Page 241 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“You figured it out? You know how?” Luka demanded.
“I can’t do it, but yeah, I know how,” he replied. There was a burst of black flames before a piece of paper appeared in his hand. Extending it to Luka, he said, “You’ll need Tessa. For her Chaos.”
Luka grabbed the paper and skimmed the words. If this was true, Tessa could break the collar. It was designed to restrain descendants of Arius and Sargon. The same material Dex had used to stab him by Lake Moonmist.
He glanced up at Razik. “You figured this out when Tessa healed me, didn’t you?”
“It gave me the idea. I just looked into it more,” he said flatly. “Anyway, you can let him know.”
“Or you can,” Luka said, extending the paper back to him.
But Razik didn’t take it. Instead, he leapt into the sky, done with the conversation.
Abandoning his own plans to go flying, Luka turned and went back through the training room. Eliza and Tessa were nowhere to be seen, apparently done with their training. He climbed stairs to the main floor, checking rooms as he went. Arius House was still massive, even if they were only using one wing and the main part of the house right now.
He finally found Xan in the library, and he shouldn’t have been surprised. Theon was still researching everything he couldabout transferring power, needing to do something while they sat around and waited for Dagian to come through on getting that ring back.
Theon and Xan both looked up, Theon reaching for his mug of coffee while he asked, “How’d training go?”
“Fine,” Luka said quickly, attention fixed on Xan. “There’s something I need to show you.”
“What is it?” Xan asked, getting to his feet and crossing the room, taking the paper Luka extended to him.
Xan’s eyes went wide as he read the words scrawled on the page. “You figured out how to remove it?”
“Not me,” Luka answered, shaking his head. “Razik.”
Xan’s head snapped up, followed by a grimace as it jostled the stone at his throat. “Razik?”
Luka nodded.
“Where is he?”
“Went flying,” Luka answered. “But he said we’ll need Tessa for this.”
Xan nodded again, reading the notes on the paper once more.
“I can find her. Ask her to help now. If you’re ready?” Luka ventured, glancing at Theon, who had stood and come closer. Theon nodded, already striding for the door.
“I’ve been ready for twenty-five years,” Xan said, still staring at the paper.
A half hour later, they were gathered in the gardens. Razik was still off somewhere, despite Eliza speaking to him down their bond.
“He won’t come,” she said simply, curling her hands around the ends of her sleeves.
“Then I will go to him,” Xan replied. He turned to where Tessa was standing next to Theon, worrying her bottom lip as she read over the paper.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “What if something goes wrong?”
“You can do this, Tessa,” Theon said. “Luka and I are here if you go too deep.”
“That’s not really the part I’m worried about,” she murmured. “It’s more so the channeling that power at histhroat.”
“If you’re not comfortable, you do not have to,” Xan said gently, but Luka could see the dread in his father’s eyes at the idea of having to wear that collar even a day longer.
She glanced at Luka, concern on her features.
I can’t do this,she whispered down the bond.What if I hurt him? I already stole time with him from you. What if I take him from you completely?
