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Theon said nothing to that, letting her power rage. After several minutes, he sent his darkness slowly winding into her light. To wrap around it. To lead it and guide it. And he sucked in his own sharp breath as their power fully merged for the first time.

“Theon,” she breathed. It was more of a moan, and she’dneversaid his name like that. Not when his lips had been on hers. Not when his cock had been deep inside her. Not when he’d watched her come undone beneath him.

His magic strained, pulling at the tight leash he held on it. His darkness wanted more of her light, and he wanted more of her.

Then he felt her power tentatively reach back.

“Good girl,” he groaned, his brow falling to hers.

It was all there was to say.

It was all there was to feel.

Wisps of light reached for the darkest parts of his shadows, curiously searching, seeking, and he let her play. Let her lift a hand and watch the light dance along her fingertips, chasing the shadows he let drift around her. He let her find a shred of control in a world where she had none. Where even if she was indeed Legacy, she still wouldn’t have much control in a realm ruled by villains.

Dark and light tangled. Pushing and pulling. Giving and taking.

Gods, he wanted to get her back to the townhouse right fucking now.

No, he wanted to let her have this reprieve as long as he could because those bands would have to go back on before they got back into the vehicle, and he knew the torture of the things. So when he reached into his coat pocket some time later and pulled the bands out, he expected the way her face fell. The momentary panic that filled her eyes before she tucked away her emotions once more.

“Two days,” he said into the night, slipping the first one over her hand. “We will bring you back here in two days.”

She nodded, letting him slide the other band into place, before she untangled herself from where she’d somehow ended up straddling his lap on the ground. Without a word, she turned away from him, wandering a little ways down the river.

Theon stood, brushing off the back of his pants, before shoving his hands deep in the pockets of his coat. Luka came tohis side, his eyes still shifted, the blue as bright as the stars above them.

Stars they could actually see.

The rain had receded as Tessa’s power had been allowed to flare, and now the sky was clear. The first truly clear sky Theon could remember since he’d Selected Tessa as his Source. He didn’t count the sun briefly peeking out of the clouds when they’d played Chaosphere on the way to the Acropolis.

“She did better than I expected,” Luka said.

“Yeah.”

It was all Theon could think to say.

“Did doing this give you any insights into her heritage?”

Theon sighed, knowing Luka had waited to ask this until she was out of hearing range. The last thing he needed was Tessa thinking they’d done this solely for their own benefit, but she’d been right before. He needed her to learn to control her gifts, and to do that, she needed to feel them so she wouldn’t fear them.

“No,” he answered. “The closest I can come is Rai, but there is nothing to suggest the god of the seasons could control the weather. In theory, if she can truly control the weather, once she masters her gifts, she should have some sort of control over the wind and water too.”

“Her lightning could start fires if she can control where it strikes. I had to put out more than one,” Luka said.

Theon hadn’t noticed. He’d been too focused on the female in his lap and their powers coming together.

“Are we…” He trailed off because it couldn’t truly be possible, but the evidence was all right there. “Are we saying she will essentially be able to somewhat control all the elements the Fae can?”

“I don’t know that it will be exactly like Fae magic, but if she truly created those crevices in the gardens at Arius House?—”

Theon saw them at the same time Luka abruptly stopped talking.

And then they were both running.

And Tessa was screaming.

Theon’s power was racing for her, but Luka was faster. His wings had already appeared, and he was in the sky, dragon fire erupting around Tessa.