Page 326 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“You stole this?” Luka demanded.
“I gave it back,” he grumbled.
Scarlett snorted a laugh, but the humor fell away as her starfire and chaos swirled in her palm. “We really do need to go.”
There were final farewells and gratitude exchanged. More tears from Tessa and his mother. They watched as Tristyn went first with Illithor, stopping to throw one last wink over his shoulder at Tessa. “Salvation or destruction, wild fury.”
And Theon was pulling her into his chest as she silently sobbed.
Razik and Eliza went next, Axel and Kat thanking the Fire General once more for her help with Kat’s pregnancy. Razik didn’t look back at their parents, but he caught Luka’s eye, giving the barest dip of his chin.
Then it was Scarlett and Sorin, and the queen’s silver eyes took them all in before settling on Tessa.
“I am told the winds speak of new beginnings,” Scarlett said, shadows drifting around her. “They speak of beings and worlds awakening. They speak of a new dawn.”
“What does that mean?” Tessa asked.
Scarlett shrugged. “I don’t know, but I do know we weren’t the only ones chosen, Cousin.”
Then she and Sorin stepped through the mirror gate.
The rest of them stood in silence long after the mirror stopped swirling and became nothing but reflective glass once more.
Eventually, they all left together, Traveling back to Arius House, and later that evening, he sat around a full dining table, listening to conversation and laughter. Two things that had never filled Arius House before, but that were commonplace since Axel and Kat had moved in here permanently.
Family chosen and family found.
Theon said something, and Tessa snapped a sharp retort that had Luka turning to them, finally feeling like he’d found his place in all the fuckery.
56
AXEL
“Where’s Mads?” Axel asked, looking up from the book he was reading when Kat entered their bedroom.
“With Dey,” she answered, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. “She’s keeping him with her for the next few hours.”
Axel’s brow furrowed.
With Tessa the only real option for an Achaz Lady right now, they’d moved into the Arius Manor outside the Acropolis and given Arius House to him and Kat. It had been weird for a while, and he’d had the private wing his father had occupied for decades deep cleaned. Then he’d asked Cienna to cleanse it with all her Witchy ways. They’d had the main bedroom completely gutted and hired some earth Fae to remodel it. He was doing the same thing to every fucking room in this house, but at least the rooms he shared with his family were being done first.
Rooms that were once dark and foreboding were being brought back to life. Curtains thrown wide. New flooring and brighter walls. With soft grey walls, the space felt lighter, while the red and orange accents made it feel warm and familiar.
His sister had come to stay at Arius House as well after all was said and done. She was helping with the restructured academies, particularly with those Legacy who were coming into their power. She’d had to learn to control her shadows all on her own, and she’d seemed to have found a niche in helping others hone their own power. Axel was enjoying having her close, and she spent a lot of time with Maddox; however, her rooms were also in another wing of the house.
“And why is Maddox with Dey?” he asked, setting the book aside and watching her. She dropped his gaze, her eyes looking anywhere but at him, and it had him sitting up straighter. “Kat, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she said quickly. “I just…”
“Katya…”
“I cancelled your next delivery of blood,” she blurted.
Axel’s brows shot up, and it took him a few minutes to find words. “Okay,” he said slowly. “Is there a particular reason you cancelled the delivery of my sustenance?”
“Because Maddox was born. It’s been a few months now,” she answered, still not looking at him, but her cheeks were flushing.
A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips, realizing what she was trying to convey, but she was going to have to ask for it.
