Rain of Shadows and Endings — Chapter no 2

2 TESSA

H e was the Arius Heir.

And she’d all but yelled at him.

Over chocolate.

Dear gods. She was lucky to still be standing, to still be breathing.

They were such a private kingdom, Tessa didn’t even know the names of the Arius Heirs, only the ruling Lord and Lady. She knew the heir had a brother, but that couldn’t have been who he had been standing with earlier. If his brother was here, he’d be up on the dais with his family like the rest of the siblings, not standing among the other Legacy. She quickly scanned the room, trying to find the Legacy he’d been with, but it was impossible with everyone gathered together and focused on the dais now.

“Tessa,” Dex said slowly, his voice low. “Isn’t that the Legacy you said took—”

“Yes,” she whispered, cutting him off.

“The Arius Heir?” he hissed.

“I didn’t know that at the time. Obviously.”

“What did you say to him? Please don’t tell me you did anything reckless.”

“Not really the time for a play-by-play of my conversation with him.”

Dex went silent, his grip around her tightening.

This was fine. The Arius Heir asking if she was slated to be a Source didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t. She had done everything she could to go unnoticed by the heirs when they’d come to the Fae Estates to observe potential Sources. So had the others. Her assessments were nothing extraordinary, and more than that, she was nothing extraordinary.

Just another Fae among the masses. They had found their way off the estate more times than Tessa could count, getting caught for at least some of those escapades. They caused enough trouble to be worth minor correcting, but not enough to be sent to the Underground.

All the ruling families had gathered along the front of the room on a large dais that spanned the entire length of the hall. There were tables behind them, set with finery for the feast that would take place after the Opening Selection was completed. Tessa watched the Arius Heir slide his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels as his eyes slowly raked over everyone standing below him. His face was cold and impassive. Darkness incarnate, just like his father. His mother leaned over, and he bent down so she could speak into his ear. He nodded once, and she smiled serenely at him.

The Achaz Lord stepped forward, and the entire hall instantly fell silent. All the Fae dropped to a knee. All the Legacy, save for the Lords and Ladies, bowed at the waist, including the Heirs, before straightening again. The Achaz Lord cleared his throat.

“Welcome,” he boomed, “to the five-thousand six-hundred twenty-second Selection.

The Fae may rise.”

Tessa pushed herself back to her feet, Dex helping her up just as the Arius Heir had done in the alcove. She brushed off the knee of her gown. Dex’s arm slipped back around her waist, and she settled into his side, smoothing her hands down the sides of her dress.

The Achaz Lord began droning on and on about the history of the Selection and the importance of the year-long event. The longer he spoke, the more her nerves settled and the shock of having spoken to and survived the Arius Heir wore off. Tessa was fairly certain she was about to find out if one could sleep while standing, in heels nonetheless, when the Lord finally said, “Let the Selection begin!”

“Thank the gods,” she muttered, and Dex huffed a low laugh.

“Almost time for doughnuts,” he whispered into her ear, pinching her hip.

“Don’t remind me,” she groaned. She was ordering a pepperoni pizza. No, wait.

Sausage. No. Pepperoni and sausage. And doughnuts. She didn’t care that they didn’t go together. Doughnuts really went with anything. Yep, that’s what she was getting. She wasn’t sharing with anyone. Not even Dex. And if Lange tried to steal a doughnut, she wasn’t above biting.

The Achaz Heir had stepped forward as he was asked for his selection. “I choose Sasha Roenya to be my bonded Source,” Dagian announced, his voice as deep and booming as his father’s.

Applause broke out again while Sasha was escorted up the dais by a Legacy of the Zinta bloodline, one of the sister goddesses of magic and sorcery, to stand behind Dagian.

Legacy of the Lesser gods were all sworn to one of the kingdoms. The Zinta bloodline, along with the Sirana bloodline, goddess of love and fertility, were sworn to the Achaz kingdom. The most powerful of the Lesser bloodlines usually served as advisors on the High Councils of the Lords and Ladies.

All the Selected Sources would be escorted up to the dais to stand with their new masters. Before the feast began, the heirs and their new Sources would all leave to speak privately. Apparently that was when the bonding began, but the Selected wouldn’t receive their first Mark until after the evening’s festivities. They’d been told that the adjustment period to the Marks could take hours, so it was done at the end of the feast and ball, right before the heirs took their leave.

The Falein Heir, Prudence, was called forward next and was asked to Select her Source. Each Selection went as expected. There were no surprises, but when the Arius Heir was called forward, the entire room seemed to still.

“Theon St. Orcas,” the Achaz Lord called, and the Legacy from the alcove stepped forward.

No one knew what to expect from him. All the Fae tensed, none of them breathing.

Legacy watched with curious looks, and the ruling families appeared to be awaiting his decision as anxiously as the Fae were. The other heirs had laid claims to their Sources long ago. This was all tradition and ritual now, but the Arius Heir’s pick could be anyone’s guess.

Oralia had reached over, gripping Tessa’s hand to the point of pain, and she wasn’t sure she could get any closer to Dex. Lange’s arm was draped tightly across Corbin’s shoulders, and Brecken had Kat pulled back against his chest. She’d turned her face into his shoulder, eyes closed and lips murmuring a prayer to the gods that did not care.

“I choose Tessalyn Ausra to be my bonded Source,” Theon announced, his voice skittering over her bones.

“No,” Oralia gasped beside her, but it was muffled by the murmuring that broke out around them. Dex’s hands tightened as Tessa’s knees nearly gave out and she stumbled in her stupid heels. The Arius Heir couldn’t have possibly said her name. There was no way she had been Selected. She hadn’t been slated for Selection. She had been seen and dismissed so often at the estate, it hadn’t even been a real possibility in her mind. No one wanted her. No one had ever wanted her. Nothing and no one. That’s what she was. This… This was a huge mistake. A joke of some kind.

She glanced up at Dex to find his eyes closed and his features set in a way to suggest he had thought this was a very real possibility from the beginning, and when he opened his eyes and met Tessa’s, she knew this was no ruse. Time seemed to stand still as she turned to look at Lange and Corbin, their eyes wide in horror. Kat had her hands clasped over her mouth, and Brecken’s lips were pressed into a thin line, some kind of silent fury in his gaze.

More and more eyes were coming to settle on her as she was pointed out among the Fae.

“Tessalyn Ausra,” came a deep voice to her left. She turned to find the Legacy she had seen speaking with the Arius Heir. “Come with me.”

He held out his hand to her, and all she could do was stare at him. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. None of them were supposed to be Selected. They were supposed to have at least another year together before they’d be separated and sent to the various kingdoms.

“Come on, little one,” the Legacy said again, his voice soft and coaxing.

“You need to go,” Dex hissed into her ear, shoving her lightly.

Tessa had never felt more alone than she did when his hands slipped from her waist.

And that was saying something because she knew loneliness all too well.

She swallowed hard and willed her feet to move as she slipped her fingers into the Legacy’s waiting palm. His hand slid to her lower back as they moved, and all she could think about was how hot his hand was, like a brand on her back. She kept her eyes forward and focused while he led her through the crowd and up to the dais. Her attention fell on a Fae standing poised and submissive behind Valter. His Source.

And she saw her entire existence from this point forward in that female.

Time was still moving so damn slowly. She knew her feet were moving. The sound of their footsteps echoed on the stone floor, but she felt like they were hardly making any progress forward. Her gaze slipped off the Fae for a split second, but that was all it took for it to land on Theon’s dark emerald eyes. He held her stare, an unreadable expression on his face, and suddenly time sped up. She blinked, and she was standing behind him. The Legacy who had escorted her was gone. Tessa had no idea where he’d disappeared to.

“What an excellent round of Selections,” the Achaz Lord was saying. She wasn’t sure when he’d started speaking again. “I believe I speak on behalf of all the Lords and Ladies when I say I am immensely proud of all the heirs and the way they are growing into their positions. They will now be dismissed, along with their Sources, to begin the bonding before the feast commences. The rest of the Legacy are welcome to continue enjoying drinks as the tables are set. We will begin finding our seats shortly.”

The heirs began filing off the dais, curious glances finding their way to her as they passed, but Tessa wasn’t paying attention. Her eyes were fixed on Dex and Oralia and her other friends who were staring back at her, a mixture of shock, anger, and grief on their faces.

A hand at her elbow startled her, and she looked up to find Theon towering beside her.

“Come, Tessalyn,” he said in a soft command. “They have a room prepared for us.”

She didn’t know what that meant, but she allowed Theon to usher her off the dais, out of the grand hall, and into the corridor where they’d informally met a mere hour ago. What felt like ages ago.

They were escorted up a set of steps to a room at the end of another hall. Theon’s hand never left her arm. His touch was somehow right and unnatural all at once, and she was

fairly certain she hadn’t taken a full breath since he’d called her name.

Tessa entered the room, stopping just inside the door. It wasn’t just a room, she realized, but a small suite of sorts. They were standing in a small sitting room. The sconces were low, creating an intimate environment. A plush sofa sat along one wall with a couple of throw pillows. A small table and two chairs were against the opposite wall with a pitcher of water and two glasses atop it, along with a small covered tray. An ornate rug of earth tones ran along the center of the room atop the cold marble floor. There was a doorway that led into another room. She could see the end of a bed, and that was all Tessa needed to see to know she didn’t want to step foot in that room.

“Do you have bags?” the Fae who had escorted them was asking, drawing Tessa’s attention back to her and Theon.

“Luka Mors will be bringing them later. They can be left outside the room. I will retrieve them when it is time,” Theon answered. “No one else is to enter this room. Am I understood?”

“Yes, my Lord,” the Fae answered, her eyes fixed on the ground.

“You are dismissed.”

The Fae bowed before taking her leave. Theon closed the door behind her, turning to face Tessa fully. She couldn’t help but take a step back from him as his eyes slid over her from head to toe and back up again. He took a step forward, but paused when Tessa took another step back.

“You are frightened,” he said, his head tilting to the side with a keen interest.

Tessa couldn’t answer, her mouth too dry. She didn’t know what to say anyway.

“If I were going to hurt you, I would have done so already,” Theon added. “You do not need to fear me.”

“I don’t,” Tessa finally managed to say.

He tsked at her, a knowing look entering his eyes. “We have already discussed you

lying to me, Tessalyn.”

“Tessa.”

“What?”

“My name. People call me Tessa. Not Tessalyn.”

A brow arched. “You do not like your given name?”

“It is fine enough. I just prefer to be called Tessa.”

Theon’s eyes narrowed as if trying to figure something out, but he nodded in acquiescence. “Tessa it is then. Whenever possible.”

That was a weird caveat. Before she could dwell on it though, Theon took another step forward, and she took two more back. His lips pursed in frustration.

“You know we will need to get close to each other for the bonding to initiate, do you not?” he finally asked after several seconds of watching her warily.

She didn’t know that. They were never told how the bonding actually took place. Only that four Marks were given over the course of a year, strengthening the bond and

connection of the Source and Master.

Gods, she had a fucking Master now.

When she didn’t answer, his brows rose in surprise. “You don’t know, do you?”

It was Tessa’s turn to purse her lips as she shook her head, her hands clenching at her sides.

“No wonder you are terrified,” he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. Then, a little louder, he said, “I am sorry, Tessa. I thought they prepared you better for this.”

“They don’t tell us much. I was not slated to be Selected, so I was not prepared like the other Selected Sources were,” she answered. Theon took another slow step forward, and Tessa backed up again, but she bumped into the wall. She had no other way to put distance between them now. “Why do you need bags?” she asked suddenly, and Theon paused his slow advance towards her.

“We both need bags,” he answered, continuing to observe her. “But mostly you do.”

“Me? Why?”

“You will want to change before your first Mark. It will be…exhausting. Furthermore, I do not think you want to travel in that gown, no matter how stunning you look in it,”

Theon explained.

There was so much to unpack in that little explanation, but Tessa found herself saying, “I didn’t pack any bags. Everything I have is in the rooms I was assigned. I don’t have anything to change into. I was supposed to go get pizza and doughnuts after the Selection was done.”

Gods, now she was rambling. To the Arius Heir.

His brows knitted. “You were to go get pizza and doughnuts dressed like this?”

“Yes. My friends and I were. We’ve had it planned for months. Years, really,” she answered, lifting her chin slightly.

“You will not get enough to eat at the feast?”

“We weren’t planning to eat at the feast. It will be at least three hours before the Fae are remembered and allowed to eat.”

“So you were going to get pizza and doughnuts?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

He’d somehow managed to get closer to her without her realizing it, and Tessa tensed.

Theon noted the small movement as he said, “This works well for both of us. I was not planning on staying for the feast either.”

“What?” Tessa said, taken aback by that news. “But we need to eat.”

“You just told me you were not planning to eat here.”

“That was before I knew I’d be served first. Right after the heirs.”

“So…you are hungry?” Theon asked, cocking his head to the side and studying her as if he couldn’t figure out a puzzle.

“Yes. I’m hungry. You took my chocolate,” she snapped, and Theon’s eyes widened at her tone. “My apologies,” she added quickly, lowering her gaze to the floor.

“No need to apologize. It is good to know you get irritable when you are hungry.”

Her eyes snapped up at his almost teasing tone, and she found him standing directly in front of her. She gasped in surprise, bumping back against the wall and tripping on her dress.

“Easy, beautiful,” he murmured, reaching out to steady her. “Come sit. Have a glass of water.”

Theon led her over to the small table and guided her into a chair before pouring her a glass of water from the pitcher. He handed it to her, and she took a small sip, wishing it was

something with a much higher alcohol content. He continued to study her, and she shifted under his gaze, her eyes darting around the room. Why weren’t there any windows in here?

“What do we do now?” she finally asked.

“We should discuss what is going to happen this evening.”

“Which is?”

“The initiation of the Source bond and the first Mark.”

“I thought the first Mark was the initiation,” Tessa said, sipping the water again.

Theon shook his head slowly, holding her stare. “Your body is not ready to accept the Marks yet.”

“Okay… How do I make it ready?” Her knee was bouncing, unable to contain her nerves, and Theon’s attention flicked to the movement. She instantly stopped.

“I will help with that,” he answered, stepping forward so their legs were nearly touching. He slowly crouched before her until he was looking up into her face. “Part of this bond is that you need to trust me implicitly, Tessa.”

“But I don’t even know you,” Tessa argued. “And I definitely don’t trust you.”

“That was…blunt.”

“You told me not to lie to you.”

His lips twitched as if amused, which was good, because she was essentially talking back to the Arius Heir. She didn’t give much thought to self-preservation a lot of the time, but this was pushing it, even for her.

“Indeed I did,” he agreed. “But the bond tends to rush things like trust along. Once completed in its entirety, we will be connected so deeply, you will feel as if we are the same person. Our wants and desires will be the same.”

Tessa knew that, and she hated it. The idea of it made her feel…used. Another thing she knew all too well, and something she’d sworn she’d never be again. Yet here she was.

“I know you do not trust me right now, Tessa, and what I am about to do will likely not help with that,” Theon continued.

“What are you going to do?” she demanded, lurching back in her chair and knocking the water glass over.

“Relax, Tessa,” Theon said, pushing to his feet and moving to grab a towel to soak up the water. Once cleaned up, he leaned back against the small table. “To prepare your body for the Marks, a tonic was created. It does a couple things, but the main thing it does is it allows my power to slip through the magical barriers you have no control over yet to allow my magic in.”

“That doesn’t make sense. I can’t access my magic yet,” Tessa said, her hands gripping the arms of her chair and her knee bouncing again.

“That is the whole point,” Theon went on. “Because you cannot access your element yet, you cannot take down your own magical barriers. For the Marks to work, they need to get past those shields. The tonic creates a temporary crack in your shields that allows my magic to pass. Additionally, by taking the Marks before your magic is allowed to emerge, my magical signature will become intertwined with your own, which will allow me to draw on your magic once the bond is fully completed.”

“Sounds great,” Tessa muttered.

“Is it not an honor to be Selected as the Source of an heir?” Theon asked, shifting against the table.

Tessa’s eyes fell to her lap. “For many, I’m sure it is.”

“But not for you.”

“I was not lying to you in the hall.” She’d brought her hands to her lap now, playing with the beading of her gown.

Silence stretched on for what felt like minutes, neither of them saying anything. Tessa couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She knew if he was going to go through with this, she’d have to take whatever this tonic was. Hopefully it tasted like chocolate because she wasn’t even remotely hungry anymore.

He moved in front of her once more, and she felt his fingers gently grip her chin, tilting her face up to his.

“Tessa, look at me.” He waited until her eyes came back to his. “I know this may not be how you envisioned your future, but soon enough it will be the only future you want.”

There was a sharp stinging at her neck. Tessa cried out, her hand reaching up to grasp the spot, but Theon was faster. The hand at her chin snapped out to grip her wrist. His other hand lowered, and Tessa saw the syringe in his hand, a needle at the end of it.

“What did you do?” she gasped, trying to break free from his hold, but that was utterly futile.

“Tessalyn, look at me,” he ordered, and her eyes widened in horror as she felt the command slip under her skin.

Entrancing was a power gifted to all the Legacy. The ability to take complete control of another if they didn’t have the mental shields to block it. Fae were only taught to shield against it if their assignments required such a thing, and even then, it wasn’t something they could do until their gifts were allowed to emerge.

She tried to fight it, but her body worked of its own volition, her eyes sliding back to his at the order. He crouched before her once more, his free hand coming up to cradle her cheek. Power—dark and cold—vibrated against her skin at his touch, working its way inside her very being. She tried to scream. Tried to look away. Tried to move away from him. But she was frozen. An effect of the tonic, she suddenly realized. He began speaking in a language she shouldn’t know, but her soul knew what he was saying as her heart thrashed against her chest, breaking and shattering with each word that fell from his lips.

“I am Theon St. Orcas, Heir to the Arius Kingdom. You are Tessalyn Ausra. I have Selected you to be my Source. You obey me above all others. My desires are your desires.

You are mine.”