Page 85 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
Dex huffed a laugh. “I can agree with you on that.”
There was a knock before the door pushed open and a seraph entered, carrying a tray of food. She watched the male move, feathered wings of a soft light grey rustling with each step before he set the tray on the other side of the desk.
Dex nodded to the male in dismissal, and the male gathered the dirty dishes before heading back to the doorway.
“Thank you,” Tessa said tightly when he passed, and the male paused for only a second. Hazel eyes met hers, an expression she couldn’t read lingering in their depths.
“That is all,” Dex said coolly.
The seraph took the hint, continuing on his way and the door snicking shut behind him once more.
“Sit and eat, Tessa,” Dex said pointedly. “Before it gets cold.”
She glared at him, but shewashungry. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t eat while she was here and carrying out her own plans. With an irritated huff, she crossed the room and dropped into the wooden chair, immediately sitting still and proper as if Cordelia were the one sitting across from her.
Refusing to let her nerves or discomfort show, she picked up a piece of bread and took a bite. “So what’s the plan, then, Dex? I don’t trust you. You don’t trust me. Are either of us going to believe a word we say?”
He smiled that smile he used when he was reassuring her he would fix whatever she’d fucked up. “I have a proposal.”
“Which is?”
“A truth agreement. You can specify the time frame.”
Luka had told her of this. How he’d made one with Rordan when he’d come to Faven to ensure neither of them could lie to one another during negotiations.
“An hour for now,” she replied, picking up her fork and steak knife. “For the next hour, neither of us can speak a lie to one another.”
“Do we have an accord?” Dex asked, arching a brow.
Her smile was all teeth when she answered, “It’s a bargain,” before taking a bite of her own steak. She felt the bargain Mark settle, this one along her left ankle. It would be gone before she left this room. “I’ll go first,” she said after she swallowed and began cutting another piece of meat. “How did you get here?”
“Through a mirror gate, the same as you,” he answered, folding his hands atop the desk while he watched her. “In the Achaz Kingdom. We bided our time and came at the same time Xan brought you so our presence wouldn’t be felt as strongly when we entered.”
“How did you know when I’d be coming?”
“It’s my turn for a question, Tessie,” he mocked. “Are you fully bonded to Theon St. Orcas as his Source?”
“No,” she answered, picking up her bread once more to hide her trembling hands at this name. “The Source bond never worked right. My power rebelled against it.”
“But some aspects did work, right?”
“My turn,” she said with faux sweetness. “What, exactly, is the power you stole?”
He blinked, seemingly surprised. “I see Xan has been running his mouth,” he muttered. Then he sighed as he said, “While there are only elemental Fae in Devram, there are other types of Fae in other realms. They are known as cognitive Fae, and one of their gifts is being able to alter or mask reality.”
“You can…” She trailed off as piece after piece fell into place. “Like when you met me in the mountains? You made it seem like you were alone. That’s how you hid the other seraphs with you?”
He nodded. “What are the names of all the people who were with you when you destroyed the Pantheon?”
She took another bite to stall, but there was no way around that very specific question. His dark eyes watched her, tracking every move and breath, but she held his stare as she finally said, “Luka, Xan, Tristyn, Cienna, Gia, Razik, and Eliza. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you are far older than I am, so why did you wait so long to come around?”
Dex shifted in his seat, one arm falling to the armrest while the other stayed on the desk. He tapped his finger a few times, appearing to stall just as she had. “I didn’t wait,” he gritted out. “The more I have to alter, the more draining on my power. I can only hold an illusion for so long. Small illusions are easy enough, but larger ones—appearing to be younger, for example—take more power. I simply ensured you were…not around when I came here when you were younger or when my power was low.”
Her utensils clattered to the desk, bouncing off the glassware to the floor. “You are the reason…”
Of course he was, but it still hurt to have it confirmed. It all made perfect sense. Tristyn said he was there when they were attacked. Dex and the others were the ones who’d taken her from them. He’d known where she was the whole time, keeping his secrets from everyone else, including Rordan. Not even Cordelia knew what she truly was. Dex had kept her hidden, letting her grow up. Breaking her. Grooming her to be what he wanted—meek and submissive. Completely reliant on him. Looking to him for comfort and answers.
“Don’t look at me like that, Tessie,” he scoffed. “You were too young to understand the intricacies of all the moving parts. Youare still too focused on this realm. It’s one of hundreds. You are meant for more.”
