Page 256
Story: Rain of Shadows and Endings
“Not yet,” Rordan agreed. “But when it surfaces, you understand what this will come to?”
“Do you?”
Rordan held out his glass, the Fae immediately appearing and taking the still half-full tumbler from him. “I look forward to further discussions on this matter.”
Was he…dismissing them?
“This isn’t over, Rordan,” Valter seethed.
“No, it isn’t,” Rordan agreed. “But one does wonder: who will be left standing when Chaos comes to reign?”
* * *
He stood when Tessa emerged from the bathroom. Dressed in a pair of loose pants and a fitted tank top, she’d braided her wet hair over her shoulder. His father had strongly suggested they stay at the country manor tonight, so here they were. Theon would have much preferred to go back to the townhouse simply to be away from his father, but he’d already had to ask his father for help. Arguing against him tonight would not have been a wise idea.
This room was smaller than their room at the townhouse by at least half. Then again, their room at the townhouse was the entire third floor. He hated staying here though. It just felt like a smaller version of Arius House. Same dark decor. Same oppressive, stale air.
Axel and Luka were here as well, still seated on the sofa in the small sitting area. They each had rooms down the hall. Luka had gone with Axel to help him get cleaned up, and they’d only just settled down with drinks in hand. Axel looked like he’d seen better days and had admitted he had a pounding headache, which had made Theon wonder if Tessa was suffering from the same but wasn’t admitting to it.
She paused mid-step when she saw them all, her arms wrapping around herself as she asked, “What?”
Theon closed the space between them, but faltered when he went to reach for her. He didn’t know where they stood after everything.
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” she answered, her eyes darting to the side. She unwound her arms, fiddling with the bands on her wrists. “These are uncomfortable.”
When they’d arrived here, Theon had immediately replaced the ones Rordan had put on her with his own. Who knew what kind of enchantments were on the other ones. Luka had tried to incinerate them with dragon fire, but they’d withstood it. Another thing for Theon to research. For now, the bands were being stored in a pocket realm.
Luka was now drinking an extra ration of blood his father had suspiciously offered to all three of them. They’d had no choice but to take it, especially Axel with all the power he’d used protecting Tessa.
“I know they are uncomfortable, beautiful,” Theon said, unable to stop himself from reaching out and playing with the end of her braid. “But you understand why you have to wear them for now, right? Your power is volatile until you learn to control it.”
“And how will I learn to do that?”
“You will have lessons. It is part of the classes all Fae go through.”
“Yes, but I am not Fae,” she replied, an eerie ring to her voice that had been there after the cellar. It had disappeared, and Theon had been hoping it would stay that way, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
He sighed heavily. “No, Tessa. You are not Fae.”
“Do you think I am part Fae? Rordan does not believe so.”
Rordan?
“What else does Rordan believe?” Theon asked, trying and failing to keep the bitterness from his voice.
“I have magic like his,” she said. “Magic of Achaz.”
“You do,” Theon agreed.
“But also more.”
“We do not know the extent of your power. It will take time to sort this all out.”
“This?”
“You. Your power. How it will affect the Source bond.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256 (Reading here)
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261