Page 120 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
It tried. The thing in her soul clawed at her, her knees nearly giving out as it howled and growled and screamed. Her hands were in her hair, tugging and straining. Because it was too much, and Cordelia was here, and she’d only needed to survive this one more day.
One more day.
One more hour.
One more minute.
One more second.
One more song.
And it wasn’t her power screaming. It was her soul. It was the sound pouring from her own lips a moment before her air was stolen, Cordelia taking what she always had.
It was her dropping to her knees on the ornate rug beneath her feet. It was Rordan crouching before her and tipping her chin up, mock pity on his face as he said, “I tried to help you, Tessalyn. You did this.”
“Don’t worry, Rordan,” Cordelia said snidely, coming to his side and staring down her nose at Tessa as she struggled to take in a breath. “I know somewhere we can keep her until we can figure out how to get her under control. I have experience with her unruliness.”
Tessa shook her head frantically, clawing at the cuff on her wrist, but Cordelia gripped her elbow, dragging her to her feet. And Tessa dug in her heels, slamming her elbow up and back, just like Luka had taught her. She heard Cordelia curse, her hold on her magic loosening, and Tessa sucked in a breath. But then it was more than her air being stolen as light wound around her. Binding her wrists.
“Help her,” Rordan ordered Felicity, and the female didn’t hesitate. Gone was her hesitancy, replaced with contempt. Tessa could feel more than that as she neared though. Could feel her power winding around her, trying to soothe her into cooperation. But Rordan had been right. She wasn’t nearly strong enough.
She managed another gasping breath before Cordelia’s magic struck again. She was tugged towards that small, dark space she’d avoided looking at when she’d been in here with Dex. Felicity rushed forward, pulling open the cupboard door.
But a different door was banging off the wall as it was thrown open. It had them all spinning, Cordelia dropping Tessa back to the floor.
And that was Theon standing in the doorway with darkness swirling all around him. His wings were out, a dark backdrop behind him, and his emerald eyes blazed with a fury sherecognized. A fury she felt in her own soul because she was feeling her wrath mixed with his.
She had bound herself to death, and he had come for her.
24
THEON
Darkness clouded his vision, and all he could see was Tessa on her knees. Her face was flushed as she sucked in breath after breath. That fucking cupboard door was open, but he hadn’t needed to see that to know what was happening here. He’d felt every bit of her panic. Every bit of her helplessness. Every bit of her fury.
“Cordelia,” he said coldly, stepping into the room and shutting the door firmly behind him. “What an unexpected yet opportunistic surprise.”
“Theon—” Felicity started, but she snapped her mouth shut when he held up a single finger.
“Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but did we or did we not have a discussion about your involvement with Tessa?”
The Estate Mother clicked her tongue. “That was well before everything was revealed, young heir. You no longer have the power here.”
Theon only smiled. It was all he needed to do to make her falter. He didn’t need to have his darkness thicken around him. Didn’t need to have it drift along the floor like a dense fog that devoured. Didn’t need to, but he did.
“Rordan,” Cordelia said tightly. “Ask him. Make a trade for the information.”
“What an excellent idea,” the Achaz Lord said calmly from where he’d drifted to the desk, leaning against it. “Give me the location of your mother, and I will leave you to…handle matters here.”
“What?” Cordelia said in outrage, spinning to face the lord. “You can’t leave me here with them!”
Theon crossed the room, holding a hand out to Tessa because he couldn’t think properly with her on her knees when everyone in this room should be on their knees beforeher. Her fingers shook as he wrapped his hand around them, pulling her to her feet. He wanted to do more than that. Wanted to pull her into his chest. Shield her from Cordelia and Rordan and everything they would face in the coming days. Even knowing she didn’t need to be shielded from anything, it was still instinct. Keep what he loved safe. It was what he’d done his entire life.
“I don’t know where my mother is,” Theon said, facing Rordan once more while his power wound around Tessa. He felt her anxiety ease, and she lifted a hand, letting the dark drift around her fingers.
“Lies,” Rordan hissed.
Without missing a beat, Theon drew a dagger from his magic and sliced his palm. Tossing the blade aside, he let his blood drip to the floor. “I swear on my blood and the god I descend from, I do not know where my mother is. Feel free to challenge my integrity.”
