Page 171 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
Before she was nothing.
Helpless once more.
“Did you honestly think I would not find you?” Valter snarled, his finger slipping beneath the chain and yanking her forward. “Did you honestly think I didn’t know exactly where you would go? That I have not been giving you crumbs of information about the child to ensure you cared just enough? You are predictable, Eviana. So godsdamn predictable. She wasthe one weakness I allowed you to have and all for this very purpose.”
A tendril of his shadows coiled around the chain at her throat, and then he was yanking her forward by that too. By a godsdamn leash.
“You got what you wanted though, didn’t you?” he said with a sneer as she was forced to follow him. Always a step behind her Master. “Now you will get to watch her grow up in my home, never able to tell her the truth. But you’ll watch her adore me and love me the way you were always supposed to. You’ll watch it all, my flower.”
A tear had escaped, and she wished she could reach up to wipe it away. She’d be damned if Valter saw her cry. She tipped her head, trying to wipe it away on her shoulder when her eyes caught on feline ones in the trees. High up in the branches, a giant mountain cat was watching them. Soft glowing eyes were on her.
Stupid fools.
If they knew what was good for them, they’d leave her to her fate.
But she desperately hoped they wouldn’t leave Priya behind.
32
TESSA
“The day is finally here,” Achaz said from a throne at the front of a great hall. Two others sat in thrones on either side of him. Tessa didn’t know who they were. She didn’t even know where she was.
Turning in her seat in the front row, she found floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a sprawling city. It reminded her of the skyscrapers and the hustle-and-bustle of Rockmoor, but this wasn’t Arius Kingdom. This wasn’t even Devram. There were seraphs here, flying among the clouds.
She shifted, turning back to face the front. Others stood on either side of the dais. She scanned them, finding Dexter, his hands clasped behind his back and standing at attention. Down the line was another seraph she recognized. What had his name been? Illithor? And next to him stood another who looked similar. She was certain she’d seen him before too, along with the female that stood beside him. Her honey-colored eyes were locked on Tessa, a madness to them she resonated with. While the seraphs were all in armor of some sort, she was all in black, from her boots to the hood over her head, an ashy-blonde braidsnaking out of it. The hood darkened her features, and she even wore gloves, as though she was a shadow herself.
“We have almost eradicated the last of the threats,” Achaz went on. “We have nearly restored balance to the realms, save for one final task.” Golden eyes flashed to another. “Bring them.”
Then Arius and Serafina were being herded to the front of the room, gasps of surprise mixed with sharp mutters of disapproval. Arius took a step in front of Serafina as though to shield her, but she stepped to his side once more. Stronger together than separate.
“This is a waste of everyone’s time, Achaz,” Arius drawled, clearly not phased by whatever was happening. “You cannot kill us. Killing a being that emerged from the Chaos requires more than magic and pretty words.”
“Do not mock me, Arius,” Achaz hissed, lightning flaring from his palms and skittering across the floor.
Instinctively, Tessa lifted her feet to avoid the shock, but she still felt it faintly through her chair.
“You think I do not know what is required to kill you both? You think I have not spent centuries planning precisely how to deal with your betrayal?” Achaz spat, gripping the arms of his throne. “One remains, and I have found it. Taken there millenniums ago by betrayal just as deep. Thanks to our granddaughter,” his eyes flashed to Tessa, and she shrank back in her chair. What did she have to do with any of this? “Mirror gates still remain in Devram, and now that the last of a bloodline has fallen there, we can finally venture into that realm. I will find the last of the Requiem Swords. Then I will return and finally end this.”
“You will not succeed, Achaz,” Serafina said, lifting her chin.
Power hummed off her. Or maybe that was Achaz. Both? Either way, Tessa’s power was growing restless with all the power in this room.
“What makes you think I will fail?” Achaz sneered.
“Your dreams are full of corruption and deceit,” she answered, the silver of her dress glimmering in the low lighting. “While others dream of compassion and harmony.” She spun then, her skirt flaring, and she looked out over everyone in attendance. “And as long as those dreams live on, there is hope. Not until dreams die is hope lost.”
“Then I shall kill you last,” Achaz sneered, pushing to his feet. “You speak of compassion and harmony when your very actions caused this in the first place.”
“You forgot our purpose long ago,” Arius interjected. “In all things there must be balance. We cannot take more.”
“We are beginnings and endings!” Achaz bellowed. “Wearethe fucking balance.”
Arius shook his head. “This is an Everlasting War, Achaz.”
“It will be done with your own ending,” Achaz replied coldly.
Arius turned his back on him then, emerald eyes locking onto Tessa. “Or a new beginning.”
