Page 20 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“I’ll do it,” Tessa interrupted, pulling a gold dagger from a swirl of magic. Ignoring protests, she sliced her palm, curling her fingers to keep the blood from dripping to the ground as she looked over the symbols and runes surrounding the mirror.
“She won’t have a symbol,” Razik said. “That’s why we were given a way to contact her.”
Tessa looked over her shoulder, her smile wild and wicked as she said, “I know.”
Then she pressed her palm to the Mark she’d been seeking.
An eight-pointed star.
Find the one who chose Death.
“That’s not the right—” Tristyn started, reaching for her, but she lifted her other hand, magic shoving him back. Light swirled, keeping the others at bay as the mirror flashed with worlds and scenes, just like the visions she’d fallen through. She was so godsdamn tired of everyone thinking they knew what was best for her. Of telling her to do as she was told. Go with Luka. Leave this world. Tell me what you saw. Control it. Stop fidgeting. Just give in. Try harder. Be more. Be less.
The mirror swirled faster, moving too quickly for her to make out anything, until it slowed and a female came into view. Silver hair flowed over her shoulders and past her navel, a crown of white flames as bright as starlight atop her head. Thick kohl lined her eyes, her lips as red as blood. Her black gown was nearly sheer, and slithering along her torso and around her shoulders was a white python, stark against her bronzed skin.
Glowing silver eyes settled on Tessa, and her voice was as ethereal and cold as the voids between the stars when she said,“I’ve been waiting for this since the moment I learned of your existence.”
“Everyone knows who I am, yet no one cared to tell me,” Tessa replied, her hand dropping to her side, her magic having already healed the cut. “But I’m told you have answers for me.”
The female stood too still. She didn’t even look like she was breathing.
Maybe goddesses didn’t have to breathe.
“What answers do you seek?” she asked.
Fingers brushed her arm, wrapping around her elbow as if to pull her back, but she shook them off.
He’d told her to control it.
That was what she was doing.
“You chose him. Chose Endings over Beginnings,” Tessa said. “Why?”
The female’s eyes softened a touch as she looked at Tessa, never breaking her stare. The snake moved, its tongue flicking in and out as it tasted the air. But no one spoke. There was no other sound, and the silence stretched on for so long, Tessa was wondering if she was going to reply.
But she would have her answers one way or another, and the goddess seemed to understand that when she said, “To start a genesis.”
4
LUKA
She’d summoned a godsdamn goddess.
Serafina, the goddess of dreams and stars. The consort of Arius. Tessa’s grandmother.
Luka stared at Tessa as she squared off with a First Goddess. He should be furious with her. Hewasfurious with her. She’d once again, single-handedly, altered their plans. But by the gods, he was also so fucking proud of her as she lifted her chin, waiting for the goddess to answer her. It was going to fuck up everything. He could feel it in his bones. She was about to do something wild and uncontrolled, and he was probably going to fight with her about it later, but in this moment, his chest swelled with pride.
“To start a genesis,” the goddess finally answered, her eyes softening a fraction as she held Tessa’s gaze.
A genesis?
The term nudged at something in the back of his mind, but then there was a hissed, “Mors!” from Blackheart that had him turning to his right.
Only to find the male on a knee. Cienna and Gia were in the same position. Looking at his father, he found him, Razik, andEliza on a knee as well. The same way the Fae knelt for the Legacy Lords and Ladies.
Because they were the gods in Devram.
Luka had never had to do such a thing. It made sense, being in the presence of an actual First Goddess, but he didn’t like the idea of being on a knee with Tessa being so…unpredictable right now. More than that, why in all the realms would he kneel before a being that had abandoned their world, leaving it to become what it was? He’d kneel before someone he was loyal to, and that certainly wasn’t a fucking goddess.
