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“Shoes are an annoyance. And heels are impractical,” she added as an afterthought.

If Axel found it strange they were having a seemingly normal conversation while navigating through the Pantheon, he didn’t let it show.

“I can’t say I have experience with wearing heels,” he replied. “But they do make your ass look good, so I’m rather partial to them.”

“You’re not supposed to be looking at my ass,” she replied. “I’m Theon’s, remember?”

“Baby doll, with the dresses and pants you wear, I can’t help but look at your ass.”

“Theon picks out my clothes.”

“He likes to show off his—”

“Things? He likes to show off his things?”

“No,” Axel said quickly, shaking his head, but before he could say more, he was shoving her against the wall. “Don’t move!”

Tessa watched with interest as shadows raced down the hall. Like a wave cresting, they crashed down on a group that had come rushing from the arena. These weren’t just sentinels though, they were Fae guards from the various kingdoms. More and more people were pouring out of the arena, all of them with weapons with blades black as night. Weapons designed to kill Fae and Legacy alike. Power was flaring all around them, and it was only Axel standing between her and those who were hunting her.

He was backing towards her, his shadows continuing to take down Legacy and Fae. “Tessa!” he called out. “We need to keep moving!”

“But they will just follow us,” she replied, panic bubbling up in her chest.

Her power flared, a cascade of pure light crashing into a group of Legacy and sending them crashing to the floor.

“You need to stay calm, Tessa.”

“Sure, Axel. I’ll do that,” she retorted, peeling off the wall and pacing in a tight circle.

“Just keep moving, Tessa. Don’t look back. Let me worry about those pursuing you.”

“They keep coming,” she argued. “You can’t keep them all back. It’s you against dozens.”

“Then we best get to our destination,” he said, another wave of darkness descending on five more. There were screams, and then there was nothing.

“What do you do to them?” she asked, his shadows slowly dissipating enough that she could see a male on the ground, his veins black.

“Not the time, Tessa,” Axel growled, grabbing her wrist and once again dragging her along. “Do you not realize they will kill you if they catch you?”

“Will they?”

“That’s a fair point, I guess,” he replied, rounding a corner.

And then he wasn’t gripping her wrist anymore. He was on the ground, his body jolting as a burst of light slammed into him.

“Axel!” Tessa screamed, her own magic scrambling, but it was as confused as she was. She spun back around to find herself face-to-face with Rordan Jove.

The Achaz Lord.

His shoulder-length golden hair was tied back, and he looked resplendent in a crisp suit of navy blue. His bright blue eyes were ringed with gold, a taste of his power. Light crackled at his fingertips, and it had Tessa looking down at her hands where violet and gold light was sparking at her own.

Slowly, she lifted her head, meeting the Achaz Lord’s gaze.

“Tessa,” Axel rasped, trying to push onto his hands and knees, but he collapsed when Rordan hit him again with more power.

She just stared at Rordan.

At the golden hair.