Page 192 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
And she loved them for it.
But it still fucking hurt.
On top of all that, she knew there was more to come. She could still feel their anger about her going to the Falein Kingdom over two weeks ago, and it had her on edge. For two people forcing her to confront her emotions, they were doing a fine job of avoiding their own. But every time she tried to pick a fight with them about it, they said nothing. Sometimes her own anger would flare because of it, and they’d let it. Sometimes she’d feel a sense of rejection, because if they were forcing her to be vulnerable with them, couldn’t they do the same? Anger to sadness. Irritation to apathy. They were forcing her to deal with all of it. Never once leaving her alone, even when she screamed at them to do so.
“Go change,” Theon said. “Luka is waiting for you upstairs.”
“Change into what?” she drawled. “A different pair of leggings and another sweatshirt?”
He smirked but didn’t reply, once again not rising to her bait for a fight.
She sighed, gesturing to the books she’d been studying. Razik had given them to her when she’d asked him for help in learning more about Marks. Maybe she could figure out this power transfer thing, and then they wouldn’t need to worry about bringing her mother here.
“We need to figure out how to transfer power to you, Theon,” she said. “Not to mention trying to figure out Rordan’s plans. Your father is out there. So is Eviana with Corbin and Lange. Then there’s the Fates?—”
“That’s quite the list,” he interrupted, sliding his hands into his pockets.
“Yes, it is,” she snapped. “And instead of doing anything about it, we’re sitting on our asses in the fucking Underground.”
He smiled again, tilting his head.
“And you’re being a dick. Both of you are. It’s no wonder I went to the Falein Kingdom without the two of you.” She plantedher hands on her hips. “Come to think of it, I should get Tristyn and go again. I bet he’d be happy to, and he’d bring some lull-leaf andagavehearttoo.”
His features darkened, and his words were tight when Theon said, “Careful, beautiful. Get upstairs and change.”
She rolled her eyes, instead plopping back down onto the sofa and reaching for her earbuds. “Yougo change. Then you and Luka can fuck off and go do whatever it is you’re planning by yourselves.”
“Gods, I forgot what an absolute pain in the ass you can be sometimes,” Theon growled. And before she knew it, he was picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder, her earbuds dropping to the floor.
“Theon! Put me down!” she demanded, hanging upside down. When he ignored her yet again, she snarled, letting some of her power out. But he was prepared, his darkness already there and acting as a shield against her.
Then he sent that darkness to caress her own magic, andgods. Every part of her existence keened with need. Now he was just being intentionally cruel.
She felt him huff a dark chuckle as he kicked open the door to their room. Still hanging upside down over his shoulder, she couldn’t see Luka, but she heard him just fine.
“I see her mood has improved,” Luka said, and she knew without a doubt there was a smirk playing on his lips.
“Fuck off, Luka Mors,” she spat. Then she was uttering more curses as Theon dumped her onto the bed.
“This godsdamn mouth of yours,” Theon muttered as he stared down at her, loosening his tie and tossing it aside. “Will you please stop with your dramatics and get changed now?”
“Mydramatics?” she repeated in outrage, scrambling up and standing on the bed so she was eye level with him. “I amtrapped inside fucking mountains, Theon. No sky. No wind. It’s suffocating. My power is— I’m— I can’t?—”
“Weknow, Tessa,” he said firmly. “You think we can’t feel you? That we haven’t been monitoring your emotions these last weeks? Would youlookat Luka?”
Her head whipped to the side, where she found Luka standing with a pile of clothing. It appeared to be…training clothes? And the look the dragon was giving her was clearly unimpressed.
Her eyes narrowed. “Where are we going?”
He shrugged. “If you’d stop throwing a godsdamn fit, we’d show you.”
“Tell me,” she countered, lifting her chin in defiance.
“Trust us,” Luka threw back.
She glared at him, but he didn’t back down.
“Either change or wear that. I don’t really care,” he said, dropping the clothing onto the coffee table. “But you look like a fucking mess.”
