Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy #3)

30. Eviana

30

EVIANA

T his was the most comfortable bed she’d ever lain on. Probably because she wasn’t being forced to share it with someone. It was small, only big enough for one, and that was what made it so comfortable. No groping hands. Fully clothed. No dicks. Or cunts, for that matter. Just this bed and solitude.

Eviana had been in this room for weeks now, but there was a window that let in sunlight. She was given three meals a day. Clothing that actually covered her. What would Valter think if he saw her in these loose sweatpants and an oversized sweater that went up to her chin? No cleavage or defined ass to stare at? The horror.

She smiled to herself at the thought. No, she quite liked these arrangements. Her own space with her own bed. She didn’t even mind the bands on her wrists that kept her from her magic. No expectations or demands of her time, her attention, her body. Just blissful silence.

Except for the incessant yammering of Valter down their Source bond.

Sighing, she rolled over onto her stomach as she listened to him curse Tessalyn for the tenth time in the last hour.

Do they still have you in shackles? She keeps telling me you are being taken care of, he asked down the bond.

Eviana looked down at the bands. She wouldn’t call them shackles, but she’d learned long ago to let the male live with his delusions. Being sweet and accommodating made him let his guard down.

Yes, my Lord, she answered, kicking her feet up and stretching her arms. They tell me nothing.

It wasn’t a lie. No one ever spoke to her. A Legacy delivered her meals without a word. The room wasn’t a prison cell, but it certainly wasn’t a luxurious suite either.

When I get out of here, you and I will take our revenge in flesh and blood, Valter snarled down the bond.

Sounds perfect, my Lord.

And by the gods, did it ever.

Only she dreamed of vengeance against him . For forcing her to do all manner of things with all manner of people. To all manner of people.

For forcing her to become the monster she was.

For forcing her to bring something innocent and perfect into this damned world.

For forcing her to love.

For forcing her to care.

He knew what he was doing, and she knew what he had planned.

A knock on the door had her getting to her feet. It was too early for dinner. She’d been served her midday meal only an hour ago. Standing in the middle of the room, she slipped into the role she’d been playing for decades now. Hands clasped. Eyes on the floor. Ready to serve.

Good and demure.

The perfect Source.

She was under no delusions it would keep her safe. She was a Lord’s Source. Eventually they would come for her. Try different methods to get her to spill her master’s secrets. Truly, she was surprised they hadn’t already done so.

The door opened, and bare feet stepped in. It had her head snapping up as she found Tessalyn Ausra standing in the small space, the door closing behind her. The last Source Mark was in place on her hand. Her golden hair was loose around her shoulders, and she wore a cream dress, the hem stained with dirt because the female never wore shoes unless she was forced to. And as she looked into those bright violet eyes, Eviana recognized the mania staring back at her.

“Hello, Eviana,” Tessa said, an eerie ring to her voice that had Eviana taking a step back.

“Tessalyn,” she said carefully. “I cannot tell you anything. The bond forbids it.”

“I’m aware,” the female said, taking in the space. “Are you comfortable here?”

“The space is more than enough.”

“But you would be more comfortable with him?”

It was a loaded question, and she wasn’t sure how to answer it. Was she trying to get information out of her? Did she think she could trick her? Stupid girl. She’d been doing this far too long. She’d learned the secret to survival and that was to not care.

About anything.

Not even oneself.

Until Valter had forced her to care about someone.

“I find the space suitable,” Eviana finally answered.

The light around Tessa’s wrists flickered with energy, and it had her own magic shifting where it was trapped beneath her skin.

“So you do keep secrets from your Master,” Tessa said, her head canting to the side.

“I don’t know what you speak of.”

The female hummed a response. “Did you hear news of the Sirana Villas?”

Wrath and fury immediately filled her, and she swallowed down the emotions. “What of them?”

“There was a massacre,” she said simply, but the wicked smile that tilted at the corner of her mouth said more than enough.

“And you still breathe?” Eviana asked, taking a single step closer.

“I do,” Tessa answered, making her way to the sofa and dramatically plopping down. “Let’s chat, Eviana.”

She stilled, debating what to do. The conversation could be kept from Valter. Her Master was too arrogant to realize she’d long ago learned how to keep him out of her head and block the bond. She simply made sure he was always feeling something . Right now, she was making sure he felt the unease of what this conversation could be, but the thrill of it? The downright glee at hearing of murders at the Villas? She made sure he wasn’t feeling an ounce of that.

“My loyalty is to him,” Eviana said carefully.

“Of course,” Tessa replied.

What is going on, Eve?

Ugh. She hated when he called her that. That and ‘my flower.’ She supposed they could be considered affectionate names except that Valter was the opposite of affectionate in every way.

Is someone hurting you? They assured me you were not being harmed, he went on as if he actually cared about anything other than power.

I am well, my Lord, she answered, still staring at Tessa across the room. Only discomfort from being so far from you, she added, soothing his ego.

She didn’t listen to his false reassurances, letting them be background chatter as she sat on the end of the bed. When a flare of light appeared, it had her flinching and turning away, and when she turned back, Tessa held a bottle of wine and two glasses.

“Drink?” the female asked.

When was the last time Valter had let her have alcohol?

Probably the time he’d given her to the overseer of Raven Harbor for a night as part of the Match Contract arrangements between Theon and Felicity. He always said it was to help ease the discomfort of the bond at them being separated. She didn’t care. She let them do whatever they wanted to her. The alcohol just let her dissociate even more, for a little while at least.

It was the same when Valter told her to kill someone.

Or fuck someone.

Or torture someone.

It was the same whether she was eating or sleeping, serving or guarding.

She’d stolen for Valter. Tormented his own children. Maimed and murdered. Crawled across glass and danced across ashes. All to prove her loyalty and keep her safe.

Tessa poured the two glasses of wine, setting one aside before holding the second out to her. Eviana took it, but didn’t take a drink. All her instincts were on high alert. Was this a test? A trap? Would failure result in a punishment?

“Don’t be nervous,” Tessa said, a look of pity crossing her face.

“I’m never nervous,” Eviana said flatly.

“Never?”

“No. I’ve seen and heard too much to let anything make me nervous.”

“Fair enough.”

The seconds turned to minutes, the two of them sitting in silence, and Eviana couldn’t help but wonder why she was here. What was this accomplishing? What was her motive?

“Are you lonely in here?” Tessa finally asked, sipping on her wine.

“No,” Eviana answered immediately. “I enjoy the solitude.”

“That’s understandable,” Tessa mused, tapping a nail on her glass. “But you’ve been with him for decades, right? Is it different without him now?”

“Of course it is different. What kind of question is that?”

Tessa arched a brow. “You are a little more outspoken when he is not here.”

Eviana didn’t reply to that, the glass of wine in her hand beginning to bead with condensation.

“You can drink that. I didn’t poison it,” Tessa drawled.

“Does Theon know you are here?”

She smiled again, and it was a chilling thing. “He’s no longer my master.”

“That’s not possible,” Eviana said, watching for the lie. “Only death can sever a Source bond.”

“That is what they say,” Tessa sighed. “And perhaps if it were a real Source bond, that would be the case. As it stands, we are still bonded, but it’s broken. Everything is broken. We’re all broken.”

She sounded more mad the longer she sat here.

“What do you want? I already told you I can tell you nothing,” Eviana said tightly.

“I told you I wanted someone to chat with. Dex follows me everywhere right now.”

“Then where is he?”

Tessa shrugged. “I have a little more freedom within the palace walls. I told him I was going to take a nap.”

“You live at the Achaz palace now?”

“Live here? I don’t know,” she mused before draining her glass. “But I’m staying here for now. Similar to you, I suppose. I just have more freedom.”

“No one is free in Devram.”

“No one? Rordan seems pretty free. The Ladies seem to do as they please.”

Eviana shook her head. “They are the most trapped of all. They must always be looking over their shoulder. Someone is always waiting to kill them.” Then she added, “Or imprison them.”

Tessa hummed, pouring more wine into her glass. “And where do you fall on that scale?”

“What do you mean?”

“Would you save them or kill them?”

“I am bound to save my master,” she answered without thought.

“Bound to, yes. But if you had the choice?”

“I don’t.”

Tessa nodded, tapping her nail again. “How much time did you spend at the Villas?”

“Whatever was required of me.”

Resting her chin in her hand, she mused, “Have you been there since your daughter was born?”

“I don’t have a daughter.”

“No? Your name was on the file. A female. Nine years. Currently at the Serafina Estate?” Tessa asked, a knowing look in her eye.

Is that where she was? Valter would never tell her. Only used her as a threat whenever Eviana even thought about defying him. Everything she did was to keep that child from harm, and now she’d been told where she was.

And judging by the look on Tessa’s face, the female knew exactly what she was doing. A clever thing then. A little insane, but who wasn’t in Devram?

“I do not have a child,” Eviana said carefully, letting Valter hear this part of the conversation. He’d made it clear if she ever admitted to it, her daughter would be dead within an hour.

So loyal, my flower, he praised down the bond.

She rolled her eyes, and Tessa huffed a laugh.

They fell into silence again until finally Tessa got to her feet, stretching her arms above her head. “Well, this was delightful,” she said, tapping her now empty glass and setting it beside the wine bottle that was still half-full. She wasn’t going to…leave that here, was she? “I find your company far better than most.”

What a bizarre statement. They’d hardly spoken.

Tessa was reaching for the door handle when Eviana said, “The Villas. Was everyone killed?”

“Just the full-blooded Legacy,” she answered, turning to face her.

“How would they know that?”

Tessa shrugged, but lightning flickered between her fingers. “No idea.”

“And they were all killed?”

“Every last one of them within the walls at the time.”

“Desiray?”

“I’m told her death was particularly merciless,” Tessa answered, nothing but fury glittering in her eyes.

“And Mansel?” she couldn’t help but ask.

Tessa frowned. “I know who that is to you, but I could not tell you if he was there that night. I do not know him.”

Disappointment churned in her chest at that, but that was fine. It would be nice if he’d died, but he wasn’t her concern. Her concern would forever be the child with turquoise eyes and auburn hair. Eventually she’d have her vengeance, but not until she was beyond sure that child would be safe from the fallout.

“Tessa,” Eviana called out when she reached for the door handle again.

“Yes?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

“I hope precautions are being taken,” Eviana said, holding her stare. “To protect the Legacy.”

“Of course,” Tessa said with a wicked grin. “We’re making sure everyone is prepared for what might come. We want to be sure everyone understands others might be sent to help. To ensure everyone can recognize ally from enemy.”

“I enjoyed our chat,” Eviana said, tipping her still full wineglass towards her.

“I’ll have to make them a habit,” she replied with a wink.

And then she was breezing through the door, a male glaring at her on the other side. Tessa didn’t acknowledge him. Just left him to trail after her. That was all she saw before the door was shut once more, the enchantments that kept her confined slipping into place.

But Tessalyn was not what she was expecting.

That was what she pondered as she stood near the small window and sipped the wine. The window wasn’t nearly large enough for anyone to climb in and out of, but she could see the surrounding vegetation. It had her magic writhing to be used. So much plant life within reach. She could conjure her own, sure, but it was much less draining to use the resources around her.

To ensure everyone can recognize ally from enemy.

She didn’t give two fucks about which side anyone was on. Her only care was protecting that child. She didn’t care whose blood was spilled or in what manner. She’d played the roles required of her and fucked whoever she needed to for information. She’d shoved stakes into backs and sliced blades across throats. She’d burned things to the ground, along with everyone inside, and let others take the fall.

Because one day she’d have vengeance.

One day she’d have more than that.

Eviana picked up the bottle of wine, pouring all of it into her glass. It overflowed, spilling onto the floor and soaking into the rug. A red stain on all the white in here.

She didn’t care about Tessa’s vendetta or what her plans were, but if she was offering a way out of here without Valter? She’d take it. It didn’t matter what she had to do, she’d do it all.

Who tried to get information out of you, Eve?

One of Rordan’s spies, she answered, sipping from the overflowing wineglass. It was enough of a half-truth to bypass the many bargains and oaths he’d forced her to agree to over the years.

And? he pressed.

Your secrets are safe with me, my Lord. Always.

That’s my beautiful flower.

Eviana smiled, picking up the empty wine bottle and carrying it into the small bathroom. There was hardly room to move in it. Big enough for a toilet, pedestal sink, and shower so tiny she could scarcely fit in the thing. Turning the water on to mask the sound, she smashed the wine bottle against the side of the sink. She still held the neck of the bottle, jagged pieces of glass now protruding from the end of it. She set it carefully in the sink before grabbing a hand towel. Humming to herself, she started picking up the glass shards from the floor and wrapping them in the towel. Then she took it and slid it all the way under the bed.

Just to be prepared for whatever may come.

She flopped back down on the bed, lifting her wrist and studying the dark band on it. It’d been a long time since she’d been forced to wear these. Valter never let her be defenseless. His beautiful flower was far too important to him and his plans.

Too bad his flower was more poison than beauty.