Page 309 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
But he shook his head. “It does. We do it all now. I don’t want a slow adjustment. I’d rather do it all at once.”
She nodded, pressing her brow to his. “We do this together.”
He nodded, taking another minute before Luka pulled him to his feet. Tristyn was with Dagian off to the side, speaking low with him. Theon shook out his arms, feeling anxious and jittery with all the new power. Then he looked at Kyra and said, “If you are still willing, I’m ready.”
Her head held high, she stepped forward. “We just witnessed a young male sacrifice everything for a kingdom and realm thatwasn’t his to protect yet. Decades and decades younger than me, he’s made a bigger difference in his short life than I have in my decades on a seat of power. I am not blameless here. None of us are. Change requires sacrifice, not to make amends for our transgressions, but in the hope that those who come after us will learn from our failures.”
So they began again.
53
TESSA
“Ireally wish you’d wear some armor,” Luka muttered. “What are we going to do if your blood touches the ground?”
She smirked where she stood near the kitchen island, leaning a hip against it. “I’m not wearing armor, Luka. If Hunters appear, I’ll take care of them. My arrows kill them. Auryon’s did.”
“We’re going to be facing enough enemies. We don’t need to add more,” he argued.
She hummed, the bands of light on her wrists flaring brighter as they unfurled and coiled. “I’ll be fine,” she said, pushing off the counter to return her coffee creamer to the fridge. “Maybe I’ll just make armor of light like Theon does with his darkness.”
“Great. Then you’ll be a beacon calling everyone straight to you,” he deadpanned.
“Why so grumpy this morning?” she asked around a huff of laugher. “One would think after the night we had, you’d be the farthest thing from grumpy.”
Because it had been averygood night that had left her more than a little sated. She’d slept deeply without a single dream, and while normally that was fine, it was also a little worrisome.She hadn’t had a vision in weeks. Tristyn had told her it was likely because the future was changing too quickly when she’d mentioned it to him a few days ago, and while that made sense, it still had her on edge.
So her husbands had taken it upon themselves to drive every other thought from her mind.
“What are we discussing?” Theon asked, coming into the room and going straight for her. He pressed a kiss to her temple as he reached over her head for a mug.
“Luka is upset I don’t have armor. Again,” she sighed, glancing at Theon.
He wasn’t in a suit. Instead, he wore black tactical pants with pockets. His long-sleeve black shirt hugged his torso, and his belt already had daggers sheathed to it. Luka was in the same, and she’d been trying to avoid staring all godsdamn morning.
“It slows her down,” Theon reminded him, turning to lean on the counter as he took a drink of caffeine.
“See?” Tessa said, gesturing to Theon. “I’ll have Nylah and Roan. My power will be feeding the entire time. I can funnel power to the two of you if needed.”
“Absolutely not,” Theon barked, straightening. “You’ll keep your power.”
She gave him an exasperated look. “Theon, you’ve been sleeping off and on for over a week with all that power you have now.”
“I’ve also been training with it and learning how to conserve it and control it,” he countered.
“Yes, but a week isn’t enough time.”
“We’re out of time, Tessa,” he said quietly, pulling his phone from his pocket when a message sounded.
He wasn’t wrong. Each day they delayed this was another day Rordan could make the next move, and they really wanted to be the ones to do that. But they’d had to wait. Theon had taken onthe power of the Ladies and Dagian, and by the gods, she’d never seen something so heartbreaking and breathtaking. Never once had she thought she would see the Ladies take accountability for their actions and do something so monumental for the betterment of all those in Devram, not just those in power.
Theon had been beyond exhausted, and while he’d slept and the Ladies had done the same to recover, the rest of them strategized and planned. They’d brought in the heirs and generals of the other kingdoms. They’d studied maps, and Tessa had absorbed as much as she could. But this wasn’t her area of expertise. She was the power. She recognized that. Luka, however…
Tessa had watched him with a sense of wonder. There were generals from the various forces there, yes, but watching Luka, Xan, and Razik command the room as Sargon’s descendants? That was a sight to behold. Eliza had known more about battle strategies and formations than the males who led the kingdoms’ forces. Tessa had so many questions, but she knew they didn’t have time to indulge her. Later, when they survived this, she’d ask them all. Then again, she’d have lived it by that point.‘Experience was a better teacher than anything and all that.
There was a sharp knock on the door before Razik entered, Eliza at his side.
“We just received word that the last of the forces have moved into place,” the male said.
