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Jasper shrugged the others off. Sitting stiffly in his chair, he adjusted his shirt cuffs as he said casually, “I forget how little you know, Tessa. How little you understand. The rest of us were made privy to kingdom secrets years ago. Entrusted with the secrets of our Mistresses long before we bore their Marks.”

“Coddled and pampered,” Tessa sneered. “I’m aware.”

“We were being prepared for our roles just as you were.”

“No one knows where any of us would have ended up if we weren’t marked to be Selected,” Gatlan said, sipping from his drink. He was the only Source at the table who had been allowed alcohol by his heir.

“None of us know because we were chosen so early, but Tessalyn?” Jasper snorted another derisive laugh. “It’s no secret where she was going to go.” He held her gaze when he added, “Serving the Sirana bloodline.”

The confusion must have been evident on her face, because Maxson was suddenly leaning eagerly forward. “Oh, that’s right. She has no idea what purpose they serve,” he said, full of mock pity. “Is that what we’re supposed to be jealous of? Your naivety? Hasn’t your Master told you anything?”

“With those tits and that fuckable mouth?” Jasper said, his hands braced behind his head once more. “You’d have been a plaything for the Legacy. When you weren’t with child, of course.”

“Don’t,” Sasha said forcefully, snapping another pretzel in half.

“Once her element was known, she’d have been paired with every powerful Fae of that element hoping for powerful, desirable offspring,” Maxson pushed on, popping a pretzel into his mouth. “You know they get rewarded for that, right?”

“Rewarded for what?” Tessa ground out, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. She tried to tell herself what Maxson was describing wasn’t true, but she knew it was. The Legacy valued power above all else. It’s why assessments were done. It’s why Matches were made. Why wouldn’t they force the Fae to do the same?

Maxson’s face was pure amusement as he watched her, clearly enjoying this. “All the Sirana Legacy will be at the Emerging Ceremony to see which Fae emerge the most powerful. Those who created the five most powerful are rewarded. Coin. Status elevation. A powerful Match of their own.” He shrugged as if this wasn’t some disgusting practice. “You would have been sent to a Sirana Villa, fucked until you carried a child, and then done it over and over, especially if you’re even semi-powerful. What element are you expected to emerge with anyway? Clearly not fire,” he added, glancing at Gatlan. “Anala Kingdom has those Fae locked down tight.”

Tessa went utterly still, suddenly realizing exactly what this was. An attempt to gain information about her. None of the other heirs had looked at her twice, and she was sure that the moment Theon had Selected her, her files became entirely confidential and made unavailable to anyone else. Mother Cordelia was smart enough not to share information without permission from the Arius Kingdom, so their only source of information on her would be the other Fae at the Celeste Estate. It was well-known she was impulsive and reckless. Jasper would have known that getting her worked up would make her more apt to say something without thinking.

And that one question made it clear what their Mistresses had asked of them tonight.

Tessa crossed her leg, the deep slit of her dress revealing her thigh. Every male eye dropped to it. Then she leaned forward, propping an elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand. “Tell me, Maxson, what will be your punishment for failure tonight?”

The brief look of panic was fleeting in his steely eyes, but it was there, confirming everything.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Maxson asked, sounding bored.

“What will your Mistress do to you for failing to gather her requested information?” Tessa repeated.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Should I say something false just so you have something to report back?” she went on. Then she grimaced. “Although, the punishment for providing wrong information will probably be worse, right?”

“Don’t speak about her like that.”

Tessa clicked her tongue in mock sympathy. “Unless you enjoy her punishments?”

“Shut. Up.”

“No judgment if you do. Sometimes punishments make you feel alive, right? Like you’re not simply going through the motions of survival.”

Sasha was breaking more pretzels. Dade and Jasper were rigid. Gatlan was smirking into his drink.

Tessa got to her feet, leaning over the table towards Maxson. “My tests were inconclusive. We have no idea what I’ll emerge with.”

“You fucking liar. The assessments can’t be inconclusive,” Maxson spat, his face turning red with his anger.

Tessa shrugged, swiping Gatlan’s drink from his hand and knocking back the last of it. The other Sources all went still. Dropping the glass to the table with a soft thud, she said, “If you prefer a harsher punishment for inaccurate information, you can tell Lealla I’m predicted to emerge with water and almost no power.”

“Fuck you, and fuck your fucking kingdom,” he seethed, shooting to his feet.

“Oh, Max, if only you were mortal. Then maybe you’d have a chance at that,” Tessa simpered as she straightened and ran her hands down her dress, smoothing it out. “Then again, I still would never touch Serafina seconds.”

She was walking away before she could hear Maxson’s response, knowing he wouldn’t dare cause a scene in front of all the Legacy here. Keeping her chin high, she glanced around the space, spotting Theon and Luka deep in conversation with some other Legacy. Axel was beside them, whispering into the ear of a female whose lips lifted into a grin.