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It took several seconds before Theon managed to ground out, “Is there a reason why?”

“I don’t want the full extent of her gifts known until it can no longer be avoided. A training arena is too public of a place. Anyone can see too many things,” Valter answered, finally turning back to them. “Is that going to be a problem?”

Tessa could see it. The desire to argue with his father. The fury he was biting back. The helplessness he was pushing down. She could see it because she knew the feelings so godsdamn well.

She could see it because she was feeling them all now. The desire to argue about Kat becoming Theon’s Source. The fury at the idea of being passed around to be used. The helplessness of these fucking bands having to stay in place for only-the-gods-knew how long.

“Of course not,” Theon finally said with a bow of his head.

He turned, striding from the room.

“Come, Tessa,” Luka said, jerking his chin to the door.

She said nothing as she moved to Luka’s side, following him from the room as her magic screamed as loudly as her soul.

5

AXEL

“Thank Arius,” Axel muttered, swiping one of the chilled bottles of blood from the counter.

Most Legacy preferred to sip it from a glass like a fine wine. His mother certainly did. But he was desperate enough to drink several swallows directly from the bottle.

Most Legacy were also able to make their weekly ration of Fae blood last the entire week. He would be lucky if this bottle lasted three days.

Eyeing the other two bottles that had just been delivered, he took another drink of his own, sighing as he felt his power reserves swell. He knew Theon and Luka would ration theirs meticulously for the week. Partly because it was the responsible thing to do, but also because if Axel needed more, they would give him some of theirs without a second thought.

He’d been pacing near the front door waiting for the delivery. The day had been exhausting. He’d already been fighting off the feelings of need for two days, and there was a Fae in his room one floor up that was far too tempting. It was why he’d been sleeping in Luka’s room, if he slept at all. Mostly, he was keeping busy in the shadows of the Acropolis well into the night.

Sighing, he grabbed the other bottles and took them to the pantry. Pressing a palm to the wall near the wine cellar door, wards hummed as a secret panel disappeared, revealing a spelled compartment designed to keep the Fae blood at the perfect temperature. He slid the bottles in, the compartment sealing itself again as he heard the front door open.

He glanced at his watch. It was too early for the others to be back. There was no way they’d had a meeting with their father and taken Tessa to the training arenas already, but those were soft, feminine footfalls, and that was Luka’s low rumble of a voice.

Axel stepped from the pantry as Tessa came into the kitchen, her heels dangling from her fingers and Theon’s suit coat wrapped around her shoulders. Her lips were set in a thin line, and she looked as tired as he felt.

“Hey, baby doll. How are you?” he greeted, watching her carefully. He hadn’t had a chance to talk with her much after the hearing. His father had demanded a meeting immediately, and Axel had needed to go collect Katya from the Pantheon.

“Your father stabbed your brother,” she said simply, dropping the shoes with a soft clunk onto the floor near the kitchen island.

“For fuck’s sake,” Axel cursed, straightening as Luka and Theon entered the kitchen.

His brother was indeed clutching his side, dried blood all along his fingers and hand. He gritted his teeth as he sank onto one of the island stools, his gaze forever fixed on Tessa, who was now standing at the window with her back to them. There had been a steady drizzle of light rain since they left the Tribunal, and to be honest, that alone should have told Axel how Tessa was feeling about all of this.

In the days following the Emerging Ceremony, Theon had told him and Luka of his theory that Tessa somehow hadinfluence over the weather. Axel had told him it was just another one of his unconventional theories, but not after Theon had laid out all the facts. How every time she raged, it stormed. How it had rained incessantly at Arius House where it rarely rained in the spring, let alone late summer. How the sun had shown itself when the four of them had played a makeshift game of Chaosphere one afternoon and Tessa had actually laughed. By the end, Theon had managed to convince him except for one thing: there was no known being that could control the weather. There was Rai, the god of the seasons, but not even their Legacy could control the day-to-day weather, and not with their emotions.

The kitchen was silent as Luka poured four shots of liquor before going to retrieve a bottle of blood Axel had just put away. Theon downed the shot before taking a drink from the blood bottle, then let out a groan of discomfort as he shifted on the stool.

“Is anyone going to tell me what the fuck happened?” Axel finally asked, unable to take the ringing silence any longer.

“I already did,” Tessa said, still staring out the window.

“While my father is certainly a bastard, he usually has some convoluted reason for stabbing us,” Axel said.

That had Tessa turning to face him. “He does it often?”

Axel shrugged, reaching for his own shot of liquor. “Often enough.” His gaze slid to his brother. “Nightstone dagger?”

Theon gave a sharp nod.