Page 74 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“That was taken from me,” he snarled, familiar fury stirring in his gut.
“They need to hold someone accountable,” she said. “They have to show the kingdoms they are doing something.”
“So you are taking me to my own godsdamn trial?”
Her lips pursed, but her silence was answer enough.
“I did not realize the payment of my debts would be to stand trial for another’s failings,” he added, his jaw clenching with the words. He did not have time for this shit.
“Another’s failings?” Tana asked.
“Tessa was taken from me. Even your mother agreed it would be better for her to remain with me, but Rordan insisted. He was the one who let this happen. She was under his care when all this shit occurred, yetIam the one who has to answer for it?”
“You chose her as a Source,” she said carefully.
“I didn’t know what she was. The people sitting on those thrones cannot say the same,” he spat.
“Are you… Are you saying they knew all along?”
“Rordan did for godsdamn sure. The Ladies? I don’t know that they knewwhatshe was, but they sure as fuck know the Source Marks given are gross manipulations of other, more sacred, Marks.”
Tana went quiet, and at least five minutes ticked by before she said in a hushed tone, as though she was afraid of being overheard even here, “Are you saying you disagree with how things are being run in Devram?”
“I don’t…” He swiped a hand through his hair, then cursed himself for messing with it before he was about to go before the realm’s rulers. Should he really admit this to a rival kingdom’s heir? In the end, did it matter? He was plotting a rebellion with Axel anyway. It was going to come out eventually. So he inhaled deeply, locking eyes with her as he said, “Yeah, I guess I am.”
The car pulled to a stop, and Tana placed a hand on Gatlan’s thigh to halt him as he reached for the door. “Tread carefully today, Theon. Survive this, and perhaps we can continue this discussion.”
He didn’t have time to question what she meant. Gatlan pushed open the door and climbed out before helping Tana from the vehicle. Theon followed, slipping into the role he’d been trained for his entire life. Cold. Dark. Indifferent.
The Heir of Death.
Fae escorted them in, taking Tana’s coat from Gatlan before leading them down a hall to a grand sitting room. He fought theurge to roll his eyes when he found the room arranged with six cushioned chairs to one side, the heirs and their Sources seated on sofas along the perimeters, and one lone high back armchair in the center of the room. Theon strode right past it and took a seat in the empty cushioned chair that was for the Arius Kingdom.
And he stared Rordan Jove in the eyes the entire time.
“That is no longer your seat, Heir St. Orcas,” the Achaz Lord said tightly.
“Since my father is still unavailable, I think it is,” he answered, sitting back and spreading his legs wide as he got comfortable.
“It wasn’t a request.”
“And my response wasn’t a suggestion. I was accosted at the portal station and brought directly here, disrupting my day and my own business.”
“You forget your place, Arius Heir,” Jove said, light flickering in his eyes and sparking at his fingertips.
“And maybe you’ve grown complacent and overstayed yours.”
“Respect is still required, Heir St. Orcas,” the Falein Lady cut in.
A retort lingered on his tongue, but he swallowed it down. Verbal sparring with the Achaz Lord wasn’t going to speed this process along. So instead he said, “To what do I owe this undeniable summons?”
“Your Source is out of control,” the Serafina Lady said sharply.
“My Source,” Theon repeated dryly. “I was under the impression she was no longer mine. In fact, those were Rordan’s?—”
“Watch it, boy,” the Achaz Lord cut in sharply.
But Theon’s smile was just as sharp when he said, “Yourexact words were ‘she is no longer yours.’ I was repeatedly reminded of this since you took her from me. You are the one who has failed to keep her under control. I warned you it was an impossible task. You insisted you were handling it. As such, unless I am missing something here, I believe it should beyouin the chair before us answering for your failings to the realm.”
