Page 164 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“You can have whatever home you like,” Theon said. “If Rordan is out of the picture, you will be the Achaz Lord.”
“I don’t want it. I never have. More than that, for this to work, I won’t be able to be the Achaz Lord anymore.”
“And why, pray tell, is that?” Theon drawled, waiting for the catch.
“Because I’m offering you my power willingly,” Dagian answered. “It won’t be enough, but it will be a start.”
The entire room fell silent as shock rippled through Theon. Surely he couldn’t have heard the male correctly.
“You can’t just give him your power,” Tessa blurted.
“But I can,” Dagian said. “I will. To stop my father. If he continues, he will not only call the Fates here, but the gods. They will not like him being as powerful as they are, and if the gods come here, Devram will fall. All accords will be broken, and the Fates will destroy it all to wipe the sins from the stars. None will be left standing.
“So I want to live peacefully in Coveyll on the shores of the Asning Sea,” he continued, naming the city on an island in the Southern Achaz Kingdom. “I will give you my magic willingly in exchange. I will help and give any information I can.”
“Anything else?” Theon asked tightly.
“Yes,” Dagian said, his chin lifting a little more. “My mother will be left out of this.”
Theon didn’t care about Laila, Rordan’s Match. She rarely attended any events, only accompanying Rordan when tradition demanded it.
“Fine,” Theon said, pulling a dagger from a swirl of darkness. He sliced his palm. “It’s an accord.”
Dagian did the same, their palms meeting and the familiar tingle of a Bargain Mark marring his skin just below his shoulder blade.
“Now tell us how to transfer this power,” Theon said. He would do this. Anything to protect his kingdom, his people, those he loved. Anything to protect what washis.
“You need to find a being of Chaos to do the power transfer,” Dagian said again, wandering over to the alcohol bar and pouring a drink.
“Brecken?” Tessa asked, glancing at her friend.
He shook his head. “I’m not that, Tessa. Like Xan said, we weren’t born of Chaos.”
“Bring us whoever is helping your father,” Theon said tightly to Dagian.
Dagian clicked his tongue. “We just agreed not to involve her,” he replied, taking a drink.
“You said you would help in whatever way you could,” Theon argued. “We just agreed to it.”
“And we agreed not to involve her,” Dagian said calmly, passing his glass to Sasha. She took her own sip, still watching them all. Sasha, who was Fae. Or perhaps had some Legacy blood, but she wasn’t a being of Chaos, and the only other person involved in the bargain was?—
“Your mother?” Theon asked in disbelief. “That’s not possible.”
“Yet here I stand,” Dagian said.
“Bullshit,” Axel interjected. “Your mother isn’t a goddess or a Fate.”
“No, but she is seraph,” Dagian said, something fierce and violent filling his features. He took the glass back from Sasha, taking another drink as soft, feathered wings of golden mist appeared at his back. “One of the original angels from the Chaos. Achaz sent her here to help my father, and she is to be left out of this as agreed to.”
“Then how the fuck am I supposed to take your power?” Theon demanded.
“That’s your problem, but I would start with Chaos herself,” he answered, tipping his glass towards Tessa.
“I don’t know how to do that,” she said simply. “And there is no one here to teach me unless Xan knows.”
“I do not,” the male answered, but when Theon turned to look at him, even he could tell there was something he wasn’t saying.
“But?” Theon pressed.
