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“No,” Theon said as Tessa started to lift her hand. He tugged her back, pushing her behind him yet again. “Not until you’ve given us some semblance of a reason to trust you. You show up here, tell us you’re from another world, ask questions and give us no answers in return. I can only assume you are here for her.”

“I am here for her,” Scarlett said simply.

Theon went preternaturally still.

So did Luka and Axel.

Tessa could feel violence and anger and a strange fierceness down the bond. But before she could attempt to work all that out, Scarlett spoke again, driving all other thoughts from her mind.

Silver eyes settled on Tessa where she was peering around Theon once more as she said, “Your father sent me.”

“My father?” Tessa breathed, not sure what to do with all the emotions slamming into her.

Disbelief at the possibility.

Anger at being abandoned here.

Betrayal at her father not bothering to come for her himself.

Denial at the very idea this random female knew her father.

And beneath all that, a seed of hope that it was all true. That she was finally finding answers to questions that had plagued her for years.

“You expect us to believe that?” Theon demanded. He took a single step forward, his darkness thickening around him. “How could you, a Legacy from an entire other realm, know who her father is?”

“Because he’s my uncle,” Scarlett replied. Then she added, “He’s also the son of Arius.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Axel scoffed. “You expect us to believe— That would make Tessa the granddaughter of Arius himself.”

“Which is why I asked just how far down the Arius line you are,” Scarlett replied.

“Hundreds of generations,” Tessa murmured, remembering what Theon had once told her. “Tristyn said the St. Orcas family is so far removed from Arius it is laughable to call them such a thing.”

“Well, that is a relief on many levels,” Scarlett said as she toyed with white flames at her fingertips.

Tessa had to agree with her. She didn’t even want to think about…that.

“No,” Theon said, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s not possible.”

“Why not?” Scarlett asked, her head tilting in curiosity.

“She doesn’t have any Arius gifts for starters,” Theon snapped.

That was a good point, but Tessa was still stuck on the idea of being Arius’sgranddaughter.

“That you know of,” the female countered. “Admittedly, I do not know my uncle well as he stays in another realm.”

“No, he is right,” Tessa cut in, trying to focus on the conversation. She could sort through all of this information later when she was by herself. “My magic is not Arius magic.”

Scarlett gave her a soft smile. “Arius magic is not just shadows and darkness, Cousin.”

Cousin.

She swallowed thickly at the idea of blooded family, that fragile seed of hope that this was somehow true growing a little bigger.

“Shadows and darkness are the same thing,” Axel said.

Scarlett shook her head again. “Similar, yes, but vastly different at the same time. My brother has darkness. It is chaotic, constantly trying to take control. He uses it differently than I do, and he can sense other’s power levels. My shadows, on the other hand…” She trailed off as her power appeared, winding around her, caressing her,lovingher.