Chapter 33 Theon
THEON
They didn’t wait for Blackheart. Tessa grabbed his hand, Traveling them back to the Underground penthouse. Seconds later, Tristyn appeared with an unmoving Brecken.
He felt Tessa suck in a sharp breath at the sight of them, and Tristyn gave her a sad nod. “Go to Luka. I’ll handle this.”
Tessa nodded, swallowing thickly, and while Theon wanted to know what the fuck had happened, he was feeling too many other things to properly care right now.
“Upstairs,” Theon said tightly, anger and fear mixing in his gut.
As if his voice broke her from some sort of trance, she took off, racing up the stairs. So godsdamn fast when she needed to be.
He followed, taking the stairs two at a time. Or trying to. Because he was feeling his Guardian dying all over again. It was only sheer adrenaline that had allowed him to go find her, and that adrenaline was waning.
By the time he made it to their bedroom on the second floor, Tessa was already on her knees at Luka’s side, Blackheart’s leather jacket hanging off her.
He and Luka had realized she was gone at the same time, her emotions down the bond jolting them awake to find no blonde-haired female between them. How she’d managed to crawl from the bed without either of them feeling her was still a mystery, but they were up in seconds.
“I’ll check the kitchen,” Luka had said as Theon had made his way to the bathroom.
He’d known she wasn’t in there. The door was open, lights off, but he’d gone in there anyway. And thank the gods he had because just as he was turning to leave and go downstairs with Luka, he’d spotted the corner of a piece of paper sticking out of a drawer.
Yanking it open, he’d found a note mixed in with her hair things, a growl of anger escaping as he’d read it.
“Luka!” he’d yelled, his strides purposeful now. Something in his chest was writhing, and he’d assumed it was because Tessa was in the fucking Falein Kingdom. But then he’d found Luka, collapsed on the ground in only the lightweight pants he’d slipped into.
He’d realized then what was happening, his mind going back to Lake Moonmist when Luka had been stabbed and he’d been in so much agony, he couldn’t function.
Knowing what was coming, he’d braced himself, yelling for Razik and Eliza, who were in Luka’s usual room across the hall. They’d gotten Axel, Kat, and Xan.
The Mark on Luka’s chest had been pulsing a faint gold color, growing brighter, but then it had started to shift, growing darker.
Cienna had appeared, despite not staying at the penthouse with them while in the Underground. Her violet eyes had met his, and all she’d had to do was nod. “Go find her, Theon.”
Because of course she knew what was happening.
It had taken every bit of his strength to shadow-walk and follow the Tracking Mark that still let him know where Tessa was.
And now that he was back and she was here, he sank onto the small leather sofa in the room, trying not to vomit.
Trying not to fall to his knees when he couldn’t push down the utter agony of the Guardian bond dying once again.
Tears were coursing down Tessa’s face as she stared down at Luka, her hands moving erratically as if she didn’t know if she should touch him. Her head snapped up, lightning sparking in their depths when she found Cienna.
“Why are you just standing there?” she cried. “Do something!”
But the Witch just stood stoically to the side, keen eyes watching on. “There is nothing I can do,” she answered simply.
“Nothing you can…” Tessa trailed off in outrage, her power seeping from her as she lost more control. “Then what good are you?” Her eyes swept the room in fury. “What good are any of you?” she screamed, her rage and helplessness flooding him down their bond.
But the agony in his chest was lessening, allowing him to think a little more clearly with each passing second.
He watched her smooth her hands down Luka’s face.
Watched her push his hair back. Watched her lay her head atop his chest, right beside that Mark that wasn’t pulsing quite so violently anymore.
That was calming and settling back into a stagnant, pale white Mark on Luka’s flesh.
“Where were you?” Cienna asked, watching them as carefully as Theon was.
“The Falein Kingdom,” Theon answered, his voice steely.
“By yourself?” Cienna asked Tessa.
“With Tristyn and— Brecken,” Theon answered, feeling Tessa’s flinch down the bond at his name.
“Did they come back with you?”
“They’re downstairs.”
“Stop answering for me,” Tessa snarled, glaring up at him. “Why does any of this matter? Why is no one doing anything?”
“Because you are the only one who can do something,” Kat interjected.
And maybe it was because it was her, but Tessa tensed, clearly biting her tongue instead of snapping back a retort. Whatever it was, she was listening now, and Theon knew without a doubt that Kat had worked out the same thing he had.
Because everything in his soul had settled. The Guardian bond was fine. His bond with Tessa was humming in contentment at having her close once more. Luka’s chest was rising and falling steadily.
Katya moved forward, awkwardly lowering to her knees on the other side of Tessa despite Axel’s protest.
“He’s fine, Tessa,” she said softly. “Look.”
Taking Tessa’s hand, she shifted it so they could all see the Mark clearly. That perfectly calm and sedate Mark.
“I don’t understand,” Tessa rasped, wiping at her face.
Theon moved then, unable to stand seeing her in that godsdamn jacket a second longer.
His panic and fear had subsided, and it was replaced by an anger that he was swallowing down with every breath.
He strode around Luka’s feet, coming to Tessa’s side.
Slipping his fingers beneath the collar, he slid it down her arms. In her own panic and confusion, she didn’t fight, and he tossed it aside.
Katya glanced up at him, and he nodded in confirmation before he replied, “You gave him that Mark, Tessa.”
“I know, but I don’t know what it does,” she said, having picked up one of Luka’s hands. She looked up at Theon, worry there, but also an underlying grief she was pushing down.
“Neither did we until now,” he answered. “But it appears you’ve bound his life to your presence in some way.”
“That’s not… What? I can’t do that,” she said, shaking her head.
“But you did,” he answered. “You gave him life, and if he strays too far from that, death takes.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head in denial. “I would never do that to him without… No.”
“It’s the only explanation, Tessa,” Kat said gently. “Since that day, you’ve never been apart—”
“We have,” she argued. “Separate rooms. Out in the Underground.”
“That’s a small distance. Not two godsdamn kingdoms away and on an island,” Theon said, trying and failing to keep the bite from his tone.
She shifted, her eyes dropping back to Luka.
“And after I found you and brought you back here, that Mark faded back to what it is now. I felt him dying, and now I don’t. I know you felt him too,” Theon continued.
“Yes, but I thought that had been…” She trailed off for several seconds. “Why isn’t he waking up?”
“I’m sure nearly dying again takes a minute or two to recover from,” he said dryly.
“Theon,” Kat interjected in warning. “Now is not the time.”
He knew that, and a piece of him was grateful to Kat for the small reminder.
He was even more grateful nothing had appeared to change between them with his whole willing-to-sacrifice-the-world thing.
They still spent hours going through books together, but now conversation was often lighter and more relaxed between them.
The fact that she was carrying his nephew only strengthened their unlikely friendship.
Clearing his throat, Theon crouched beside Tessa, his hand brushing down her back. “We just have to give him a minute, little storm.”
And gods, he hoped this wouldn’t be the first lie he told her because the truth was he didn’t know if or when Luka would wake up.
None of them had any idea what this Mark did or the effects of it.
Was it unlimited, or did a part of Luka die every time it was activated?
How far could she stray from him? Could he go across the Underground? Was separate cities too far?
In the silent minutes that passed, Axel helped Kat to her feet before ushering her to the sofa. Razik and Eliza remained silent, always observing.
Tessa swiveled to look up at Xan, as if suddenly remembering he was here. “Do you know of this Mark? Or something like it?”
The male’s sapphire stare was fixed on his son, and he seemed to be holding his breath as he answered, “No, Tessa. I do believe Eliza is correct. You created something entirely new. None of us know what comes with that.”
She swung her gaze to the female. “Scarlett can do this, yes?”
Eliza nodded, her features always harsh and unnerving.
“Does she always know what they will do?’ Tessa pressed.
“Scarlett has studied Marks extensively, and she has learned her own lessons about being sure to fully understand one before bestowing it,” Eliza answered. “When she creates a new Mark, it is intentional. Deliberate. She may appear impulsive, however, she is anything but.”
“How can she know?”
“I can’t answer that. I don’t have her abilities, nor have I studied them as extensively,” Eliza said, looking up at Razik in question.
He sighed. “I don’t know how she does it either,” he said, his tone betraying how annoying he found that.
But before anyone could say anything further, a low groan sounded, drawing everyone’s focus back to Luka. Tessa leaned over him, her breath catching, and Theon leaned closer too. It was another few seconds before his eyes opened.
He blinked several times before settling into focus on Tessa. Then he frowned.
“Are you covered in blood, baby girl?”
Her hand drifted up, fingertips touching her cheek. The blood that had been there had smeared with her tears, leaving red streaks behind.