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“I have that power,” she rasped, her gaze fixed on the light he held in his hand.

“You do,” he agreed.

“How?”

Rordan closed his fist, the light extinguishing. “It only stands to reason that you have some Achaz blood in your veins.”

“But that’s not possible.”

“It certainly is possible.”

“But I’m…” Her gaze darted to Dex, then back to Rordan. “I’m not Fae.”

“You are not. Not even demi-Fae at that,” Rordan agreed. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Would I like… What?” she asked in complete confusion.

“Water? Tea? I’d offer something stronger, but I’m afraid you may react poorly to such a thing given the power I had to use. Again, I apologize for that,” he said, making his way across the room to a small beverage cart.

She shoved at Dex’s hands before she pushed into a sitting position, taking in the space. This was a simple yet elegant lounge. It was a decent size, not overly large, and there were several windows with the curtains drawn. The walls were a soft white and so was the furniture. Everything was accented with gold and a light grey, giving the illusion of a soft glow when the light hit it just right.

“Where are we?” she asked, Dex having moved to sit beside her now that she was sitting up.

“My manor home in the Acropolis. If it were not well into the night, the view overlooking the Wynfell River would be stunning,” Rordan answered, returning with a glass of water. “Is this all right?” he asked, extending the glass to her.

“Yes. Thank you,” she said, taking the glass with a trembling hand. She took a sip before lowering it to her lap. “I’m sorry. Why am I here?”

The Achaz Lord took a seat on the sofa opposite her and Dex, crossing one leg over the other. He propped an elbow on the armrest, steepling a finger along his temple. “There are many ways to interpret that question, Tessalyn. You are in my home because I was forced to quell your magnificent power. It only seemed right that I look after you and make sure you recovered properly. But that is not the question I would like you to consider.”

“It’s not?”

He smiled, a gentle and patient thing. Not at all what she’d expected from the Lord that unofficially ruled Devram.

“No, child,” he replied. “The question you should be asking is why are you in Devram at all?”

44

THEON

“What have you done?” his father snarled, darkness slamming into Theon and throwing him against the wall of their private viewing box. Theon slid to the floor, cursing under his breath at the unanticipated hit, sharp pain lancing up his side. “Do you have any idea what you have just compromised?”

Theon was climbing back to his feet as black flames sprang up around him, Luka grabbing his elbow and helping him up.

“Sorry,” Luka said. “I was taking care of his plant bitch.”

“So she’s out of commission?” Theon asked, automatically tugging at his cuffs to straighten his sleeves.

“If she moves, she’ll have fire up her twat.”

“You are in a delightful mood today,” Theon muttered, letting his shadows cover him for extra protection. It wouldn’t stop his father’s magic, but it would lessen the blows.

“Anytime I get to fuck with her, it puts me in a good mood,” Luka replied.

Theon snickered. A good mood. But the mirth quickly fell as they prepared to face his father.

“Ready?” Luka asked.

He nodded, his body tensing as the black flames slowly receded.