Page 322 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
The rain.
But that was Xan and Aiyana, still in their dragon forms and guarding the perimeter with Nylah and Roan.
That was Razik and Eliza, weapons still out and ready for violence.
That was Cienna and Tristyn, brother and sister, alive and breathing.
Her mother and Caris.
Kat and Axel.
“We did it?” she asked, leaning into Luka’s chest as he scooped her up and stood in one strong movement.
“You did it, baby girl,” he murmured.
She nodded. Or tried to. She just wanted to go home.
Home.
She had one of those now.
How odd after all this time.
Salvation among the destruction.
55
LUKA
Luka smiled while he watched his wife take, her head tipping back with eerie laughter as her magic made the seraph in her grasp open its mouth on a silent scream.
It had been nearly three weeks since the day she’d destroyed the Achaz Kingdom mirror gate. Then again, she’d destroyed more than that. The Faven Palace had been as thoroughly desecrated as the Pantheon had been. Cienna had figured out what was going to happen—because of course she had—and she and Tristyn had rushed to get the innocent servants from the palace. Tessa had shielded most of those outside, and those she hadn’t been able to shelter, Theon had. Silver embers and gold mist had filled the sky while darkness had coated the ground, keeping the destruction as contained as possible.
Lives had still been lost. Whether from the explosion of the mirror gate or in the battle on the ground, sacrifices had been made. The destruction of the mirror gate had effectively ended the battle and the war. Rordan was gone. Valter was gone. Bree was imprisoned. The Achaz forces had conceded at the instruction of Dagian with Rordan gone. No one had known that he no longer held his power at that time.
They did now though.
The strongest Achaz blood now oversaw the kingdom for the time being.
The Arius Ladyandthe Achaz Lady.
The other kingdoms were being overseen by the heirs with their mothers’ help. In a month, a Tribunal was being held that would be nothing like the Tribunals of the past.
But while the Achaz forces were under control, the seraphs had fled, and every few days, he took Tessa hunting with Nylah and Roan so she could refill her power. Power that had been nonexistent when he’d plucked her from the sky as she’d fallen among the rubble and rain.
She let the seraph drop to the ground, inhaling deeply. They were at the river just outside the Acropolis. With the Faven Palace gone, they were staying at the Arius Manor on the outskirts. The sun beat down on them, summer well and truly here, and the rays of warmth glinted off the gold sparks drifting around her, as though she was absorbing the light too.
“Are you quite done for today?” Luka asked flatly when she sauntered over to him. Barefoot. Her bow looped across her chest. Her black pants looking like they were painted onto her skin while her shirt stopped just above her navel.
She rolled her eyes, coming to a stop before him. “As if you’re not thinking about throwing me on the ground and fucking me right here after watching me be so wild.”
He smirked, looping an arm around her waist and tugging her closer. She was right. Hehadbeen thinking about doing that. If only they didn’t have something else to prepare for later this afternoon.
Something he was dreading.
Tessa clearly felt his shift in thoughts, and she reached up, brushing back strands of hair that had escaped where he’d had it tied up.
“Today will be hard,” she said.
