik and Eliza couldn’t care less, and why would they? If things got too intense here, they could fuck off right back to their home world. The truth was, he needed them, and they knew it. Clearly Blackheart knew it too, or he wouldn’t have sent for them.

So instead of pushing Eliza on this entire matter, he said tightly, “I am told our Source Marks differ from yours.”

Eliza blinked, looking up at Razik once more. “Is this what Scarlett was talking about?”

“I’m presuming so,” he answered, standing now. “She told me you believe there are four Source Marks.”

“Because in Devram there are four Source Marks,” he replied.

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