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“Already?”

Theon nodded. “He’s on his way back.”

“Did he find extra supply as well?” Luka pressed.

“No.”

“What are you going to do?” Luka asked, looking pointedly at Tessa.

“Not until after.”

“As your Guardian—”

“My Guardian, not my keeper,” Theon cut in sharply.

“For fuck’s sake, you need both most days,” Luka grumbled.

When silence fell, Tessa tentatively asked, “Do I have to keep standing in this same spot, or can I move now without obtaining more burns?”

“Don’t move,” Luka snapped.

She huffed in annoyance, but kept her feet planted. His eyes had finally shifted back, and she didn’t want to piss him off again. More than that, Theon still hadn’t spoken to her or approached her, and she didn’t know what to make of it. She felt off balance and on edge, not knowing what to expect, and the cord in her chest was oddly still and silent.

When the minutes passed by with no one speaking, she couldn’t take it anymore. “If Night Children are supposed to stay in the Underground, why were they here? Why were they…”

“Coming after you?” Luka finished. “Theon has already explained this to you. You can be used against him, and by proxy, against the Arius Kingdom. You will forever be hunted, Tessa.”

“By vampyres?” she balked.

Luka shrugged casually. “Vampyres bound to a particular kingdom. Mercenaries. Someone trying to gain favor with a Kingdom Lord or Lady. Whoever is hired by another Legacy to do their dirty work.”

“I am supposed to just accept being hunted?”

“No. You’re going to learn to defend yourself,” Luka retorted. “You’re going to learn to control your element when it is revealed. And you’re going to harness some of that wildness.”

She didn’t bother telling him it wouldn’t work. Didn’t bother telling him that Mother Cordelia had tried for years to teach her self-control. Didn’t bother telling him she wasn’t worth the energy, the hassle. He’d figure it out soon enough himself.

The door opened, and Tessa forced herself not to spin at the sound, instead looking over her shoulder to find Axel strolling in. He was still in his running gear and had a half-empty protein shake in hand.

“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbled. “I have shit to do.”

Seriously, what had crawled up his ass today?

“You have it?” Theon asked.

“I said I did,” Axel retorted, producing something from a burst of shadows that Tessa could only describe as a stick. A thin, black stick. “You’re sure about this?”

“It was your idea,” Theon replied.

Axel winced, his gaze cutting to Tessa before looking away quickly. Then he held the stick out to Theon. Her Master didn’t hesitate, snatching it from him and moving towards her. And suddenly Tessa felt the full force of their Source bond. It was as if she was feeling the hours they’d been separated all at once, and it was too much. She sucked in a breath, her knees buckling. She dropped to her knees. The cord inside her was frantic, and her skin was buzzing, something trying to claw its way to him. Memories of last night surged up. Of him touching her with his magic. Of him knowing exactly how to bring her body to ruin.

She didn’t register that Luka was holding her down. Not until Theon’s fingers brushed along her torso, tugging down the waistband of her running leggings to expose her hip.

“Theon,” she gasped.

He still said nothing to her. He only brought that stick to her skin. But it wasn’t a stick she realized far too late. It was a scion. The same thing the Priestesses used to give Marks. They were the only ones sanctioned to do so, but they’d already told her they’d found ways around that. It was how Luka had become Theon’s Guardian.

“Theon, stop!” she cried. She didn’t know much about the Marks, but she knew they had to be drawn precisely. One error, one minor imperfection, could change the Mark’s purpose entirely. “Theon, please. I’m sorry. Please don’t!”