Dawn of Chaos and Fury by Melissa K. Roehrich - 8

5

H e was working on borrowed time.

He knew that.

Not only from the Fates, but from his father.

Luka had told him his father had been freed when they’d rescued Xan. He’d told Luka they didn’t need to come up with a plan, that the Fates would take care of it, but who knew when that would be. While the warnings from the prophecy all seemed to be aligning, indicating that it would be sooner rather than later, soon could be days or decades for immortal beings. Theon was certain the only reason he hadn’t run into his father yet was because he was off searching for Eviana. He didn’t know the specifics of why he couldn’t find her. There’d been no time for detailed explanations before he’d left them all at the Pantheon. If he’d waited any longer to leave, he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to do it. Tessa’s screams had echoed down the passages as he’d left, and now they haunted him. Waking. Sleeping. It didn’t matter. He heard them all the time.

Theon had been staying at the penthouse in Rockmoor, trying to formulate some semblance of a plan. And he had one. Sort of. He’d tied up some loose ends, moved funds around in accounts, and stocked up on blood rations, because without a Source, he was going to need them. More than that, he’d purchased a new phone, shutting off his old one. He couldn’t risk being tracked, and Luka kept trying to contact him. A male could only resist temptation for so long. This needed to be a clean break. The only thing he couldn’t control was the bond between the three of them, and wasn’t that ironic? The thing was broken, and he was both grateful and irritated by that. It was a double-edged sword. He wanted to know if they were all right, but he needed to let them both go. He’d entrusted her to Luka, and he couldn’t interfere with that. Not anymore. Besides, they should be long gone from the realm by now. It’d been two weeks. It was the last thing he’d asked of Luka.

But now he was ready to track down Axel in the Underground. He needed to fill his brother in on what was happening, and honestly, he wanted to be with the only two people he considered family with Luka and Tessa gone. If their world was going to end and he was going to meet Arius, he wanted the remaining time to be spent with them. So he’d watched Arius House from afar for the past several days, making sure his father hadn’t returned. Once he was certain only the staff remained, he’d gone in under the cover of night.

Theon methodically worked through his father’s study, packing up books and maps. Anything that might prove valuable. He wished he could just move this entire room, along with the library in Arius House. Countless hours were spent poring over these volumes. Sometimes with Luka. Sometimes with Axel. Usually by himself. But he had to travel light. He couldn’t take all of it as well as his personal effects. Not to mention some of Tessa’s belongings he wanted to keep.

That red dress she’d dropped the night she’d taken control with one hand.

The fleece blanket she often wrapped herself up in on the balcony.

The necklace she wore the first time they faced his father as a united front.

The coffee mug with the cracked handle she favored.

The godsdamn bright purple flip-flops.

He was on a rolling ladder searching the top shelves when he heard the footfalls. Immediately tensing, he slowly descended, setting aside the three books he held and sliding his hands into his pockets. The footsteps drew closer, and he tilted his head in interest. These weren’t the heavy steps of his father or the hesitant and quiet movements of the staff.

“Hello, Mother ,” he sneered when the door opened, Cressida standing in the doorway.

How foolish of her considering they’d learned she’d been working with Cordelia and Rordan for years now. Not to mention she’d helped set a trap for Tessa to bring her to heel and ruin.

“Oh. It’s you,” Cressida sighed, her disappointment evident. “I thought your father had finally returned home.”

“You mean the male you’ve been double-crossing for… How long has it been?” he replied, his tone cold and dark. “From the very beginning?”

But his mother only smiled in return, something just as icy. “You think you have this all figured out, don’t you, Theon? The academic and the clever one of the family.”

She moved deeper into the room, her long black dress clinging to her figure. It was a casual piece, but she still wore her heels. They clicked loudly with every step until she reached the desk, picking up a decorative paperweight. She spun it in her hand, gaze fixed on the object as if she wasn’t worried about her son’s calculated temper in the least.

“I think I have a pretty good grasp on things at this point,” he finally gritted out when she only continued to toy with the decor.

“Always researching and scheming,” she went on, as though she hadn’t been waiting for him to speak. “Digging into things you needn’t have bothered with. If only you could have done as you were told. Been what your father had tried to train you to become.”

He went utterly still. How many times had he said such similar words to Tessa?

She sighed dramatically, “This would have all been taken care of if you hadn’t insisted on Selecting that wretched cu⁠—”

She didn’t get to finish. Theon was across the room before she could blink. His hand wrapped around her throat, he cut off her words and shoved her back into the desk.

“Do not ever speak of her like that,” he snarled. “Then again, you won’t be speaking much longer. You set her up. You worked with Cordelia to break her and cage her. You fed information to Rordan to take her from me. Did you really think I would never find out?”

She choked out a gasp, and he loosened his grip to let her speak. With a derisive laugh, she said, “You’re just like your father, Theon. Too wrapped up in your own agenda and power to notice what’s going on around you. You didn’t even realize the female wasn’t Fae until it was displayed to everyone at the Emerging. For someone so clever, you miss what’s right in front of you every single time.” She paused, then added, “Although, I suppose that’s not entirely your fault. Considering what you are.”

His hand tightened again, and a sharp gasp slipped past her lips when his power seeped from his palm, adding to the pressure. “Tell me everything, or I kill you right now.”

“You…can’t,” she choked out.

His darkness wound up from beneath his hand, crawling along her jaw and making its way to her parted lips.

“You think I care because you are my mother?” he asked. “You’ve never been affectionate towards me. You’ve never cared. You are my mother by title only, and you hurt her. Tried to take her from me. The cost of that transgression is your life.”

She sputtered, and his power eased a fraction. “I raised you,” she rasped.

“Caris raised me, and then Pen when she was murdered. Try again,” he sneered, removing his hand altogether to let his power do the work.

Her lip curled into a sneer of her own. “I raised you even though you weren’t mine. You won’t kill me, Theon, because killing me will kill the one who actually birthed you. Then you will never have answers to questions you didn’t even know you had.”

“What are you talking about?” he demanded.

She shifted, and he felt a hand brush his thigh. Looking down, he found her pulling up the skirt of her dress. He lurched back a step, his darkness keeping her pinned to the desk. “What the fuck are you doing?”

She said nothing as she pulled her dress higher. Then she shifted just enough to show him where a Mark stood stark against the flesh of her inner thigh. It was in a place few would ever see, and certainly not him, and it was one he’d never seen before.

“What does it do?” he asked sharply.

“It binds my life to hers. Consider it my…safeguard,” she rasped out, his power still coiled at her neck.

“I would have never known if you hadn’t said something,” he countered.

“Not a safeguard from you,” she replied, straightening as he loosened his power even more. “From your father.”

“Who else knows?”

“No one,” she replied. “At least not that I have told. He bound me with a Secrecy Mark, but it faded when he was not the Arius Lord for a short time.” Lifting her bare arm, she showed him where a Mark had once graced her flesh above the crook of her elbow for the entirety of his life. True to her word, it was gone. He’d never questioned it. His father forced others to take Secrecy Marks all the time. He’d had some of the same Marks on his flesh at various times in his life.

“If she still lives, then where is she?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Now why would I tell you that?” Cressida asked, a smirk lifting at her newfound leverage.

“And Axel?”

“Axel is mine,” she said fiercely.

That made sense. She always favored him, while she seemed to tolerate Theon. She would sometimes intervene on Axel’s behalf, leaving Theon to fend for himself against his father. Axel had the auburn undertones to his dark hair thanks to Cressida’s dark red locks, while Theon’s hair was the pitch black of his father’s. But still…

“We look nearly identical,” he argued.

“Genetics are powerful,” she said simply. “Your father made sure his Match…had certain characteristics.”

He shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

“Believe me or don’t,” she said with a shrug. “That’s your prerogative.”

But he did believe her. That was the problem. The female before him now was cunning and creative, just as her bloodline was known for. For decades she had put on a persona. A female who only cared for frivolous and superficial things. Being invited to the best gatherings and having the finest dresses and jewels. When in reality, she had been scheming, harboring her own grudges and vendettas. Just like everyone else in this damned realm, she’d been plotting her own power moves.

Her smile grew as she watched him come to the realization she spoke the truth. Even if she wasn’t his mother, she had watched him grow up. More than that, she’d paid far more attention than he thought she had. She would know his tells and mannerisms.

“How would this have been hidden from the other ruling families?” he asked. “They approve Matches and verify all pregnancies.”

Her features darkened. “That is enough questions for today,” she snapped.

He fought his own smile now, finding a weakness. “But you were so willing to tell me all about my mother, Cressida ,” he crooned, stepping closer. Towering over her, it forced her to tip her head back to look at him.

“This is bigger than you and your little Source,” she bit out.

He tsked. “But she’s not my Source. You know that. Have always known that.”

“I didn’t know what she was.”

“Valter and Rordan kept you in the dark? Maybe you’re not as valuable as you believe,” he replied with a sharp smile. She brought a hand up to slap him, but he caught her wrist before she even got close. “What am I to do with you now?” he mused. “Lock you up until I can verify your claims?”

“Verify them all you like,” she retorted.

“And how am I to do that?” he asked, cocking his head to the side and watching every intake of breath and twitch of her eyes. Watching for the lie.

“You know nothing of what it is like to be a female in this house. In this kingdom. In the realm,” she hissed. “The only value we have to our families is to help them move higher up in society, closer to a Lord or Lady, and then only if we can bear a child. Do you know what would have happened if I hadn’t borne Valter a child? And not just any child. My contract was very specific. I was to produce a son, and your father had insurance.”

“How could he have insurance against something like that?” Theon asked, trying to keep her talking. She was angry. People revealed all kinds of information when they were in that state of mind. It was one of the basest forms of manipulation.

She looked him up and down with a bitter laugh. “You were it,” she said. “At least, that’s what he told me. But I suspect the outcome would have been the same even if my first child had been a male.”

Theon blinked at her, not grasping what she was saying. Or rather, not wanting to believe it, but he knew full well the lengths his father would go to in order to ensure the outcome was what he wanted. Still, if Cressida wasn’t his mother, who was? What other bloodline ran in his veins?

All the Matches for Lords, Ladies, and heirs had to be sanctioned by the sitting rulers. It was a way to ensure balance and make sure one kingdom didn’t become more powerful than another. His father had been required to petition for their approval prior to Theon signing the Match contract with Felicity. Had his father initially wanted a different Match of his own, and it had been denied? More than that, how in the realms had they hidden the fact that he wasn’t Cressida’s?

Still holding her wrist, his darkness snapped out, wrapping around her throat once more. She gasped, surprised at the sudden attack. Her other hand slapped onto the desk behind her, searching for something to use against him, but the only thing she found was the paperweight. She threw it at him, but the toss was weak and he easily caught it.

“I will give you a choice, Cressida,” he said, tossing the weight aside. “You can either tell me where my supposed mother is being held, and I will have you locked up somewhere with daily food, water, and weekly blood rations. You will be…somewhat comfortable until I can deal with you properly. Or you can continue to keep your leverage to yourself, and I will make sure you are absolutely miserable for the rest of your days.”

Cressida glared at him. “You are not yet the Arius Lord, Theon St. Orcas. You do not have the authority to lock up a Lord’s wife. Someone will come for me.”

“If they can find you,” he said coldly. “Are you willing to wager your comfort on that? The gods know you’ve become accustomed to the finer things Devram has to offer.”

He watched the debate play out in her emerald eyes. Eyes he’d once thought he’d gotten from her. He saw the uncertainty flash, wondering if he was bluffing, and he gave away nothing. Only stared hard and cold back at her.

“You’re wasting my time,” he snapped after several seconds, lifting a hand and letting more of his power appear.

“Wait!” she cried, trying to push off the desk. His darkness shoved her back again, and a small cry escaped her lips.

“I don’t have time to wait, Cressida,” he replied, his power sliding up her throat again.

“I can’t tell you exactly where,” she said, panic entering her voice.

“Then I fail to see what use I have for you at this point.”

“You cannot kill a Lord’s wife!” she tried again.

“You’re incredibly confident for someone who knows the things I was forced to do for said Lord,” he mused.

Inky black skated under her chin, a tendril slipping into her mouth, and she whimpered, feeling the sting of it.

“I cannot tell you! I am bound!” she gasped.

“That Secrecy Mark has faded,” he countered. “You showed me yourself.”

“He keeps her where he keeps all things he does not want found,” she wailed as more darkness slid between her lips, ready to end.

He stilled, taking in her words.

Gods-fucking-dammit.

He knew exactly where she was talking about.

With a flick of his fingers, his power moved once more, wrapping around her wrists and wrenching her arms behind her back. He left the box of books and things sitting on the floor. He’d be back for it in a bit. Now he had something else to take care of.

Fishing his new phone from his pocket, he clicked on one of the few numbers he had stored as he started for the door. His power yanked, dragging Cressida along behind him. He heard her stumble, scrambling to keep her feet under her. The clicking of her shoes told him she was all but running to keep up with him, and he inwardly winced at how often he’d made Tessa do the same in heels.

“Where are you taking me?” Cressida asked. “I told you what I could.”

He didn’t bother looking over his shoulder at her. He didn’t bother even replying to her as he made his way through the house. Not as the call connected.

“Yes?”

“I need a favor,” Theon said, taking the stairs two at a time and not caring if Cressida fell down the damn things.

There was a pause, then a sigh. “You are accruing quite a debt of those.”

“Can you meet me outside Arius House? I need you to hold something for me.”

“Right now? The sun still slumbers, Theon.”

“I wouldn’t ask if⁠—”

“Just say you’re desperate.”

He gritted his teeth at the truth of that statement, knowing full well they wouldn’t help unless he said those exact words.

“I’m desperate,” he ground out.

“Be prepared when we come to collect on all these favors.”

The line went dead as they reached the main foyer. Before he led Cressida out into the night though, he stopped, turning to her.

“If anything you’ve told me is false, you will wish for death,” he warned her.

But she only gave a humorless huff of laughter. A sound he’d heard from so many in this realm. It was why he didn’t doubt her when she replied, “As if I haven’t wished for that in the past.” Then she lifted her chin, emerald eyes hardening. “And when I couldn’t have it, I found ways to make my life bearable here and strike back in ways he’d never see coming.”

Theon didn’t reply. Only let his darkness seep into her just enough to render her unconscious. His magic wrapped around her as he pulled the door open, making sure no staff were lingering in the shadows. Moving quickly through the grounds, his power carried Cressida behind him. It took nearly ten minutes to reach the main gates, and another fifteen to move beyond the wards.

“You could have told me you were going to take the scenic route,” the female waiting for him griped.

“Thank you for coming, Tana,” Theon said, greeting the Anala Heir.

“Don’t thank me yet, Theon,” she replied. “You’re the one who will need to explain that to my mother.” Her amber gaze moved beyond him to where the limp form of Cressida was floating on a mist of darkness.

“I just need her to be kept imprisoned. She can’t know where she is. Daily food and water. Weekly rations. I’ll send payment. Doesn’t need to be luxurious by any means,” he replied. “I’ll explain when I can. I⁠—”

The ground lurched beneath his feet.

No.

The entire realm seemed to shudder, as if a piece of the world had died.

Theon stumbled forward, and Tana’s Source lurched to catch her as she was knocked off her own feet by the force.

“What was that?” she asked, eyes narrowing on Theon as if he was the cause.

“I don’t know,” he answered, taking in the surrounding trees as the first light of dawn cast an ethereal glow on them.

“What do you mean you don’t know? This is your kingdom,” she retorted.

“And we’ve never had quakes here in all my years,” he shot back.

A phone rang, the sound loud in the now still daybreak. Tana’s Source retrieved a phone, glancing at the screen before handing it to Tana. “Your mother,” he said.

“Yes?” she answered. Then her eyes went wide, landing on Theon. “I understand.” She hung up, her hand clenching around the device. “Gatlan, take Cressida. We need to get back to Idalia.”

“What happened?” Theon asked, stepping closer while Gatlan moved to retrieve Cressida.

Tana’s lips pressed into a thin line as a fire portal appeared, her red hair glimmering in the flames. “The Pantheon has fallen.”

Theon blinked once. Twice. “That isn’t possible,” he finally managed.

“I do not know the specifics. My mother will fill me in, but I must go. I will be in touch.”

With that, she disappeared through her portal, Gatlan right behind her, and Theon was left standing by himself. If the Pantheon had fallen…

Perhaps he didn’t have days or months or decades.

It appeared the Fates had already come to rip their world apart in search of Tessa.

He spun, racing back through the courtyard to gather his things. He needed to get to Axel. Needed to see him and explain before he never got the chance. Needed to be with the only family he had left if their world was truly coming to an end.

In record time, he was pulling into the small portal station in Castle Pines. The one his father never let anyone use. The one he still technically had access to because no one really knew who was running the kingdom at this point, and the sentries there didn’t want to risk pissing off their possible Lord.

With a duffel bag across his chest, his computer bag over a shoulder, two smaller bags in one hand, and a box of books and maps under his other arm, Theon hurtled through the portal and to the Underground.