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Tristyn reached into his pocket, and Tessa choked down her huff of laughter when he pulled out another lull-leaf roll and lit it up. “More than you, apparently. I was the one who got her out of there. I believe the words you’re looking for are ‘thank you.’”

“You seem to know an awful lot about her, Blackheart,” Theon said, his eyes narrowing. “And yet I can’t get you to return any of my calls at Lilura Inquest.”

“Probably because I don’t want to talk to you,” he answered with a shrug.

“No, you only wish to speak with my Source.”

“Can you blame me?” Tristyn asked, taking another toke off the lull-leaf.

“We need to get back in there, Theon,” Luka cut in. “Are we done here?”

“I don’t know,” Theon said, his glare cutting to Tessa. “Are you done here?”

“Judging by that look on your face, I could probably use a few more shots ofagaveheartand my own roll of lull-leaf,” she grumbled, rubbing at her wrists as her power pressed against her skin. It was out of control. The bond was reaching for Theon. She could feel Luka’s gaze on her but couldn’t meet his stare.Whatever the fuck Tristyn could do was pressing at her, trying to do the gods-knew-what, and her magic just wanted out, out, out, desperate to find whatever had riled it up.

“Alcohol is the last thing you need,” Theon said tightly, jerking his chin at Luka to go get her, but Luka seemed to hesitate.

“Something’s wrong,” Luka said.

“Obviously,” Theon snapped. “That’s why we came to find her.”

“No, she’s… Tessa, look at me,” Luka said in that same coaxing voice he’d used in the Underground.

“Look at you,” she muttered. “Look at you. Eyes on him. Don’t focus on the bands that keep you locked away below the ground, below the sea. Always in the dark. Always, always, always.”

The sky flashed with a bright bolt of lightning, and thunder cracked so loud she felt it in her bones.

And she knew her power was about to take what it demanded.

Freedom.

19

THEON

“Ithink we need to go,” Tessa rasped, her voice ringing with that eerie tone that it sometimes took on.

“Fuck,” Tristyn cursed. “You two need to get her out of here.”

“I don’t think anyone should touch her right now,” Luka said cautiously, but his eyes had shifted, as if already preparing for a fight.

“You’re the only ones whocantouch her right now. You’ve altered everything,” Tristyn said. “If you don’t want the terms of your agreement with the Lords and Ladies to change, you need to go.”

“I don’t know that we have the option to take her anywhere at the moment,” Theon said. “Even if we could get near her, what are we supposed to do? Escort her through the Pantheon and down to the parking valet?”

“Wherever you take her, those bands need to come off and stay off,” Tristyn said. “I thought it was made clear that her power needed to be expelled regularly.”

“I know what needs to happen. I do not need you coming in and telling me how to handle this,” Theon snapped.

“Obviously you do,” Tristyn retorted, stepping closer. “Because it never should have gotten to this point. I felt her power the moment you stepped into the Pantheon tonight, and I’ve felt it steadily growing all evening. Everyone in there felt it. They just didn’t realize where it was coming from.”

Theon watched for it. For some flicker of magic. Any hint of his lineage. The elusive Tristyn Blackheart was as hard to find information on as Tessa. He’d been around for decades, long before Theon had been born, but the little bit of information available about him was all the same. He’d founded Lilura Inquest, the company that was responsible for numerous advancements in Devram, from elixirs to technology to translating lost languages and everything in between. But actual information abouthim? That was virtually nonexistent. Then again, with his company, he could effectively bury any information he wanted.

He would also have the resources to alter documents.

Keep someone hidden.

Show up when it was convenient for him to do so.