Page 29 of Rain of Shadows and Endings

“It has towers, Theon. It’s a castle,” she said, tilting her head to look up at the huge house again. “Do you live here too, Luka?”

“For all intents and purposes, yes,” he answered. “I have a smaller estate an hour or so away, but I am rarely there.”

“Hmm,” Tessa hummed in answer just as the double doors to the house opened and two figures came striding down the front steps. She immediately recognized them. Valter looked just as he had at the Selection. His thick black hair was swept back from his face, and he was impeccably dressed in a suit and tie. His lips were curved in a vindictive smirk as he escorted his wife down the front steps.

She clung to his arm and looked exactly as a Lady should. She wore a lavender dress that showed just as much cleavage as her gown had last night. Her dark red hair hung down and flowed over her shoulders, but Tessa caught glimpses of the large diamonds that adorned her ears, matching the huge diamond pendant at her throat.

“Come, Tessa,” Theon said. She hadn’t realized he had exited the vehicle. So had Luka. She allowed him to help her down, and he placed her gently on her feet, letting her weak legs find their balance in the heels. “You good, beautiful?”

“As good as I can be,” she murmured. He kept his arm firmly around her waist and escorted her forward. They met his parents at the foot of the stairs.

“Father,” Theon said with a bow at the waist. She saw Luka do the same from the corner of her eye.

Gods. She should really be kneeling.

“Mother,” Theon added with a nod of his head. “I trust your travels home were uneventful?”

“Indeed they were,” Valter said, his voice deep and commanding. His dark hazel eyes were fixed on Tessa, and she dropped her gaze to the ground. “Was your Source not taught manners, Theon?”

“She was taught manners and knows she should be kneeling at the moment,” Theon replied, his fingers flexing on her waist and digging painfully into her skin. “She is quite unwell after the first Mark and in a lot of pain. I ordered her not to kneel to keep her discomfort minimal.”

“Is that so?” Valter asked. “And if I ordered her to kneel anyway?”

“I entranced her, Father.” Tessa had to force herself not to react to the lie. “As she is my Source, and it is my magic that now courses through her, to try and overcome it with your own demands would be cruel.”

“Indeed it would,” Valter said, and his tone sent a shiver down her spine. “I guess the choice is yours then.”

After a moment of tense silence, Theon gritted out through clenched teeth. “Kneel, Tessa.” She lowered to a knee as quickly as she could, her dress riding up her thighs. “Is that sufficient?”

“Let’s meet her then,” was Valter’s answer.

Theon helped her to her feet, his movements sharp and jarring, before ushering her forward. “Father. Mother. This is my Source, Tessalyn Ausra. Tessa, the Arius Lord, Valter St. Orcas, and my mother, Cressida.”

Valter stepped forward and reached for Tessa’s right hand, bringing it up to examine the Mark while Cressida said, “At least you have natural beauty, my dear. It overshadows the fact that your hair and face are a mess. Really, Theon? You couldn’t make her at least a little presentable?”

Tessa felt her cheeks flush at her words, but before Theon could say anything in response, Valter dropped her hand, stepping back. His gaze slowly roamed over her, and Tessa had to fight to keep from cringing back from the Lord.

“I will admit, she is a beauty, son. Your mother is right. She is naturally exquisite,” he finally said, and Tessa felt like she’d passed some sort of test. “I am glad you took my advice and chose an alluring one. I half expected you to choose a male Source out of spite.” Valter chuckled at his own words, returning to his wife’s side. His eyes never strayed from Tessa.

“While she is beautiful,” Theon said curtly, “her beauty is not why I chose her, and as you both well know, she received her first Mark last night. Her simply standing before you now seems like more than should be required of her at this moment, let alone having her hair and face done.”

And Tessa suddenly realized she had no idea why Theon had chosen her. She had never even thought to ask, but now that it had been brought up, she was curious. What had he seen in her in that alcove that had made him say her name? Why her out of all the other available Fae?

“I should hope her looks were not the only reason you Selected her, but a nice view by your side and keeping your bed warm doesn’t hurt anything,” Valter replied with a shrug.

Tessa felt her face heat once more but for an entirely different reason. She knew that Sources and their Masters often shared intimate relations as a result of the bond, but would Theon expect that of her? What was she thinking? Of course he would. Legacy took what they wanted, and he already viewed her as his. This would just be one more thing he took from her.

Valter glanced over his shoulder to his Source standing dutifully behind him. Tessa had been so preoccupied with the Lord and Lady, she hadn’t even noticed the Fae. Her eyes were cast down, hands clasped before her as they had been at the Selection, but even from this angle, Tessa could tell she was pretty. Her black Marks stood out vividly against the backs of her hands. The female’s red-brown hair hung loose down her back. It contrasted beautifully with her olive skin. She wore a fitted navy blue dress as low cut as Cressida’s that offered the perfect view of the Mark over her heart, and Tessa knew if the female lifted her hair, a Mark would adorn the back of her neck as well.

“Eviana, come here,” Valter called, and the Fae lifted her head, brilliant turquoise eyes going straight to her Master. She stepped to his side, and Valter looped his arm around her waist, tugging her close. She immediately turned into him, her hand coming to his chest.

“Yes, my Lord?”

“Meet Theon’s Source, Tessalyn,” he said, nodding towards Theon.

Eviana met Tessa’s gaze and a flash of pity crossed her eyes before it morphed into indifference. “It’s a pleasure,” she replied dutifully, turning her attention right back to Valter. The Lord’s hand slid from her hip to her ass, where it remained while he continued to speak to Theon.

“I bet you could still loan her out as a dam if you wanted. Make a little extra coin on the side,” Valter said casually, and Tessa’s head whipped to Theon.

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