Rain of Shadows and Endings (The Legacy)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

Control the uncontrollable, Or to fury they both lose.

Who will be left standing, When Chaos comes to reign?”

“You don’t have to,” Tristyn said with a slight shrug. “But that aside, I want you to know you are strong enough for this, Tessa.” She couldn’t speak around the sudden lump in her throat as she swallowed back the tears threatening to well. “You still don’t know me,” she whispered. “If you knew—” A frustrated sound rumbled from him when he cut himself off.

“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.”

“Do that again.” “What?” “Do that again. Swallow.” “Why?” He leaned into her, feeling the gasp as his bare chest pressed to hers. “Because I want to imagine what it’s going to feel like when my cock is in your mouth, little storm.”

“Nothing else happens until you admit this is more than a fucking bond.” “It’s not.” Another sharp inhale when he shot forward, an arm braced above her head and his finger drawing light circles on her stomach. “So godsdamn stubborn,” he mused. “What happened to not lying to you? I’ll be lying if I tell you this is something more than a physical need,” she retorted. This time when her hips thrust forward, he pressed his own to hers. The resulting moan from her lips mixed with his own groan as his cock pressed against her. “Then lie to me, Tessa. Lie to me, and tell me it’s more,” he rasped.

“Tell me you’re mine, Tessa. Tell me that, and I’ll make you come. Now. Later. Whenever you want.” “No,” she ground out, attempting to move her hips again. His hand stilled, his fingers deep in her soaking center. “You’ll lie to me about everything else but that?” But she turned her head to the side, breaking his gaze, and that just wouldn’t do. He’d never wanted an answer more in his life. “Tell me why, Tessa,” he said, cupping her cheek and bringing her face back to his. “No.” “Tessa—” “No,” she interjected. “I’m not yours, but I’ll use you the same way you’ll use me.” “I’m not going to use you.” “Now who’s the liar?”

Taunting. That’s what made him do this to her. She tucked that away for future use.

“You’re perfect, Tessa,” he murmured. “You already got to fuck me, Theon,” she sighed. “You can stop trying now.” “Tessa—” “Please just…stop talking.” To her surprise, he did. But his hold tightened around her.

“No one can steal your thunder if you are the storm,” he replied, stretching a hand toward her. “Be the fucking storm, Tessa.”

But when he reached for the door that would lead down to the wine cellar, her heart rate picked up. “Theon, wait. Please. Just wait.” She dug in her heels, trying to find something to grab onto with her other hand as he pulled her down the steps into the cellar. It was a small, windowless space with stone walls and low lighting. There were two racks full of wine, with hardly enough room to move between them. The space was cool to keep the wine chilled, cold on her bare feet. “Theon, why are we down here?” She could hardly speak, unable to keep her voice from wavering. “I am going running. Luka is taking care of Pen, and Axel has left. You have repeatedly proven you cannot be trusted to be left alone.”

Oh. My. God.

“I told you there would be harsher consequences. If only I’d known this was all I had to do from the beginning.” Then he was taking the stairs two at a time, the door banging shut behind him. His darkness went with him, and she was scrambling up the stairs. But the door was locked, and she was screaming as she pounded on it. She was stuck, trapped within these walls. No windows. No way out. And she could hardly get down air. Just like when Mother Cordelia would withhold air. There was no one to hear her cries. Theon had left. Axel had left. Luka had left. Alone. Completely alone. This was why hope was pointless. This was why she didn’t bother caring about anything. This was why she wished for death.

Him and Tessa’s cries as she’d begged him not to leave her in the wine cellar. It wasn’t terribly small. She’d be fine. Another crack of thunder had him second-guessing that final thought.

Fuck you

“Tessa, there’s glass in your back. We’ll need access to it.” “So I shouldn’t put this on?” “Yes, but—” He pushed out another harsh breath. “Maybe slip it on backwards?” She did so without another word, pushing the sleeves up as she climbed back onto the stool. Theon called to Luka, and for the next hour, the two of them pulled shards of glass from her flesh. She didn’t utter a word. She didn’t whimper or cry out. She didn’t flinch or wince. She did nothing. She was nothing.

She’d been trying to learn, trying to understand, trying to do what was expected of her. She’d been trying, and all he’d done was tell her it wasn’t enough. That she wasn’t enough. That he needed her to try harder. Needed her to be more. Needed her to give and give and give. And now she was this. She’d stopped trying.

She smiled, a coy and knowing thing, and he felt a sharp tingle at his fingertips. A small spark of energy. And then he felt the tug of the bond. He’d been keeping it muted all day, giving her space. Trying to let her…come out of whatever this was. But it wasn’t him who’d freed the bond at that moment. It was her.

“Do you want a drink, Tessa?” Theon asked, and that had her turning completely to face him. She leaned back on her elbows against the onyx railing, studying him. Then she smirked. “Wine would be lovely.” Theon narrowed his eyes, but nodded. “One glass,” he warned. “I won’t even lap it off the floor,” she retorted.

Maybe she’d been paying more attention than Theon had realized.

No shit

“I was going to ask you to not let me kiss you again until you were ready to admit this is more than a bond. Because I knew…” He swallowed as she just stared back at him, no emotion filling her eyes. His voice held a thread of defeat when he said, “Because I knew the next time I kissed you, it wouldn’t be enough. That I’d want more. That I’d want it all. Because you have become a need, little storm.”

“I will come for you. After.” She nodded, her features slightly flushed from the kiss. “Does knowing that change anything?” he asked. She stepped back from him, his hands slipping from her face. She intertwined her fingers in front of her once more as she answered, “No.”

He was right. This was more than a bond; she just hadn’t quite figured out what that meant yet. She’d realized that as she’d lain on the floor of that wine cellar. They were more than Source and Master, Fae and Legacy. They were more than two people connected by a bargain and a bond. They were more than, but more than what?

And she found Theon, a mixture of anticipation and dread on his face. She felt the cord in her chest reaching for him, seeking comfort, but she felt the thing in her soul reaching for him too, wanting something much darker.

That would be the power that told the realm she wasn’t Fae at all.

“I can’t say I have experience with wearing heels,” he replied. “But they do make your ass look good, so I’m rather partial to them.” “You’re not supposed to be looking at my ass,” she replied. “I’m Theon’s, remember?” “Baby doll, with the dresses and pants you wear, I can’t help but look at your ass.” “Theon picks out my clothes.” “He likes to show off his⁠—” “Things? He likes to show off his things?” “No,”

I simply wish to confirm that is still the case, Dexter.” Dexter. Dex was here.

Weelllp fuck i knew it

“Rordan. Rordan Jove attacked us both. The Achaz Lord has her.” And it killed him, absolutely destroyed him, but Theon turned to his father and said, “I need your help.”

Ugh why

“I’m sorry I failed you, little storm,” Theon said, sorrow flashing in his eyes. “I’m sorry I loved you too late. But I’m yours. Every piece of me.” Theon didn’t say another word. Only lifted the dagger above her chest and sank it into her heart.

She glanced over at Theon’s sleeping form, a small smile curling on her lips. He’d succeeded. He’d broken her, made her bleed. Shattered her soul so completely, there was no way to ever put it back together. So she’d build herself a new one. One no one could touch, no one could break. One who did what needed to be done without remorse. Isn’t that what he’d said to her? She’d get back up. She’d be the fucking storm. Because the thing about light? When strong enough, it could obliterate darkness.

The goddess of night and shadows, while he was the god of the wild and untamed. The hidden children of Arius and Serafina.

“This is for my daughter.” Saylah gasped. “A daughter?” He nodded. Saylah opened and closed her mouth several times before she finally sputtered, “What in the realms is she doing in Devram? We were not even in existence when Devram was created and left to its own prosperity or destruction.” “Akira sent her there.”

“That is where Xan is. You sent your Guardian to Devram.” “I sent him there to take his son to my daughter, but I have not heard from him since he left here.” “Xan has another child?” “Yes, and he was to be my daughter’s Guardian, but I fear things have not gone according to my will. The realms are restless.” “I feel it too,” Saylah murmured, toying with shadows at her fingertips.

“She helped me get Auryon into a dream plane. She was being attacked by an Achaz Legacy.” Saylah’s lips thinned. She knew Achaz’s vendetta to hunt down every descendant of Arius and Serafina. To see every bit of life that came from them extinguished from existence. She’d just finished a dangerous battle of her own and nearly lost everything.