Page 267 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
Not as he started to feel his power weaken and drain. If Theon started drawing from him, he’d have to shift back and fight from the streets. Tessa wouldn’t need him. She was a godsdamn vision below, her chaos wreaking havoc and herarrows finding their marks. She’d been training with the things, sure, but nobody became that skilled that quickly. Whatever power created her arrows was connected to her on some level, ensuring her wishes were carried out. And with every life that was forced to give, her power took and took.
His father streaked by, making Luka whip around to follow where he was going, only to see a fresh wave of Achaz forces appearing to the south of the city.
Son of a bitch,Luka growled down the bond.There’s more Theon. To the south.
Godsdammit,he muttered.We’re not going to win this. We need to switch gears. Focus on getting the innocent to safety, and then we can retreat.
Give up the city?Luka countered.It’s the closest one to Arius House.
I’m aware.
We’re just going to abandon it?
I’ll lose the city if we can save the people.
Then her voice was drifting down the bond.Rordan is here.
That was all she needed to say, and Luka was diving for them. If he was as powerful as Dagian said he was, there was no way she was facing the male alone. Theon didn’t have any additional gifts yet, and Dagian had said it would drain her to the point of breaking to face off with him. That was not happening today.
The ground shuddered as he landed behind them, forces from both sides scattering to accommodate his size. Whipping his head around, he snatched up an Achaz warrior that was coming for Theon, careful not to draw blood because they seriously tasted fucking awful. Taking a few steps closer, he dropped the male on the ground at Tessa’s feet. Theon’s darkness wound around him, keeping him immobile, and Tessa lifted her gaze to Luka’s with a dark smirk.
“A late birthday present?” she crooned.
He shifted then, leaving only his wings on display. He needed to preserve as much of his magic as he could at this point. “Just wanted to see that viciousness in action,” he returned, taking in the blood splattered on her porcelain skin.
Then he frowned. There were spots on her arms, her shoulder, her thigh, where Theon’s darkness was cinched tightly around her. Luka reached out, gripping her elbow for a closer look.
“Her blood can’t touch the ground. It will summon Hunters,” Theon said tightly. “I’ve been making sure it doesn’t.”
Tessa pulled her arm from Luka’s grasp, crouching beside the Achaz male, that same wicked smirk on her lips.
“Please! Don’t!” he cried. “I have to follow orders. I have to?—”
“You’ll have to plead your case with Arius,” she interrupted with a dark croon. “Because I do not care.”
Then one of her black runic daggers appeared in her hand, and blood was splattering as she dragged it slowly across his throat before plunging it deep into his chest.
She stood casually, dagger still in hand, as she said, “Rordan is here.”
“You said that already,” Luka replied, watching the mayhem around them. “You’re right, Theon. We need to get the fuck out of here.”
Then Eliza was there, panting and covered in blood herself. “What’s the plan?” she gasped, Dagian and Sasha behind her.
“My father is here,” Dagian said.
“We know,” Luka growled as Eliza spun and blocked an arrow with her sword before the warrior went up in dragonfire a moment later, Razik dropping in behind her. He’d already shifted, and Eliza was reaching for a dagger.
“No,mai dragocen,” he murmured, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“You need to fill your reserves, Raz,” she insisted, still trying to bring the blade to her forearm.
“If you think I am taking what little magic you have left when we are in the midst of battle, you are sorely mistaken,” he growled, stepping in closer to her.
“You need it more than I do. I can use my sword,” she argued.
“We combine them if needed,” Razik said. “Like we did to free Xan.”
“Razik, no. This is?—”
