Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy #3)

46. Theon

46

THEON

S tanding on the front steps of the Tribunal Building, he read through the information again while he waited for Luka. Razik had sent this information via his magic, and fine. Theon could admit using that method seemed more practical than sending this via email. Especially with the fact that if this information got out, it would cause chaos.

Well, more chaos.

Because he was about to walk into a storm of pandemonium.

With a swirl of darkness, he sent the paper to a pocket realm to study again later when he was with Razik. The male had given him the barest details. Just enough to make sense, but he still had questions.

So many questions.

But right now, he had to focus. He pulled his phone out, finding no missed calls or messages. Was Luka seriously not going to show for this? He knew something had happened between him and Tessa, but he hadn’t heard from Luka since then. The male wasn’t answering calls, had blocked the bond, and had seemingly disappeared. He was likely at his cave, but Theon didn’t have the luxury or the time to fly up there right now.

So he settled for sending him a message.

Theon: We’re having it out after this, fucker. I cannot believe you’re sending me into this alone. This is not just about her, and you know it. Get your head out of your ass, and do what needs to be done.

Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he straightened his suit jacket and made his way into the Tribunal Building. He didn’t bother with the entrances that were reserved for the ruling Lords and Ladies meant to keep them always separate and above everyone else. Instead, he walked straight into the hearing room, striding down the main aisle and making his way to the dais where the Anala and Falein Ladies were already waiting on their thrones.

They weren’t here to discuss his kingdom. Not this time. Or not directly, he supposed. They were here to decide Tessa’s fate after the massacre, all the blame landing on her shoulders despite his belief she was setup. She had still summoned the Hunters. This was still a direct result of her actions, and he didn’t think even the Achaz Lord would be able to stay the Ladies’ judgment this time.

He stared out across the empty hearing room. There would be no one else in these proceedings today. No heirs or nobility. Just the rulers and their Sources. Another disadvantage for Theon since he didn’t have one, and another reason he’d wanted Luka here. His gaze fell on the table where he’d sat mere months ago, Axel at his side, as they’d argued his case to keep Tessa as his.

So much had changed in the span of a few heartbeats.

Theon took his seat, feeling strange sitting in his father’s chair. After everything, it still didn’t feel right. He’d been trained for this. His entire life, everything he’d done, all the blood and betrayal and brutality, had been for this. It had all been so he could sit in this fucking seat.

And it didn’t feel right.

He sat casually though, not letting his discomfort show. Legs spread and elbow on the armrest with a finger steepled along his temple, he didn’t bother to acknowledge the other three rulers when they entered. He only followed their path with his gaze. They all took their seats, Rordan sitting straight and tall. Before he could say anything, the Celeste Lady spoke.

“Where is she?” Lady Candra demanded.

“She is where we agreed she should be housed until her fate is decided,” Rordan said, sounding as though he was already exhausted by this conversation that was sure to last for hours.

“She should be here,” the Anala Lady said. “This hearing is about her, after all.”

“After what she has done, she gets no say in her own fate,” the Serafina Lady snapped. Her silver glare fixed on Theon. “ You should be outraged more than anyone, Arius Heir.”

Theon held her stare for a full five seconds, the room going quiet, before he said, “It is my understanding the Augury attacked her yet again. Are we now doling out punishments for defending ourselves? Is that not what our entire realm is built upon? Proving who is the most powerful?”

“Hundreds of your people died,” the Celeste Lady cut in. “If you are this cavalier about it, I question whether you are fit to be the Arius Lord.”

If only she knew he questioned the same as of late.

But he said, “Losses that could have been avoided if we could get the fucking Augury under control. How many times do they have to come after Tessa before we do something?”

“The Augury is a myth,” scoffed the Celeste Lady.

“Tell that to the souls of the dead,” Theon deadpanned.

“You cannot possibly still be defending the girl after all of this,” the Serafina Lady said.

“ Tessa did not ask for any of this,” he retorted, sitting up straighter. “She was chosen against her will to be a Source. Then, when it was discovered she wasn’t Fae at all, a hearing was held to determine her fate. She has never had a say in any matter. None of the Fae ever have.”

The Ladies stared back at him, and it was the Falein Lady who said, “What are you saying, Heir St. Orcas?”

“I’m saying maybe it’s not Tessa or the Augury that led to this. Maybe it’s this whole godsdamn system.”

The Serafina Lady straightened. “It is how things have been done since the creation of the realm. The gods decreed it.”

“The gods don’t come here. They don’t give two fucks what we’re doing thousands of years later,” he retorted.

“Let’s all take a moment,” Lord Jove interrupted, his voice ringing out above the arguing. When everyone fell quiet, he continued. “I know you are new to this, Theon, but it has long been the responsibility of the ruling Lords and Ladies to uphold the laws and traditions of Devram.”

“And you were all around when these so-called laws and traditions were decreed by the gods?” Theon asked.

“Of course not,” he scoffed.

“Then how do we know? How do we know what the gods decreed before they abandoned us all here?”

“It has been passed down from the Lords and Ladies before us,” Rordan replied coldly, his eyes narrowing. “Are you suggesting we should shun those who came before us and the gods who gave us everything we have?”

“I am saying it is foolish to expect an entire realm to continue to operate in the same way for thousands of years without any advancements or changes,” Theon said, a sneer curling on his lip. “But that’s not entirely what has happened either, is it?”

“Whatever do you mean?” asked the Anala Lady, but when Theon swung his gaze to her, he could swear she was fighting a pleased smile.

“Yes,” drawled the Serafina Lady. “Please expound on such a statement as if you have the experience to speak about anything. You are a child .”

“Do I have experience in withholding information for my own personal gain to try to manipulate people into doing and being what I want? To make sure I keep control and power?” Theon countered. “Not only do I have that, but I’ve been on the receiving end of it my entire life. It is why I believed it to be normal. It’s what I was taught, and all I’d ever known. But that was all by design, right?”

Lady Isleen sat back in her seat dramatically, as if affronted, but Theon pushed on.

“But to answer Lady Aithne’s question, I think the Lords and Ladies over the years have changed and adapted over time, but those advancements were as manipulated as everything else in Devram. All of those advancements were instituted to widen the divide between not only the Legacy and Fae, but also among the Legacy themselves. The mortals have been left alone because they could never challenge beings of power, but the Fae?” He chuckled derisively. “They could pose an issue if not kept under control, right?”

“That is enough,” Rordan snarled, but Theon had seen the Sources in the room shifting on their feet, cutting glances at each other. “We are not here to discuss how Devram has evolved or been ruled in the past, and we are certainly not here to discuss how it will be run in the future. We are here to discuss the fate of Tessalyn.”

“Death is the only fate I will accept in this matter,” the Celeste Lady replied sharply.

“That seems a bit foolish, Luna,” Rordan scoffed.

“It is anything but,” she all but squawked. “The girl has been nothing but a menace since her power was awakened. Even before, her records state how she was a constant nuisance at her estate during her formative years. She has been given numerous chances only to prove time and again she cannot control herself. She continues to fight, and the people of Devram continue to fall. We gave you the chance to prove you could control the uncontrollable, and you have failed in that regard as well, Rordan. This is the only viable option I see moving forward, or Devram as we know it will fall.”

“Do I not have her under control at this very moment?” Rordan demanded, light flickering around him, a golden mist swirling at his feet. “She is locked up at the Pantheon. You know the manner of beings those cells hold. She is under control there until an understanding can be reached. She is already responding favorably and has signed a Match Contract she was previously resistant to. She is wild, yes, but it just means she is taking a little longer to understand her place in this world.”

“You mean her place in your kingdom?” the Serafina Lady asked. “You know well how upset we all were by your revelation at the Sirana Gala, Rordan. You expect us to be fine with you having that kind of power in your kingdom? Breeding it into your bloodline? I think not. I agree with Luna. Death is the only acceptable answer at this point.”

“Death is the logical answer,” the Falein Lady chimed in. “It would alleviate the most problems with one simple action.”

“Simple?” Theon cut in. “We all know how difficult it is to kill a Fae, let alone a Legacy. You think it will be simple to kill her ?”

“Dragons are difficult to kill, and we seem to have accomplished that fairly successfully,” the Serafina Lady said with a mocking smile.

“Obviously not,” Theon replied, his smile all teeth as he accepted what she was admitting to.

“Your kingdom keeping the existence of one a secret from the rest of us is not the victory you think it is,” she replied coldly. “It only deepens the mistrust already sown in the events that led to their extermination in the first place.”

“I wonder,” Theon mused, holding her silver stare. “What will you do when you learn Serafina rejected her Match with Achaz and joined Arius?”

“How dare you speak such blasphemy,” she cried in outrage.

But Theon only smiled. “So much time separated from the gods. While the other realms were free to advance and grow, Devram was left to rot. They made it look pretty with all the technology of the times, with the gifts of Fae and mortals to serve, but it’s never been a gift to their legacy. It’s always been a curse, and we have only warped that curse over time.”

“That is enough!” Lady Isleen cried, her hands slamming onto the arms of her chair. “I call for a vote. Those in favor of sentencing Tessalyn Ausra to death, voice your agreement.”

Three feminine voices rang out: Serafina, Celeste, and Falein.

“Your motion fails,” Rordan said, his words full of power.

“Then we will find a way around it,” she sneered. “We always do.”

“Remember the cost of treason and failure, Maya,” he replied darkly, the threat clear. “The Arius and Sargon Legacy played this game once before and lost.”

Her smile was as sharp as his tone. “Perhaps you should remember that dreams born in the dark become nightmares.”

The Achaz Lord’s eyes narrowed on her. On this steadfast alliance that was cracking before Theon’s eyes.

“Perhaps a short recess is in order,” Rordan gritted out after a long, tense moment.

“Agreed,” the Anala Lady said, immediately standing and striding from the room.

Theon followed suit, only he made his way outside and pulled his phone from his pocket. There was still no reply from Luka, but that wasn’t what he was checking for anyway.

Opening his contacts, he clicked on a name and brought his phone to his ear as the call rang through.

“What, St. Orcas?” came the sharp answer.

“They’re holding her in the cells in the Pantheon. Do you know where those are?”

There was a long pause before, “They are in the center.”

“Fuck,” Theon muttered, carving a hand through his hair. “You don’t happen to have any tech that could get us past the Keeper, do you, Blackheart?”

“Getting past the Keeper won’t be the issue,” Tristyn replied. “It’s the cell she’s in that will be the problem. I’ll need a few days.”

“She doesn’t have a few days,” he bit out.

“I’ll do what I can as fast as I can. Meet me there in two days at high noon. If I can do it sooner, I’ll let you know.”

“Not if,” Theon snapped. “Make it happen sooner, Blackheart. Meet me there at sundown.”

He hung up on the male, and Theon yelled a curse, startling two Fae passing by on the street. They practically ran to get around the corner, and he only then realized his darkness was undulating around him.

Hours.

He needed to stall this ridiculous hearing and outcome for the rest of the day, and he already knew how to do that. There were cracks among the kingdoms. Fragile alliances on the verge of breaking.

He needed them to shatter.