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Theon had only been to Ekayan Island one other time in his life. All of the heirs were brought at the same time to tour the island when they turned sixteen years. Luka had not been allowed to accompany him on that trip, and Axel had never been here. Theon had tried to get permission from the Falein Lady numerous times throughout the years, the most recent time being after the Tribunal Hearing. It wasn’t until he pleaded his case to Prudence and she intervened on his behalf that he wasfinally granted permission to enter the Ekayan Island archives. Of course, he now owed the Falein Heir a favor of equal grandeur. It was yet another Bargain Mark inked on his skin, but he had two days until the third Mark. Two days to figure something out or face the ruling Lords and Ladies once more. He knew the outcome would not favor him a second time, even if Tessa did ask to stay with him again.

The Legacy handed Luka the documents back before handing Theon five cuffs.

“You have until sundown,” the male said. “If you are not back here by that time, these cuffs will release a toxin that will render you unconscious within five seconds. You will be collected for sentencing at that time. Any questions?”

“No,” Theon said, sliding a cuff on. The magic of it had the cuff sinking into his skin so it looked like a thick tattoo around his wrist, a bronze line ran through the center of it. He passed one to Luka and two to Axel before reaching for Tessa’s hand.

She’d had a vision after that dinner two nights ago. He knew she had. She’d been curled up on the bed, eyes closed, but she hadn’t been sleeping. He knew how her breathing shifted when she slept, the soft sigh she always let out right before she drifted off, and how she always slipped her hand under her cheek in her first few minutes of true sleep. More than that, he knew it was a vision because he watched her come out of it. Her eyes flying open, the sharp inhale, the flood of panic down the bond before she managed to get her shields back up.

Those godsdamn mental shields.

He didn’t know how she’d learned to control them, but he hated it. Mental shielding was something some Fae were taught depending on what role they were assigned in their kingdom, but that was to safeguard against entrancing. Sources were taught that as well, but to completely block the entire godsdamn bond?

Tessa tapped her foot impatiently as she looked around the portal terminal. She was in a mood this morning. It didn’t help that he’d had to wake her before sunrise, but they had to use a portal to travel to Orinthia. The capital city of the Falein Kingdom was the only place with a portal to Ekayan Island with some of the strictest security measures in all of Devram.

“You good, beautiful?” he asked.

“No, I’m not good. It’s another band,” she grumbled as he slid the cuff over her hand.

“It doesn’t cut you off from your magic,” he pointed out.

Power flared, cords of light winding around her forearms like golden bracelets. Just like she’d done at dinner. Each week, her control increased. She still had a ways to go to master her power, but he couldn’t deny the week in Faven had propelled her forward in learning to use it.

“There will be wards around the archive buildings,” Theon said. “If your power could harm the books or texts in any way, then it will be suppressed.”

“In other words, everyone’s power will be suppressed,” she replied flatly.

“More than likely,” he agreed.

Tessa nodded, slipping her hand into his. He knew it was only her seeking out the bond to ease her anxiety, but he took any excuse he could to touch her these days. While finding Felicity in their room had certainly pushed her to a tipping point, he would venture to guess there were things said in Faven that had already changed everything. They’d fucked a few times here and there, but it truly was about physical release at this point. She kept her emotions so tightly sealed off, he wouldn’t have known if it was anything else. He knew it wasn’t like it had been before Faven. That time they had been on the brink of somethingmore. He’d felt it, and he knew she’d felt it too, despite adamantly denying it. Her words to Felicity at dinnersuggested jealousy, but her exchange with his father was a power play if he’d ever seen one.

And his father had let her win.

Or perhaps thought hewouldn’twin.

But that couldn’t be. He was the Arius Lord. Tessa was powerful, yes, but their bloodline had been carefully bred for power for centuries. When he could draw from her and combine that power with his own, they would certainly be more powerful than his father. But all on her own?

Her father is a god and her mother may as well be one.

The Legacy sentinel let them pass, and he stepped through the portal with Tessa at his side. They emerged in the atrium of the receiving portal terminal, and he turned to Kat. She’d been here several times. As much as it went against his nature, he was letting her decide where they would spend the limited time they were granted here.

“Request the Ancient History Archives,” Kat said, her fingers interlaced with Axel’s.

“Ancient History?” Theon asked, unsure why they’d be looking through history when her father wasn’t even in their history texts.

“Beneath that building are catacombs with texts containing theories about the historical events. It is where I once read the World Walker theory,” she replied.

“Are you really going to question her at this point?” Axel asked, his tone telling Theon to get on with it.

His brother had been in a mood all week, worrying about what the outcome of all this would mean for Katya. He’d been foolish to keep going with whatever they were doing anyway. Even if his father didn’t get his way and she didn’t become his new Source, the odds of her being assigned somewhere that would allow her to stay with Axel were slim. More than that, Axel would be required to take a Match sooner than later, but hisbrother had made it more than clear he didn’t want his opinion on the matter.

A scholar wearing the same sage green and bronze colors all of Falein Kingdom wore escorted them to the requested archive building, and soon enough, they were riding the lift down to the catacombs. Theon was more than a little disappointed he couldn’t truly enjoy this visit. He couldn’t take in any of the archives or wander the various levels. This trip was entirely business.

“Your cuffs also serve as trackers,” the scholar told them when the lift doors opened. “Should you venture anywhere you shouldn’t, the toxin will be released.”

“I will watch over them,” Katya said, her head bowed and eyes on the floor.

“See that you do,” the scholar replied.