Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy #3)

17. Theon

17

THEON

Fifteen Years Ago

“ C ome on, Theon. Just play one game with me,” his brother begged, tossing the chaosphere ball back and forth in his hands.

“I already said no, Axel,” Theon gritted out, looking between his tablet and the open book in his lap and comparing the texts.

He checked the time again. Eighteen minutes. That was how much time he had before he needed to go back inside. He was due in his father’s study in thirty minutes. That would give him plenty of time to make sure he was early.

“You promised, Theon,” Axel said, and Theon could hear the irritation and disappointment. His tone was bordering on a whine at this point.

If Axel’s power had emerged, he’d likely have shadows drifting around him with his growing emotions. At least, they all assumed his power would be shadows like the rest of the Arius line. There was no reason he wouldn’t have the same gifts, and they would emerge when his emotions were heightened. Eight years was too early. It was more likely to happen around ten years. Axel was counting down, and Theon was hoping his magic showed up later than other Legacy. When power appeared, that was when their father sent them for more intense training.

“I promised I’d come outside,” Theon corrected, grabbing a pen and underlining something in the book. “Here I am. Outside.”

“You’re an ass,” Axel retorted.

“Don’t cuss,” Theon replied, only half-listening to him.

“You and Luka cuss all the time.”

“We’re older.”

“Where is Luka anyway? He’ll at least play a round with me while you read your stupid books,” Axel grumbled, dropping the ball to the ground and kicking at it.

“You should read some stupid books,” Theon retorted. “Term starts next week.”

“I’ll read books then. Where’s Luka?”

“Not back yet.”

Truth was, he didn’t know where his best friend was. His father had started sending Luka to training camps that lasted days at a time. He was supposed to be home today, but Theon didn’t know when. He didn’t like it when he was gone. When they were together, he could at least try to keep things under control, but when he was gone…

“Theon, just one quick game,” Axel whined, bending to pick up the ball again.

“No, Axel,” Theon growled, his darkness snapping out and wrenching the ball from his brother’s hands. He sent it flying across the makeshift chaosphere field.

“I liked you better before,” Axel muttered, turning and wandering off to retrieve the ball.

Before what? Theon had no idea, but he didn’t have time to worry about that. One day Axel would understand. One day his brother would realize that he was protecting him. One day he’d see that everything he was doing was to keep everyone he loved safe, and he really only loved a handful of people: his brother, Luka, Caris, and Pen. As long as they were safe, he didn’t really care what it cost him. If it required disappointing them from time to time, so be it. Control the situation, and you control the outcome. That was what he was coming to learn. Do whatever it takes to keep control because control meant keeping everyone safe.

Which is why when he glanced at the clock again, he began gathering his things and placing them into his messenger bag. Book. Tablet. Pen. He checked three times to make sure his phone was still there. He’d only made the mistake of misplacing his phone once. His father had made sure of that.

Leaving Axel to kick his chaosphere ball around, Theon started the trek back to the house. As he went, he recited the names of all his father’s advisors, where they lived, their bloodlines, their gifts, and what roles they played in his father’s kingdom. Then he started going through all the ruling Lords and Ladies, their heirs, and who they were watching as potential Sources. Then it was the history of Devram. All things a future Lord of the Arius Kingdom should know.

All things he made sure to know so he wouldn’t feel the sting of Eviana’s vines full of thorns his father would use for lashings to help him “remember.” Vines that wound around his limbs and throat, keeping him immobile. If he forgot anything this afternoon, those lashings would tear open the wounds still healing from this morning. Axel had left his messenger bag on the floor in the foyer rather than taking it to his room, but Theon had told his father it was his.

But that was just for now.

One day he’d be as powerful as his father. One day he’d have a Source of his own. One day he’d rule Arius Kingdom, his father would be a nightmare long past, and they could prosper whether or not the rest of Devram recognized them.

One day.

But that day was not today.

He paused when he reached the floor of his father’s study, straightening his tie and adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket. He was just lifting a hand to knock when he heard footsteps.

“When did you get back?” he asked when Luka came to a stop beside him, adjusting his own shirt cuffs. He didn’t have a suit jacket on, but he did have a button-down shirt and tie.

“Just now,” his friend replied. “Was summoned straight here.”

The hair on the back of Theon’s neck immediately stood on end. That was never a good sign.

“Ready?” he asked Luka after another few seconds.

Luka nodded.

“Enter,” his father called after Theon had rapped his knuckles on the study door.

He went first, Luka right behind him. Eviana was in her usual chair, turquoise eyes flicking from him to Luka and back. Two of his father’s advisors were also here—Julius and Mansel—and Theon shoved down the fear. He knew what their gifts could do.

“Take a seat,” was all his father said.

Present Day

His phone ringing pulled Theon from the memory, and he sighed when he looked down at the screen to see who was calling.

“Hello, Mother,” he answered, continuing to stare out the window. The skies were grey like they always were these days. They were already experiencing record snowfall this winter season thanks to a certain… Was she a goddess? He didn’t know, but he did know she was responsible for the weather, even with her spending most of her time in Faven. Somehow the Acropolis was still experiencing the extent of her wrath.

“Theon? The help said you were here today,” his mother said, worry and disappointment sounding in her voice.

He rubbed at his brow with his thumb and forefinger. Razik had Traveled them back to the manor outside the Acropolis, scarcely sparing him a glance before he’d Traveled somewhere else with Eliza. That was over an hour ago. He’d been standing in this same spot in the study since then.

“Yes, I was there,” Theon answered.

“Was?” Cressida demanded.

“Yes. Sorry I didn’t have time to visit.”

“Theon St. Orcas, your father is missing. Your brother is missing. And you can’t spare a minute to check on your mother when you come home?”

He winced because when she put it like that… But who was she kidding? She’d been anything but motherly during his childhood. More than that, Axel had clearly been her favorite.

“Do you have news of your brother? Your father?” Cressida continued.

“A few potential leads, but nothing concrete,” he answered.

“Is that what you were doing here?”

“No. I was there to meet Luka and Tessa.”

He was greeted by silence at that statement. It went on so long he pulled his phone from his ear to make sure the call was still connected.

“Mother?” he finally said.

“Tessa was here?”

Her voice was cold and more serious than he’d ever heard it.

“With Luka. Yes.”

Whatever had come over his mother seemed to disappear, her voice back to its usual feminine lilt, but there was still an icy undercurrent to it. “Was she well?”

“What do you mean?”

“She appeared…unharmed?”

“Luka was with her. Of course she was unharmed. Why are you upset?”

“She wronged you, Theon. A mother has a right to be upset when her son is wronged,” she admonished.

“She is still my Source, Mother,” he answered, turning to the door when a knock sounded.

“Yes, but I do not believe for one second it is a coincidence that your father and brother disappeared shortly after her declaration of freedom. Do you think she did something to them?”

Theon rolled his eyes at the worry in his mother’s voice, despite it being well-founded. Tessa had done something to his father, and he wished she’d finished the job.

“She wouldn’t hurt Axel, Mother,” he answered as the door opened, and Tristyn Blackheart walked in.

Theon held up a finger to signal he’d be a minute, and Tristyn nodded, turning to peruse the shelves of the study.

“And she can’t hurt your father,” his mother was prattling on. “He’s the Arius Lord. She’ll only be able to hurt him if the Achaz Lord helps. What are you doing about this, Theon?”

“I’m working on it,” he gritted out.

“Where are you?”

“Back at the Acropolis.”

“How did you get back there so fast?” Before he could figure out an answer to that, she said, “Oh! Have you learned to shadow walk? As wonderful as that is, Theon, you need to be careful until Tessa is dealt with.”

“No one is dealing with Tessa but me,” he retorted. “Unless you know something I don’t?”

“Of course not,” his mother tsked. “You are the Arius Heir, Theon.”

But something wasn’t sitting right with her questioning and her tone.

“Mother, if Father told you something—anything—I need to know.”

He saw Tristyn slowly turn to face him, clearly eavesdropping on the conversation.

“All I know is that my son came home and couldn’t be bothered to even look in on his mother,” Cressida said, her tone bordering on hysterics now.

For the love of Arius.

“I will try to make some time to see you in the next few days,” he replied, ignoring Tristyn’s impatient gesture telling him to wrap things up.

“I should hope so,” she replied.

“Goodbye, Mother.” He hung up before she could reply. Slipping his phone in his pocket, he said to Tristyn, “Everything go all right today?”

The male usually just dropped the Fae off and left. He only lingered if he had information to share.

“As far as I know,” Tristyn answered.

“Are you sticking around? Tessa was here this morning, and?—”

“Tessa was here?” Tristyn interrupted. “How was she?

Theon blinked at his concern. “I’d say she was channeling her Arius lineage this morning because she was the epitome of a death-seeking goddess. But shortly after that, she learned that being the most powerful doesn’t always guarantee victory. It has been a long day, to say the least.”

He gave him a brief rundown, and when he finished, Tristyn said, “Roan is stable, though?”

“Cienna was still there when I left.”

Tristyn nodded, relief flashing in his russet eyes. “She will be able to keep him alive.”

“Did you know they were Trackers?”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “But there’s only so much we can say before we are tempting fate.”

Every time someone uttered those words, Theon wanted to punch something. Fate this and fate that. As far as Theon could tell, the Fates had abandoned their world as much as the gods had. If anything, the Achaz Lord was using the Fates to convince Tessa her purpose was to wipe out the Arius line.

But that was neither here nor there right now. He needed to talk to Corbin. He needed information about these supposed revolutionaries, and he was done playing games.

“I’m assuming you have news since you’re still here,” Theon said, heading for the door.

“Not so much news as a push in a direction,” Tristyn said. “You’re running out of time, Theon.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Theon snapped. “You know, you’ve never made it clear what stakes you have in this. Why does all this matter to you? You and Auryon pushed her to this state as much as I did.”

For the first time that he could remember, the male didn’t have a quick comeback. He was quiet as Theon led the way to the living area where the Fae usually congregated in the evening. When he got there, though, he only found Corbin and Lange.

“Where is Katya?” Theon asked.

“She didn’t say where she was going,” Lange answered. “But if I had to guess, she went to look through books. She was not herself today.”

He was seated next to Corbin, who didn’t look up from the computer he was typing away on. Theon had given him one to see if he could find his way into some databases and discover…well, anything really. But Katya hadn’t been “herself” for some time now. She kept pushing forward, her determination never wavering, but even Theon could tell she was starting to break.

“I am going to go find her, but then I’m coming back here,” he said to the males. “Tessa was here today and gave me some information, but you two need to start talking about what you know about the Underground.”

The males glanced at each other, but neither said anything.

Theon turned, nearly running into Tristyn. He’d forgotten the male was still here.

Sighing, he said, “Say what you need to, Blackheart. I’ll add your cryptic warnings to the list of shit I need to figure out.”

“You know I’d be clearer if I could, right?”

“Would you?” Theon challenged. “Because from where I’m standing, you had plenty of time to interfere, to give your warnings, to do fucking anything, but you waited until Tessa appeared.”

“What was I supposed to do, St. Orcas?” Tristyn demanded, and Theon could swear his eyes had a faint light green glow to them. “What would you have done if I’d shown up here and told you a godsdamn thing? Would it have changed your plans? Altered your course of action? Would you have let her be knowing what she is? Somehow I doubt that. This is bigger than you. Bigger than Devram. There are so many moving parts to all of this, you have no godsdamn idea. One misstep and this realm becomes nothing but a memory.”

“What difference would it make?” Theon said. “That’s all we are to the gods anyway.”

“That’s not?—”

The soft sound of a throat clearing had them both turning to find Katya standing there, a book in her hand. It was the book Cienna had given her that Theon knew she had been painstakingly translating. Her curly black hair was piled atop her head, and Theon could see how tired she was in her amber eyes. He was positive that was Axel’s shirt she was wearing with her training pants, and he didn’t know where she’d found the chaosphere tee shirt she had knotted in the front.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said.

“You’re not,” Theon replied. “I was actually just coming to find you.”

She nodded, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “What can I help with?”

“It’s not so much what you can help with, but that I think you’ll want to be part of this conversation,” he replied. “Tessa came to see me today.”

That had all the Fae turning to him.

“But before we get into that, did you find something?” Theon asked, nodding at the book she held, a page marked with her finger.

“I don’t know,” she answered, shifting on her feet. “But I… This is going to sound a little crazy, but I don’t think Axel is doing well.”

“That doesn’t sound crazy. I am sure he is suffering,” Theon said, his brow furrowing.

“No, I…” She blew out a harsh breath. “It’s more than that. It’s like I can feel him sometimes. And then I found something. But I might have translated it wrong, and I?—”

“Let me see,” Theon said, moving closer.

“I’m sure I translated it wrong,” she said hesitantly, letting him open the book to the page she still held.

Inside was a sheet of paper with her transcription on it, and Theon skimmed the words before glancing back to her. She was worrying her bottom lip, watching him.

“This refers to a bond. The Source bond?”

Katya shook her head. “I don’t think that’s what it is. It seems similar, but also different.”

“Looks like I don’t need to push in any direction after all,” Tristyn said, and Theon turned to find the male with a small smile, his hands in his pockets. “And perhaps the Fates haven’t abandoned this realm as much as you think.”

“What are you talking about?” Theon asked. “What do you know about this?”

Tristyn appeared to debate the questions for a minute before he said, “I know some, but I believe your visitors would know far more than I do.”

“Razik and Eliza?”

Tristyn nodded.

“They’ve been here this whole time and said nothing?” Theon said, his annoyance and frustration already rising.

“They have to be careful about what they say,” Tristyn answered. “They do not know what is common knowledge here and what is not. Their purpose is singularly focused. They cannot deviate from it, or they risk?—”

“Tipping the balance. I’m aware,” Theon cut in. “At this point, I don’t give a fuck if it tips as long as Tessa isn’t the sacrifice for it.”

Tristyn fell silent, but the look on his face told Theon he’d stumbled upon something profound.

“No,” Theon snarled. “She will not be the sacrifice to correct this.”

But Tristyn didn’t speak another word.

“All this time she’s hated me and accused me of trying to use her for her power, when it’s been everyone else all along,” Theon sneered, stalking from the room and barking orders to the Fae to follow him. He didn’t stop until he was outside the suite that Razik and Eliza had been staying in, and darkness gathered around him as he pounded on the door.

“We need to talk about some things,” Theon called out, pounding on the door again.

It was wrenched open, an irritated female on the other side. “You are incredibly needy today.”

Theon didn’t reply to the taunt. Instead, he held up the book, still open to the page Katya had translated, and showed it to Eliza. She skimmed the page for only a few seconds before she said, “Razik?”

He appeared immediately, glaring at Theon. “What do you want now?”

“Raz, look,” Eliza said, pointing at the pages.

The male’s eyes narrowed. “Where did you get that book?”

“That’s not your concern at the moment. What do you know about this bond?” Theon asked.

“Can you read this?” Razik asked instead.

“Not fluently. It takes hours to translate, but I didn’t translate this. Katya did,” Theon answered. “She says she can feel Axel at times, but that is something common between a Source and Master.”

“Except it’s not,” Eliza said, pulling the door open wider. “You all should come in.”

A tense silence settled over them as they filed into the sitting room off of the main bedroom of the suite. Tristyn was last, still conspicuously silent. Katya perched on the edge of an armchair while Lange and Corbin took a seat on the sofa. Theon remained standing, crossing his arms and waiting for Eliza or Razik to speak.

“When Scarlett was here, she started working some things out,” Eliza started. “But none of us could figure out how it would be possible. Only certain bloodlines can create new Marks.”

“Which ones?” Theon interrupted.

“Zinta and Taika.”

“Scarlett is neither one of those, from my understanding.”

“Yes, but her history is not black and white. She…attained other powers. She does carry some of that lineage and can create new Marks. That is not the point though. We keep telling you that your Source Marks are not Source Marks, but the Marks you do use…”

Eliza trailed off, looking up at Razik.

“There is more than one type of bond among the realms,” Razik said with a sigh that said he found everyone in this room to be annoying for not already knowing this. “The Source bond you all have here is not what it was intended to be. Instead, someone, at some point in time, took a sacred bond and desecrated it.”

“Could you be any more vague?” Theon asked, his irritation matching Razik’s.

Razik shrugged. “Probably.”

“Stop,” Eliza cut in again.

She pulled her hand from the sleeve it was currently curled around and held it up for them to see. A Mark was on the back of it, tendrils of black branching out and winding around her thumb and first two fingers. She elbowed Razik in the stomach, and he sighed, holding up his left hand as well. The same Mark graced the back of his hand, tendrils winding around the same three digits.

“Scarlett and Sorin had a similar Mark,” Theon said, stepping closer to study their hands.

“Not similar. The same,” Eliza said. “Only theirs was complete.”

“What does that mean? Complete?”

“There is a bond called a twin flame bond,” Razik said, his arm coming around Eliza’s waist and his hand resting on her hip. “The Mark is a twin flame Mark, and if both accept the Mark, it initiates something called the Trials.”

“What are those?” Theon asked, still studying the Mark.

Scarlett had never let him get a good look at hers, and he’d been too busy trying to find Axel and figuring out everything about Tessa to really worry about the Mark on these two. And yeah, he felt foolish realizing a potential answer had been in front of him this entire time. But they could have said something. Anything .

“The Trials aren’t particularly important here,” Razik answered. “What is important is what twin flames can do. Once the bond is initiated, they can feel each other’s emotions and speak to each other via their thoughts.”

Theon slowly lifted his gaze to Razik’s. “Repeat that.”

He didn’t.

Instead, Eliza said, “And once the bond has been completed, they can combine the strength of their power so one or the other can use it.”

“I fail to see how this differs from the Source bond,” Corbin cut in. “We simply call it something different, no?”

Eliza shook her head. “From what I can gather, the Fae here do not choose the Source bond, but that is not the most concerning part. Finding your twin flame is not particularly common. More than that, it is not limited to only the most powerful. Any Fae and Legacy could be twin flames.”

“So this bond can only occur between a Fae and Legacy?” Theon clarified.

“Correct,” Razik answered. “It is said the bond is a gift to the Fae from the gods as a thank you for being a source of power for their legacy.”

“It is not something to be forced upon the Fae,” Eliza cut in, her tone hardening. “If accepted by both sides, it is something to be revered. A twin flame is the one soul you are destined to be with, have been joined with since the beginning of time. It is believed the souls of twin flames recognize each other, somehow finding each other among the stars, and this godsforsaken realm has used it to force the Fae beneath them.”

Theon had taken a step back as she’d spoken, flames igniting in her eyes and embers mingling with her red-gold hair.

“We didn’t know,” Theon said, the words almost a whisper.

“ Someone knew,” she retorted. “Someone did this.”

Razik tugged her gently into his side, bending to brush a kiss to the top of her head. She nodded, and Theon understood then that all this time they’d been using their twin flame bond to communicate. Sorin and Scarlett had done the same. Eliza untangled herself from Razik, disappearing into the bedroom.

“She needs a moment,” Razik said.

“We didn’t know,” Theon repeated, unsure of what else he could say.

“I gathered that,” Razik replied dryly. “Scarlett told us her suspicions, but to be honest, we didn’t believe her. To take something so sacred and use it to… We didn’t believe it until we came here.”

“And you’re sure?”

Razik nodded, moving to the side table and retrieving a book. He flipped it open, and Theon immediately recognized the four Source Marks. Setting the book on the coffee table, Razik sat next to the Fae on the sofa, placing his hand beside the pages.

“It took a while to place it all, but it appears with your advancements in this world, they have somehow deconstructed the twin flame Mark,” he explained, and Theon could see some resemblances.

“But the first Mark is just the symbol of a god,” Lange said, leaning forward to see. Katya had done the same, Corbin looking over Lange’s shoulder.

“That’s the one I still haven’t quite figured out,” Razik said. “But I think that part is some of the Source Mark. When the actual Source Mark is given, one power has to overtake the other. The next one though.” He tapped on the second Source Mark. “That one is this part of the twin flame Mark.”

Razik traced a few lines on his hands.

“The third Mark is this portion,” he went on, tracing another portion of the Mark on his hand. “The last Mark took me a little while to work out. There are small traces of the twin flame Mark, but it also has the actual Source Mark in it along with?—”

“The Guardian Mark,” Theon finished, looking between Razik’s hand and the Source Marks. He was right. It was subtle in some ways, but he was still right.

And somehow Scarlett had seen this instantly when she was here.

“Your queen is clever,” Theon muttered, still studying everything.

“She’s not my queen,” Razik retorted.

Theon glanced up at him. “I thought she was the High Queen of the World Walkers?”

“And I am not a fucking World Walker.”

“But Eliza serves in her Court?” Katya asked, and thank the gods he wasn’t the only one confused now.

“She is the general of the Fire Court. Technically, she serves under the Fire Prince,” Razik said, withdrawing his hand and leaning back against the sofa.

“Whom Scarlett is married to,” Theon said.

“Yes, but Scarlett’s brother rules another continent. His wife is my queen,” Razik answered. “Speaking of, where is Auryon?”

“What does Auryon have to do with anything?” Theon asked, returning his attention to the book before him. But then his gaze whipped to Katya in understanding. “You believe you and Axel are twin flames.”

It wasn’t a question, and he watched as a blush colored her cheeks.

“I didn’t say that, but that thought may have occurred to me,” she answered. “But after hearing everything about it, I don’t think it was an accurate thought.”

“Why not?” Lange asked. “You’re Fae. He’s Legacy. Isn’t that the requirement?”

“It is,” Razik answered.

Which meant Tessa couldn’t be his twin flame, Theon realized. She couldn’t be anyone’s anything because she wasn’t Fae or Legacy.

She couldn’t be his, despite these Source Marks trying to force her to be just that.

“You said you could feel him, though?”

They all turned at Eliza’s voice, finding her standing in the bedroom doorway.

“I can’t say for sure,” Katya murmured, her eyes fixed on her hands that were folded in her lap.

“Yes, you can,” Eliza said, moving back into the room. Razik tracked her every move, already on his feet and meeting her halfway. He took her chin, tilting her head back. Again, they said nothing, but Theon could tell some silent exchange was happening.

That.

That was what he’d been wanting with Tessa.

Not the relationship he saw between his father and Eviana.

Not the bonds he witnessed between the other Legacy and their Source.

But that .

He just hadn’t realized it, and now? Tristyn was right. He was running out of time, and he still had no idea how to get to… Well, that .

“You felt him?” Eliza said, coming to stand in front of Katya. “When?”

“I…” Katya started, her eyes darting to Theon, and he nodded for her to go on. “I don’t know if I did.”

“How well do you know him?” Eliza asked. “Did he send you into hiding to protect you?”

“Yes, but…”

“And the two of you were inexplicably drawn to each other?” Eliza pressed.

“Not right away,” Katya argued.

“But Axel was,” Theon interjected. “The moment he saw her at the Emerging Ceremony. He insisted we claim her for the Arius Kingdom. Did so before we could stop him.”

Katya was blushing once more as Razik said, “A male usually feels the pull first.”

“And when emotions are incredibly heightened—fear, sadness, agony—the other can sometimes feel it even before a Mark is taken,” Eliza said. “If you think you felt him, there is a good chance you did.”

Katya was staring at them as she whispered, “He is not well, and I…”

“You can find him,” Eliza said.

“What?” Katya and Theon asked at the same time.

“Taking the Mark, if it is a true twin flame bond, will allow her to speak to him. He can tell her where he is. Or at the very least, give her a description of his surroundings. She’ll be able to feel the bond as she gets closer to him,” Eliza said.

Just like the first Source Mark.

“But what if they’re not twin flames?” Corbin asked, everyone turning to them now.

Eliza pressed her lips together, her eyes flicking to Razik. He was the one to answer.

“As with any Mark, there is a cost. Taking the twin flame Mark is an offering of a piece of one’s soul to another. If the two are true twin flames, their souls recognize one another, and the Trials are initiated. If they are not, the Mark fades after time, and the piece of the soul offered fades with it. Some believe they have found their twin flame but are too afraid to test it against the Marking, so they are content to simply be together without the bond,” he explained.

“But if I take it and Axel does not, how would we know?” Katya asked.

“Taking the twin flame Mark without a companion is offering a piece of your soul up for anyone to find. It is drawn to its twin flame, but if it is not accepted, it continues to try to find its counterpart and drains its owner of their power. It weakens them until they have depleted their magical reserves or until something else finds it,” Eliza said quietly.

“Something else?” Corbin interjected.

“There are plenty of beings in the various worlds. Some who gain their power from the souls of others,” Razik said darkly.

“There is another way to find him,” Theon cut in, not liking the sound of any of that for Katya.

“What do you mean?” Katya asked,

“It was what I needed to discuss with you. Tessa was here today and gave me information that might help us find him.”

“Might?” she repeated skeptically.

“I don’t know how true it is, but we can start there. She said my father has holdings in the Leisure District of the Underground. If that’s true, I did not know such holdings existed,” he replied.

“How will you know?”

“I need to go visit the Shifter Alpha and Beta. They control the Leisure District and would know.”

“When will you go?”

“That’s the thing,” Theon said, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I’ve sent a formal request to see them, but I have to wait for their reply.”

“You are the Arius Lord,” Katya said, panic creeping into her voice as she pushed to her feet.

“I know, but it’s best not to piss them off when I’m not officially appointed yet,” he replied.

“It’s been weeks, Theon,” she insisted.

“I know, Kat. I know, but…”

But one misstep could throw his world off balance more than it already was.

She turned to Eliza. “I’ll do it. Give me the Mark.”

“Katya, no,” Theon interjected. “Give me a day at least.”

“And if they do not reply, that is a day wasted,” she argued.

“It’s one day, Kat.”

“And he has been gone for too many days already!” she cried. “If I truly felt him… Theon, he is not well.”

He stepped forward then, gently taking her shoulders. “What do you think Axel will do if I let you do this, and it is not what they say it is? Sacrificing a piece of your soul?”

“That will be my burden to bear,” she answered, tears welling in her eyes.

“But he will blame me,” Theon said.

She was quiet for a long moment, amber eyes never leaving his. Finally, she said, “He sacrificed everything for me. The least I can do is sacrifice a piece of myself for him. I am asking you to let me do the very thing you would do for Tessa without a second thought.”

“I’m his older brother. It’s my job to protect him, not yours.”

“Theon, you can’t protect us all,” she said softly.

“Yes, I can. I just need a little more time,” he insisted.

“I think we’re living on borrowed time now, don’t you?” When he didn’t answer right away, she added, “You’re one person, Theon. You can’t save the world by yourself. You need him, and I… I didn’t know I needed him until he found me.”

“I can’t let you do this, Kat,” he said. “If something happens…”

A sad smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “I am doing this, Theon. Whatever the punishment is for disobeying you, I’ll accept it. It’ll be worth it.”

“I won’t punish you for trying to save Axel, Katya,” he said in dismay.

But he should. Isn’t that what he’d been taught his entire life? The Fae are here to serve? Except everything Eliza and Razik had just told him was in direct opposition to everything he knew. Again.

Kat was still staring at him in that way that said she knew exactly what he was working out. They’d spent so many hours together these last few weeks, it shouldn’t surprise him she was learning to read him a little.

Another thing he would have been punished for if his father was still the Arius Lord.

But he wasn’t.

Whether he was recognized by the other Lord and Ladies yet, it shouldn’t matter. He’d worked his entire life to get to this position, where he could not only protect his own but his people as well. So had Luka. So had Axel.

Eventually, Theon, you’re going to have to let others in on your plans because all you ever seem to do is give people more reasons not to trust you.

Her words echoed in his mind. He supposed if he wanted others to trust him, he needed to learn to trust them a little bit too.

“Fine,” he finally gritted out, dropping his hands to his sides and straightening. “This is your choice. If you want to take the Mark, take it. I will give the Shifters a day to reply. If they haven’t, I show up unannounced, and you’ll come with me to see if you can…feel him.”

“Thank you, Theon,” Katya whispered.

“I still don’t like this idea. If he’s too far gone and doesn’t take the companion Mark…”

“That is my burden to bear,” she repeated.

“Not just yours,” he answered. Looking over his shoulder, he found Tristyn, who was still silently watching everything play out. “When I go see Kylian and Giselle, I request you go with me.”