Chapter 4 #3
She said nothing, only lifted her hands in front of her and threw arcs of light ahead of them.
The heavy wood doors were blasted off their hinges, exploding out into the courtyard.
He followed, bounding down the twenty steps that led up to the building where the others were waiting for them.
But they were staring past him, and he turned, not knowing what he would find anymore.
There were no words as Tessa sat on the top step removing her boots. The Pantheon was swaying behind her, as though it would fall at any moment, and she didn’t seem to care.
Because she was in complete control.
Two Sentinels raced for her, but her wolves were there, their screams cut short by massive jaws.
Tessa tossed the boots behind her as she stood, and only then did she descend the steps.
Light swirled in one hand, while darkness hovered in the other.
Energy skittered out with each step, the stairs crumbling to nothing as she left each one behind.
She still wore her cloak, and it billowed behind her as the winds picked up.
The clouds above them thundered, lightning striking far too close.
She reached the bottom, and her eyes slid to the left. Luka turned to see what had captured her attention, only to find the Achaz Lord and the four Ladies standing before them.
Shit.
But Tessa only tilted her head as she slowly lowered to the ground and placed a single palm flat on the stone. All they could do was watch as a final crack speared from her hand, back up the rubble she’d left behind and straight into the heart of the Pantheon.
The realm shuddered as the first streaks of dawn pierced the sky.
And then the Pantheon caved in on itself, the fall rippling and radiating power outward as it came crashing down.
Dust and ash filled the air so thickly that even with his eyes shifted, Luka had trouble seeing what was happening. He stumbled forward as the ground continued to shake beneath them, finding Tessa standing upright once more.
“We need to go,” he growled, clasping her shoulder and spinning her to face him. He took her chin, forcing her face up to his. “You made your point, Tessa. Now we need to go and regroup. Figure out what we do from here.”
Tristyn appeared, a hand covering his mouth to keep from breathing in the wreckage. His eyes were glowing brightly as they settled on Tessa. “We have to get beyond the courtyard. That’s where we’ll be able to Travel.”
Tessa nodded, turning to peer through the storm of chaos.
The wind shifted just enough to clear the air and give them a perfect view of the Achaz Lord and the Ladies once more.
Rordan’s gaze was fixed on Tessa, and she stared right back.
There was no mistaking what was passing between them.
Tessa had announced her intentions to the entirety of Devram.
Something was coming, and this was the only warning.
Then she spun, turning her back on all of them, and barefoot, she walked away from the ruling families of Devram. She’d burned their godsdamn castle to the ground.
Luka moved to her side, and he felt the others fall into a formation of sorts behind her. Tristyn and Cienna were done hiding. His father was free and choosing their side. Devram was about to be divided.
Chaos was about to reign.
“The Fae are safe,” she said suddenly, not seeming to care about the rubble they were maneuvering through. It had to be slicing up her feet.
“What do you mean they are safe?” he asked.
“I sent word ahead of time. To make sure the Fae were removed from the Pantheon before we arrived. Only Legacy went to the After this day,” she replied.
“How?”
She shrugged. “I watched. I listened. I learned everything I could.”
“You just declared war, Tessa,” Luka growled. “Without consulting anyone. There will be consequences. They will retaliate.”
“I will not live in a realm where Fae are forced to serve. This world deserves a war. Devram deserves a reckoning,” she bit out as they crossed out of the courtyard.
“And you believe that is your call to make? To pass such judgment?”
She stopped, turning to look up at him. “I believe my purpose is a genesis. More than that, I believe my purpose is to at least try when no one else is doing a godsdamn thing.”
He blinked at her, unsure how to respond to that, but before he could say anything, Tristyn and Cienna approached.
“We cannot return to my penthouse,” Blackheart said. “We made a statement following Tessa out of there.”
“I’m aware,” Luka muttered, still eyeing Tessa. Her eyes were still too dark; she was still too lost to her power. And he couldn’t decide if it was her magic talking or her.
“Do we go to the Underground?” Tristyn pressed.
“It is the first place they will look,” Cienna said. “We need some place few know of.”
His head whipped to her, finding her piercing gaze fixed on him. “No,” he growled.
“We need some place where we will not be disturbed. We need a plan, and she needs to be brought back from the brink,” the Witch countered.
Godsdammit.
He knew she was right, but by the gods, did he fucking hate it.
“Fine,” he grumbled, an arm winding around Tessa’s waist and pulling her in close.
For once, she didn’t fight him. He held out his other hand, Cienna taking it.
Making sure they were all connected, Luka Traveled them to his cave to try to figure out how they were going to survive when there was no way to control the uncontrollable.