Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Legacy, #2)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

For fuck’s sake, Kat, I’ve wanted since the moment I laid eyes on you. Before that even. If Theon feels a fraction of this draw to Tessa, I understand the obsession, because I am obsessed with you. It’s why even though I know this is a terrible idea, I’m going to let you have it. I don’t even know what this is, but I know I could never deny you a godsdamn thing.” She kissed him then, her lips soft against his, and he slid a hand up her spine into her hair, holding her in place.

“You’re right. This is illogical. It makes no sense, and it drives me mad that I don’t understand whatever this thing is that draws us to each other. But if this is a terrible decision, I want to make it. If you do.” “You’re stunning,” he murmured, staring up at her. Topless, sitting atop him, hair a mess, and lips swollen.

“You can touch me, Axel. Please gods, touch me,” she said.

“I get to touch you,” he murmured, and he heard the awe in his voice. “I’ve never wanted to be touched before,” she replied in a breathy tone

“Only me?” She nodded, her head tipping back as he lowered his mouth to her other breast. Only him. A primal thing inside of him liked the sound of that, and he sucked hard, pulling another cry from her.

He wasn’t prepared when her fingers wrapped around his cock, giving it a firm stroke from base to tip. “Fucking Arius,” he cursed, falling back onto his elbows. She only smiled, repeating the movement before lifting her hips and lining herself up. He could feel all of her wetness and heat before she even started to sink down. He had flopped down onto his back, his hands fisting in the sheets as she moved slowly.

And when she started making those desperate little noises, the ones that told him she didn’t know what else to do, he pulled her to his chest. His arms wrapped around her tight as she buried her face into his neck, and his hips punched up into her.

“I’ve never gotten to do that before.” “Do what? Be on top?” Axel asked, peppering kisses along her neck as he tugged her back against his chest. “Finish,” she answered.

Tessa had gotten really good at blocking the bond. She hadn’t told Theon, and she wasn’t sure if Luka had clued him in or not, but it was something she’d managed to get Auryon to teach her. Not just blocking the bond for short periods of time, but mental shields.

“And you promised it would always be like this. That it would always be a battle with you.”

“After all, I am sure we will be spending so much time together with you being promised to Luka.” Tessa’s eyes flicked to Luka, who was giving her the shut-the-fuck-up look, then back to Felicity. With her right hand, she made sure the Arius Mark was visible as she reached for her wineglass. “Then I guess that makes them both mine,” Tessa replied sweetly, lifting her glass and taking a sip while holding Felicity’s gaze.

“You smell of forgotten lands,” she said.

“Don’t go that way, daughter of wild and fury.” Tessa whipped her head back to her. “What did you just say?” “Beginnings and Endings. Light and Dark,” she started to sing, pacing in a small circle. There was a piece of paper on the dirt floor of her cell, and she stepped on it with every pass she made. “Dark must bow, and Light must rule, but Chaos does not choose.”

“You will be the beginning of endings.”

And his father had let her win. Or perhaps thought he wouldn’t win.

Wind Walker.” “That’s not a thing,” he murmured. “According to this book, it is,” she tossed back. Theon leaned over, and she pointed to a word. It was in the Lost Language, and she wasn’t wrong. She’d translated it correctly. He skimmed the passage eagerly, then sat back in disappointment. There was nothing there to help. “This contends that some descendants of Sefarina could move among the winds like she can. The winds would carry messages and secrets that only they could hear,” Theon said, going back to his own book. “So some Sefarina Legacy would be able to do this?”

“Maybe the Legacy didn’t allow them to live. Maybe it was desperate mothers hiding them among the Fae,” Katya said. “Then how would we ever know?” Axel asked. “We do know,” Theon said, catching on to what Katya was getting at. “Or someone figured out how to find them.” “You think— Mother Cordelia?” Tessa asked in shock.

Because chaos always led back to her.

Then a dragon soared into the air, the female astride the beast. Purplish-black scales glinted in the sunlight, and the winged males took to the sky, crying out in anger.

Tell him to keep fighting. Tell him Lilura lives.

“It’s just a theory,” Tessa said. “I’d say it’s a pretty sound one considering Brecken and Oralia were claimed by Achaz Kingdom while we were being given our kingdom markings.”

“I do not know the specifics, but I knew you were not Fae. Then the timeline kept getting pushed out further and further, and even now, they have not acted,”

“I’ll come back for you.”

“Look at you,” he rumbled, the growl a possessive thing she felt in her soul, and she could feel… Want? Desire? Her head tilted in realization, another betrayal snaking through her. “I can feel you.”

He wasn’t surprised she’d finally put it together that she could feel his emotions tonight, but the dragon under his skin had certainly noticed all the blood and violence too. Even if he hadn’t been intrigued before, he sure as fuck would have been now.

“When did you learn you could fucking Travel? That’s what it is, isn’t it?” “That had always been my assumption, but seeing Scarlett and Sorin do it confirmed it,” Luka answered. “Has always been your assumption? How long?” Luka pulled the tie from his hair, moving to the brass tin he kept them in and placing it inside. “I learned about it shortly after my gifts manifested.”

“Or are you going to tell me that’s not what has you looking at her like she’s some shiny thing you need to take back to your cave?” Theon went on with a sneer. “I would never take her there,” Luka retorted. “Of course you would. It’s where you keep anything you find of value.” “I would never take her there because she hates the dark.

“No,” Luka snapped. “I told you from the very beginning she was not the one for this. I told you it wasn’t in her to submit. I told you she was wild and impulsive, and would you look at that? Her father is the god of the fucking wild and untamed. She was never meant to be yours.”

Yet here we are. All of us drawn to her light like moths to a fucking flame from the very beginning.” “From the very beginning,” Theon repeated, the words slow and dark.

Or because you saw her as some valuable, shiny treasure long before that second Mark?” “Fuck off, Theon,” Luka snarled. “It all fits,” Theon said in disbelief. “Your insistence that I not choose her. The lingering looks when I did. The long period of time you stayed away. The softness. The feral protectiveness. The fucking flip-flops. You sensed what she was from the very beginning and wanted her as your own.” “And you just wanted,” Luka retorted. “Without ever wondering why you were drawn to her. Then you act utterly baffled when nothing has gone to plan.”

Luka had been the first one to pull up her information. They’d made a list of possibilities, and then they’d spent countless hours debating them. It had been well into the night when they made it to the Celeste Estate Fae. They’d saved that estate for last on purpose. That estate had an impeccable record of turning out powerful Fae,

The moment her photo had filled the screen, his dragon had lifted its head. That same sense of mine had filled his soul that he always felt when stumbling upon something valuable. He hadn’t understood it then, but he spent the next years trying to.

You give in to every push from the bond and drive her to do the same. I’ve had to force myself to do the exact opposite.”

“You don’t have the first Mark. You can’t feel her physical presence⁠—” “Except I’m connected to her by a Tracking Mark,” Luka cut in. “So are you and so is Axel. I can feel her presence. The only difference here is that she doesn’t have a Sargon Mark on her hand.

She got to her feet, rubbing at her face and smearing dried blood across her cheek, Luka tamped down on the barrage of emotions that assaulted him from that one action. Anger that she was covered in blood to begin with. But by the gods, seeing her splattered in blood? Knowing it was there because she fought back? That was pride and satisfaction, but more than that, it made the dragon beneath his skin want.

Or he had until he’d been dragged into this Source Mark debacle. Since that time, the idea of being with someone else had become…unappealing.

Tessa was already in the bathroom with the door closed. Luka immediately found himself wondering if she’d come out in that robe again. Or maybe wearing nothing as she was prone to doing. It’d be a terrible idea, but admittedly, he was torn about which way he wanted this to go.

Auryon had spoken about the basics of mental shielding, but Tessa had clearly practiced it. She’d quickly become proficient at it, and while it annoyed Theon, Luka let her have that secret. He wasn’t entirely sure why.

She was curled into Theon as usual, his arm looped around her and his other hand threaded with hers. Luka was curled into her, though. She could feel the weight of his arm just below Theon’s, his warm palm splayed over her belly. A thigh was wedged between hers, the coarse hairs on his leg rough against her smooth skin.

That the warmth in her chest and the heat in her veins and the desire pooling was more than just physical needs to be met, but that it was welcome and wanted. She let herself pretend she didn’t feel guilty and disgusted with herself for wanting to begin with.

“Katya, it sounds like… Are you saying that a Source bond might not be in place until the final Mark is given? That, essentially, there is no bond for Theon to break right now?” Axel asked. Bright amber eyes met his. “I think so? I mean, there’s obviously some purpose to the other three Marks, and there is clearly a bond between him and Tessa. But an actual Source bond?”

can only interfere so much with your brother, but to clarify, I offer the aid to Katya. Although, I suppose that now includes you by default.”

“Fire and shadows. What a perfect balance.”

“I will always fight for you, Tessa. I will always come for you. You will forever be mine.” “Not just yours though, right?” she said with a faux innocence. “What do you mean?” “I am bound to you and Luka now. Then again, that was always the plan, wasn’t it? Match me with him?” she asked, feeling Theon’s fingers flex on her throat. “It seems only fair. You will never be wholly mine, so⁠—”

“I need you to unzip me,” she said. She could swear Luka’s eyes flashed to vertical pupils, but maybe she’d imagined it.

Both of these males had seen her naked. If anyone was bothered here, it was Theon. Or maybe Luka? Because that was definitely a bolt of lust slipping down the bond.

She turned to say something, but whatever she’d been about to say slipped her mind when she found two sets of heated eyes on her. There was no mistaking the emotions filtering down the bond now. Hot want and dark desire.

This morning, she’d felt his jolt of surprise at finding her eyes open and returning his gaze. The palm that was splayed across her belly moved, rough fingertips trailing along her hip. There was the barest touch as the pad of a finger brushed against bare skin where Theon’s shirt had bunched up during her sleep.

That was all he’d done before he’d slid from the bed, once again completely naked, and went to the bathroom. But she’d let herself pretend a little longer after that. Pretended his hand had gone lower. Pretended he’d warned her to be quiet or there would be consequences,

She felt Theon lower to his knees beside her, but she was focused on Luka, who had crouched before her. He didn’t say anything, but something in her chest eased at being able to see him.