33. Theon
33
THEON
H e checked his watch, then his phone again. Luka only had a few minutes to get here. The portal would wait. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was they needed every possible second in those catacombs. Last time they’d had an entire day. This time, the Falein Lady had begrudgingly only agreed to an afternoon, and if Tessa showed, she had to put bands on. Not the same bands everyone else would be wearing that would only suppress their magic, but the stone bands that would cut her off from her power. He hadn’t told Luka that, but he also didn’t expect her to show up either.
Tension bled out of him when he spotted Luka striding through the foyer. Unlike when he’d shown up at the manor a few weeks ago, he was dressed for business in his suit and tie. His hair was tied back, stoic and unreadable expression in place.
“Cutting it close,” Theon said, handing over the documents for the Fae, disappointed not to see Tessa with him, even though this was exactly what he’d been expecting. He could feel her though, as if she was gifting them this small glimpse of her emotions to be able to keep tabs on her when they couldn’t physically be with her. He couldn’t hear her thoughts, but just being able to feel her was something, even if right now she was more conflicted than anything.
“You already know why I’m cutting it close,” Luka answered, looking through the papers. “Where’d you get these?”
“Used Axel’s guy,” Theon answered.
“Tucker?”
“Yep.”
“And for the electronic records?” Luka asked, tucking the documents inside his suit jacket.
“Corbin took care of that for us,” Theon said, leading the way to where he’d left the others in a secluded area of the station. He needed them out of the public eye as much as possible.
Luka nodded. “And Kat? She was feeling up to this?”
Theon hesitated. “I needed her to come with us. She knows the Ekayan Island better than we do, especially the catacombs.”
Luka nodded again, understanding exactly what he was saying. He’d had to order her to come with them. It truly hadn’t taken much, but he hadn’t given the female the choice either. Eliza’s constant glares told him exactly what she thought about that. To be honest, Theon was more than a little worried about how this was going to go with Razik and Eliza. Eliza was one thing, but Razik not treating her like a Fae was expected to be treated here was a whole other worry. He’d observed them long enough now to know there was no way he was going to outright disrespect her.
And then there was the obvious tension between Razik and Luka that immediately thickened when they came into sight.
“Tessa didn’t come?” Eliza asked when they drew closer, and Theon sighed, rubbing at his brow.
Thankfully they were tucked far enough back into the secluded nook of the station that no one overheard them. “You can’t do that, Eliza. We discussed expected behavior,” Theon said.
Her brows arched. “Expected behavior?”
“Yes,” Theon snapped, because they really did not have time for this. “You cannot speak to a Legacy unless spoken to.”
“You were serious about that?”
“I was serious about everything I told you,” he retorted. “Why would I say it if I wasn’t serious about it?” When she only glared at him, he added, “Just follow Katya’s lead. Can you handle that?”
“She’ll handle more than that if you continue to speak to her that way,” Razik said lazily.
“And you,” Theon said, turning to him. “I know she’s your twin flame, but if you treat her as anything other than a Fae, it will draw unwanted attention. We need this time in the libraries. We will not get another chance.”
“And I suppose I’m to follow your lead?” he drawled.
“No,” Theon said, the corner of his mouth turning up in a small smirk at his startled reaction. “You are to follow Luka’s lead because the moment we step out there, I am the Arius Lord.”
He didn’t give either of them a chance to respond. He was done wasting time.
“They’ll follow behind us,” he heard Luka say, and a moment later Luka was at his side. Razik fell into step as well, and Theon hated it because that was Axel’s spot. Maybe they’d find something in the catacombs to help with that mess too.
“Place your palm here and conjure power,” said the Legacy when they reached the security platform. Reading his screen after Theon did so, he said, “Passage for six was granted by Lady Farhan. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Theon answered impatiently. “But there are only five present today.”
“Documentation for the Fae,” he ordered, holding out his hand.
Luka handed over the identification documents for Katya and Eliza. Theon wasn’t nearly as worried about this part as he was about Razik having to have his power scanned. Corbin not only had to hack the network to plant fake documentation, but it had to be extensive. Name. Background. Education. Residence. But not even that was what caused Theon to hold his breath when Razik placed his hand on the scanner. They’d told him to conjure the smallest amount of fire with the intention of passing him off as an Anala Legacy. It wasn’t uncommon for Legacy to be contracted to work in other kingdoms, and that was the plan here. The trick was making sure it only detected the flame and not the dragon fire part of it, but it wasn’t as if Razik could separate the two.
The Legacy’s brow furrowed for a moment while he studied the screen before his gaze flicked to Theon. He opened his mouth to say something, but Theon let his darkness free to writhe around him. Tendrils crept along the floor while wisps of the same swirled in his eyes. The Legacy swallowed thickly, his attention going from Theon to Luka before going back to Razik.
“Everything looks fine,” the Legacy finally said. “There must have been a slight glitch in the system.”
Theon only nodded once before striding past the platform to the portals.
A half hour later, Katya was leading them through the shelves of the catacombs. They were in the same building as before, but they were in a different section. They paired off, Katya staying with Razik and Eliza while Theon and Luka went down another few rows.
“How is Tessa?” Theon asked while they studied the books on the shelves.
“You can feel her as well as I can, Theon,” Luka muttered.
“Yes, but how did she look ?”
“Tired.”
Theon bit down on his sarcastic retort. He needed to focus on the task at hand, and yet all he could think about was her.
Forcing his thoughts elsewhere, he grabbed a few books, not even sure what they were. “I’ll meet you back at the table,” he said before heading to the agreed upon space tucked back in a corner. It was a place they were least likely to be disturbed.
Shedding his suit jacket, he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows before he took a seat. If anything could distract him from Tessa it would be getting lost in history and theories. He hardly noticed when the others joined him, and soon the table was stacked with heavy tomes, ancient scrolls, and so many books they had to set some on the floor. Kat warned them against that, but Theon had made the executive decision to risk the wrath of the scholars.
This was nothing like the last time they were here. No one spoke. Part of it was the time crunch they were on, but the bigger part was the massive standoff going on between Luka and Razik. He was sure Eliza and Razik were speaking down their bond rather than to the rest of them, and Kat was quiet and withdrawn, dutifully turning pages and making notes on the paper she’d secured for them. Theon knew they’d all be checked after their last trip here, and he knew their movements were being monitored far more closely this time too. Theon also gave her any texts that needed translating because she was more proficient at it than he was.
More than once he had to force himself to stop reading after getting caught up in information that didn’t pertain to what they were looking for. Witches. Prophecies. Visions. That was their main focus, but he skimmed anything having to do with the gods, particularly the Firsts and the Sister Goddesses, which is what had him finally breaking the silence.
“How long after Devram was created did Serafina betray Achaz?” he asked.
Everyone looked up from their texts. Well, everyone except Katya.
“I don’t know how long ago that was,” Razik answered, immediately going back to his book.
But Eliza said, “What do you mean Serafina betrayed Achaz?”
“When Devram was created, Serafina was Matched with Achaz.”
“Matched,” she repeated. “That is similar to a betrothal, correct?”
“It was a sensitive arrangement,” Katya murmured, still not looking up from her own reading. “The Firsts were not supposed to create children together. The Fates decreed it would upset the balance too much.”
“And it did,” Luka said. “Who’s to say Arius and Serafina only have two children?”
“I’m not concerned about that so much as I am about what convinced Serafina that she should choose Arius instead of Achaz,” Theon said, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but clearly failing as Luka sat back in his chair.
“Her visions, Theon,” he said. “That’s what we need to be focusing on.”
“I’m aware.”
“Are you?”
“Yes,” Theon snapped. “But they are part of her lineage. There might be something there.”
“If you’re going to look into the gods and goddesses, look at Zinta,” Luka retorted, going back to his own book. “And figure out who or what the sorceress is.”
“What did you just say?” Eliza asked, her head snapping up and eyes going wide.
Razik had also looked up, and in a rare show of emotion, a look of alarm crossed his features.
Clearly confused, Luka said, “I told him to look into Zinta.”
“No, you said something about a sorceress,” Eliza said.
“That’s what Lilura said to Tessa,” Luka said. “There is a sorceress altering your visions.”
“ A sorceress or the sorceress?” Eliza said, sounding slightly hysterical.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it does!”
“Calm down, mai dragocen, ” Razik murmured, his hand soothing down her hair. “We do not wish to draw attention.”
“If it is?—”
“We don’t know,” Razik interrupted. He turned to Luka. “What were her exact words?”
“Exactly that. ‘There is a sorceress altering your visions,’” Luka replied.
“Could there be more than one?” Eliza asked, looking up at her twin flame, and Theon looked around to make sure no one was here to witness any of these interactions.
Razik rubbed his jaw in thought. “I don’t see why there couldn’t be.”
“For once I wish Cyrus was here,” Eliza grumbled.
Razik chuckled at that. “I’m telling him you said that when we return.”
Eliza shot him an unimpressed glare.
“Can one of you fill us in?” Theon asked, more than annoyed. “We have limited time the way it is.”
“There is a being imprisoned in our realm,” Eliza said. “She has been imprisoned there for centuries. She is extremely dangerous and is known for making deals with others by twisting and wording the terms to her advantage. If she gets access to one’s blood, she can use it not only for blood magic but to get into their mind. She’s used it to alter memories to the point that one doesn’t know what was real and what wasn’t.”
Luka sat up straighter. “She can alter memories?”
“Which is not the same as altering visions,” Razik said.
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” Luka retorted dryly.
“You seemed excited for no reason.”
“Altering memories can’t be that different from altering visions,” Luka drawled.
“She had a spell book,” Eliza cut in. “Descendants of the Witch goddesses can create new Marks. Her book was full of them along with potions, spells, and other enchantments.”
“Had?” Theon asked, getting stuck on that one word.
“Scarlett stole it,” Eliza said. “Then returned it. Then tricked her into giving it back.”
Of course that insane female had played a deadly game with a dangerous sorceress.
“But could she affect Tessa from another world?” Theon asked.
“Again, altering memories is not the same as altering visions,” Razik said.
“But if there was another sorceress…” Kat said. She trailed off as she stood. “I’ll be back.”
“Should I…?” Luka asked, looking to Theon.
“Yes,” Theon answered.
Luka immediately stood, following the female. Not because she needed to be watched, but because Theon knew exactly what a Legacy was capable of with an unaccompanied Fae.
Turning back to the others, he said, “You’re really not going to discuss the fact that the two of you are brothers?”
Eliza looked between them, while Razik stared back at Theon. And gods, the look was the same as Luka. Unreadable except for the clear annoyance.
“I don’t think it’s your business,” Razik said coldly.
“I think it is,” Theon retorted. “Because while you may be his blooded brother, I chose him as my family. We have been through everything together. For twenty-five years, he has believed he was the last of his kind. Then you show up here, not only a Sargon Legacy but a brother, and don’t give two fucks?”
“We had very different upbringings. The male he knew clearly cared about him, but couldn’t give two fucks about me,” Razik said, returning to his book.
“And that’s not Luka’s fault, you prick,” Theon shot back.
That had Razik looking up again before he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “And what will it matter in the end, Arius Lordling?”
“What does that mean?”
“You want us to get to know each other and become close when I am not going to stay here?” Razik asked. “Us forming some kind of relationship isn’t going to matter in the end.”
Eliza was silent, her head down and acting the part of a submissive Fae for once, but Theon knew she wasn’t reading the book in front of her. She was listening to every word, and now he was annoyed with her too. She obviously had sway over the male, and she was going to say nothing?
“Forget it,” Theon said, going back to his own research.
Nothing else was said until Luka and Katya returned. She looked a touch more like herself, that excitement Theon recognized buzzing faintly around her, even if her amber eyes were still too dull.
Setting a large tome on the table, she flipped it open. It was in an ancient language, but one that Razik clearly knew as she turned the book so he could see it better. Theon recognized some words, but not enough to read it proficiently. It would take him a little time to translate it.
“What is this?” Razik asked, scanning the page.
“A book from another building,” Luka said. “It’s why it took us so long.”
Theon glanced up at him. “They let you take this from another building?”
“Not exactly,” Luka said. “But Katya insisted it was important, so we may have Traveled.”
“Because it is important,” Razik murmured, fully engrossed in the book now. “Have you read all this, Kat?”
“Not in its entirety, but you mentioning a sorceress made me remember,” she said. Coming around the table, she sidled in between Theon and Razik where they were bent over the book. Pointing at a paragraph, she said, “Here. But this word isn’t the same.”
“Eliza, do we know Gehenna’s lineage?” Razik asked, still reading.
“Gehenna is the Sorceress in our realm,” Eliza clarified, having sat back in her chair to let Razik do his thing. “She is one of Zinta’s daughters.”
“One of?” Theon asked.
“The gods are thousands and thousands of years old. You think they only have one child each?” Razik muttered.
“Sorin learned that Gehenna only calls herself the sorceress,” Eliza cut in. “But among the gods, Zinta is known as the Sorceress, and Taika is known as?—”
“The Enchantress,” Razik cut in. “And according to this, some worlds refer to their descendants as such, particularly the most powerful ones.”
“So it could be Zinta affecting her visions?” Katya asked, pushing curls from her face.
“She can’t come here,” Razik said.
“No, but would she have to come here to alter visions? It’s already been proven that just because the gods can’t come here doesn’t mean they can’t meddle,” Theon argued.
“But with all the Zinta Legacy here, there could logically be one powerful enough to be referred to as a sorceress,” Kat cut in. “Especially with the way Matches are arranged.”
“That’s true,” Theon said, trying to translate more. “Do we think all their descendants have these spell books?”
“The Witches in our world have spell books,” Eliza supplied. “Particularly the most powerful ones.”
“We need to take this book with us,” Razik murmured.
“We cannot steal a book from here,” Kat said in horror.
“She’s right. We can’t take books from the Ekayan Island,” Theon said. “The sentries here have permission to kill someone on site for even trying.”
“Okay, but there are two dragons in this room,” Eliza said. Turning to Luka, she added, “Don’t you steal shit? Razik steals bowls all the time.”
“I do not steal bowls,” Razik growled. Then he added with a grumble, “This book is much larger than a bowl.”
Eliza rolled her eyes as Theon said, “That does have a familiar ring to it.”
Luka sent him an unimpressed glare while Eliza turned to Razik. “How old do you think this book is?”
“Don’t do that,” Razik snarled.
Running her finger along a page, Eliza’s voice turned sensual. “It seems really old. Centuries and centuries. Maybe even from before Devram’s time. That’d make it incredibly valuable , right?”
“I swear to the Fates, Eliza,” Razik growled again.
“You’re just going to leave this incredibly valuable book down here? Where no one appreciates it?” she went on.
“That’s not true—” Katya started, but Theon slipped a hand over her mouth to stall the words. He knew exactly what Eliza was doing, and they needed to let this play out. To be honest, he was surprised Luka hadn’t?—
The book slammed shut before Luka was pulling it across the table and slipping it under his arm.
“I was reading that,” Razik said in a dangerous tone that had Theon’s magic churning in his soul.
“And I’m stealing it,” Luka said. “That will make it mine .”
Razik’s eyes narrowed, but Eliza burst out laughing. When Razik’s glare swung to her, she smirked, “You had your chance.”
Pushing his hand away, Katya said in a hushed whisper, “You can’t steal that book, Luka. There are wards and enchantments everywhere here. You’ll surely be caught.”
“Yet you are the one who insisted I Travel it to this building,” Luka countered, his hold on the book tight. He eyed his brother as though he thought Razik would take it from his hands.
“He has a point,” Theon said.
Kat whirled to him. “You are not seriously going to let him steal a book, Theon,” she hissed. “You will never be allowed back on this island. None of us will be.”
A little shocked at her tone, Theon said carefully, “They won’t be able to prove it was us, and we can return it when we’re done.”
“And if we are caught?” she demanded.
By the gods, he’d never seen her this worked up.
“I’ll handle it,” he said.
“ You will be fine,” she retorted. “Luka will be fine. Razik and Eliza will be fine because they are not from here. But me and— I will not be afforded the same consideration.”
There were unshed tears shining in her eyes. Theon hadn’t known her long, but he knew she wasn’t usually the emotional type.
“You think I will not protect you?” he asked, bending to peer up into her eyes.
“The Legacy sacrifice Fae all the time,” she retorted. “Tell me you haven’t done so in the past.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“Because…”
Theon wasn’t sure how to explain this. She was right. He’d sacrificed others to get what he wanted. Not just Fae. Anyone who got in the way. Anything to prove to his father he was what he needed to be to avoid suspicion. He did what needed to be done, and he did so without remorse. This should be no different, but it was.
“We can make a blood oath,” he finally said. “I’ll swear to keep you from harm and protect you.”
Her brow pinched. “I don’t want a blood oath from you, Theon,” Kat replied. “This isn’t about what you can give me. It’s about the reality of this realm. They will seek retribution, and I am the one who will suffer.”
“I swear that won’t happen,” he argued.
“If we are caught, they will arrest all of us. A Tribunal Hearing will be held. You can’t be killed because you’re the Arius Heir or Lord or whatever,” Kat said, speaking rapidly while two tears slipped free. “Luka and Razik won’t be killed because they’re both Legacy. Eliza is Razik’s twin flame, and he will have her gone from this world before anyone could even entertain the idea of killing her. That leaves me. To punish you and your kingdom for the betrayal of your agreement in coming here, they will take me from your kingdom and kill me. A coveted fire Fae whose twin flame left her here with no one to care.”
All the mirth from a few moments ago was gone. Theon wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, but he reached out and pulled Katya into his chest, holding her tight. It wasn’t anything more than what he hoped was something comforting. He used to do the same for Axel when they were younger.
She was sobbing, his shirt dampening with her tears where she cried against his chest. He smoothed a hand down her hair, and he looked up, meeting Luka’s gaze and saying only, “The book stays.”
Hours later, when the sun had set and they were back at the estate, Theon knocked softly on Kat’s door. She appeared a moment later, swollen eyes telling him she’d been crying all over again.
“Yes? What can I do for you?” she asked.
“Can I come in?” Theon said.
“Of course,” she said, stepping back and pulling the door wider for him to enter. She closed it behind him as she said, “I apologize for not being dressed properly. I didn’t know?—”
“It’s fine, Katya,” he interrupted. “I only wanted to check on you after earlier today.”
A faint blush crept across her cheeks. “I also apologize for my behavior and for speaking to you in such a manner,” she murmured, hands clasped in front of her and eyes on the floor.
“I know everything with Axel has been difficult for you,” Theon said. “I’m working on a way to fix this.”
She nodded, still avoiding his gaze. “Is he why you did it?”
Confused, Theon asked, “What?”
“Axel,” she clarified, finally looking at him. “Is he why you agreed to leave the book behind? You believe he would be upset with you because you think I am someone he cares for?”
“You are someone Axel cares for. It’s why he left,” Theon said.
“You don’t leave someone you care for,” she said, her tone hardening. “There is nothing logical in that statement.”
“We do leave if it means the safety of someone we love,” Theon countered. “But to answer your question, no, I did not do that for Axel.”
“Then why?”
“I guess…” Theon pulled on the back of his neck. “We’ve spent a lot of time together these past months. Researching and trying to find Axel. I consider you— I mean, I hope we are some kind of…”
“Friends,” she finished for him. “You consider us friends.”
Did he? Was that what this was? For so long, it had just been him and Luka and Axel. Everyone else was someone to be used to further his own agenda, or someone who wanted to use him to further theirs.
“Yes,” he finally answered. “I think I do.”
She smiled softly. “In that case, thank you, Theon. Can you wait here a moment?”
He nodded, and she made her way to the nightstand. When she returned, she held a book in her hand. The same one where they’d found information about the twin flame bond.
“Can you give this to Razik?” she asked. “I’m sure he is upset about not stealing the other book from the Ekayan Island. He will be able to decipher things faster than I will. I only request that I get it back when you have finished with it.”
“Of course,” Theon said, taking the book from her. “Do you need anything else tonight?”
She smiled again. “No, I think I just need some rest.”
“If you need anything, though, know that Axel didn’t leave you alone.”
Her smile faltered. “I appreciate that, Theon.”
“You know where to find me,” he added.
“Yes, thank you,” she whispered.
He left her alone in her room, not wanting to make it any more awkward. Stopping at Razik and Eliza’s room, he knocked and waited. It was Razik who answered. Theon said nothing, only held up the book Kat had given to him. Razik didn’t say anything either. He only stepped to the side to allow him entry.
“Eliza has retired for the evening,” Razik said, shutting the door behind them.
“That’s fine. I was checking on Katya, and she said we could borrow this,” Theon replied, holding out the book.
Razik took it, flipping through the pages. “It has information not readily found here.”
“I figured,” Theon said, helping himself to the alcohol cart in the room. “Want one?”
Razik grunted an agreement, and Theon poured another glass before carrying one over to him. He took a seat in an armchair while Razik took the sofa. Placing the book on the low table, he continued to flip through it while sipping on his drink. Theon grabbed another book, doing the same. It wasn’t like he’d get any sleep anyway. The moment Luka had Traveled and returned to Tessa, her shield had been back in place. At least he’d given Luka an update on Roan to deliver to her.
“So you and Eliza share a Source bond and a twin flame bond,” Theon said after a good hour had passed.
“Yes,” Razik said, not looking up from the page he was reading.
“Essentially that is the same as our Source Marks, no?”
That had the male slowly raising his head. “Outside of the fact that such Marks are forced upon the Fae here, they are altered from their original intention. There is a cost for that. You don’t mess with blood magic, and yet that’s all Devram appears to have done.”
“I can agree with that statement,” Theon said. “But could others have done the same somewhere else? With other bonds?”
“Other bonds?” Razik repeated.
“You can’t tell me there aren’t other types of bonds,” Theon said. “In all the realms and among all the stars, there’s nothing else? Only two?”
Razik sat back, rubbing at his jaw. “That’s a good point.”
“You’ve never come across anything in all your reading?”
“Have you?” Razik countered.
“No, but clearly my resources are not nearly as extensive as yours,” Theon replied.
“There are soulmates,” Razik said. “A bond between kindred souls that is completely platonic. They are people who understand each other on a deeper level, but there is no romantic attraction. The intimacy is deeper than friendship. Soul deep. Scarlett has such a thing with her Guardian and another in our world, and I have one with her brother.”
“Then that would not be me and Tessa,” Theon said.
“You are trying to figure out something between you and Tessa?”
“I know we cannot be twin flames, but we were drawn to each other before she bore a Mark. Luka was too, but none of the bonds we’ve discussed can be that,” Theon said.
“Perhaps it is simply a strong attraction,” Razik suggested.
“It has to be more than that.”
“It has to be, or you wish it to be?
More like he needed it to be, but he didn’t want to admit that aloud.
“She hated the Legacy even before I claimed her as my Source,” Theon said. “A strong attraction doesn’t explain that. It doesn’t explain why I was drawn to her from the moment I saw a photo of her. Same with Luka.”
“Luka is drawn to her?” Razik asked.
Theon nodded, standing to refill his drink. “He hasn’t outright said it to me, but his shields have slipped a few times. And more than that, I know him well enough to see the signs.”
“And you are okay with that?”
Theon didn’t answer right away, ice clinking as he dropped it into his glass before he tipped the alcohol bottle up. “We have shared partners in the past a few times, but that was only a physical thing. This is more than that.”
“And you are okay with that?” Razik repeated.
Theon turned to look at him, sipping on his drink. He wasn’t completely sure how he’d ended up in this conversation with the male, but he found it was nice to have someone to talk to with Luka and Axel both gone.
“I don’t know,” he finally admitted.
Razik picked up the book once more. “So you wish to know about another bond so you can substantiate your claim to her over his?”
“What? No, that’s not…”
But was that it? He was looking for something to explain the draw to her, yes. Maybe even try to convince her it truly was more than a bond like he’d always said, but what if Luka claimed the same? Luka was loyal to a fault, but Theon knew the more time he spent with her, the harder that pull was to resist. What if Luka decided to stop resisting? Would he be okay with that in the end?
“I will see what I can find on other types of bonds,” Razik said after a few minutes of silence. “As well as what we can find about Tessa’s visions.”
“It’s too bad we cannot speak to this Sorceress in your world,” Theon mused.
Razik’s laugh was humorless. “Even if we could, her cost would be steep. I do not know that anyone will ever make a bargain with her again.”
“Again?”
“It was necessary, but costly,” Razik replied. “But we are discounting an obvious resource here. Why are we not asking Cienna and Tristyn about this?”
“They are careful about what they reveal,” Theon replied. “They worry about tempting the Fates, and always say we must ask the right questions.”
“Then we best be figuring out what those questions are. We are running out of time,” Razik said, returning to his reading, which Theon had come to learn was his way of saying he was done with the conversation.
But he was wrong.
They weren’t running out of time. They were already working on borrowed time, and Fate would come collecting soon.