Shadows of the Past

The story opens with Tessa, a young woman raised in the Celeste Estate, marked by years of emotional and physical abuse. She's always been an outsider, too wild and impulsive for the system that wants to break her. Her only solace comes from a small circle of friends—Dex, Lange, Corbin, Oralia, and Brecken—who teach her that kindness can exist without cost. But Tessa's world is shaped by deprivation, punishment, and the constant threat of being used for her power. The narrative quickly establishes that Tessa is not like the other Fae: she is more, and her difference is both her curse and her potential salvation. The trauma of her upbringing, the lack of trust, and her struggle to believe in her own worth set the stage for her journey through a world that will demand everything from her.

Bonds and Betrayals

Tessa is Selected by Theon, Heir to the Arius Kingdom, to be his Source—a magical bond that should empower him and subjugate her. Theon is cold, controlling, and obsessed with understanding Tessa's lineage, especially after it's revealed she's not Fae but something more. Their relationship is fraught with power struggles, sexual tension, and mutual distrust. Theon's need for control is matched by Tessa's refusal to submit, and their bond becomes a battleground for dominance and survival. Theon's family, especially his father Valter, is ruthless, and the Arius Kingdom is a place where power is everything and kindness is rare. Tessa's friends are scattered, and she is isolated, forced to navigate a world of political intrigue, manipulation, and betrayal. Theon's attempts to protect her are as much about his own ambitions as they are about her safety, and Tessa is left questioning everyone's motives—including her own.

The Tribunal's Verdict

The ruling Lords and Ladies of Devram convene to decide whether Tessa can remain Theon's Source, given her unknown and potentially dangerous heritage. The hearing is a display of political maneuvering, with each kingdom seeking advantage. Tessa is forced to speak for herself, and her answer—to stay with Theon, for now—buys her time but not safety. The Tribunal's compromise is temporary: Theon must uncover her lineage by the winter solstice, or she will be taken from him. The threat of death hangs over both of them, as the only way to sever a Source Bond is through death. The Tribunal's decision is less about justice and more about maintaining the balance of power, and Tessa is left as a pawn in a game she barely understands.

Lessons in Power

As Tessa trains with Luka, Theon's Guardian and a dragon shifter, she begins to access her true power—something beyond Fae or Legacy magic. Her abilities are wild, elemental, and tied to storms and chaos. The bands that suppress her magic become a symbol of her oppression, and removing them unleashes both her power and her rage. Tessa's struggle to control her magic mirrors her struggle to control her fate. The lessons she receives—from Theon, Luka, and later from the mysterious Auryon—are as much about survival as they are about mastery. Tessa's power is both a weapon and a curse, and learning to wield it means confronting the trauma and lies that have shaped her life.

Wolves at the Door

The Augury, a secretive group that believes Tessa's existence will destroy Devram, begins targeting her. Their attacks are brutal and relentless, forcing Theon, Luka, and Axel (Theon's brother) to fight for her survival. Tessa's friends Lange and Corbin are claimed by the Arius Kingdom for their own protection, but the cost is further entanglement in the kingdom's dangerous politics. The wolves—supernatural guardians—appear whenever Tessa is in mortal danger, hinting at her deeper connection to the realm's ancient magic. The lines between friend and foe blur, and Tessa is forced to question who she can trust as the threats multiply.

The Price of Control

Theon and Tessa's relationship becomes increasingly complex, blending physical desire with emotional warfare. Sex is both a reprieve and a weapon, a way to assert control or surrender it. Theon's need to possess Tessa is matched by her need to take what she can from him, even as both are haunted by the knowledge that their bond is not entirely of their own making. The introduction of Felicity, Theon's Match (arranged fiancée), and the looming requirement for Theon to produce an heir, add new layers of betrayal and heartbreak. Tessa's realization that she will never truly belong to Theon—or anyone—drives her to seek her own agency, even as the world conspires to keep her powerless.

The Augury Strikes

The Augury's attacks escalate, culminating in a violent ambush where Tessa is nearly killed. Theon's father, Valter, is revealed to be working with the Augury, manipulating events to serve his own ends. Tessa's visions—prophetic dreams that blur the line between fate and free will—become more frequent and disturbing. The revelation that Mother Cordelia, Tessa's childhood tormentor, has been complicit in the Augury's plans is a devastating blow. Tessa's power, once again suppressed by the bands, is both her salvation and her undoing. The cost of survival is steep, and the blood on Tessa's hands is both literal and metaphorical.

The River's Edge

After a series of betrayals, Tessa reaches her breaking point. She flees to the river, the site of her most powerful magic, and is confronted by Luka. Their relationship, always charged, becomes a lifeline as Tessa finally allows herself to feel—grief, rage, desire, and hope. Theon's attempts to reach her are thwarted by his own obligations and the machinations of his father. The river becomes a place of reckoning, where Tessa must decide whether to keep fighting or surrender to the darkness. The bonds between Tessa, Theon, and Luka are tested and transformed, setting the stage for the next phase of their struggle.

The Match Contract

Theon's Match contract with Felicity is revealed to be more than a political alliance—it is a chain that binds him to a future he does not want. Tessa is forced to confront the reality that she will never be more than a tool or a weapon in someone else's game. The threat of being Matched to Luka, or passed to another kingdom, looms over her. The politics of Devram are ruthless, and every relationship is a potential betrayal. Theon's father's demand for an heir, and the pressure to sever the Source Bond with Tessa, drive wedges between all the main characters. The cost of love, loyalty, and power becomes painfully clear.

Faven's White Walls

Tessa is sent to Faven, the Achaz Kingdom's capital, for testing and training. The white walls of the palace are both sanctuary and prison, a place where Tessa is given the illusion of choice but is still manipulated at every turn. Lord Rordan Jove, the Achaz Lord, offers her kindness and knowledge, but his motives are as opaque as everyone else's. Tessa's visions intensify, and she learns more about her true heritage: she is the granddaughter of Arius and Serafina, the daughter of Temural (a god) and a descendant of Achaz and Zinta. Her power is the product of forbidden unions, and her destiny is to correct the balance that was tipped by the gods themselves. The knowledge is both liberating and crushing, and Tessa must decide what to do with the truth.

The Third Mark

The third Source Mark is given, a ritual that should cement the bond between Tessa and Theon. But the process is excruciating, and Tessa's power resists being controlled. Luka is forced to help, and the result is an unprecedented three-way bond that ties Tessa, Theon, and Luka together. The Mark is not what it should be, and the implications are profound: the Source Bond may not truly exist until the final Mark, and the entire system of power in Devram is called into question. Tessa's agency is both increased and diminished, as she gains new power but is also more deeply entangled in the web of control.

The Hunters Awaken

Tessa's power summons the Hunters, supernatural beings created by Achaz to destroy the Arius bloodline. The balance between light and dark, beginnings and endings, is shattered, and the threat of war becomes imminent. The Hunters are not protectors but executioners, and Tessa's connection to both Arius and Achaz makes her both target and weapon. The arrival of Auryon, a Huntress created by Temural and Anala, adds another layer of complexity. The war that has been prophesied for centuries is no longer a distant threat—it is here, and Tessa is at its center.

The Balance Tips

The true nature of the Source Marks is revealed: they are not what the rulers have claimed, and the system that has governed Devram for centuries is built on lies and manipulation. Tessa's friends Lange and Corbin are claimed by the Arius Kingdom, and the lines between Fae and Legacy, friend and enemy, are further blurred. Theon's father is overthrown, but not by Theon—by Tessa, who fulfills her side of their Bargain and claims power for herself. The balance of power in Devram is irrevocably altered, and the consequences are both immediate and far-reaching.

The Cost of Secrets

Theon's secrets—about Tessa's heritage, about the true nature of their bond, about his own ambitions—are finally revealed. Tessa's heartbreak is matched by her fury, and she takes control in a way no one expects. The final Source Mark is drawn, but it is Tessa who overpowers Theon, claiming his power for herself and breaking the cycle of control. The cost of secrets is steep: trust is shattered, love is lost, and the future is uncertain. Theon is left broken, and Tessa walks away, determined to forge her own destiny.

Theon's Downfall

Theon is left to reckon with the consequences of his actions. He has lost Tessa, lost control, and lost the future he thought he was building. The bonds that once defined him are now chains, and the power he sought has become a curse. Luka is sent to find Tessa, but the Guardian bond is strained to its breaking point. Theon's realization that he was always meant to destroy Tessa, not save her, is a devastating blow. The war that is coming is not just for the fate of Devram, but for the souls of those who have been caught in its web.

The Fae's Choice

Katya, Axel's Fae companion, is forced to make an impossible choice: stay with Axel and risk both their lives, or go into hiding to save them both. Axel's love for her is real, but the world they live in will not allow it. The cost of love is exile, pain, and the loss of everything they have built together. Katya's decision to leave is both an act of agency and a surrender to the forces that control their lives. The Fae, once created to keep the balance, are now the ones who must pay the price for the Legacy's sins.

The Endings Begin

The story ends with Tessa embracing her role as the daughter of wild and fury, the granddaughter of gods, and the one who will correct the balance. She is no longer a pawn, no longer a victim. She claims power for herself, overthrows Valter, and sets the stage for the war that will decide the fate of Devram. Theon is left to pick up the pieces, Luka is sent to find Tessa, and the future is uncertain. The question that has haunted the story—who will be left standing when Chaos comes to reign?—remains unanswered, but the battle lines are drawn, and the endings have begun.

Characters

Tessalyn (Tessa) Ausra

Tessa is the heart of the story—a young woman raised in cruelty, marked by trauma, and shaped by a world that wants to use her. She is not Fae, not Legacy, but something more: the granddaughter of Arius and Serafina, the daughter of Temural (a god) and a descendant of Achaz and Zinta. Her power is elemental, chaotic, and tied to storms and fury. Tessa's journey is one of self-discovery, agency, and the struggle to claim her own destiny in a world that seeks to control her. Her relationships—with Theon, Luka, Axel, and her friends—are fraught with trust issues, betrayal, and longing for connection. Tessa's psychological complexity is rooted in her need for control, her fear of abandonment, and her desperate hope for love and belonging. Her development is a slow, painful process of learning to trust herself, to wield her power, and to accept that she is both weapon and savior.

Theon St. Orcas

Theon is the Heir to the Arius Kingdom, raised to value power above all else. His need for control is both a strength and a weakness, driving him to protect Tessa even as he seeks to possess her. Theon's relationship with his father, Valter, is abusive and manipulative, shaping Theon into a man who struggles to trust, to love, and to let go. His bond with Tessa is the central conflict of the story: he needs her power to achieve his goals, but he also comes to care for her in ways he cannot admit. Theon's psychological journey is one of reckoning with his own limitations, the cost of his ambitions, and the realization that love cannot be forced or controlled. His ultimate downfall is his inability to let go of the need to own and possess, and his greatest regret is losing Tessa not to death, but to her own agency.

Luka Mors

Luka is Theon's Guardian, best friend, and a dragon shifter—the last of his kind. His loyalty to Theon is absolute, but his connection to Tessa becomes a source of tension and transformation. Luka is both protector and potential rival, drawn to Tessa by a bond that is as much magical as it is emotional. His ability to Travel (teleport) and his hidden heritage make him a wildcard in the story. Luka's psychological complexity lies in his struggle to balance duty and desire, to protect those he loves without becoming another oppressor. His development is marked by moments of vulnerability, honesty, and the willingness to challenge Theon when necessary. Luka's relationship with Tessa is a lifeline for both of them, offering comfort, understanding, and the possibility of something more.

Axel St. Orcas

Axel is Theon's younger brother, the "spare heir," and a man marked by addiction to Fae blood and the trauma of being used as a weapon by his father. His relationship with Katya, a powerful fire Fae, is both a source of hope and a potential tragedy. Axel's psychological journey is one of seeking redemption, struggling with self-loathing, and learning to love without destroying what he cares for. His loyalty to his family is tested by his love for Katya, and his willingness to sacrifice himself for her is both heroic and heartbreaking. Axel's development is a testament to the possibility of change, even in a world that punishes vulnerability.

Katya

Katya is a fire Fae claimed by the Arius Kingdom, whose relationship with Axel becomes a central subplot. She is marked by trauma, having been forced to serve Legacy in ways that stripped her of agency and dignity. Katya's intelligence, linguistic skills, and quiet strength make her a valuable ally and a formidable survivor. Her journey is one of reclaiming agency, learning to trust, and choosing love even when it means sacrifice. Katya's development is a slow unfolding of vulnerability, courage, and the willingness to fight for her own happiness.

Valter St. Orcas

Valter is the Lord of the Arius Kingdom, a man who will do anything to maintain and expand his power. He is abusive to his sons, cruel to his Sources, and willing to betray anyone—including his own family—to achieve his goals. Valter's psychological makeup is defined by narcissism, paranoia, and a belief in his own superiority. He is both a product and a perpetuator of the system that has corrupted Devram. His downfall is brought about not by external enemies, but by the very people he sought to control.

Dex

**Loyal, conflicted, and ultimately complicit frien

Last updated: June 14, 2025