Page 12

Tessa glanced at him. “Theon doesn’t understand anything about what I need.”

“He’s trying.”

She huffed a humorless laugh. “He is not, and if he is, he’s failing.”

“I would agree with that,” Luka conceded.

“Why didn’t he tell me? If he’d just explained so many things to me…”

So much could have been avoided if he’d simply told her about his father, more about his plans, the politics. Instead, he was only focused on her accepting the Source bond. A bond she wasn’t even sure shecouldaccept seeing as she wasn’t Fae.

“He’s not trying, Luka,” she sighed.

“He had his reasons. He wanted to protect you. Ease you into things. He does not trust easily. Surely you understand that at least,” he replied pointedly. “But that aside, I agree things would have gone…smoother if he’d been more upfront with you about many things.”

“You could have told me,” she retorted.

“My loyalty is?—”

“To Theon, not me,” she interrupted bitterly. “You’ve made that clear on more than one occasion.”

“Do you wish my loyalty was to you?”

She lifted her head, and the crease between his brows told Tessa he was as perplexed by his question as she was.

“Why would you be loyal to me?”

“I don’t know,” he murmured, more to himself than her.

They fell silent, but his words repeated in her mind over and over. And the truth was she just wantedsomeoneto be loyal to her. Not Luka. It would never be him. He would always choose Theon. So would Axel. Theon would always choose whatever furthered his goals, and he’d choose it without remorse. Not even Dex truly chose her. He still put his assignments above her, along with the laws and the decorum of this realm.

But it would be nice, just once, to know what it was like to be so important to someone that they chose her above all else.

In the end, though, she supposed dreams were like hope.

Completely pointless.

Tessa set the paper towels aside and adjusted the bands on her wrists. “What do you think they’ll decide?”

“I think they’ll grant your request.”

“Theon’s request,” she corrected.

“Was it not your request as well? Did you not state you would prefer to stay with him?”

Her stomach churned again at the words. “Why do you think they’ll grant it?”

“Valter will vote to keep you. You seem to have some sort of sway over the Anala Lady, and the Falein Lady is intrigued by you,” Luka answered, listing off reasons as if reporting the weather.

“That’s only three votes.”

Luka nodded. “Lady Candra will vote against it, and the Serafina Lady will vote however Lord Jove votes.”

“And if there is a tie?” Tessa asked.

“In a matter like this, I don’t know,” he said. “Lord Jove usually decides matters pertaining to the Accords, but this is not that. I can only assume when they return, if there was a tie, it will already be sorted out.”

Tessa nodded, her eyes dropping back to the black bands. After a few minutes, Luka stood and silently held out a hand to her. She studied it for a moment, this time remembering a grand hall where she’d stood in shock after being Selected, where this same hand had been extended to her, had fallen to her back to guide her up to a stage.