Chapter 36 Luka #3
Tessa nodded, placing her palm flat against the surface. Her power gathered, spreading out across it as if the panel was cracking. Then it dissolved away, leaving a wall of glass with Marks and symbols carved around it.
“We destroy this one last,” she murmured, already looking over the carvings.
One of her dark daggers appeared in her hand, and Luka caught her wrist before she sliced her palm. “You call Scarlett, Tessa. No one else.”
She grinned up at him, that eerie, wicked smile that told him she was a little caught up in her power.
“How do we know which one it is?” Theon asked, leaning in to peer closer at the etchings.
“We don’t,” Tessa said with a shrug.
Before either of them could stop her, she slid the blade across her palm and smeared her blood, not on the markings, but on the glass itself.
“Tessa!” Luka barked, but there wasn’t anything to be done now.
The mirror was crackling, swirling with gold and silver, light and dark. She stepped back, watching it all, and Luka and Theon stepped to her sides.
Luka was barely breathing because what had she been thinking? Anyone or anything could answer her call.
And it wasn’t a silver-haired female that appeared in the mirror after a few minutes, but a white, silver-haired male.
That hair reached just past his shoulders, silver eyes staring back at them.
Beside him stood a female. She was quite a bit shorter than the male, and her black hair was long, reaching nearly to her waist. Her skin was darker, not as dark as Kat’s, but a warm brown hue.
Her amber eyes seemed to search for something, but they swirled a little. Just like—
“Auryon?” Tessa breathed, stepping closer.
“It’s not her, Tessa,” Theon said gently, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Her eyes are different.”
“Who are you?” the male in the mirror asked.
“You first,” Theon retorted, straightening to his full height.
“Not you,” the female said dismissively. “You.”
She was looking straight at Luka, and he stared back, stoic and unmoving.
The female didn’t appear to care, peering up at the male. “It has to be him. They look too similar for it not to be.”
“Wait, do you know Razik?” Tessa asked, stepping closer once more.
Both of their attention snapped to her. “Is he there with you? Where is he?” the male demanded.
“He’s here, but he’s not with us,” Tessa answered. “You are from his world? You know Scarlett?”
The male stiffened, eyes narrowing. “What business do you have with her?”
But the female was lifting a hand, a swirl of ashes fluttering, and seconds later, Scarlett appeared, Sorin with her.
“Where are they?” Scarlett demanded, shifting as though it would help her see different angles beyond the mirror.
“Not here,” Tessa said again. “Who are they?”
“My brother and his wife,” she answered.
“They appear worried about Razik,” Tessa said, eyeing them all.
“We’re all worried about them,” Scarlett replied. “It’s been months.”
The black-haired female stepped closer again. “But he is well? Can we see him?”
“I’m sorry,” Tessa answered gently. “He’s not here, but he is well. Both he and Eliza are well.”
She nodded once, and the male slid his hand around her waist. “Soon, Lia. He’ll be back soon.”
“You keep saying that. I’m beginning to question if you know the meaning of the word,” she replied.
“If you didn’t summon me to send them back, then what do you need?” Scarlett asked sharply. “I cannot send you any more aid, and I—”
“I do not need you to send anyone else to this world,” Tessa interrupted, her tone carrying that eerie ring. “When the gates open, more things enter than should.”
Scarlett stilled. “Like what?”
“Like things that smell of the stars and stories yet to be told,” Tessa answered.
Scarlett glanced up at Sorin, whose brows were pinched in thought as he listened and watched.
“We summoned you for a reason though,” Theon interjected after a few seconds of awkward silence. He held up his arm, showing the Mark around his wrist. “Cienna said you created this Mark.”
Scarlett glanced at it once, then back to Tessa. “I did.”
“And now we need to add the third piece,” Theon continued. “She said she couldn’t do it because—”
“Because she doesn’t have enough Chaos,” Scarlett interrupted. “Yes, yes. You are okay with this, Cousin? It is what you want?” She glanced between them. “Two annoying, hovering males seems like an unnecessary pain in the ass.”
“Scarlett,” Sorin sighed, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Cienna explained this to us.”
“Yes, but you know how I feel about the Fates trying to force our path,” she replied with faux sweetness.
“It is my choice,” Tessa cut in. “It was my stipulation about the Mark that required a new one be created.”
Scarlett smiled. “I simply wanted to be sure. Having been to your world…”
“I understand,” Tessa said, “but it is my choice.”
“In that case, listen carefully and watch,” Scarlett said. “You’ll use blood mixed from the three of you for this, but it must be drawn precisely.”
The next several minutes consisted of Scarlett drawing a Mark in the air with her starfire.
Over and over again, while Tessa did the same on paper Theon had grabbed for her.
And over and over again, Scarlett corrected it.
A line that needed to curve more. Two lines that couldn’t touch.
Three lines that had to cross at a specific place.
More than that, because it was going around their wrists, the curvatures had to be perfect too.
“Out of curiosity,” Tessa ground out when Scarlett told her it was wrong yet again. “What will happen if I fuck this up?”
Scarlett shrugged. “Depends on which part you fuck up, I suppose.”
Tessa tsked, rolling her eyes. Luka had felt her frustration growing and growing, and he knew she was reaching a tipping point.
“This is a waste of all our time. If this is something I’m supposed to be able to do, shouldn’t my Chaos just know?
It did for the Mark I gave Luka.” She tossed her pencil aside, grabbing a new piece of paper.
“I didn’t need a scion or blood for that,” she went on, slipping into that tone once more.
“We just knew what to do. Knew what we wanted.”
Her hand hovered just above the paper, thin streams of her power twisting and writhing.
“Tessa,” Luka warned at the same time Theon said, “Tessa, stop.”
“Let her go,” Scarlett said, a hand pressing to the glass. “She’s right, in a sense. She knows the Mark and what she wants.”
“You can’t tell me that’s how creating a new Mark works,” Theon retorted.
“Not entirely, but she’s not creating a new Mark, is she?” Scarlett drawled.
Tessa was singing that godsdamn revelation song, and he was about to intervene when she lifted her head, and they both started. Her eyes were glowing violet, swirling with her magic. Slowly, she moved her hand, and on the paper was a Mark, shimmering faintly.
Theon tentatively reached for it, holding it up to the mirror, and Scarlett smiled darkly. “Perfect. Just like that, Tessa.” She was still humming, one hand in her hair. Scarlett’s smile faltered. “Did you ever learn her mother’s lineage?”
Theon shook his head. “Achaz, obviously, but I don’t know her grandmother on that side.”
“She’s trapped,” Tessa said simply, spinning in a slow circle. “Locked beneath the sea.” She stilled, looking over her shoulder and locking eyes with Scarlett. “For now.”
Scarlett lurched back. “Tell Briar—”
“Already on it, Love,” Sorin said, a fire message flaring and disappearing.
“What is going on?” Theon demanded.
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with right now,” she replied with a fake smile. “Take your Mark, save your world, and send our family home.”
Then she was gone, leaving them standing in the room with a humming Tessa.
“I won’t take the Mark when she’s in this state,” Luka said sharply.
“I know, but what if she can’t create the Mark otherwise?” Theon asked, shoving a hand through his hair. “We have to learn to help her control it, even when she has to give in to it.”
Luka dragged a hand down his face, trying to figure out what to do.
“She’s in there,” Theon said. “She’s a part of it as much as it’s a part of her. So what if we use the bond to reach her?”
“Theon, this isn’t the time for questionable theories,” Luka sighed.
“Just listen,” Theon said, that excited note seeping into his tone he always got when he was figuring something out. “We distract her power with ours and then use the bond to speak to her. Help her focus and control it.”
“You’re willing to risk getting the wrong Mark on this? What if it doesn’t work? Or it gets fucked up?” Luka demanded.
“Do you want her or not, Luka? Theon retorted.
His dragon snarled at the implication, the sound rumbling from his chest as smoke wafted on his exhale.
“Then grow a pair of balls and do this,” Theon snarled, his darkness appearing and already luring her magic.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Luka muttered.
“You said the same thing about me Selecting her.”
This fucker.
With another deep breath, he called forth some dragonfire, letting it mingle with their magic. They gave it a moment before Theon said down the bond, Tessa?
They waited for several seconds, but no response came.
Tessa? Luka tried.
We need you to answer us, clever tempest, Theon added.
She was still humming, and Luka wanted to slap his hands over his ears. He shifted his eyes, knew they were glowing as brightly as hers when he sent down the bond, It’s lonely being the grandchild of a god, Tessa. I don’t want to be alone.
Her head cocked to the side a little, eyes settling on him.
There you are, my light, he coaxed. You with us?
She nodded slowly, glancing at Theon as he slid to Luka’s side.
Eyes on us, little storm, Theon said.
And a few seconds later, her voice drifted to them. Eyes on you.
Good girl, Theon said. We need your wrist.
She raised her left arm, and they did the same, bringing them all together.
Are you sure about this, Tessa? Luka asked one last time.
It’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure of in my entire life, she answered.
Then guide our magic, Theon instructed.
And she did, their power twisting and curving around their wrists.
The threads of power becoming so entangled as she worked, Luka couldn’t tell which Mark was being inked on whose skin.
He felt her power cut into his flesh, stealing blood.
Doing the same to her and Theon. Her Chaos absorbed it all, adding to whatever she was doing.
She was breathing hard, and a tear slipped free.
This is too much, Theon, Luka ground out.
I can do this. We don’t stop, Tessa insisted, her body starting to tremble.
Seconds later, those cords they’d all seen at one time or another sprang up.
The brightest gold.
The darkest black.
A midnight blue.
They were as entangled as the Mark she was bestowing. No telling where one ended and another began. Until they flared so brightly, Luka had to turn away and close his eyes.
Something pulsed through him, settling into the depths of his soul, and he turned back just in time to see their mess of power flare out.
Tessa stumbled forward, and Luka caught her before she fell to the floor.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured, scooping her up and carrying her to the sofa in the office.
He placed her between them, and she slumped against his chest while Theon leaned in and cupped her face. “Tessa? Are you all right?”
She was still trembling, her head lolling against Luka’s shoulder. “You’re mine,” she whispered, her eyes falling closed.
Theon lifted his gaze to Luka’s, and they both raised their arms to see the intricate Mark wrapping around their wrists. It mirrored the one on Tessa’s, and it was precise and perfect.
Looking back at Luka once more, Theon grasped his forearm and said, “Let’s take our wife home.”