Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy #3)

27. Tessa

27

TESSA

“ T hink of where you want to go,” Luka said.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep, but that command was ridiculous. Because where she wanted to go was anywhere but Devram, and it was not as if she could just Travel there. Then again, it wasn’t as if she could Travel anywhere.

For the last hour, they had been doing this. Luka seemed determined to teach her to Travel, grumbling about how he shouldn’t need to wear sunglasses every time she entered his room. She’d rolled her eyes, but humored him, letting him talk her through the basics of Traveling. Now, however, they were both getting frustrated because this was going nowhere. Or, more accurately, she was going nowhere.

“Can’t we go back to training with our magic,” she said, and yes, it was bordering on a whine.

“No,” Luka said. “Focus.”

“I am focusing.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Really? Then tell me where you’re focusing on right now.”

“Right now I’m focusing on the left side of your face because that’s where I want to punch you,” she snapped, opening her eyes and glaring at him.

And catching the barest hint of a smile before he quickly wiped it from his face.

“By the gods, I need to sit down,” she gasped. “A smile from Luka Mors? I might faint.”

“Shut up,” he muttered.

“No, no,” she insisted, plopping down onto the floor of the training arena. Nylah was across the room, curled up tight, but her eyes were always watching. “I need a moment. I’m in shock, and I want to remember this. Who knows when such a phenomenon will happen again.”

“Tessa,” he growled, crossing his arms where he stood over her. “Get up. You’re wasting valuable training time.”

She clicked her tongue, flopping onto her back. “No, you’re wasting valuable training time trying to teach me to Travel. An ability we don’t even know if I possess. Teach me to control my magic. Teach me to wield a sword. Teach me to kick someone’s ass. My portals are fine.”

“Your portals are going to blind me one day,” he retorted. “More than that, how will you sneak into somewhere covertly when your portal is a beacon announcing your arrival?”

“Maybe I want them to know,” she countered, stacking her hands on her stomach and staring up at him. “I want them to know when I am coming to end them. The fear is intoxicating. Empowering. Enthralling. Freeing.”

Luka stared at her, his pupils having shifted and irises glowing a soft blue.

“What?” she asked.

“You are so vicious,” he murmured, his voice all heat that she felt in her blood. Her bare toes curled at the sound, her stomach doing flip-flops that she tried to ignore.

She cleared her throat. “Can we just go back to our usual training?”

“No,” he answered.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re tired, and your power hasn’t been refilled since your little escapade in the Sirana Villas.”

“That’s not true,” she lied.

Luka’s brows arched. “It’s not? You haven’t slept in my room since the night I found you in my bed, which you still haven’t discussed, by the way. Since that is the case, I can only assume you’re not sleeping well. Unless you’ve been going to Theon for such a thing, but I’m positive I would have felt that exchange down the bond, because you two don’t know how to sleep beside each other without fighting and fucking.”

Her mouth fell open at the insinuation. “That’s not true,” she admonished, pushing onto her elbows. “We slept beside each other plenty of times without fucking.”

“Until the first time. After that? Don’t lie to me, Tessa. I know what the two of you were doing long before you two realized I was part of the bond.”

She glared up at him. “I haven’t been going to see Theon.”

“I know.”

“Then why even suggest it?”

“Because it’s an option if you don’t want to sleep in my room. You need sleep, Tessa. I know you’re powerful and can go for days without it, but that doesn’t mean you should, especially when you’re training.”

She pursed her lips, her gaze darting to the side. She was tired. She hadn’t let herself sleep in Luka’s room since the night he’d held her. Mostly because he was a distraction from her purpose, and letting herself find comfort in others diverted her attention. It was easier to remember what she needed to do when she was alone. When she didn’t let herself depend on others. The problem was, he was right. She slept like shit so far from one of her bonded, and when she did sleep, it was restless. She’d even tried drinking the tea that Rordan still had delivered to her room every night, but all that did was make her visions more intense. And while she might sleep, she was still exhausted when she woke.

“As for your power,” Luka continued when she didn’t speak. “I’m training you daily, Tessa. I can tell when it’s weaker and a little off. You’re also clever, and I know that you’ve figured out how to refill your power reserves. The question is why haven’t you?”

She slid her gaze back to him. “I don’t need blood.”

“I assumed not,” he said, his tone a touch softer, and to her surprise, he lowered to the ground beside her. She laid back once more, and he did the same, propping one of his hands behind his head.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I know you’re not used to it, but this is called having a conversation.”

“Oh my gods,” she muttered, shoving at him with her foot.

She heard the small huff she could only assume was the closest he’d ever get to laughter. Turning her head, she asked, “What do you like to do for fun?”

He was clearly surprised by the question, and it took a minute before he said with a sigh. “It’s been so long, I don’t remember.”

“Me too,” she whispered.

She wasn’t sure what to do when she felt his fingers graze over hers. Her breath stalled, her heart rate picking up, but he didn’t do it again.

They lay like that for several minutes, and she was the one to speak again when she said, “I know this is going to sound a little insane, but just bear with me for a minute, okay?”

He muttered something under his breath that she couldn’t hear, but then he said, “All right. Let’s hear it.”

“I have dreams or visions or whatever,” she began, not even sure how to start this.

“I’m aware.”

“And sometimes you are in them,” she went on in a rush. “Not just as part of the visions, but in them. Like you’re watching them with me, and a few times recently you’ve been interacting with them. Do you…”

Gods, she sounded more than a little mad.

When she didn’t go on, Luka turned to look at her. “Tessa, if you’re asking if I remember being pulled into your visions, the answer is yes. I didn’t know if you remembered that.”

“Wait, really?” she asked, pushing up to a sitting position to see him better.

Luka nodded. “The first time it happened, I didn’t know what to think or do. But when it happened again, I started trying to figure out how and when it was going to happen.”

“And?”

He shrugged. “The last time was when you slept in my room with me. The last time was also the first time someone didn’t pull me out of it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The first time it happened, a female showed up. She asked how I got there.”

“How did you get there?” Tessa asked.

He shrugged again, still lying on the ground. “No idea. She asked if you called me there, and then she shoved me out of the dream. Every time since then, she’s shown up and shoved me out. Until the last time.”

“The one with the dragons,” Tessa clarified.

There was a small delay before he said, “Yeah. That one.”

“And you don’t know how you get in them?”

He sighed, pushing up to a sitting position and then getting to his feet. “No, but I can tell Theon about it. See if he knows anything.”

She tipped her head back to see him. “Why would Theon know anything about this?”

Holding his hand out to her, he said, “Because Theon is very well read. He is a wealth of knowledge, both useful and frivolous.” Slipping her hand into his, he pulled her to her feet. “If he doesn’t know something about this, he will likely know where to look to find answers.”

She knew all that. She’d seen him pore over books and scribble notes at all hours of the night. Luka was right. Theon would likely be the fastest way to get answers, but did she want him knowing about this? Then there was Lilura’s warning that someone was messing with her visions, and she’d never seen this female that Luka was talking about. Rordan was being…different with her since the Sirana Villas, but could she trust Theon with this information?

Planting her hands on her hips, she blew stray hair out of her face. Luka was watching her, waiting for an answer, and when she didn’t say anything, he said, “If there’s one thing Theon knows how to do well, it’s protect those he cares for, and you? You’re at the top of that list.”

She shook her head. “He’ll do what he thinks is best for me. He could figure something out and keep it from me because he thinks it’ll put me in danger to know. And don’t tell me he won’t because that’s all he’s done.”

“That’s fair,” Luka conceded. “Both of you need to learn to trust other people.”

“Trusting other people gives them power over you,” she retorted.

“The ability to trust other people is a different kind of power, Tessa.”

She glared back at him. “Then it is a power I do not want.”

He shook his head, rubbing at his brow in obvious disappointment. With a sigh, he said, “We need to discuss the Sirana Gala.”

“What about it?” she snapped.

“You need to give Theon permission to attend.”

She barked a laugh. “What?”

“That stupid bargain he made with you,” Luka said. “He can’t be in the same space as you unless you allow it.”

“I know that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I was asking about the Sirana Gala. They are still holding that?”

“Sounds like it,” Luka answered. “Theon sent a message about it. They’ll be announcing the new Rosebell overseer.”

“They’re just going to go on with their lives like nothing happened? Not even the Legacy mean anything to them?”

“What did you expect them to do, Tessa? Of course they are going to continue as normal. Otherwise their people will panic. If they see their leaders confident there is nothing to worry about, it puts them at ease.”

“And Theon is okay with this?” she demanded.

Luka’s head tilted as he studied her. “You have expectations of him?”

“Yes. I mean, no. I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No,” she retorted, crossing her arms. “I don’t. Are we done for today?”

“No,” sounded a female voice, dark and chilling.

Nylah lifted her head a second before Auryon stepped from a swirl of ashes and smoke, her bow across her chest. Her black hair flowed around her, grey ashes among it like snowflakes. Her swirling eyes raked over Tessa, and ashy footprints were left in her wake as she prowled forward with a lethal grace that had Tessa tensing. She hadn’t seen the female since Roan had nearly died, and she looked particularly murderous right now.

“Is something wrong? Is Roan all right?” Tessa asked, her entire chest seizing at the idea that something had happened. He’d been fine the last time she’d seen him. Still wounded, but recovering fine.

“Roan is well,” the female said. “I suspect he will be up walking around in the next few days.”

Relief flooded through her. One step closer to having him back at her side. Nylah was sitting up now, but she still stayed back. It was fine. Tessa didn’t need her by her side, but Roan would have already been there.

“Then why are you here?” Luka asked, his irritation written all over his face.

“You should be asking where I have been,” Auryon retorted, those mysterious eyes pinned on Tessa.

“Fine. Where have you been?” he amended.

“For days now, I have been tracking down all the Hunters you have summoned,” she snarled, and she wasn’t bothering to hide her ire at that. “You need to stop summoning them.”

A smile curled on Tessa’s lips as she said, “No.”

“No?” Auryon repeated. “You summon them here and then do nothing to contain them.”

“I do not wish to contain them.”

Auryon took two steps towards her, violence glimmering, and before Tessa could call forth her power in answer, Luka was stepping in front of her.

Auryon stilled, a sneer curling on her lip as a dagger appeared amid a swirl of ashes. “I’ve been dealing with your kind long before you were born, dragonling,” she said in a deathly calm tone.

“Perfect. Then you’ll know that dragon fire is more powerful than your magic ashes,” Luka retorted.

Tessa peeked around Luka to find the female staring at him, her fingers tightening around the dagger. The sound of Nylah shaking drew Tessa’s attention, and she looked over to find the wolf stretching before she trotted over to Tessa’s side.

“Temural would agree with me, you know,” Auryon said, clearly speaking to the wolf, but Nylah just sat down beside Tessa, a low warning growl sounding. “Yes, yes, I know,” she answered, rolling her eyes.

“Can you…communicate with them?” Tessa asked.

“We’ve discussed this,” Auryon retorted. “I have known them for a long time. I raised them. You will eventually come to know the same.”

“You raised them?” Tessa repeated in surprise.

Auryon nodded. “All the Huntresses aid in raising Temural’s Trackers.”

“How many Huntresses are there?”

She took a small step back. “There used to be twelve of us.”

“Used to be?”

She nodded, the ire reappearing. “Yes. Used to be. Temural and Anala granted us our gifts in answer to the Hunters that Achaz created. We are some of the only ones that can kill them, and you continually summoning them is becoming an annoyance.”

“So stop killing them,” Tessa drawled.

“It is my purpose to kill them,” Auryon shot back. “The sole purpose of a Hunter is to kill any being with Arius blood.”

“And yet I still breathe.”

Her smile was chilling. “For now.”

“Are you threatening her?” Luka interjected.

“No,” Auryon answered. “But if she believes they will not turn on her in time, she is more na?ve than I once believed. Stop summoning them, Tessalyn.”

“I am not na?ve,” Tessa spat back.

“Stop summoning them,” Auryon repeated. “If they make it to Arius Kingdom, you will not be able to control them.”

“I do control them. They answer to me,” she argued.

“They do not. They answer to Achaz.”

“Who is not here.”

Her head canted to the side. “Have you not spoken to him while in this realm?”

Luka whirled on her. “What?” he demanded.

“How can you possibly know that?” Tessa asked, ignoring his irate stare.

“You are not the only one who can move among wards undetected,” Auryon replied. “Stop summoning them.”

Then she was gone seconds before the door to the training room was thrown open. Rordan strode in, his Source and Dex at his side. Dagian and Sasha were a step behind. All of their faces were void of emotion, and Tessa immediately stiffened, stepping closer to Luka on instinct. Nylah’s growl was loud, a warning to them both, as she stood, her hackles raised.

“Tessalyn,” Rordan greeted tightly.

“Rordan,” she replied in kind.

The Lord glanced at Luka dismissively before focusing on Tessa once more. “It appears the two of you are done with your training for the day?”

“Not yet,” she answered.

“You are now,” he said tersely, and her temper immediately ignited at the command. “I leave for a meeting in thirty minutes, and we need to discuss a few things before I go.” He looked at Luka again. “You can go.”

“Actually, he can’t,” Tessa cut in. “We are working on some things, so you can tell me your information and then we can continue.”

“This isn’t a negotiation, Tessa.”

“I’m not negotiating,” she replied sweetly.

The gold in his eyes flickered, his nostrils flaring. “After the events of the Sirana Villas, you need to be…looked after. For your own safety.”

“Right. My safety,” she repeated flatly.

“You will retain your freedom, but Dexter has been assigned to be with you any time you leave the premises. It would be preferable if he was with you most of the time as extra security,” Rordan said.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Tessa said evenly. “Luka can do that. He is more powerful than a Fae .”

“Luka is not bound to this kingdom,” Rordan ground out.

“Surely my wolves are more than enough security,” she tried again, gesturing to Nylah.

“Dexter has been assigned this role, Tessalyn,” he said, his tone saying she wasn’t to argue further, and her eyes narrowed as the light around her wrists started winding up her arms.

“Just to clarify, you are assigning a Fae to protect her should something happen?” Luka interrupted.

“I was unaware you were part of this conversation,” Rordan replied sharply.

“No,” Tessa interjected. “He is not assigning him to protect me. He is assigning him to watch me and report back.”

“Be glad that is all I am doing, Tessalyn,” Rordan growled, stepping closer. Luka stepped closer to her too, but Rordan didn’t seem to care. “I spent hours with the other rulers yesterday persuading them that harsher measures were not needed. You should be thanking me.”

He said nothing else as he swept from the room, his son going with him, and then it was her and Luka and Dex, who was glaring at Luka.

Dex was better than a Legacy guard, she supposed. She’d slipped away from Dex on numerous occasions. The problem was that Dex wasn’t Fae. She was more than certain he was one of these light guardians that Xan had told her of, but if that was the case, who did he steal his power from?

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. She could try to get more information out of him. When she irritated him enough, he slipped at times and told her things he didn’t mean to reveal.

Finally Dex’s attention slid to her, his dark eyes looking her up and down. “You look tired, Tessie.”

“I’m not,” she retorted.

“I’ll tell Elowyn to increase your tea. Have you been drinking it?”

Gritting her teeth, she held Dex’s gaze as she said down the bond, Luka?

He didn’t flinch. Not even a twitch of his brow at her speaking to him, but she knew he was listening. Knew they likely both were.

Ask Theon to look into the visions.