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The Arius Kingdom was the definition of cruel and wicked, which fit, she supposed, since they were descendants of Arius, the god of death and endings. The Kingdom’s ruling family embodied all of that and more with their power to command shadows and darkness along with other mysterious gifts that were not well known. Few outsiders were ever allowed into the Kingdom, and while it was known there was an heir of age there to Select a Source, he hadn’t been visiting the various Fae estates the last several years to evaluate his options like the other heirs had.
They were taught that being Selected was an honor. It was ingrained in them from birth that being Selected was the greatest role in society a Fae could ever hope to achieve, and that to be the Source of a ruling Lord or Lady was as good as nobility. Only those who were already tapped to be a Source truly believed that, and Tessa was pretty sure that was out of necessity to come to terms with their fate.
“I choose Tessalyn Ausra to be my bonded Source,” Theon announced, his voice skittering over her bones.
“I am Theon St. Orcas, Heir to the Arius Kingdom. You are Tessalyn Ausra. I have Selected you to be my Source. You obey me above all others. My desires are your desires. You are mine.”
Be what they want you to be now, so you can be who you were meant to be later.
“Do not leave the bathroom, Tessa,” he repeated before brushing past her. “If I have to chase you down while naked, I cannot be held entirely responsible for what will happen when I catch you.”
“He thinks Tessa isn’t the one for what must be done. That she’s too unpredictable. It is why I require her complete submission. It is why I am pushing her so hard to give in to the Source bond. I need the loyalty the bond creates. We can’t tell her everything without it,” Theon answered. “Perhaps your time would be better spent focusing on a real bond rather than a forced one?” Axel ventured.
All she would ever be to him was a pawn in a game among the Legacy. A piece of property to be used however her Master saw fit. The documents Theon had shown her days ago flashed through her mind, and she was suddenly crushed under the weight of missing Dex and Lange and her friends. People who wanted her for her, not what she could give them.
“What else do you think she’s endured?” Axel asked, his tone ringing with a touch of sorrow. “I wish I knew,” Theon answered. “I don’t want her to break. I just need her to bend.” “Careful, Theon,” Luka said. “Something can only bend so far before it snaps.”
“These last few weeks have been what I imagine the Pits of Torment to be like. Pure and utter agony, and you do not seem to care as long as I am obedient and behave properly. Have I thought death might be a kinder option a time or two? Yes. When I was experiencing the pain from the first Mark or the torture of the assessment today, did I wish for death to finally claim me and just put me out of my fucking misery? I’d be lying if I said no. But not even death wants me, even when handed to her willingly.”
Descendants of the gods? How far back would they have to trace their bloodlines to even come close to one of the gods? They were probably more closely related to the mortals. The original Legacy were half-god, half-mortal anyway. The Legacy fancied themselves gods in Devram, when in reality? They had a fraction of the power they descended from, even if they did strategically arrange Matches to strengthen bloodlines.
“I have nothing to say to you.” “You have nothing to say to me? Only to the mortal downstairs?” His nostrils flared when he brought up Tristyn, ire flashing in his eyes, but he seemed to push it back down just as quickly. “He fed me pizza, so he automatically ranks higher than you on that action alone,” she retorted, stepping back when he stepped forward again.
“This fucking mouth of yours is going to be the death of me.” “You sure seem obsessed with my mouth tonight.”
I am trying to figure out what exactly it is you want from me—” “Everything, Tessa,” Theon snarled, moving so quickly, Tessa didn’t register he’d even moved until he was before her once more, his hand loosely gripping her throat. “I want everything you have to give, and then I want more. I want every piece of you— every secret, every tempest raging in those stormy eyes. I want all your fear and all your pain, all your smiles and all your laughter. I want all your mornings and all your nights, all your days and months and years.”
“And what will you do when there is nothing left, Theon?” She heard him suck in a sharp breath. “What will you do when you have taken everything and left me with nothing?”
The cruel grin returned. “Beautiful, if you think Arius Kingdom is the only one that operates outside the Accords and makes deals in the shadows, you are sorely mistaken. Some would argue that the other kingdoms can be even more cunning and ruthless. Personally, I think they tell themselves that for a sense of security because they still send their cursed to the Underground, so I think that proves which kingdom is feared the most.”
“You will learn soon enough that being the most cunning and wicked is the only way to survive in a realm of villains, little storm.”
“She had silver hair and silver eyes. More weapons than he could count. She had gifts of shadows but also fire as bright as the stars, and Theon saved her from imminent death when another in all black approached to kill her.”
“Will you finally let me take care of you, Tessa?” he asked, his voice low and rough as he took a single step towards her. Was she finally going to give in? Was it giving in? Maybe it was simply her taking something she needed from him the same way he was going to take her power from her. The way he was going to take everything from her.
“So much history gets lost when a select few choose what gets to be remembered.”
“If you only knew what I knew,” he said, something Tessa could only describe as a mixture of longing and pain sounding in his voice. “It’s something you can’t learn until you’re forced to walk through it, but you’d know that strength grows in the moments you think you can’t go on, but you do anyway. Strength is fighting back. Strength is doing whatever it takes to claim what is yours, even if others try to convince you it is not yours to take.”
“You are not the only one forced into shitty situations, Tessa,” Luka replied. “You have far more in common with me, with Theon, with Axel, than you realize. The difference is the three of us aren’t lying down and letting it happen. We don’t sit around and stare out windows all fucking day. You don’t want this? Fight back.”
