Page 222 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“My father,” he said, dread in those two words. “I knew he’d surface sooner or later.”
“If Eviana is back with him, this is not good, Theon,” Luka said.
“She’s not back with him,” Lange interrupted sharply. “Not willingly anyway. Valter found her. He has— He found her and took her. He didn’t take the time to search the woods for us.”
“And you two made it here how?” Luka asked, narrowing his eyes. “Like you said, very unlikely for two Fae.”
“They’re not entirely Fae,” Tessa said softly, holding Lange’s sky-blue eyes when they slid to her. “At least not Lange. He has Sefarina blood. He’s part Legacy.”
She looked at Corbin then, finding her friend already staring at her. “You’re not fully Fae either, are you?” When he didn’t speak, she added, “I’m the Arius Lady, Corbin. You’re safe here.”
He took a deep breath, glancing at Lange, who shrugged. “There’s no one left to trust, Cor.”
Eyes on his plate, Corbin said, “I can Shift.”
She couldn’t have heard him right. “But you… You have water magic,” she stuttered.
“AndI can Shift,” Corbin said, lifting his gaze to hers. “We don’t know how, but?—”
“Your mother is a Shifter,” Theon said, and Tessa turned to find him staring wide-eyed at Corbin.
“How do you know that?” Tessa asked.
“Because the Shifters in the Underground refuse to be any sort of help to me until I find their missing Shifter Prince, whose mother had a relationship with a water Fae,” Theon answered. Then, more to himself than them, he said, “He’s been right under my nose this entire time.”
“None of that matters,” Corbin said tightly. “We need to help Eviana. We need to find her.”
“I know where she is,” Theon said. “And because of you, we’ll be able to find her.”
“Me?” Corbin asked, brows arching in surprise. “I just said I don’t know where she is.”
“She’s where my father takes all things he doesn’t want found,” Theon said, and Tessa could feel excitement flowing down their bond. “He’s at his secret holdings in the Underground. The same place he’s hiding my mother.”
39
EVIANA
She stood next to his chair, her hands clasped in front of her and staring straight ahead. He hadn’t spoken to her in hours, but she didn’t dare move. Gone was her usual chair near the window. Not that it mattered. They were in the Underground. There was no nature down here. No plants to indulge in, and she wouldn’t have been able to anyway. Not with the two bands on her wrists, steadily draining her magic. She couldn’t touch it, but she could feel it slipping from her day by day.
Valter could speed the process up. He could add more bands. Could take them off altogether and force her to expel her magic until there was nothing left. Eliza had told her that was the only way the Mark that blocked their bond could be erased. She had to be so depleted of her power that there wasn’t any magic left to hold the Mark in place. She wasn’t sure if Valter knew that or if he was simply keeping her from accessing her gifts as additional punishment. Either way, the choice to have it slowly trickle from her soul like this was an intentional one. Not being able to expel her magic or have access to it was slowly driving her mad.
Or more mad than she already was.
Valter was flipping through ledgers and reviewing files on his computer, when her stomach growled. Of course her food allowance was limited right now. It would keep her reserves from replenishing.
Valter paused what he was doing before flipping another page.
“For so many years, you were taken care of, Eve,” he said casually. “Had everything you needed. The highest of honors for a Fae. I gave you everything.”
She said nothing. Didn’t dare to breathe too loudly. This wasn’t the first time he’d berated her about this since they’d come here. She actually preferred the days he completely ignored her and just made her stand around all day. Those days she slept on his floor. The days he was chatty, she ended up in his bed.
“Ungrateful,” he spat, and she tensed, sensing the shift in his mood. “Everyone is so godsdamn ungrateful for what I have given them over the years. My advisors. You. My own fucking sons.” He was flicking the pages of the ledger harder now, one of them ripping with the force. “I give and sacrifice for you, them, this fucking realm, and still I find betrayal everywhere I turn. I should kill them all and start over. Do it right. What do you think of that, Eve?”
She still didn’t move, unsure if he wanted an answer or wanted her silence. She used to know. Used to be able to read him and could use the bond to her advantage. But now she didn’t know, because he was on the brink of losing control and there was nothing he valued more.
Valter sat back in his chair, legs spreading wide as he tapped his forefinger on the desk over and over.
“I could, you know,” he mused. “Dispose of my so-called advisors. Get rid of my offspring and create new ones. Sonsthat actually respect me.” He paused, tapping his finger on the desktop. “I’ve already started in that regard.”
