Rain of Shadows and Endings (The Legacy)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

“Hey, beautiful. I need you to wake up for a bit.” When she didn’t stir, he gently pulled the blankets back some and sat beside her on the small bed. Trailing his fingers up her arm, he tried again. “Tessa. Wake up. Just for a bit.” After several seconds, her eyes fluttered, and she rolled over gingerly, her brow pinching in confusion. “Theon?” “Yeah, I need⁠—” But he didn’t get to finish. Tessa pushed herself up, and her lips landed on his. Theon froze, too shocked to do anything, but that only lasted for a second. The bond was humming away in excitement, and Theon slipped his hand into her hair and angled her head back just the way he liked it. Her hand came up and gripped the back of his neck, tugging him closer. Her lips tasted better than he had imagined, and he ran his tongue along the seam of them. She immediately parted, and she tasted like rain and pure light with a hint of something…darker he couldn’t place. The cord in his chest was pushing him to take more and more, to claim her and make her his in every way, and he groaned low in his throat. Tessa suddenly wrenched herself away, sliding up to the head of the bed and cringing against it. She pulled the blanket up to her chin, her eyes wide with horror. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was doing…” She trailed off, her fingertips coming up to touch her lips. If they were tingling with pleasure the way his were, he understood why. “It’s all right, Tessa. It’s the bond,” he said,

Arius Legacy didn’t have gifts to heal others, but a Source bond allowed them to heal each other with their connection.

“I’ve got you, Tessa. We will get through this, and then you can sleep as long as you need to.” She didn’t acknowledge him, and he got the distinct feeling he was attempting to soothe himself rather than her.

He glanced at Luka, who was watching her, pity and remorse in his eyes. “You regret our decision,” Theon said tightly, dabbing the cloth along her forehead again. “Don’t you?” Luka challenged sharply. “We have to do this to her again three more times.” “We knew that my Source would have to endure this,” Theon answered after a moment. “We knew what to expect.” “But she didn’t.”

“She is a Fae. Designed for this very purpose,” Theon said, annoyance edging into his tone. “And I’d be willing to bet the other heirs are not on the floor caring for a Fae.” “She was not made for this, and you know it,” Luka retorted. “We could see that from the information in her file. Why do you think we told you to choose someone else?” “You think she is not strong enough to endure this?” “The exact opposite,” Luka disagreed. “She has already shown she is more than strong enough to endure this. Her kind of strength is not the strength you need to succeed with your current plan. Her kind of strength will alter everything. We need to alter the plans to accommodate her, Theon. Not the other way around.”

“Where is Luka?” she asked. “Luka does not need to be here, Tessa. You are not his Source. You are mine.” Her eyes snapped to his, and she met emerald eyes bright with anger. “Luka doesn’t get frustrated with me for having trouble dealing with the fact that my entire life was just stolen from me,” she retorted, glaring back at him.

“Can you just try, Tessa?” Theon said. “Can you try and let the Source bond do what it is supposed to do? Maybe you will find it is not nearly as bad as you are clearly envisioning. I have done nothing but take care of you and tend to your needs since Selecting you.” “You are the reason you had to take care of me, Theon!” Tessa cried. “If you had not Selected me, there would have been no reason to take care of me and tend to my needs.”

How is taking away my choices not that bad?” “I am keeping you healthy.” “You are keeping your prized pet in mint condition,” she sneered.

“Tessa, this is my younger brother, Axel. Axel, Tessa.” Brother. That made sense. She’d forgotten all about the fact that he had a brother. “Pleasure,” Axel said with a dip of his chin in her direction. When Tessa didn’t reply, Theon said, “Tessa, you can call me Theon in Axel’s presence as you can when Luka is around.” “How generous of you,” she snipped in response, turning back to the window and continuing to eat her fruit. A chuckle came from Axel. “Oh, she is a delight. I think I like her.” “You would,” Theon remarked. “You will have to excuse her. She’s been in a mood the last several days.” “That will happen when you have magic shoved into your body, spend days in excruciating pain, and then be denied the pleasure of doughnuts and pizza,” she called out sardonically. “It also happens when you do not get adequate sleep and become obstinately stubborn,” Theon retorted through gritted teeth. “Obstinate and stubborn mean the same thing. Pick a different adjective,” she shot back. Axel fell into a fit of laughter as the door opened once more, and Luka entered. She rolled her eyes. “Oh, look. Asshole number two has returned.” Axel’s laughter only increased.

She didn’t hear Theon enter, and she started when he appeared in the reflection behind her. He looked stupidly attractive as always, dressed in a black suit clearly tailored for him. His tie matched her dress, and he’d shaved. Tessa found herself missing the stubble that had been present along his jaw the past few days. He brought his hand up and brushed her hair over her shoulder, his hand lingering on the back of her neck. She told herself to flinch away, but she didn’t. She hadn’t seen him since that morning. He hadn’t physically touched her since the day before, and she found herself leaning into him. Theon didn’t say anything, but she didn’t miss the small shudder of relief that went through him in the reflection. His eyes closed briefly, reveling in the same pleasure the bond was currently giving her, and when they reopened, the emerald green was liquid as they met her eyes in the mirror. His thumb began moving tentatively on her neck, massaging sensitive points, and she drifted back a step, feeling his chest against her back. Her eyes fluttered closed this time, Theon’s other hand coming to rest on her hip and tugging her back into him even more. The cord inside of her was buzzing with excitement, and Tessa knew she was losing a battle she’d been fighting for days. A small voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her to move, but a much louder voice was whispering to her soul, telling her it could be like this all the time. “This is how it’s supposed to be, be...

Theon was back a moment later, stepping into her once more. He brought his hands over her head and laid a diamond choker against her throat, clasping it. Holding out a hand before her, Tessa looked down to find two diamond earrings lying in his palm. Wordlessly, she hooked them into her ears. Then he gently spun her, bringing her right hand to his lips. He pressed a kiss to the Mark before clasping a matching diamond bracelet to her wrist.

Theon stepped in front of her, sliding a hand to her cheek. “Eyes on me tonight, yes?” “Yes,” she answered quietly. He bent and pressed his lips to the top of her head before turning and entering the dining room, leaving Tessa to follow behind like the good little Source she was supposed to be.

The Source bond would force Tessa to be his, but he would not be hers.

“Tessa, we discussed the behavior that was expected of you tonight. Either move to the wall, or you will sit at my feet for the remainder of this meal.” “You cannot be serious,” she balked, her eyes widening at the threat. “Serious as the Pits of Torment,” he replied coolly. Standing, he gripped her elbow, hauling her to her feet. He snapped his finger and a servant appeared. “Remove her chair.” Ice cold fury raced through her veins. Theon’s eyes never left hers while his order was carried out. When the chair was removed, he said, “Kneel, Tessa, and not another word.”

His fingers grazed along her skin as he ran them along the choker, and Tessa suddenly saw it for what it was. A collar. A very pretty, very expensive collar. A collar to control her and train her and subdue her. And she wanted it off. It was suffocating her. It was cutting off her air supply, little by little, until there would be nothing left. Until there would be nothing left of her.

“How can I take care of you if you refuse to tell me what is wrong?” “How can I trust you to take care of me when you place me at your feet like a godsdamn dog?” she spat back.

She heard the door click shut, and she heard someone else comment something about the thunder that was rumbling outside, but she didn’t slow. Crossing Theon’s bedroom, she flung open the double doors that led out to the balcony. She needed air. She needed to feel the wind on her face and to not be trapped inside those rooms. She paused only long enough to remove the shoes from her feet before stalking to the railing and hurling them both as far as she could, screaming defiantly to the sky in rage and releasing every emotion that was warring inside of her. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, the sound mixing with her screams, and as she sank to her knees, it started to pour. Big, cold drops splashed onto her face, into her hair. And gods, it felt amazing. Something wild and free.

The fire just wanted to be free to do what its nature demanded of it, but it was stuck inside a glass box. It was contained so that others could harness its energy and stay warm or admire its deadly beauty. To be used and snuffed out with the flick of a switch.

She wouldn’t survive this. It would break her. And she didn’t burn when she broke. She shattered, and the world shattered with her.

“I don’t know what to do with her. I’m trying to give her space and time to adjust, but I don’t understand how she can resist the bond so much. If she’s feeling the pull like I do, it should be impossible to withstand it. I never thought we’d have to force this.”

“The newness of the Source bond has made Theon a little territorial lately. I have scarcely seen her. Give it some time, and maybe he’ll be more willing to share his things,” he said,

Why couldn’t she just give in? She had to feel it, right? This couldn’t just be him. How could she keep denying something when it could be like that all the time? So he’d asked her—no, he’d begged her—to try for just one night. To pretend that she’d given in to the bond and accepted her place as his Source. He’d wanted her to get a taste of what they could be. He’d wanted her to experience pleasure at his hand. To become addicted to him. To crave him like he was craving her. This entire experience was the exact opposite of what he’d been expecting. She was supposed to be the one wanting him so incessantly, yet he was the one hoarding any bit of contact.

She wouldn’t be leaving his sight again until he was confident the bond was in place, and she was fully under his control.

He needed to bring the female to heel. Her wildness might intrigue him, but this was taking it too far. She could push him away and fight with him all she wanted in their private quarters, but not in public. Not in front of his father. She needed to accept her fate. Not only because his father would require it, but because Theon’s own plans required her cooperation. He needed her willing to let him feed on her strength and power. When the time came, he couldn’t be focused on forcing her to give it to him. Tessa saw him as a merciless descendant of the gods who wanted to possess her and rule her, so that’s what he would become. He’d tried to ease her into her role, thinking it would build trust faster. But in doing so, he’d clearly given her the illusion that he wasn’t in control of everything. That he wasn’t in control of her. She’d learn why the Arius Kingdom was whispered about. He’d become the nightmare she already thought he was.

The wards had pressed along her skin, and these were strong. Some wards she could feel, but more in a she-knew-they-were-there sort of way. Few actually pressed to keep her out. Or in this case, keep her in. Weaker wards she didn’t feel at all. Which is why she so often found herself in trouble for being in places she wasn’t supposed to be as a child. She’d never figured out how she could evade them. It was something she had just always been able to do. It had taken her a long time to figure out what was happening though, and by the time she fully understood it, she’d also long-since figured out how to sneak about without getting caught. Her ability to avoid the wards extended to whoever was with her, as long as they were touching. It was one of the things she never spoke of. One of the things they’d helped her keep hidden.

“There are far scarier things in these woods than my hounds,” his smooth voice crooned, carrying up to her. “You don’t scare me, Theon,” Tessa retorted, grateful her voice didn’t waiver because she was fucking terrified. “I really, really should, beautiful,” he answered, a cruel smile twisting on his lips.

“Relax and sit back into me, Tessa. We have quite a ride ahead of us, and you will be incredibly uncomfortable if you sit like that the entire time.” His arm snaked around her waist where the darkness had been, and he tugged her back into the cradle of his hips. She couldn’t hold in the soft moan that fell from her lips as pleasure darted up her spine. Without thinking, she pressed back into him even more, her back flush against his chest. “My thoughts precisely,” he murmured, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. “But this discussion will be had when we are back in our rooms.”

“They did good work today,” Luka commented casually. “It’s been a while since I’ve hunted with them.” Tessa huffed. Hunted. She’d been hunted today.

“What are you going to do?” she whispered. “Oh, Tessa,” he said mockingly. “There is so much that needs to be said. So much that needs to be discussed. So much that needs to be done.” With every step he took, the farther she stepped back until she hit the dining table. She looked around frantically, trying to find something to…what? Defend herself? It wouldn’t matter. She’d seen his magic in the woods, but she knew that wasn’t nearly the full extent of it. And when he could draw even more power from her? He’d be an unyielding force. “But none of that is what I am going to do now.” “It’s not?” she breathed. “No, it’s not.” He stopped directly in front of her, his eyes roaming over her with an intensity she didn’t know what to do with. “Right now, I’m going to count to three, and then I’m going to kiss you.” “You’re going to…” She trailed off, sure she wasn’t understanding what he was saying. “If you do not want me to kiss you, say so before I get to three,” he added with a casual shrug. “One.” He stepped further into her personal space. His hands came to her waist, lifting her smoothly onto the table, and Tessa’s breath caught in her throat. She was too flustered to process what was happening. “Two.” Theon slid his hands down her thighs to her knees, where he pulled them apart and stepped between them. One hand came to the back of her neck, and he leaned forward, lining his lips up with hers. She opened her mouth to tell him to stop, but nothing came out. The cord inside he...

“If you think I am letting you out of my sight for longer than five minutes in the near future, you are sorely mistaken. You are lucky I am not following you into the shower itself. If not to finish what we were doing here, then at the very least, to ensure you do not somehow figure out a way to slip down the godsdamn drain.”

“I also need to clean up.” “Okay…” she said slowly, going to set the brush down on the sink. “You are not to leave the bathroom while I do.” “I’m not staying in here while you shower, Theon,” she protested. “You are, Tessa. You will stay where I can see you the entire time,” he replied, striding farther into the bathroom. “I’m not going to go anywhere,” she muttered. Theon gave her a dry look that had Tessa shrinking back. “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.”

“You are sleeping in this bed with me, Tessa. You were gone for hours. The bond is demanding your closeness right now, despite riding so closely on Osiris and what we did on the table. So yes, you will be sleeping in this bed with me tonight. You will sleep in this bed with me for the foreseeable future because you are my Source and that is what is required of you.”

“Come to bed, Tessa. If I am this tired, you are surely exhausted after traipsing through the woods for half a day.” When she still didn’t move, he sighed. “Do not make me force this. Tomorrow is going to be exhausting for both of us. It would do well for you to get a good night’s rest.” “Why will tomorrow be exhausting?” Tessa asked, getting stuck on that one word. “Because tomorrow we will discuss dinner last night, what happened today, how things will be different in the future, and everything in between. Now come to bed.” Theon watched her warily when she finally began moving. He trailed her all the way to the bed, and she settled down on the very edge as far away from him as possible. There was another audible sigh before his arm looped around her waist and pulled her across the bed. She tried to stiffen against him, but her body didn’t cooperate. Instead, all of her muscles relaxed, and she snuggled back against his bare chest. He worked his other arm under her, wrapping it across her shoulders, securing her to him. As she leaned her head back onto his shoulder, her eyes almost immediately closed, and she felt the barest touch of lips press to the top of her head.

“Theon?” “Not tonight, Tessa. I don’t have the energy to deal with this tonight,” he murmured. Tessa’s lips tilted into a frown. What did that mean? He didn’t have the energy for this conversation? Or to deal with her entirely? You are too much of a hassle. “But I⁠—” “Enough, Tessa,” he bit out sharply. “This will be handled in the morning.”

One, two, three. It was something she’d started doing when she was younger, enduring whatever method Mother Cordelia was using to try to ‘fix her.’ It’d become a habit, always finding herself counting when she needed an escape. She’d count the seconds, telling herself she could do anything for one more second. And another. And another. One more second turned into one more minute, became one more hour. But she hadn’t needed to count much since Dex and the others had come around. They’d become the seconds, the minutes, the hours, helping her breathe until the light made it through the cracks in the dark. Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight. She counted long into the night before sleeping finally claimed her.

What is important is that you made me sit at your feet like one of your damn wolves for accidentally dropping a fork.” Theon huffed a humorless laugh. “My hounds are far better behaved than you are,” he muttered under his breath.

Theon moved so quickly, Tessa jumped, coffee sloshing out of the mug and onto her pants. He was standing over her, his hands braced on the armrests on either side of her. He plucked her mug from her hand and set it on the table before returning his entire attention to her. “Gods, Theon,” Tessa snarled, bringing her hand to her chest. “What the fuck?” “This behavior is exactly what cannot continue, Tessa,” he said, and she stilled at his dark tone. “I have tried to give you time to adjust to this. I have let you have your temper tantrums and⁠—” “Temper tantrums?” Tessa repeated indignantly, sitting up so her face was inches from his. “You took everything from me!” Theon tsked, stepping back from her. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

“I didn’t even get to bring my own clothing with me!” He waved his hand dismissively at the statement. “I have provided you with all the clothing you could ever need, and much better clothing at that.” “That is so not the point, Theon,” she spat. “Isn’t it?” he countered. “If you weren’t fighting so adamantly against your fate, you would see that I can provide you with everything you could ever need.” “You took me from everything I know, Theon. How can you not see that? My home. My friends. You stole my future from me.” Her fists were clenching and unclenching at her sides, her skin beginning to buzz with something that needed out. “You are wrong, Tessa,” Theon said, shaking his head. “Your home? You’d already left it. You would be at the Acropolis until the Selection Year was over, and then you’d go to your assigned Kingdom. Your friends? You likely would have been separated from them when you received your assignment. Even if you were assigned to the same Kingdom, the Kingdoms are huge. You would have still been separated from them. And your future? You are Fae. Your purpose was always to serve the Legacy in one way or another. How that purpose was just altered was likely in your favor.”

“You becoming my Source is better than any other fate you would have likely been assigned,” Theon replied. “Which is what exactly?” He shook his head again. “That is not important, Tessa. Furthermore, none of that matters. When you became mine⁠—” “I am not yours!” Theon’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around her throat. “You are, Tessa. You are my Source.” “That doesn’t make me yours,” she snarled,

It was a document on her. Her own face stared back at her from a photo in the upper right corner. The first page was details about her life: where she was raised, physical attributes, elemental predictions. Theon interrupted her view when he tapped something near the bottom of the screen. Current Location: Arius Kingdom Theon St. Orcas, Master, took possession at Opening Selection Ceremony 5622, assuming complete dominium. Theon had signed his name underneath in agreement. Her hand shook when she moved to swipe the screen, but he pulled the tablet away from her before she had a chance to see anything else. “What is that?” she rasped. “Your documents. All the Fae have them.” “Documents for what?” “To keep track of you and which kingdom is responsible for you.” She knew Fae were viewed as less than to the Legacy, but to have actual papers? Gods. The mortals had more rights than she did.

“Before we left the Acropolis. I had to sign transfer papers before I could take you from the Pantheon,” he said when she remained silent. Documents. Transfer papers. He could call them something pretty, but it didn’t change what they were. Ownership records.

“You are mine, Tessa. What you say and how you act reflect directly on me, and while you might not see it this way, everything I do is to protect you and care for you.” “You only do so because I am your Source,” Tessa spat. “You do not do it because you care for me. You do it because you need me.”

this can be a mutually beneficial exchange. You provide me with what I need, and I provide you with everything you need.” “And I am just to accept that I am a piece of property to be used and drained whenever you see fit?” “It does not have to be that way. Why can’t you see that?” Theon asked, moving forward and snatching her hands when she started to reach for her hair again. Sparks of pleasure darted through her body at his touch, and she shivered. “See, beautiful?” His tone had taken on a low tone, full of dark promises. “I know you feel what I feel when we touch, when we’re close to one another.” “Only because I am forced to feel that way,” she replied,

“Let yourself be mine, Tessa. Give in to it. It will only get harder to resist, and eventually you will give in anyway. You will want everything I have to offer. Why put yourself through all this turmoil?”

“Stop thinking so hard,” he whispered into her ear. “For a few seconds, just feel what it could be like.” One hand slid up to her nape, while the other came to her lower back and pressed her flush into his body. She gasped as soft parts of her pressed into the hard planes of him. “It could be like this all the time,” he murmured onto her skin, his lips skimming up her throat. “You and me, little storm,” he breathed. He was everywhere all at once, and she couldn’t think straight. Not with this damn bond urging her to give in. Begging her to let him have her. “I…” “No, Tessa,” he whispered. “No thinking. Just feeling.” He brushed his lips across hers in a feather-light kiss. Then he did it again to one corner of her mouth. Then the other. He moved to her jaw. Just the slightest touch of lips to skin. “I…” she tried again. Was it all the Source bond? There was no doubt Theon was attractive. More than attractive. There had been something there from the moment she’d seen him at the Pantheon. Maybe her own attraction was compounding with the bond and that’s what was making this so godsdamn hard. She just wished she could know for sure because he had cared for her. Granted, he was the reason she had been ill, and he’d taken her from all she’d ever known. It only seemed right that he provide her with clothing and a roof over her head. But he’d done other things too. He’d taken notice of her hatred of socks. He’d given her time and space, not forcing her to sleep beside him most ni...

And there it was. One of the many reasons she couldn’t simply give in to the bond. Theon would be Matched with someone. He would have to take a wife to produce the next Arius Heir. You and me. That’s what he’d whispered into her ear moments ago. But it would never be just him and her. It was just as she’d realized on the floor at dinner. She would be his, but he would never be hers. She might not want him, but this couldn’t even be something to simply satisfy the bond. Theon would never let her seek out some form of companionship with someone else. That was becoming glaringly obvious.

“I am expected to attend your family dinners with you.” A statement, not a question. “You are. Where I go, you go,” Theon confirmed. “Which means we need to finish our conversation.” He closed the few feet of distance between them, coming to stand over her. Her head was still tilted back on the chair so she could look up at him. He reached out to cup her cheek, but she turned her face out of reach. He sighed. “So you’ve decided then?” “Decided what? I don’t get choices anymore,” she countered. “You did, but you are correct in saying you do not get them anymore,” Theon replied, that coldness slipping back into his voice as his hand dropped to his side. “What does that mean?” “It means that until you have accepted the bond and proven so through your actions and obedience, you no longer have choices,” he answered matter-of-factly. “You will not leave my sight or my side for longer than a few minutes at a time. There is no more running; no more trying to escape this fate. When we get to the Acropolis, it means that when you are not in your scheduled trainings, you are with me. There are no negotiations. In public, you act appropriately⁠—” Tessa’s mouth had fallen open more and more as he spoke, and she lashed out at him. “You already decide all of that for me, Theon! You decide what and when I eat. You lay clothing out for me. You⁠—” “I have given you time, Tessa,” Theon interrupted, that darkness drifting across his irises. “I have given you time to accept this, but it has ru...

“Why?” she whispered, unable to stop the tears from spilling over. “Because I am out of options, Tessa. I need you to succumb to this. If this is how I will accomplish that, then I guess it is what I will do. Maybe seeing how bad it could be will make you realize that what I am offering isn’t all that terrible,” Theon answered. “There will be no more disobedience. There will be no more arguing with me, especially in public or in front of others. There will be no more pulling away from me when the bond demands our closeness,” he went on. And when her eyes widened at that last part, he added, “I will not force anything on you, Tessa. You see me as a monster, and in many ways I am, but I should hope I have already proven I am not one of that nature.” He reached out, swiping the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips. She forced herself to remain still, resisting the urge to jerk away from his touch. “Good girl,” he murmured, cupping her chin. “Expect consequences for inappropriate behavior.” She stiffened at the words. “So I am to be trained like a dog now?” Theon tsked under his breath. “Now, Tessa. If my hounds can learn such things, surely you will catch on much faster, no?” “And how will you know that I have accepted this?” she demanded at his patronizing tone. “What shall be proof for you? When I obey your every command without question? When I act as I have been trained to?” “I will know when you have accepted the Source bond, Tessa,” was all he said.

“Now go shower and make yourself presentable. Axel and Luka will be here for breakfast soon, and then we are going to Castle Pines.” “For what?” she asked, her fury banking as surprise coursed through her. They hadn’t left the house since they’d arrived here days ago. “Practice,” he purred, letting go of her chin and turning to leave the room. “Makeup and h...

She got up and went to the balcony doors, needing some air, but when she tugged on the handles, they didn’t budge. She tugged again, the doors rattling, and her chest tightened when they stayed firmly shut. Her brow fell against the cool glass as a few raindrops began to fall, and she started to count. At least she could still see the light, even if it was just out of reach.