Page 135 of Rain of Shadows and Endings

Making her way unsteadily to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth and pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head. She splashed some water onto her face, trying to wake herself up, but it was no use. She was supposed to be passed out right now. She wasn’t supposed to be feeling anything. Instead, she was feeling everything. She was picturing all that she’d been forced to endure at the assessment yesterday. Dagian telling her Corbin and Oralia and Dex were dead, tortured because of her.

Not real, she reminded herself, gripping the edge of the counter, the water continuing to run into the drain. None of what you saw was real.

But she could feel it.

She could feel each bolt of power as it raced through her body. She could hear Dagian laughing as he told her he’d killed Dex the same way. She could taste the vomit and blood in her mouth, despite having just brushed her teeth.

Not real, she told herself over and over. You talked to Dex a few hours ago. He’s alive. They all are.

“Tessa?”

Theon’s voice carried in to her from the main room, and she straightened, turning off the faucet.

“I’m coming,” she called back, but her voice held a touch of emotion she couldn’t hide.

He appeared in the doorway, her leggings in his hand. “Are you all right?”

Not trusting herself to speak again, she nodded, still gripping the counter. He tossed the clothing onto the vanity.

“Get dressed,” was all he said before turning and walking out of the bathroom.

She glared at his back as she reached for the clothes. He clearly assumed she was in this state solely from the alcohol, that she’d brought this on herself.

She slid on the black underthings, but she couldn’t get the images out of her mind. She couldn’t get Dagian’s laughter to stop ringing in her ears, couldn’t get the taste of blood out of her mouth.

But agaveheart could.

Agaveheart could get that taste out of her mouth and drive everything she was feeling back into oblivion. She could sleep in the vehicle. She could sleep the entire day away.

She made her way out of the bathroom, not bothering with the leggings. She’d come put them on once she had that bottle back in her hand.

“Theon?” she heard Axel call out, but she was zeroed in on the liquor bottle on the table where Theon had set it a few hours ago. With a grin of victory, she scooped it up. But before she could bring it to her lips, it was yanked from her grip.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Theon demanded, holding the bottle out of her reach.

“I just needed a drink,” she bit back.

“What you need to do is go put on fucking pants. You drank plenty last night.”

“Hold on,” Axel cut in. “She brought the agaveheart here last night? I was wondering who drank without me.”

“I do not know why this is such a surprise to everyone,” Tessa replied. “I told all of you on the way here that I bribed the hostess to send a bottle to the hotel last night.”

“None of us thought you were serious,” Theon said, handing the bottle off to Axel and gripping her arm.

“Why? I’m not supposed to lie to you, remember?” she retorted.

Axel was holding the bottle up, peering at the liquid. “You really drank all of this after we went to sleep? That was only a few hours ago.”

“I didn’t drink all of it,” Tessa said. “I shared with Tristyn.”

“I think this is a story we all need to hear,” came Luka’s voice from the hallway.

“There is nothing to tell,” Theon ground out. He was clenching his jaw so hard, Tessa thought he might crack a molar. “I woke up to find her gone from the room. When I finally tracked her down, she was sitting outside with the mortal from the lobby, smoking, drinking her weight in agaveheart, and eating pizza.”

“How did you get out of the hotel room?” Axel asked, peering at Tessa now. “It’s warded.”

“I walked on my own two feet.” Then she looked up at Theon with a smirk. “And the mortal’s name is Tristyn.”

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