Page 140 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“When he’s ready. My answer to that has not changed,” Cienna answered.
“Let’s table this for a bit,” Theon said, locking eyes with Axel and Kat where they still stood just inside the room.
“Is this a good time?” Kat asked tentatively, because of course she did. Axel didn’t really care if it was a good time or not.
“Of course, Kat,” Theon answered with a reassuring smile.
“Here. Sit,” Tessa said, already rising from the chair.
“I’m fine,” Kat started, waving her off.
“Sit, kitten,” Axel insisted, a hand on her back to usher her forward.
She sighed in resignation, letting him guide her around the bed, trading places with Theon and Tessa.
“You can sit on the bed, Tessa,” Theon was saying.
“I’ll stand,” she replied, sliding her hands into the front pocket of the oversized sweatshirt she was wearing. One of Theon’s, Axel assumed.
When they were situated, Axel cleared his throat, “While there have been some developments here since I saw you last, Theon, we have something more pressing to discuss.”
“Your visions,” Kat interrupted.
Theon’s brow arched, and Tessa blinked in surprise. “My visions? You mean my dreams?”
“But that’s what they are, right?” Kat asked. “You see potential futures?”
“Sometimes,” Tessa replied cautiously. “But I can’t control them. I can’taskto be shown a possible future. I just…am.”
“And they change?”
Tessa nodded slowly. “Yes. Often. What is this about, Kat?”
“We have been going to see Miara every week to monitor Kat and the babe,” Axel explained. “The last time we saw her, she was rather ominous about when the babe would come. She said he would not make full term, but if he came too soon, he wouldn’t survive.”
The room fell silent, Kat’s hand rubbing along her stomach. Axel was certain she didn’t even realize she was doing it.
“I just wanted to know if you’ve seen anything, Tessa,” Kat said quietly.
Tessa shook her head, and Axel believed her when she said, “I’m sorry, Kat. I haven’t had any dreams with the two of you in quite some time. And when I have, you’ve never been with child.”
“But visions can change, right?” Kat persisted, a quiver to her voice that had Axel wrapping an arm around her shoulders where he sat on the arm of the chair.
“My visions change often,” Tessa said gently. “But I think my dreams are different from what they see.”
She motioned to Cienna and Tristyn with her last words, and Axel locked eyes with the Witch. A female he’d known his entire life and who he had some sort of relationship with.
“Cienna?” he asked, feeling Katya tense beside him.
“The future is ever-changing,” Cienna said.
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
“I know what you’re asking, Axel,” she replied. “And I do not have the answer you wish for.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that before. She’d been the one to warn him he was close to turning. She’d been the one to tell him it was too late to turn back. Why wouldn’t she be the one to tell him there was nothing they could do about this projected outcome?
“And what haveyouseen?” Axel asked, not breaking her stare. But when she didn’t speak, it was answer enough. “You’ve seen the same as Miara and didn’t say anything?”
