Page 246 of Rain of Shadows and Endings

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TESSA

The room wasn’t small. In fact, it was probably comparable to her small room in Theon’s suite back at Arius House. There weren’t any windows, but the door was what made her feel trapped. No way out. Everything in here was smooth beige marble. Flat. Dull. Nothing to occupy her mind.

Nothing but her thoughts.

Theon had just left, and now she stood in the center of the room. Alone. Just like she’d been last night. Just like she’d been nearly her entire life. But maybe that was all right. Maybe alone was fine. When you were alone, there was no reason to trust anyone. No opportunity to let someone hurt you.

No room to allow someone in, only to be shoved into a cellar.

She slowly made her way to the wall and began dragging her fingers along the cool expanse, humming one of the stupid songs from Axel’s playlist. She kicked off her sandals, wanting to feel the cold floor on her bare feet as she made pass after pass around the room.

Fingers dragging.

Throat humming.

Lips still buzzing from the kiss with Theon.

I was going to ask you not to let me kiss you again until you were ready to admit this is more than a bond.

He was right.

This was more than a bond; she just hadn’t quite figured out what that meant yet.

She’d realized that as she’d lain on the floor of that wine cellar. They were more than Source and Master, Fae and Legacy. They were more than two people connected by a bargain and a bond. They were more than, but more than what?

The door opened, a sentinel saying gruffly, “They are ready for the Sources.”

All the sentinels were Legacy. Gods forbid a Fae was tasked with guarding this sacred place. No, they were only good enough to breed and bleed.

Bleed.

Theon had made her bleed.

Her hand fell to her side, and she took a step towards the door, but the sentinel cleared his throat. “Your shoes.”

Right.

Shoes.

She hated shoes.

She’d stopped humming, but she was still going through song lyrics in her head as she followed the sentinel down the hall. Not one of Axel’s songs though.

Control the uncontrollable; Or to fury they both lose. Life must give; And Death must take. But Fate requires more.

She was jolted from her thoughts when they stepped through heavy wood doors and into the arena, the noise drowning out all other sounds. Excited Fae were one floor up, discussing their newly awakened power. Of course, they’d all been given black bands to wear on their wrists to keep that power muted until they learned to control it.

Uncontrolled power was dangerous.

Common Legacy filled the next levels, followed by the more elite. At the top, six private boxes ringed the arena. She glanced up, her gaze immediately connecting with Theon’s. For all intents and purposes, he looked like the cold Heir of Endings he was destined to be.

He’d been the end of something all right.

But his hands were resting on the railing, and his posture was rigid, not the relaxed aloofness of indifference he usually flaunted. He nodded at her, Luka on one side of him, his father on the other. Cressida was there, and Axel had also returned.

Where was Kat? Hadn’t Axel gone to make sure she was... Well, not all right because they didn’t care about that, but to make sure she had been kept safe from the other kingdoms?

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