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Luka:Is she there?

Theon:No. Do you have her?

Luka:No. Do you want me there?

And wasn’t that the question, because no. He didn’t want him anywhere fucking near her right now. Not until they figured out a way to sever this bond, but she’d need Luka just as much as she’d need him.

He yanked the door open, looking up and down the hall, but she was nowhere to be seen. She was close, though. There was no fooling the bond.

Going back into the suite and shutting the door, he sent a message off to Luka. They didn’t want to communicate down thebond because there was no way to block one person. It was all or nothing from what they could tell.

And it was weird as fuck to communicate with Luka down the thing.

Theon:I’m not sure what to expect from her. Just wait. Let me see how she is…

Luka didn’t reply. Theon was sure he’d hear about it later. In the meantime, all there was to do was wait.

Feeling too jittery, he went back to his bedroom to retrieve his tumbler, hoping another glass of liquor would help, but he went still when he stepped into the room.

The double doors of the balcony were open, the winter air seeping into the room, and she stood just inside. She wore a thin floor-length skirt of navy blue that was so dark it was nearly black. The color reminded him of Luka’s scales. It was lightweight and sheer, and her top was the same. It tied at her nape, dipping low in front and leaving her back exposed, a sliver of her stomach bare. Her bands of light glowed faintly around her wrists, and he could swear streaks of lightning flashed in her violet eyes. Her golden hair was loose, peppered with the lightly falling snow, and her feet were bare because she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Tessa,” he breathed, unable to move. Unsure of what was happening. “How did you get here?”

“A portal,” she answered, and he swallowed thickly because her voice had that eerie ring to it.

“There are no portals to Arius House,” he countered.

“It’s my own,” she answered simply.

He didn’t know what that meant.

“You should come in and shut the door. It’s cold outside,” he said, daring to take another step towards her.

She didn’t move, her hands clasped in front of her.Theon shoved down every instinct to go to her and drag her away from the balcony.

Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. Her head canted to the side at the movement. He wasn’t sure why. Clearing his throat, he said, “Do you want to talk about what’s happened the past few days?”

She smiled at that. A dark, wicked thing that sent a chill up his spine, which was saying something considering the things he’d done in his past.

“You want me to tell you about my time away from you?” she asked.

“If you need to talk about it, yes.”

“It’s a little late to worry about what I need, don’t you think?”

He bristled inside at that, but kept himself under control. “Then what are you here for, Tessa?”

“To say goodbye.”

It was his turn to smile. “Beautiful, there’s no saying goodbye between you and me. You will forever be mine.”

“I’m not here to say goodbye toyou,” she retorted. “I’m here to say goodbye to what could have been. Just one more…” She cleared her throat, lifting her chin. “No. I didn’t come to say goodbye. I came to tell you a story.”

His brows arched. “A story?”

She nodded, finally moving into the bedroom. He kept space between them as he made his way over to close the balcony doors. Once they were shut tight, he turned back, finding her staring at the same fire he’d been fixated on for the last few hours.

“Tell me this story, little storm,” he said.