Rain of Shadows and Endings — Chapter no 22

22

THEON

T heon lost his godsdamn mind when Tessa started screaming again. For a few minutes, her cries of pain and torment had ceased.

He’d forced himself to watch everything they were doing to her. He’d watched as they’d strapped her to a chair. He’d watched when they put some sort of mask over her mouth and nose. He’d forced himself to keep his eyes on her when they pushed more and more things into her body, trying not to think of how he’d done the same. He’d thought they were done. There had been no sign of her element that he could see, but he also didn’t know how this worked. Tessa was clearly experiencing something though.

But right now, Luka and Axel were both holding him back as he strained against the observation window, slamming his fists against it again and again. He watched his Source at the mercy of the Priestess, who was injecting more of the black elixir into her. Tessa was screaming, blood running from her nose and ears. The cord in him was vibrating and tightening around his chest, making it hard to breathe. Was she dying? Is that why it felt like this?

“Theon,” Luka growled, straining to hold him back. “There is nothing we can do.”

“It has to be over soon, right?” Axel gritted out, his brother’s hold just as tight as Luka’s. “It’s been over three hours.”

Shadows were pooling in Theon’s hands, seeping from his skin and thickening around his body. It began filling the entire room, forcing Axel to use his own power to counteract it.

“Theon!” Luka barked again as Tessa’s screams echoed up to them, his sapphire eyes beginning to glow faintly.

Theon closed his eyes and tilted his head back, roaring into the room at not being able to get to her. The bond was panicking at having his Source of power in danger, and he was up here instead of down there with her, unable to protect what was his. He knew now that was why he hadn’t been allowed to be in that room. He would have let his darkness feast on everyone in that room the moment Tessa had even whimpered in pain.

Except he hadn’t.

He’d done absolutely nothing while she had tried to prepare herself for this. Sure, he’d left her alone for the most part yesterday, tried to take her mind off it when he could tell her thoughts had drifted there. He’d held her a little tighter while she’d slept, letting the Source bond offer whatever comfort it could. But he hadn’t done anything on the drive here when she couldn’t stomach breakfast. He hadn’t done anything when she’d shed her jacket and sat back to have the IV placed in her arm as if this were simply routine. He’d done nothing when Zefira and that Fae had taken her from him, despite her obvious panic over what was

about to happen.

And now he could do nothing but watch.

“I think she is done,” Axel said, yelling to be heard over Theon’s bellowing. “The Priestess is giving her something else.”

Theon opened his eyes to look down into the room again. The Fae was wiping the blood from Tessa’s ears and nose. The Priestess was pressing her hand to Tessa’s forehead, clearly healing whatever the fuck she had done to her. Tessa’s eyes did not open though.

The door to the room opened behind them, and Theon whirled. He grabbed the Fae by the throat, lifting her off of her feet. Her eyes widened in terror as her hands flew to Theon’s, trying to dislodge his fingers. He only flexed them more, her pulse thrumming

wildly. He caught a glimpse of her element marking. Air. She wouldn’t dare use it against

him.

“How long until she wakes?" he snarled.

The female was gasping and shaking her head, writhing against the wall.

“Theon,” Axel interjected, placing his hand on Theon’s arm. “She is going to take you to her, aren’t you?”

Axel’s voice was low and threatening, and the Fae began nodding as much as she could beneath Theon’s hold. He released her, and she sank to the floor.

“Get up,” Theon snapped.

She scrambled to her feet, coughing as she dragged air into her lungs. “This way, m- my Lord,” she rasped.

They all followed her from the room to a stairwell. When they’d gone down two floors, she paused, turning to Axel and Luka. Her voice trembled with nerves as she said, “The Priestess requested only her Master come to recovery. If you continue down another flight, you will come to the hallway that will lead back to the exam room you were in. It will be the fourth door on your left.”

“Theon?” Luka questioned, his voice wary.

“I will be fine,” Theon bit back. As long as she took him directly to Tessa, they had nothing to worry about. “Take me to her.”

The female nodded, picking up her pace as she led him through a door and down yet another hallway. At the end, she pushed through two swinging double doors. The Fae who had been assisting Zefira was just placing Tessa down onto a bed. Theon pushed past the female who had led him here, stalking over to Tessa’s side. He shoved the male Fae out of the way with a snarl, leaning over Tessa and smoothing hair back from her face. She was pale and sweaty and vomit was on her clothes from when he’d watched her retch during the

assessment.

“When will she wake?” he demanded.

“Soon, my Lord,” came Zefira’s melodic voice from behind them. She was pushing something clear into the IV tubing. Theon hadn’t even registered she was standing there, all of his focus on Tessa. Zefira glanced around the room and said loudly, “Leave us.”

The room immediately cleared out.

“We need to discuss her results.”

“What of them? I did not see her display any magic from where I stood,” Theon replied, his tone icy and deceptively calm. His dark power was hovering just beneath his skin. “Before you deliver those results, Priestess, be warned: if she went through all of that and you did not get the answers I seek, my reaction will be unpleasant.”

Zefira paled and she swallowed thickly. “I got results, but not what I was expecting.”

“Explain that,” he said darkly.

“You are correct. She did not display any magic. That should not have been possible.

We used our strongest methods, my Lord.”

“Then why didn’t it work?”

Zefira seemed nervous as she glanced at Tessa’s still sleeping form. “Because she is strong, my Lord. She is undeniably powerful. Whatever element she emerges with, she will, without a doubt, be the most powerful Fae with that element.”

Theon was silent as he processed that news. It didn’t matter what element Tessa emerged with, she would be the most powerful. Even if she emerged with earth magic like his father clearly feared she would, Tessa would be stronger than Eviana.

“If the tests you performed today are the strongest ones available, why were her assessments at the Estate able to predict the air element?”

“They didn’t. Not in the way you are thinking,” Zefira answered. “I reviewed the reports sent to me to prepare for today’s assessment. While her results tended to be mostly air and wind, those are just estimates. I pulled up the detailed reports of her past assessments. She never actually exhibited any magic like we normally see. The results in her records were our best guesses based on performance. Her lineage is unknown. We cannot even factor in genetics at this point.”

His brow furrowed. “What do you mean her lineage is unknown? She came from one of the Sirana Villas. I have documents that name who sired and birthed her. Her lineage played a role in why she was Selected.”

Zefira shook her head. “Based on what I have seen today, those are not accurate, my Lord. The two listed as her sire and dam would not have produced someone this powerful.

It would simply not be possible. ”

“Are you saying her documents were fabricated? Why?”

The Priestess glanced down at Tessa once more before meeting Theon’s gaze again. “If I had to guess, it was done to hide her in plain sight.”

Theon let that knowledge sink in, turning it over in his mind. Fae offspring were closely monitored, both those born in the Villas and those born to Fae serving other kingdoms. For Tessa to have been hidden among them… But by who? Someone who clearly knew how powerful she would end up being.

Then another thought occurred to him.

Had Tessa known this entire time? Had she truly been hiding her abilities? She could get past wards with ease. She had appeared truly shocked when she was Selected, as if she’d never thought it in the realm of possibilities.

His father had been right.

She was keeping secrets.

“So what you are telling me,” Theon said, “is that she could, essentially, emerge with any of the elements? One is no more likely than the other?”

“Correct, my Lord,” Zefira answered.

A soft moan came from Tessa, and his eyes snapped to her. “Do not send the report to my father,” he commanded Zefira. “This type of news should be delivered in person.”

“As you wish,” she said with a bow of her head. “She will be in some discomfort as

she wakes.”

“Can I touch her?”

“Yes. The Source bond will help ease that discomfort, I am sure. I will have Rhett fetch her some water. I healed her, but her throat will still be parched from the screaming,”

Zefira said. “Do you need anything else?”

“No,” he answered, grabbing Tessa’s hand.

Zefira left him standing beside the bed, and he heard her summon the Fae back to the room. Rhett soon appeared, a cup of water with a straw and a damp cloth in hand.

“I can clean her up some for you,” he said, his eyes downcast.

Theon nodded, wanting to take care of her himself, but knowing that such a thing would appear odd to everyone in here. He may clear her dishes, serve her food, and give her freedoms in their rooms, but that could never carry over into the outside world.

He watched as Rhett gently wiped the damp cloth down Tessa’s face and neck before cleaning as much of the vomit from her clothing as possible. When done, he left and returned with a fresh cloth, laying it across her brow.

“Do you need anything else, my Lord?” Rhett asked, stepping back from the bed.

“No, but stay close.”

“Yes, my Lord,” he answered, moving to stand against a nearby wall.

Theon reached to run his knuckles along her cheek. “I need you to wake up now, beautiful. I need to see those stormy eyes,” he said softly, brushing his thumb along her bottom lip. There was no reaction. No moan or flinch.

Ten minutes later, she still hadn’t made any indication she was waking. Rhett had retrieved a stool so Theon could sit next to the raised bed, and Theon had it as close to her as he could get. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out irritably to see a message

from Felicity Davers.

Fuck.

He’d forgotten all about the fact that he was supposed to have lunch with her later today. In fact, he was supposed to be meeting her in an hour, and Tessa hadn’t even woken up yet. He quickly tapped out a message to Luka, telling him to get in touch with Felicity and let her know it would need to be postponed at least an hour.

He had just shoved his phone back into his pocket when Tessa’s hand moved a little in his own and another low moan passed her lips again. Theon shot to his feet, knocking the stool over in his haste. Leaning forward, he ran his hand along her brow.

“Tessa?”

She whimpered softly, wincing in pain.

“Tessa, I’m here. Wake up.”

“Water,” she rasped.

“Open your eyes first,” he begged. Actually pleaded with her. It had to be the bond making him act so irrationally, just as it had been doing since the thing was initiated weeks ago. He was reacting to a threat against his power Source. His apparently very powerful Source. “Tessa, open your eyes, godsdamnit.”

But she didn’t, and that one act of disobedience had him calling for Zefira.

“Why won’t she wake up?” he demanded “She will, my lord,” the Priestess answered, checking the bag of fluids dripping into her IV line. “Her last round of the assessment was very intense.”

“I need to hold her,” Theon bit out.

“I do not think that would be a good idea until she has completely woken up,” Zefira said with a slight frown.

“It is not a request,” Theon snarled, darkness snaking out from him and reaching for her.

“Of course, my Lord. I will have Rhett fetch a chair,” Zefira answered, backing away from the pooling black around Theon’s feet.

A minute later, the Fae was planting an armchair he’d gotten from gods-knew-where beside the bed, and Theon scooped Tessa into his arms before settling down into it. Rhett

adjusted the tubing connected to her so it laid atop the blanket. She nestled into his chest, her hand coming up to clutch at his shirt, and the cord finally—finally—settled down in his chest. She was back where she belonged. His phone buzzed again, but he didn’t bother trying to fish it out of his pocket.

“Tessa,” he murmured into her hair. “I need you to wake up. I want to get you out of here, but I can’t until you open your eyes.”

She sighed against him before her body tensed for a few seconds, then relaxed into him once more. Why wouldn’t she fucking wake up?

It was one thing to know how the Fae were assessed for their elements. It was another thing completely to witness it. He did not know what she had experienced to scream like she had. Those screams would echo into his dreams. She would certainly not be sleeping anywhere but in his bed for a good long while.

And what had he even learned? He still had no idea what her element would be. Had it been worth it to learn that her power would be unmatched? It made him an even bigger bastard to say that it was. It was worth it to know his Source would be more powerful than his father’s, just as it would be worth it to put her through the next three Marks to make sure he could access that power.

Zefira came over and checked on them, again reassuring Theon that Tessa would wake up any time. He was about to simply get up and take her out of the damn place when she let out a soft groan, flexing her fingers against his chest.

“Water,” she rasped again, and when Theon looked down, he found grey eyes staring up at him, faint traces of violet shimmering around her pupils that he’d never really noticed before. He would have studied it more, but there were unshed tears pooling.

“There you are,” he murmured in relief, pressing a kiss to her brow.

He felt her sigh deeply, shuddering against him. He reached for the cup of water that had been moved within reach and brought the straw to her mouth. She took a sip, immediately coughing and sputtering.

“Easy, beautiful,” he soothed, pulling the cup back. When she finished her coughing spell, she leaned forward again, taking the straw between her lips. She took another couple of sips, wincing with every swallow, before settling back into Theon, her eyes falling closed. “Don’t go back to sleep, Tessa.”

“I’m tired,” she mumbled back.

“I know, but let’s get out of here first. Then you can sleep.”

She blinked her eyes back open, but he knew she wouldn’t last long. He sent Rhett to get Zefira immediately.

“She’s awake. Wonderful,” the Priestess cooed as she glided over to them. She reached into a drawer near the bed and produced yet another syringe.

“What is that?” Theon barked when she moved towards Tessa with it.

“It’s normal,” Tessa said softly, pulling her arm out from beneath the blanket.

“What is?”

“It is a contraceptive, my Lord,” Zefira said. “The elixirs used for the assessments have been known to remove prior contraceptives from the body before they are technically due for their next dose. It is merely a precaution.”

A contraceptive?

That had never even crossed his mind. He knew the Fae were given them every season, of course, but it just hadn’t even been on his list of things to worry about. No one was going to be fucking her. No one but him was going to be laying a godsdamn finger on her.

Tessa whimpered, and he realized it wasn’t from the injection. His arm had tightened around her. He immediately loosened his grip, and she released another shaky breath.

“All set,” Zefira announced, pulling the needle from Tessa’s arm and tossing the syringe into a bin. She turned back to face them. “Rhett can carry her back to your waiting room.”

“I have her. For the bond to soothe her,” he added when Zefira gave him a quizzical look.

“I would like to leave her connected to the fluids a little longer. There is a tonic mixed in to speed up the recovery process,” Zefira was saying as she led them out of the recovery room. Rhett trailed after them, carrying the bag of fluids. “Once that bag is depleted, the IV can be removed, and you will be free to go.”

“Is there anything else I need to know?” Theon asked. “Anything I need to be prepared for? Is it normal for her to be…like this?”

Zefira waved a hand dismissively. “Fae are resilient, Lord St. Orcas. That is how they were designed by the gods. She will be fine. She can certainly resume her required duties today.”

She couldn’t be serious. He was certain Tessa wouldn’t even be able to stand if she tried right now. Her head was resting against his chest again, and he was sure if he looked, her eyes would be closed.

“Here we are,” Zefira sang, turning a knob and pulling a door open for him. Axel and Luka lurched to their feet as he entered, their gazes going straight to Tessa. Zefira handed a folder to Luka. Theon hadn’t even realized she’d been holding one. “If you have any questions before you leave or in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

“Noted,” Theon said stiffly, lowering onto the sofa. Tessa whimpered as he got comfortable, and Zefira and Rhett left the room. The door hadn’t even clicked shut when Luka was opening the folder and skimming over the report.

“There is nothing in here about her element,” he said, flipping pages back and forth.

“There won’t be,” Theon answered. “The tests were inconclusive for her element.”

“You are telling me we put her through that for nothing?” Axel asked, the horror at that idea evident in his tone.

Theon glanced down to find Tessa sleeping once again, and he ran a hand down his face. “The tests were inconclusive as to which element she is going to emerge with,” he explained. “However, they were incredibly useful in estimating her power level.”

“Holy fuck,” Luka breathed as Theon finished speaking. He looked up, his eyes wide when they met Theon’s. “They are certain?” He’d clearly just come to that portion of the report.

“According to the Priestess, yes,” Theon answered. He looked at Axel. “If the tests are correct, she will be the strongest Fae in whatever element she emerges with. No one with the same element will be stronger. No Fae will be more powerful than she is.”

“So if she emerges with earth…”Axel trailed off as the realization came over him.

“She will be stronger than Eviana. And even if she doesn’t have earth, her power will still be stronger than Eviana in whatever element she does have,” Theon confirmed.

“Holy fuck,” Axel said, echoing Luka as he sank into a chair. His gaze swung to Luka, and a smirk turned up one side of his lips. “Still think he should have chosen someone else for his Source?”

Luka was still flipping through pages. “I would be a fool to say this isn’t very good news for us and our plans, but with power like that…” He snapped the folder shut. “She is already a handful. Controlling her will be difficult, especially when she can fight back more than she already does.”

“Better us have her than another kingdom,” Theon argued. “Plus, once she is fully Marked, I will be able to access and use that power. And when she finally accepts this bond, control will no longer be an issue.”

“Can you imagine if no one had claimed her?” Axel mused, propping his head on a fist. “She would have emerged, and the kingdoms would have fought over her. Blood would have been spilled for sure, Kingdom Accords be damned.”

“There is more I need to tell you, but I would rather not do so here. However, we do need to discuss the matter of her safety,” Theon said. “I know I have been somewhat possessive of her since Selection—”

“Somewhat possessive?” Axel interjected, arching a brow.

“The point is,” Theon pressed on, pointedly ignoring his brother. “No one gets near her without one of us with her. This stays between us for now. I have already informed the Priestess not to forward the report to my father. That I would deliver the results myself.”

“He is going to see it when he reads the report,” Luka said. “It plainly states it.”

“Then I will have a false report made while we are in Rockmoor. We must have some forgery connections here, don’t we?”

“On it,” Axel said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

Theon nodded a thanks to his brother before he continued. “Anyway, while her safety is obviously important now, after the Emerging Ceremony, it will be a top priority. Being my Source should go a long way in keeping her safe, but that kind of power will draw people to her like a moth to a flame. Not to mention Father will be livid.”

“Agreed,” Luka said. “What are your thoughts for the Acropolis?”

“She is never left alone,” Theon said. “I know you will have your own suite in the apartment lodgings there, but I would feel more comfortable if you spent the majority of your time at the Arius townhouse with me and Axel.”

“I will be with you two most of the time anyway,” Luka replied with a shrug.

“I also want you to start training her.” Theon’s phone buzzed in his pocket again, and he carefully fished it out, trying to avoid waking Tessa. “Why is Felicity Davers confirming our change of plans from lunch to dinner?”

“Because if you were still going to meet her for lunch, you would have needed to be there ten minutes ago,” Luka answered. “When you messaged me that Tessa still hadn’t woken yet, I had a feeling it would go like this. I arranged for a dinner reservation rather than lunch.” Theon narrowed his eyes at his friend, and Luka held up his hands placatingly.

“You are already going to be keeping something major from your father, Theon. You don’t need to piss him off more by telling Felicity to fuck off today.”

He was right. Theon needed to do whatever possible to keep his father’s suspicions low right now. He sighed, sending a quick message back to the female confirming the change of plans.

“How long until we can get out of here?” Axel asked, looking up from his phone. “I have a guy that can meet with us in an hour to get us a fake report. He lives in the suburbs though. It will take at least a half hour to get there.”

Theon glanced up at the fluids bag. “The Priestess said once these are gone, her IV can be removed, and we can go.”

There was a lull in the conversation before Axel said, “Are you going to tell her the results?”

And Theon didn’t know the answer to that. Did he tell his Source that she was going to be the most powerful Fae in Devram? Would it make her resist everything even more?

Make her think she could fight it harder once her element had emerged? Or would it make her give in? Knowing she will be hunted and fought over, and that by giving in to the bond, she would be safer. More protected.

Or did she already know? Had she known all this time, and that was why she’d been resisting everything so adamantly? Had she thought she had gotten away with it, only to be

caught off guard in the end?

“I don’t know,” he finally answered.

And he hated it. He hated that he didn’t have an answer. That he didn’t have control over this entire situation.

But the well of power sleeping in his arms?

He would soon have control over all of that, and then he could take control of Arius Kingdom.