Page 287 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
You control it. Not the other way around,Luka added down the bond.
Then that key started glowing, and it didn’t matter what she thought. Not as it sprang from her fingers, hovering in the air once more.
“Fuck,” Theon cursed, grabbing her and dragging her back.
“I told you interrupting this would fuck something up,” Razik grumbled as Tessa fought against Theon’s hold, trying to get back to that power.
Because he was wrong. She was Chaos, and Chaos was hers. It called to her. It was a piece of her. It was?—
The portal key dropped to the ground. The air shimmered as if a clear veil was there, and then a female stepped through it. Hair the same gold as her own, loose and wavy, fell to her navel. Blood-red lips and ethereal grace. An ivory dress that was so sheer it hid nearly nothing with a gold belt slung low on herhips. Gold rings. Gold earrings. Grey eyes swirling with gold and violet.
“I’ve seen you before,” Tessa breathed, Theon still holding her to him.
The female turned, meeting her gaze, and Tessa could see the madness there. Fractured and furious.
“You got back up,” she said, energy crackling in her aura as streaks of gold and violet lit up the sky. Her eyes flashed to Theon. “And you have taken what’s yours.”
She took a step towards her, and Theon pulled Tessa back, his darkness appearing.
“Don’t!” Xan barked, but not fast enough.
A maniacal grin spread on the female’s face as light arched from her hand, somehow latching onto Theon’s darkness and dragging it to her.
“The fuck?” Luka growled, stalking forward and summoning his own magic.
The female tipped her head back and laughed, lifting her other hand and letting her power latch onto his too. Luka stumbled as that light yanked, and it was all Tessa needed to see.
“Come closer, little ones,” the female sang, taking another step and reaching with her hand. “Let me taste it.”
She grunted when light and dark slammed into her, shoving her back and back and back as Tessa stalked forward. “I become incredibly violent when people touch what is mine,” Tessa snarled, fury coursing through her veins.
“No! Stop!” Xan interjected, shoving himself between Tessa and the female. “Akira, stop. We don’t harm them. Here.”
The male’s black flames appeared, sliding up her arms, along her collarbone. Winding into her golden hair.
“Breathe and take,” Xan coaxed. “Then look.”
Her eyes fell closed, her storm of power winding around Xan’s black flames, and she inhaled deeply. When she openedher eyes, gold was swirling in their grey depths, similar to the way Auryon’s used to swirl with ashes.
“Xan?” she whispered.
“There you are,” he said with a smile. “You have it under control?”
“For now,” she agreed, and he pulled her into an embrace. “Where is he? Where is Temural?”
“Not here,” Xan murmured, still holding her close. “But there is someone else you should meet.”
He stepped back, his hand falling to the small of her back. Tessa could feel Theon and Luka behind her as Akira’s eyes widened when they settled on her. Tessa still had her hands raised, chaos at her fingertips. She could feel it swirling in her eyes, knowing they were a mirror of Akira’s, only a different color.
“Tessalyn,” Akira breathed.
She moved to take a step towards her, but stopped when Tessa said, “Tessa. That is my name.”
Akira nodded, her fingers flexing at her sides as she shuffled from side to side. “There is a lot of power here,” she murmured, stretching her neck one way than the other as if trying to get something under control. “Too much. There is too much power here.” She spun suddenly, Xan catching her wrists when she reached for his shirt. “Did I hurt them? Try to?—”
“She stopped you,” he consoled, more of his dragonfire skimming across her arms. His brow furrowed. “How long has he starved you?”
“Too long,” she murmured. “She is upset with me.”
