Rain of Shadows and Endings — Chapter no 45

45

TESSA

“H old her in place,” Theon said, spinning the black dagger in his hand.

“Theon, no! Please don’t!” she sobbed.

“Shh, little one,” Luka soothed. “It will all be over soon.”

The dragon was near her head, pressing her shoulders to the ground. Axel was at her side, his shadows twining around her legs and keeping them still.

“We don’t have a choice, beautiful,” Theon said, still standing over her, his hair stirring in the breeze.

A light rain was falling, thunder rumbling in the distance.

“I still think there is another way to interpret this.”

Tessa’s head snapped to the side to find a tall male. He looked familiar somehow, but Tessa was sure she’d never met him. He had a sword strapped down his back, as did the female standing next to him. Her red-gold hair was braided over her shoulder, and flames flickered in her eyes.

“Life must give, and death must take,” Theon said. “There is no other way to interpret that. Not if we wish to save our world.”

For so long, Tessa had wished for death, and now, in this moment, she didn’t want it.

She’d finally found something to fight for, and she would be robbed of that too.

“Theon, don’t!” she cried again. “It’s more than a bond! I know that now.”

Emerald eyes cut to her. “You’re right, and now that I understand what that means, I’m the only one who can do this.”

She was writhing on the ground, trying to free herself of Luka and Axel, but it was no use. They were too strong, and the ring on her finger was keeping her separated from her

gifts.

“Theon, please!”

“This is wrong,” the female with fire was saying to the other male. “This will alter everything.”

“We cannot interfere,” the male replied, reaching for her. “It will upset the—”

“Fuck the balance,” the female seethed, shoving his hands away.

“Get on with it, Theon,” Luka ordered, his pupils vertical and eyes glowing. Axel was refusing to look at either of them, but that was regret shining in his eyes when they connected with hers.

“I’m sorry, baby doll,” he murmured before turning away from her.

“She can get here,” the female was saying, panic in her voice. “She can stop this.”

“Not even she will be fast enough,” Theon answered.

He dropped to Tessa’s side, smoothing hair off her brow. “You will forever be mine, Tessa. Whether in this life or in the After.”

“Please don’t send me to the dark alone,” she whispered. She’d stopped fighting now, but her body was trembling.

The male and female were arguing, but Tessa couldn’t hear them. Not as she got lost in dark emerald eyes and black hair. In a small dimple, and lips she’d kissed more times than she could count.

“I’m sorry I failed you, little storm,” Theon said, sorrow flashing in his eyes.

“I’m sorry I loved you too late. But I’m yours. Every piece of me.”

Theon didn’t say another word.

Only lifted the dagger above her chest and sank it into her heart.

Tessa blinked her eyes open, the final vision of her last assessment still playing in her mind.

Those godsdamn priestesses.

Anything they could think of to try to force her gifts to manifest. Trying to make her believe she could ever love the male wrapped around her.

Theon’s breathing was deep, but his grip on her had not lessened. That was fine. The bond was comforting as it hummed away in her chest. She found it funny that she’d been fighting the thing for so godsdamn long when she could have been using it this entire time.

She shifted, needing to get up and move, but Theon murmured, “Where are you going?”

“To get a drink,” she whispered, gently prying his arm from around her.

He huffed but didn’t stir again, and she slipped from the bed, pulling on the thermal shirt he still left out for her. Making her way to the small sitting area, she was hoping to find a bottle of alcohol, but there was nothing and wasn’t that disappointing.

Shrugging, she started across the room in the other direction towards a large window.

She pulled the heavy curtain aside, and in the dim glow of dawn, she could just make out the darker lands of the Shade Plains starting to take over in the distance. She’d realized that each of the ruling families’ country manors were actually in their own kingdoms, just outside of the Acropolis boundaries.

Too restless to get back into bed, she dragged a chair out of the walk-in closet and took a seat near the window. She rested her chin in her hand, her elbow propped on the window ledge, wishing this room had a balcony. What kind of manor home didn’t have rooms with balconies?

If she had to guess, the Achaz Lord’s manor would have balconies for all the suites.

They would overlook the Wynfell River, not barren shade lands.

Sighing, she finally let herself contemplate some of the things Rordan Jove had said to

her.

Not Fae. Not even demi-Fae.

So what was she?

That’s what she had asked the Lord. She clearly had Achaz gifts. She had assumed she was an Achaz Legacy, but Rordan hadn’t seemed convinced. When she asked why, he’d said because the strength of her gifts not only suggested otherwise, but her gifts were not limited to Achaz.

Achaz couldn’t call forth a storm indoors.

She’d asked more questions—some simple, some more complex—and he’d answered every single one. Even the ones he couldn’t fully answer, he’d told her his thoughts and

why he had formed such theories.

No secrets.

Nothing withheld from her.

Honest and genuine answers.

Or so it had seemed.

Legacy were never honest and genuine. They always wanted something. Always looking at what she could give them.

She tugged the band from the end of her braid, unwinding the plait and letting the still damp hair fall over her shoulders. She didn’t realize she’d started humming until she was folding her arms along the window ledge, resting her chin atop them. The lyrics of the song spun through her mind, matching the melody of her soft hum.

In all things, there must be balance. Beginnings and Endings. Light and Dark. Fire and Shadows. The sky, the sea, the realms.

Over and over she hummed the ballad as her thoughts shifted from one thing to the next. She didn’t know who to trust anymore, so she would trust no one. Not until they’d proven themselves, given her a reason to believe there wasn’t some ulterior motive behind every word and action.

But when the scales tip, and Chaos rains, who will fight? And who will fall?

Dex had been there, bound to Achaz Kingdom. His off-white hair curving up over his shoulders, soft and feathery. Wait, no. That hadn’t been right. That part had been wrong, but he’d been there. That was still strange. Even if he’d been claimed early, what was he doing in the private manor of the Achaz Lord?

I have not spent the last twenty years in this forgotten realm only to fail now.

Forgotten.

The realm was forgotten.

She was forgotten.

For Dark must bow; And Light must rule. But Chaos does not choose. Control the uncontrollable; Or to fury they both lose.

The bond seemed to whimper inside her soul, seeking Theon’s touch once more. This stupid, stupid bond. But they were more than that. That’s what Theon kept saying. That’s what she kept denying. More than Master and Source. What was it Luka had said? They were two forces that should repel each other. Instead, they were constantly drawn to each other. Opposites that only created chaos when they clashed.

Life must give, and Death must take. But Fate requires more.

More. Always wanting more. Never enough. Not for Mother Cordelia. Not for Dex.

Not for Axel or Luka or Theon. Always pushing her, telling her to try harder, to give more and more and more. That if she could just control herself, not be so wild, everything in her

life would be easier.

They were all liars.

Sitting up suddenly, she tugged at one of the bands on her wrists, slipping it over her hand. She left the other. She’d been relieved when Theon had removed the bands Rordan had put on her. Then she’d panicked when he’d produced a new set of bands. But these?

These were not like Rordan’s. The bands the Achaz Lord had bound her in had seemed to slowly bleed her magic from her. These… Well, these just seemed to trap her power inside her, and they seemed to think she could not remove them at will.

So she’d let them think that until she figured out why. She’d need them to keep her magic controlled until she learned how to do so herself, but she was used to figuring things

out as she went.

Making up plans in the moment.

After all, she was an exceptional liar.

Destiny beckons, and sacrifice demands. Who will be left standing when Chaos comes

to reign?

Over and over she hummed that ballad.

Over and over she contemplated all the secrets being withheld from her.

She’d find them. She’d figure out every last one. And not just about her. About Theon.

Luka. Axel.

About the Achaz Lord and the Arius Lord.

About every kingdom.

About all of Devram.

She’d learn all their secrets and then decide what to do with them. Then she would decide if the things the Achaz Lord said were true.

That she’d been forgotten here for a purpose.

In all things, there must be balance. Beginnings and Endings. Light and Dark. Fire and Shadows. The sky, the sea, the realms.

She glanced over at Theon’s sleeping form, a small smile curling on her lips.

He’d succeeded. He’d broken her, made her bleed. Shattered her soul so completely, there was no way to ever put it back together.

So she’d build herself a new one. One no one could touch, no one could break. One who did what needed to be done without remorse. Isn’t that what he’d said to her?

She’d get back up.

She’d be the fucking storm.

Because the thing about light?

When strong enough, it could obliterate darkness.