Page 234 of Rain of Shadows and Endings

“Tessa,” Theon breathed, unable to move as he stared down at her.

He’d known this would break her, but he still hadn’t expected…this.

She hadn’t made any movement or shown any sign that she knew they were there. She couldn’t be…dead. He’d have felt the Source connection break. Besides, Fae could only be killed in so many ways, and death by glass or wine was not one of them.

“It has to be you and the bond,” Luka said, his voice quiet and tense from beside him.

Nodding, Theon slowly approached her. When he reached her side, he used his shoes to brush aside glass so he could lower beside her. There was nothing he could do about the wine though, and he felt it soak through the knee of his pants.

“Tessa?”

When there was still nothing, he reached for her, touching her shoulder, then he yanked his hand back.

“Fuck!”

“What?” Luka demanded, immediately dropping down beside him.

“I got a…shock when I touched her.”

“A shock?”

“Yes,” Theon gritted out, shaking his hand. His fingers were still tingling. In fact, his entire arm was tingling.

“Can your power protect you?” Luka asked.

Gods, he hoped so.

With shadows coating his hand, he reached for her again, sighing in relief when he didn’t receive another jolt from his Source.

“Tessa,” he said softly. “Tessa, I need you to look at me.”

Reaching for her hands, he tugged them from where they were wound around her legs. Once he had her untangled from herself, he rolled her onto her back. Her eyes were swollen, puffy from crying. Tear trails tracked through the wine staining her cheeks. Her entire face was covered in cuts, smears of blood mixing with the wine. She didn’t look at him. If anything, she seemed to stare through him.

“Fuck,” Theon cursed again, low under his breath this time. He reached for her, moving to lift her from the ground as he murmured, “Come on, little storm,” but she suddenly moved.

Fast.

Far faster than she’d ever moved before.

She scrambled back from him, hissing as her palms were sliced open on the shattered glass.

“Tessa,” Theon said in shock. “Don’t do this. We need to get you cleaned up. The Emerging Ceremony is tonight.”

“Tonight,” she repeated, her voice completely void of any emotion.

“Yes. Tonight.”

“It’s the next day.”

Fuck me, Theon thought, swiping a hand down his face. What had he been thinking doing this the night before the Emerging Ceremony?

He hadn’t been. That was the fucking problem. He’d lost control completely.

Another failure to add to the list with the consequences staring back at him.

“Yes, Tessa. It’s the next morning.”

“And the Emerging Ceremony is tonight?”

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