Chapter 4 #2
“It is a long tale. One we do not have time for this day,” Serafina answered. “But there came a time when we disagreed with Achaz. He was consumed by victory and power. We knew the balance was going to tip either way. The Fates stepped back and provided a choice.”
“Salvation or destruction,” Tessa murmured, her hands opening and closing at her sides.
Serafina nodded again. “Two could come together and change the course of history. A terminus and a genesis. It was left up to them to choose it. Since that time, there have been other crucial moments offered to two souls that could alter history. Some chose the genesis. Some did not. Some do not realize they have even chosen it. But the Fates do not intervene beyond ensuring their paths cross.”
“It was always more than a bond.” Tessa’s words were so quiet, Luka was sure no one else had heard them. She had taken a small step back, her hands once again in her hair. Then her eyes flashed to him. “He knew?”
“I don’t…” Luka started, still trying to wrap his mind around things, but an image flashed in his mind. A term circled over and over on a sheet of paper in Eliza and Razik’s rooms.
Genesis bond.
He slowly slid his gaze to Razik. “You knew. Did you tell him?”
“It was a term we’d come across. We were still researching, but we suspected,” his brother answered in the same apathetic tone he always spoke in.
“You son of a bitch,” Luka seethed.
“We cannot interfere,” Razik retorted.
“The Fates cannot Travel among the worlds?” Tessa asked suddenly, looking back at Serafina.
“When the World Walkers lost at that point of the Everlasting War, we did not want their power lost to the ether,” Serafina replied.
She lifted her arm once more, the snake sliding back up.
“The power was taken from the most powerful and contained, but it also created gateways for us to move among the realms.”
“Like this one,” Tessa clarified.
“Yes.”
“And these mirror gates are the only way the Fates could come here? That anyone else could come here?”
Serafina hesitated, her eyes narrowing on Tessa once more, before she answered carefully, “There are always work-arounds. It is a matter of if one is willing to pay the cost. The gateways are simply the easiest and fastest.”
“And the Fates will come for me?” she pressed. “Because I am an imbalance.”
“I cannot say the intentions of the Fates or their prophecies. I deal in dreams and desires.”
“And I deal in Chaos,” Tessa said, and that fucking eerie ring in her voice had Luka snapping to attention. “Do you regret your choice?”
The goddess had taken a step back too, as if Tessa could somehow affect her from this side of the mirror.
It probably had something to do with the light and dark curling around Tessa and rolling off her like a fine mist. Or maybe it was the sparks of gold and silver that flickered among it.
It could have been the energy, streaks of lightning flashing through it all.
But it was probably the storms brewing in her palms. Rotating vortexes.
One of brightest white and the other of darkest black.
A push and pull between the two that Luka could feel in the air.
Serafina swallowed thickly, as though she knew her answer was going to set something into motion. But her voice was power and strength when she said, “No. I would choose Arius a thousand times over.”
Before anyone could blink, let alone move, Tessa lurched forward. Her palms landed on the glass, cracks and fissures immediately spider-webbing out from her fingertips.
“Tessalyn, no!” Serafina gasped, the white snake lifting its head in interest as the goddess stumbled forward. “You do not understand the cost of this! I don’t— I don’t know how this will alter things!”
Tessa’s head tipped to the side as magic poured from her hands, the cracks deepening and spreading farther. The mirror was starting to swirl violently, the same magic Tessa was spilling across it sparking and bouncing around the chamber.
“Neither do I,” Tessa replied. “I never know what’s going to happen. I suppose, for once, we’ll all be on the same playing field then, hmm?”
She lifted her palms, her feet coming off the floor as her power swelled all around her, and her hands slammed back onto the glass again. The goddess opened her mouth, but they’d never know what she was going to say because she disappeared as the pieces of glass started to fall to the ground.
“No!” Razik bellowed, lunging for her, but Luka was there first. Not to stop her, but to shove his brother back. His wings ripped free, shredding his shirt, and Razik snarled in response.
“Do not touch her,” Luka warned.
Razik’s eyes had long since shifted, vertical pupils filled with fury. His body trembled, telling Luka his brother was fighting the shift just like he was.
“That is our only way home,” Razik growled. “If you think I’m going to let her destroy it and strand us here forever, you—”
But he didn’t get to finish that statement.
Not as the floor beneath them shook, making them both stumble.
Not as small pieces of rock and debris rained down on them.
Razik turned, an arm snapping out to haul Eliza into his side, and Luka spun, finding Tessa with power still rolling off her.
It spread, snaking across the floor. Up the walls. Through the ceiling.
“Tessa, what are you doing?” Luka cried, but he was certain she couldn’t hear him. She was too deep. How the fuck was he supposed to pull her back from this?
“We need to get out of here!” Tristyn yelled. “She is bringing this chamber to ruin!”
“Make her stop,” Razik snarled again. “That is our only way home!”
“It’s already done,” Tessa said in that eerie ring that had them all spinning back to her.
Her entire being was glowing with an aura of…chaos. Light and dark. Energy and embers. Beginnings and endings.
“The mirror still stands,” Razik argued.
“Not for much longer,” she replied, starting for the chamber exit. Each step left a bootprint of dark power, magic radiating with every footfall.
“Let’s go!” Tristyn said, racing to lead them out of here.
Everyone else fell into line, grabbing their packs from the floor and scrambling to follow.
Luka grabbed his own and rushed ahead until he realized Tessa wasn’t in front of him.
Skidding to a halt, he looked over his shoulder, trying to figure out where she’d gone.
When he finally found her, he didn’t know what to think.
While the rest of them were clambering to get out of here, she had moved to the perimeter, dragging her fingers along the wall.
Fissures spread from beneath them, seeping into the foundation.
Tristyn hadn’t been wrong. She was going to bring the chamber to ruin, but this…
This would bring the entire Pantheon down.
He rushed for her, grabbing her other hand. “Tessa, we have to go,” he said, tugging her along.
But even as he pulled, she didn’t appear to be in any hurry.
Her hand never left the wall as he dragged her along.
Down the passages they moved, cracks spearing in all directions.
Nylah had prowled ahead like she normally did, but she kept circling back because they were falling behind.
Roan was behind Tessa, nudging her forward with his nose.
“Tessa, we need to move faster,” Luka gritted out as the debris that was falling grew bigger, large chunks of stone and marble crumbling when they hit the ground.
He could hear the others ahead of them, yelling to people they came across to run and get out of the Pantheon, but Tessa only smiled.
Her eyes were nearly wholly black save for rings of violet on the edges glowing bright.
Trying to avoid the obstacles of the quickly narrowing passages, they finally made it to the steps that would take them up to the main floor.
She’d started humming again, that damned Revelation Decree song, and he was done with this. Scooping her up in his arms, he raced up the broken stairs and emerged into mayhem.
Priestesses were screaming and running, arms full of supplies and books.
No one paid them any mind, which was good.
His cloak had been shredded when his wings had appeared, and while he’d made them disappear, he was still shirtless and recognizable.
Not to mention Tessa was well known by everyone now, no longer the wild Fae trying to blend in with the world.
With the crowd, it was too hard to carry her, and he was forced to put her back on her feet.
Nylah had circled back yet again, and her wolves made sure people stayed back from them.
Still, Tessa walked calmly through the main floor of the Pantheon.
Energy continued to emanate from her, and her magic took, taking down Priestesses as she moved.
With every body that hit the floor, he felt her power increase, and he finally understood how she refilled her reserves.
Life must give, and death must take.
She hadn’t taken in weeks.
He just needed to get her outside. Once they were outside of the Pantheon walls they could Travel, assuming Tristyn and Cienna had indeed managed to remove the enchantment.
Luka spotted the others up ahead as they neared the main doors.
Sentinels were pouring in, trying to help evacuate the Priestesses.
It was only then he realized there wasn’t a single Fae to be seen.
He whirled back to Tessa, and she only smiled at him, dark and wicked.
Finally embracing that she was life and death, and today she was channeling the latter.
“You planned this all along,” he said in disbelief as she moved past him.