Page 24 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
Her entire being was glowing with an aura of…chaos. Light and dark. Energy and embers. Beginnings and endings.
“The mirror still stands,” Razik argued.
“Not for much longer,” she replied, starting for the chamber exit. Each step left a bootprint of dark power, magic radiating with every footfall.
“Let’s go!” Tristyn said, racing to lead them out of here.
Everyone else fell into line, grabbing their packs from the floor and scrambling to follow. Luka grabbed his own and rushed ahead until he realized Tessa wasn’t in front of him. Skidding to a halt, he looked over his shoulder, trying to figure out where she’d gone. When he finally found her, he didn’t know what to think. While the rest of them were clambering to get out of here, she had moved to the perimeter, dragging her fingers along the wall. Fissures spread from beneath them, seeping into the foundation. Tristyn hadn’t been wrong. She was going to bring the chamber to ruin, but this…
This would bring the entire Pantheon down.
He rushed for her, grabbing her other hand. “Tessa, we have to go,” he said, tugging her along.
But even as he pulled, she didn’t appear to be in any hurry. Her hand never left the wall as he dragged her along. Down thepassages they moved, cracks spearing in all directions. Nylah had prowled ahead like she normally did, but she kept circling back because they were falling behind. Roan was behind Tessa, nudging her forward with his nose.
“Tessa, we need to move faster,” Luka gritted out as the debris that was falling grew bigger, large chunks of stone and marble crumbling when they hit the ground. He could hear the others ahead of them, yelling to people they came across to run and get out of the Pantheon, but Tessa only smiled. Her eyes were nearly wholly black save for rings of violet on the edges glowing bright. Trying to avoid the obstacles of the quickly narrowing passages, they finally made it to the steps that would take them up to the main floor.
She’d started humming again, that damned Revelation Decree song, and he was done with this. Scooping her up in his arms, he raced up the broken stairs and emerged into mayhem.
Priestesses were screaming and running, arms full of supplies and books. No one paid them any mind, which was good. His cloak had been shredded when his wings had appeared, and while he’d made them disappear, he was still shirtless and recognizable. Not to mention Tessa was well known by everyone now, no longer the wild Fae trying to blend in with the world.
With the crowd, it was too hard to carry her, and he was forced to put her back on her feet. Nylah had circled back yet again, and her wolves made sure people stayed back from them. Still, Tessa walked calmly through the main floor of the Pantheon. Energy continued to emanate from her, and her magictook, taking down Priestesses as she moved. With every body that hit the floor, he felt her power increase, and he finally understood how she refilled her reserves.
Life must give, and death must take.
She hadn’t taken in weeks.
He just needed to get her outside. Once they were outside of the Pantheon walls they could Travel, assuming Tristyn and Cienna had indeed managed to remove the enchantment.
Luka spotted the others up ahead as they neared the main doors. Sentinels were pouring in, trying to help evacuate the Priestesses. It was only then he realized there wasn’t a single Fae to be seen. He whirled back to Tessa, and she only smiled at him, dark and wicked. Finally embracing that she was life and death, and today she was channeling the latter.
“You planned this all along,” he said in disbelief as she moved past him.
She said nothing, only lifted her hands in front of her and threw arcs of light ahead of them. The heavy wood doors were blasted off their hinges, exploding out into the courtyard. He followed, bounding down the twenty steps that led up to the building where the others were waiting for them. But they were staring past him, and he turned, not knowing what he would find anymore.
There were no words as Tessa sat on the top step removing her boots. The Pantheon was swaying behind her, as though it would fall at any moment, and she didn’t seem to care.
Because she was in complete control.
Two Sentinels raced for her, but her wolves were there, their screams cut short by massive jaws. Tessa tossed the boots behind her as she stood, and only then did she descend the steps. Light swirled in one hand, while darkness hovered in the other. Energy skittered out with each step, the stairs crumbling to nothing as she left each one behind. She still wore her cloak, and it billowed behind her as the winds picked up. The clouds above them thundered, lightning striking far too close.
She reached the bottom, and her eyes slid to the left. Luka turned to see what had captured her attention, only to find the Achaz Lord and the four Ladies standing before them.
Shit.
But Tessa only tilted her head as she slowly lowered to the ground and placed a single palm flat on the stone. All they could do was watch as a final crack speared from her hand, back up the rubble she’d left behind and straight into the heart of the Pantheon.
The realm shuddered as the first streaks of dawn pierced the sky.
And then the Pantheon caved in on itself, the fall rippling and radiating power outward as it came crashing down.
Dust and ash filled the air so thickly that even with his eyes shifted, Luka had trouble seeing what was happening. He stumbled forward as the ground continued to shake beneath them, finding Tessa standing upright once more.
“We need to go,” he growled, clasping her shoulder and spinning her to face him. He took her chin, forcing her face up to his. “You made your point, Tessa. Now we need to go and regroup. Figure out what we do from here.”
Tristyn appeared, a hand covering his mouth to keep from breathing in the wreckage. His eyes were glowing brightly as they settled on Tessa. “We have to get beyond the courtyard. That’s where we’ll be able to Travel.”
Tessa nodded, turning to peer through the storm of chaos. The wind shifted just enough to clear the air and give them a perfect view of the Achaz Lord and the Ladies once more. Rordan’s gaze was fixed on Tessa, and she stared right back. There was no mistaking what was passing between them. Tessa had announced her intentions to the entirety of Devram. Something was coming, and this was the only warning.
