Page 270 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
And they were. Trapped on this side of the barrier, their forces were easily overtaking the Achaz warriors. But the fact remained that the moment that barrier fell, there were at least a hundred more warriors waiting for them, not to mention the seraphs in the sky.
“We have to go now,” Razik said. “War requires making impossible choices.”
“He’s right, Theon. We can’t?—”
A roar ripped through the air.
They looked up to find a dark stain against the sky, and he wasn’t alone. Those were flames flying beside him. Bright oranges and reds. People with wings of flame. Some were riding flying creatures of the same. They clashed with the seraphs, and a small whimper came from Tessa as some of the strain on her power was eased.
“Stay with her. Tell me when she’s almost tapped out,” Luka ordered Theon. “We’ll do what we can.”
Then he and Razik were back in the sky with their wings, not wanting to waste their magic by shifting fully. As he got closer, he realized these were Anala Legacy. He had no idea they had an aerial fleet, but Xan had known. He’d known and gone for backup.
Flames flickered around him as they fought side by side. If they could keep them busy up here, maybe they could figure something out down there. So he fought with everything he hadalongside his father and his brother, praying to anyone that would listen that it would be enough.
47
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 becausehow?That bond was demanding and relentless.
