Chapter 47 Theon
THEON
It hadn’t been enough.
That was all he could think as they sat in the Penthouse in the Underground once again.
They were all covered in blood and grime, and he was slowly peeling back his darkness from Tessa’s scrapes and wounds, letting Cienna do her thing before her blood hit the ground. The last thing they needed was to deal with a fucking Hunter right now.
They’d lost. At least that battle. Even with Anala Kingdom sending aid, it hadn’t been enough.
They’d needed more people on the ground.
Tessa had been godsdamn amazing, her power lashing out and taking as she held that dome in place.
But splitting her focus drained her faster.
Eventually Luka’d had to abandon the sky because Theon was drawing too much from him, and in the end, they’d done exactly what he hadn’t wanted to do.
They’d had to abandon Castle Pines and the people who hadn’t managed to get out.
He’d failed.
Again.
Everyone was quiet and somber, the defeat weighing on them all.
Gia was here, making her rounds while Cienna tended to Tessa.
Eliza was curled into Razik where he sat on the floor.
Xan was nearby, talking low with one of the Anala warriors who’d returned with them.
They’d taken over the entire building, giving quarters to all those they had been able to bring back with them.
They’d only needed one additional floor in the end.
Kat and Axel were here as well, having moved back to the Penthouse after imprisoning Bree. Kat was upstairs with Maddox while Axel sat in a chair opposite him. His elbows were braced on his knees, head hanging. He hadn’t been there, but he still felt the defeat in his soul.
Having finished with Tessa, Cienna moved on to Theon, despite his protest to go to Luka when the lift doors dinged.
They all looked up, and a moment later, Dagian was stepping into the room.
His face was as dirty and bloodied as the rest of them, only there were tear stains streaked through the grime.
They’d fought beside each other today. Arius and Achaz.
Theon had never thought he’d see the day.
Tessa sat up straighter, as though she was going to go to him, but Luka planted a hand on her thigh from her other side, keeping her in place. They were both too on edge right now to be anything other than overbearing.
“I’m sorry,” Tessa said softly. “I knew Sasha. She was… I’m sorry.”
Dagian gave a stiff nod, rolling his lips.
“Can I get you something?” Axel asked, pushing to his feet. “Something to eat? Drink? Blood now that you can’t…” He trailed off, shoving a hand through his hair.
“No,” Dagian said tightly. He turned to Theon, his eyes somehow hard and hollow at the same time. “I’m only here to find out when you’re taking my power, St. Orcas.”
Theon stared at him, somewhat at a loss. He flicked his gaze to Xan before coming back to Dagian. “We have all three rings now,” he said. “But we still need to find someone to do the transfer. Unless your mother is now an option?”
“She is not,” Dagian snapped. “I will not lose another person I love to his madness.”
“Won’t he kill her anyway?” Luka asked.
Dagian’s lip curled. “Not even he’s powerful enough to do that.
But he will hurt her. Torture her. She’s endured enough.
We all have.” Light sparked at his fingertips, making everyone tense, but he got it under control in the next breath.
His gaze raked over them on the sofa, Tessa between the two of them.
“It wasn’t like that with us,” he said, hollowness ringing in his tone.
“My father tried, but… Sasha was like a younger sister to me. Nothing more. He forced us together from the day she was born, and I… She was my sister. I was her protector. I never touched her otherwise.”
They all stared at him, and shock rippled through Theon because how? That bond was demanding and relentless.
“But…she was so nervous on Selection day?” Tessa said tentatively.
“We both were. We’d known about the bond and what it did. Neither of us wanted each other like that,” Dagian answered.
“And it didn’t…try?” Theon asked, trying not to sound like a complete ass with his question.
Dagian shook his head. “There were a few times. Right after the Marks were given. But we had arrangements made. Others willing to satisfy those demands.”
“You let someone else touch her?” Theon asked, still trying to comprehend this.
“Someone she chose,” Dagian said. “It was always her choice, but enough of this. Figure it out, and take this power from me, St. Orcas. I’ve held up my end of the deal and paid the price. Hold up yours.”
Then he turned his back on them, pressing the lift button. The doors opened immediately, and he left, leaving them to stew in their loss once more.
“There are three showers available,” Axel said after a beat. “Feel free to use them. I’ll get some food fixed up.”
Everyone dispersed, and Theon sent Tessa up with Luka, wanting to talk to Axel for a moment. He followed his brother into the kitchen, but as he went to sit down, Axel snapped, “Don’t touch anything. You’re covered in blood.”
“We were just sitting on furniture,” Theon replied.
“Which we now have to clean, but I wasn’t going to say anything then,” he replied.
“Axel?” Kat’s voice rang out from the other room.
“And don’t touch my kid either,” Axel called from the pantry where he was digging for something or other. “Not until you’ve showered.”
Kat appeared a moment later, Maddox in her arms. He was awake and taking in the world, and Theon smiled weakly at them.
“I’m sorry things did not go well today,” Kat said, coming farther into the room.
Theon nodded, leaning in closer to see Maddox. “We need to get that power transferred,” he said. “Which is why I need to talk to Axel.”
His brother reappeared, narrowing his eyes at how close Theon was to the babe. Theon held up his hands. “I’m not touching him. Relax.”
“I’m going to tell you that when you have a child,” Axel grumbled, dumping bags of rice and cans of beans onto the counter. “I’m going to have to go get some pork.”
“Husband, father, and chef,” Theon smirked. “What next?”
“Fuck off, or you’re not eating,” Axel retorted, pointing a finger at him.
Theon huffed a laugh, but it was quickly gone. “I’m going to the secret holdings as soon as my powers are restored enough.”
Axel stilled, blinking at him. “Then I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t have to, Axel. You have a son. A wife,” Theon tried.
“Whom he has threatened on multiple occasions,” Axel retorted. “Not to mention our whole fucking childhood. If you’re going to confront our father, I’m coming with to end him. I’m a godsdamn Night Child because of him.”
Theon glanced at Katya, who was swaying with Maddox. She did that a lot, and it had to be some innate mother thing.
“We need to take as few people as possible,” Theon tried again. “Tessa, obviously for her power. Luka because he’s my Guardian.”
“Corbin and Lange,” Kat added. “They’ll insist on going. They’ve been restless while waiting.”
Theon shook his head. “It’s too many people.”
“Tell them that,” Kat tossed back. “They’ve become close with Eviana, and we all know if someone has to be left behind, it will be her. Mark my words, Theon, if you don’t take them with you, they’ll go themselves. Explain that one to Tessa.”
That would go over well.
Theon sighed. “We go in. We find my mother and Eviana. We send everyone else away, and we take care of Father.”
“Tessa and Luka are not just going to leave us there, you idiot,” Axel groused from where he was now rummaging through the fridge.
“I’ll talk to them.”
“Great. Do that. While you fucking shower. You’re too disgusting right now to be standing so close to my wife and child,” Axel called over his shoulder.
Theon rolled his eyes, glancing once more at Kat to find a small smile playing on her lips. “You won’t win this one,” she said softly.
He sighed again, knowing she was right. “I’m not enjoying you two constantly ganging up on me,” he said, turning to leave the kitchen.
“Tessa would side with us,” Axel called, and Theon flipped him off over his shoulder because he knew that too.
“Are we sure there’s something here?” Axel asked, looking around where they stood just inside the Leisure District.
Kylian had shown them the area a few days ago while their powers were still recovering.
Theon and Luka had again drank rations, and they really needed to figure something else out.
Tessa had offered to fill their reserves, but then she would be left without full strength because she could only refill her magic by taking life.
Checks and balances even when she was an imbalance herself.
“Can’t you feel the wards?” Tessa asked.
“They’re meant to deter you,” Theon answered. “I feel something trying to get me to turn around. Go in the other direction. Like an instinct of some sort.”
She shrugged. “We’re here. We may as well try it, right?”
“I guess,” Axel said, scratching the back of his head.
There wasn’t much else they could do. If it wasn’t here, then they were at a loss, and Theon refused to entertain that idea at the moment.
“We have to all be connected,” Lange said, reaching for Tessa.
Theon knocked him away, taking her hand while Luka took the other.
“Stop being a dick,” she muttered.
Theon ignored her. This had nothing to do with her friend touching her and had more to do with him being on edge. He was going in there to meet his mother and kill his father.
With everyone touching, they moved forward, step after step, until he felt the wards ghost over his skin and a two-story stone house loomed over them. Built into the side of the cavern wall, it had a few windows on the front and a stone wall surrounding it.
“There’s no gate or way in,” Axel said in a hushed tone after they’d all darted to the side.
“Then we go over the top,” Tessa said simply.
“And get caught?” Axel tossed back.