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“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.”