Page 19 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
She trailed off, shaking her head and trying to clear it. Luka released her hair, withdrawing from her, and the calm that had settled over her immediately left. Her power rushed to him, latching on, and she heard him suck in a sharp hiss. His own magic scrambled to protect him, and then it was her sucking in a breath as their power intertwined.
“Enough,” Luka gritted out.
“Just give me a minute,” she rasped again, trying to push to her feet but immediately dropping back to her knees.
“What do you mean, you fell through visions?”
Tessa looked up to find Eliza standing over her, grey eyes narrowed.
Tessa shrugged. “That’s what it felt like.”
The Fae looked up at Razik, who was at her side. “Doesn’t that sound like…?”
Razik rubbed at his jaw. “It could be similar,” he agreed.
“Someone fill us in. Again,” Luka snarled, getting to his feet and helping Tessa up as he did. She swayed, and his lips pressed into a thin line as he held her steady.
“Scarlett wasn’t born what she is,” Razik said. “She found the power of the world walkers.”
“She found it,” Luka repeated dubiously.
“It had been contained and hidden,” Eliza cut in. “When the war between the gods and world walkers ended, that was the cost. They didn’t want that power lost, so it was contained. The World Walkers were still beings of Chaos.”
“And Scarlett obtained that power, essentially becoming one herself. And Tessa is…something similar,” Razik finished.
“So you are saying she, what? Walked the worlds?” Luka asked.
“Not like Scarlett can, but something similar, perhaps,” Razik agreed.
Luka took her shoulders, spinning Tessa to face him. A finger under her chin had her head tipping back, forcing her to meet his gaze. “What did you see?”
She should tell him. They should be past keeping secrets, but she couldn’t make any sense of anything she saw. They weren’t alone here, and she was just getting used to working her shit out with another person or two. Not a whole godsdamn room.
His nostrils flared with an exhale, faint traces of smoke appearing when she remained silent. He leaned in, his voice low as he said, “This conversation isn’t over, Tessa, and Sargon help me, you’re going to tell me. You’re going to have to figure this out because I don’t have near the patience Theon does.”
He released her, stalking to the other side of the room to grab his bags. She stared after him, her hands curling into fists. She’d just…needed a moment. She knew he was pissed at her—had every right to be—but fuck.
“Easy, Tessa,” Xan said, trying to calm her, but his voice was too much like his son’s. Tears burned the back of her eyes. She wished she could say they were tears of hurt, but it was fury.
It was always fury lately.
The only time it wasn’t eating at her, her power was clawing at her insides. She just needed a minute to breathe. A minute to think. A minute to?—
“Summon her. Let’s get on with this,” Luka snarled, snapping Tessa out of her spiral.
Everyone else had gathered their belongings. Eliza and Razik were waiting near the mirror.
“Wait!” Tessa cried, lifting a hand to stop them, but power ricocheted around the room. Energy and light bounced around, curses sounding.
“Control it, Tessa,” Luka barked, and she slid her gaze to his, her lip curling back in a sneer.
He was pissed, but so was she.
“I am,” she said, and this time everyone stilled because her voice was too soft. Too calm. “I’m controlling all of it.”
She made her way to the mirror, Razik pulling Eliza into his side as she approached.
“We can call her,” Eliza started. “She gave us a way?—”
