Page 279 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“How the fuck did you get here?” Valter demanded, lurching back.
Tessa’s smile was pure wrath as she rotated her hand, a crack resounding through the room before Benson dropped to a heap on the floor.
The interruption had caught Valter off guard enough that his power loosened, Corbin and Lange sucking down breaths. Corbin was still in his mountain cat form, hovering over Lange.
“Eviana,” Tessa said in a too calm voice. “Get Priya.”
She moved as fast as she could, biting down the scream of pain when she reached the girl and scooped her into her arms.
“Don’t watch,” she murmured, pushing Priya’s face into her neck. “Don’t watch and cover your ears.”
Priya didn’t argue, and Eviana clung onto her as she watched Valter’s sons cross the room. Valter tried to fight back, his shadows lashing out at them, but it appeared Theon had finally learned a truth. He was stronger than Valter even without a Source. He was stronger than all the Ladies with his double bloodline.
It was something Valter had never let him learn, and it was part of the reason he was brutal with Theon from the very beginning. If he grew up thinking he was the weaker one, he’d never realize how powerful he actually was. It had driven Valter mad that Theon wouldn’t discuss his Source options because Valter couldn’t scheme properly. He had dreaded the day Theon took a Source. He’d wanted him powerful, but only if he controlled that power. So he controlled his son with threats and abuse. Threatened him with Axel and Luka.
And then Tessa had come along.
Tessa had moved to Corbin, who’d shifted back, and Lange, standing beside them while Luka towered over her. Her violet eyes were honed in on Valter, watching and waiting. Eviana knew she would intervene if she needed to, but she was letting the St. Orcas brothers have their vengeance.
“My ungrateful, spoiled sons,” Valter spat, pressing up against his desk. There was nowhere else for him to go.
His shadows lashed out again, and Theon’s darknesscaughtthem. Somehow seeped into them. Made them darker and deadlier. Controlled them.
Eviana saw the uncertainty flicker across her Master’s face, but then it was gone. He straightened with a sneer, staring back at his sons. “Killing me would be pointless now. I heard what you’ve done, Theon. Giving our kingdom over to an Achaz descendant? You betray our people.”
“We’re not here to discuss the kingdom, the people, or my choices,” Theon said coldly. “We’re here to discuss you.”
“You lost any right to discuss anything with me when you gave everything we are to that cunt,” Valter spat.
Theon’s darkness was at Valter’s throat, sinking into his flesh. His veins took on a grey pallor as Theon stalked forward, pulling a dagger from a swirl of black. One of the many daggers Eviana had seen Valter shove into his own children on numerous occasions.
Without any of Valter’s flair, Theon plunged that blade deep into Valter’s side. “That’s my wife, you weak, pathetic piece of shit,” he snarled. “Talk like that about her again, and I’ll rip out your godsdamn tongue.”
“You always were one for empty threats,” Valter sneered, reaching for the dagger hilt.
But then Axel was there, moving so godsdamn fast he was a blur. In Eviana’s next blink, he had Valter’s hands wrenched behind his back, and Theon was shoving rings onto his fingers.
Priya whimpered in her arms, and Eviana clutched her tighter. She should really get her out of here, but she was too weak to do anything other than slide to the floor. She stifled her own scream when she adjusted her hold on the child, her ribs definitely broken on one side.
“My worthless spare,” Valter panted, his power no longer working to combat his wound.
With one hand holding his wrists, Axel pulled a knife from the bandolier across his chest. It was a long, thin one, the blade coming to a sharp point, and he dragged that point along Valter’s cheekbone.
“I really have nothing to say to you,” Axel said, his voice as cold and dark as the death he came from, even if he could no longer wield its wrath.
Axel had wrath of his own to wield.
“But then again,” Axel continued, “I know how much youlovemy dramatics.”
Without warning, the blade was in Valter’s inner thigh, right next to his groin. The ex-Lord howled in pain as Axel twisted the knife.
“The thing is, you threatened my wife,” Axel said, each word getting tighter as he clung to his control.
Another knife was in Valter’s other thigh. This one Axel dragged down, slicing him open more.
“And came after my child,” Axel snarled.
Another knife to the back of Valter’s knee, dragging horizontally this time.
