Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Legacy, #2)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

“Unless you have a way to travel us to Arobell in the blink of an eye, yeah, we’re walking,” Lange quipped. “You’re an ass,” Corbin noted. Lange shrugged. “I read that Legacy used to be able to do that. It was an ability taken away when Devram was created.”

They were people she didn’t recognize, and they were moving too fast for her to properly see their features. That or she was too panicked to care. One almost appeared to have wings. Which was madness.

Not as pain flared deep in her belly and fangs pierced her throat, and gods, she couldn’t scream. Couldn’t breathe. And it was dark and she was alone and⁠—

Her violet eyes were hard and narrowed. Her shiny mahogany hair was braided down her back,

“Lost for so long, but not much longer. Fate changes, moment-by-moment, and I can’t keep up. But it is not time for this, for chaos and death. Much can change. Much will change. That war will come.” She reached out and placed a hand over Tessa’s heart, and faint light flared as she murmured, “It slumbers still. Now is not the time for this. Not yet.”

He wore his suit pants, but his black shirt wasn’t buttoned, untucked and hanging open to leave his chest on full display. A chest she’d watched heaving as he bound her with his shadows. A torso she’d watched the muscles of flex as he’d sank into her⁠—

He was obsessed with figuring out her lineage ever since the Emerging Ceremony a week ago. Ever since it had been revealed she wasn’t Fae like all the other Sources. Ever since it had been revealed the Source of the Arius Heir had magic of Achaz. No one understood how someone with magic of the god of light and beginnings had gone undetected for her nearly twenty-four years, but the fact that she was the Source of power for a descendant of the god of death and endings was irony at its finest.

The Fae were already learning to control their elements, but mastering an element differed from a Legacy power.

Because the dark still plagued her, and time spent in pleasure at his hands still managed to drive it away, and fuck him for being both her destruction and salvation.

Her fingers tightened around her mug, and her eyes dropped to the ground, finding his black shoes. He never went barefoot.

She reached up, wrapping her hand around his neck, and pushed up onto her toes, pressing her lips to his as he bent to meet her. The bond made things too unbearable ever since that night, and she was done fighting it when giving in didn’t mean anything but a momentary reprieve from this life she’d been fated with.

At some point he’d set his mug down and had taken hers from her hand. Her hands slipped beneath that unbuttoned shirt, fingers sliding over muscle as they moved lower, his stomach caving beneath her touch. How had she not realized how much control she had in this? Even when his hand came up to grip her throat so he could take control of the kiss, the groan that came from him when she licked into his mouth told her she still held more control than he did.

Ford was the Fae male who had replaced Pen. Everyone was on edge with the new Fae in the townhouse. Theon, Axel, and Luka clearly didn’t trust him, not that Tessa could blame them. Theon’s father, Valter, had chosen the male himself after he’d murdered Pen in front of all of them to prove a point.

Katya was still going through all the trainings with the other Fae, despite already having been claimed and assigned to the Arius Kingdom. Axel had claimed her himself,

Kat may not have been a Source to a Legacy, but she did have the fire element. The Anala Kingdom never let any other kingdom have fire Fae, so the fact that Kat could control flames was nearly as big of a scandal as Tessa not being Fae.

“I am told you are academically inclined. I asked if you think any part of me is Fae.” “I…” When he trailed off, Tessa finally turned to look at him. “No, Tessa, I don’t think any part of you is Fae.” “So I am a Legacy then?” “Perhaps.”

She looked back at him over her shoulder. “In the middle of the night. I just said that.” “Where was I?” “Sleeping.” His eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” “Because I don’t like you.”

“What if they decide I can no longer be your Source?” she asked curiously. “They won’t.” “But what if they do?” she pushed. Theon straightened as they pulled up to the Tribunal. Tucking his phone into an inside suit pocket, he answered, “No one is taking you from me. Ever.”

He turned then, and Theon turned with him, watching his brother’s gaze connect with Tessa’s. “The blame in all of this does not lie with you.” The room was silent for a heartbeat, and Tessa held Axel’s gaze, her features expressionless as she listened to everyone debate what she was.

the Keeper leaning along the railing of the upper deck. His cloak shrouded him from view as it always did. Theon only assumed he was a male based on Tessa’s testimony of him.

“I will admit that removing the bands escaped me, but⁠—” “Escaped you?” Lord Jove said incredulously. “You simply forgot to take care of your Source’s needs?”

Yike bro

“I wish to stay with him,” Tessa finally answered, and Theon sucked in a breath at the words. “Why?” asked the Falein Lady. “Because many things are changing,” Tessa said. “It is overwhelming at times. I know there are only more changes coming, and having something constant, at least for the time being, would be…comforting.”

you will still be considered a Source,” Lord Jove cut in, his entire being fixed on Tessa. “Even though you are not Fae, you will still receive the next Source Mark on the fall equinox. You understand this is beneath you now?” She didn’t tremble, falter, or stutter when she answered, “I understand where my choices will lead.”

“We are prepared if they vote against us.” “Against us,” she repeated. “Yes. If they say you cannot remain with me, we are prepared to fight our way out.”

I wish to stay with him. The words had been as bitter as the bile on her tongue when she’d said them. I wish to stay with him. She knew the Achaz Lord would wonder, especially after the things he’d said to her at his estate home. I wish to stay with him. But it hadn’t been a lie. Even if saying those words had tested her very being, staying with Theon was going to give her the best opportunities at uncovering secrets and figuring out who was lying to her, who was trying to use her.

“Do you wish my loyalty was to you?” She lifted her head, and the crease between his brows told Tessa he was as perplexed by his question as she was. “Why would you be loyal to me?” “I don’t know,” he murmured, more to himself than her.

Luka stood and silently held out a hand to her. She studied it for a moment, this time remembering a grand hall where she’d stood in shock after being Selected, where this same hand had been extended to her, had fallen to her back to guide her up to a stage. Had guided her into an entirely new fate. “Come on, little one,” Luka said, his voice low as he waited. There was no impatient gesturing like Theon always did when she didn’t respond immediately. There was no quick grip latching onto her when she slid her fingers into his waiting palm. There was just the slow curl of his fingers, his large hand engulfing hers.

“You have until the winter solstice to uncover her lineage, Heir St. Orcas. If, at that time, you have not been successful, alternative arrangements will be made.” “What kind of alternative arrangements?” Theon demanded. Lord Jove’s smile was tight and laced with an arrogance that said he knew exactly how much power he held here. “None that involve you.” “That’s impossible,” Theon returned. “How will you sever a Source bond?” “Which brings us to our next contingency,” Lord Jove went on. “Should you be successful in discovering her lineage, it will be reported to us immediately, and the next courses of action will be determined. In the meantime, you are permitted to continue with the Source Marks as Tessalyn has stated she is willing.”

“You are only prolonging the inevitable,” he repeated to Theon. “She is not meant to be with you.”

“But for the sake of clarity, should you learn she is indeed a Legacy and the Source bond cannot be severed another way, it is not an Achaz Legacy whose life will pay that price. That is the cost of this kindness we’ve extended to you.”

“The Source bond will be severed, and a Match ceremony performed⁠—” “Between her and Luka,” Valter interrupted.

“Unless you would prefer me to hand her over to someone else?” Valter added, a brow arching in a knowing look. “The two of you share everything else. Certainly this wouldn’t have to be any different as long as the babes produced are Luka’s.” Share everything else? Tessa’s fingers paused their twirling of the shadows as she glanced at Luka. She’d certainly had her own experiences with sharing, but consider her interest suddenly peaked. Not that she wanted to share them. If it were up to her, she wouldn’t have any of them, but⁠—

Axel muttered, swiping one of the chilled bottles of blood from the counter. Most Legacy preferred to sip it from a glass like a fine wine. His mother certainly did. But he was desperate enough to drink several swallows directly from the bottle. Most Legacy were also able to make their weekly ration of Fae blood last the entire week. He would be lucky if this bottle lasted three days.

Luka had been different with Tessa from the very beginning. He’d avoided Theon’s rooms as much as possible, trying to give them space and encouraging Tessa to bond with Theon. But there were other things Axel had noticed and brushed off. There were the perplexed looks when Luka thought no one was looking, like he was trying to work something out, but they were all trying to work out Tessa and the Source bond. There was the way his eyes lingered when Tessa wore tight dresses, but that was because… Well, he was a male attracted to females, and Tessa was a female.

Limping and bloody, he’d returned to that warded room he’d left Kat in before going to help Tessa. She’d been standing in almost the same spot he’d left her, but he’d been so injured and so weak. It had taken every ounce of self-control not to take from her because her blood could have fixed everything. Instead, he’d roughly told her to come with him, hadn’t said a word the entire way to the townhouse, and had dumped her in his room before going to the Arius manor house where Luka had helped him clean up. They’d all had fresh Fae blood waiting for them, and Axel knew the cost of that favor was still yet to be paid.

Katya was standing there wearing nothing. Her head was bowed, hands clasped, and his mouth completely dried out because those were full breasts and hips perfect for digging fingers into. Those were soft curves, and suddenly it was visions of those lips being wrapped around something other than a spoonful of peanut butter and fuck.

Speak when spoken to. Eat when given food. Drop to your knees when commanded. Spread your legs when told.

“Someday I’m going to get you to try it, kitten,” he sighed, reaching for another roll. “Only if you order me to,” she scoffed. Instead of snatching up the roll, Axel leaned over, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Startled eyes peered up at him from beneath thick lashes. “I’m never going to force you to try it.” Their eyes held for a long moment before she whispered, “Okay.”

“Fine. I’ll sleep in the bed if you’ll sleep on the sofa and not the floor,” she snapped, and Axel had a feeling that if she didn’t have the shirastone bands on her wrists keeping her power under control, flames would have flickered in her eyes. “Deal, kitten,” he said, retrieving the pillow he’d tossed to the floor. And Axel knew without a doubt he’d be sleeping in his room every night from now on.

“He killed someone, Theon. Someone you actually cared about⁠—” “No, Tessa. Axel killed someone. I’ve killed people. Luka has. My father rarely does the actual taking of life. He finds the message gets across clearer when the blood is on our hands,”

“Your salvation and destruction.” “You’re already both, little storm,” he said, his voice gravel and his gaze darting to her mouth when her tongue flicked along her lower lip. Her other hand came up, a single nail tracing his jaw, and he could swear those violet rings around her eyes flared like lightning when she whispered, “Not yet, but I will be.”

“Theon,” she breathed. It was more of a moan, and she’d never said his name like that. Not when his lips had been on hers. Not when his cock had been deep inside her. Not when he’d watched her come undone beneath him. His magic strained, pulling at the tight leash he held on it. His darkness wanted more of her light, and he wanted more of her. Then he felt her power tentatively reach back. “Good girl,” he groaned, his brow falling to hers. It was all there was to say. It was all there was to feel.

“Are we…” He trailed off because it couldn’t truly be possible, but the evidence was all right there. “Are we saying she will essentially be able to somewhat control all the elements the Fae can?” “I don’t know that it will be exactly like Fae magic, but if she truly created those crevices in the gardens at Arius House⁠—”

Theon’s power was racing for her, but Luka was faster. His wings had already appeared, and he was in the sky, dragon fire erupting around Tessa.

“You do not know what you harbor, young heir,” the figure said,

“It has to be this way, or this world will fall like all the others.”

“One female will not be the downfall of an entire realm,” Theon snapped. The masked face tilted to the side. “No, but the two of you together will be.”

“He’s a dragon,” Tessa whispered in awe. She reached out a hand and ran her fingers along scales so dark they appeared black in the night, but the moonlight glinting off them gave away shades of blue darker than his glowing sapphire eyes.

surroundings. Another huff told Theon the threat had passed, but Luka wouldn’t shift back. Not yet. He was too lost to the Guardian bond, and the need to protect would keep him in this form a little longer. Especially when a howl sounded. Then Luka was herding him back to Tessa, curling around them again. “He’s very…protective,” Tessa muttered, studying a wing that was folded against Luka’s side. “It’s the Guardian Bond,” Theon answered. “He’ll settle down in a minute.

“He can just…shift back?” Tessa asked, her hand smoothing down his scales once more. There was a soft flash of blue light, and Luka stood there, Tessa’s hand now pressed to the naked skin of his muscled abdomen. She snatched it back as if he’d burned her. “That was rude,” she muttered. “You’re the definition of rude,” Luka said, eyes still scanning their surroundings. “How do you have pants?” Tessa asked. Luka arched a brow. “Are you wishing I didn’t?”