42. Luka

Luka follows a tenuous tracking Mark through the Pantheon, evading sentinels and exploiting wards that don’t detect Travel to enter Tessa’s windowless quarters. He finds Tessa resting with glowing wrist-bands and keeps conversation light until she engages, noting the smallness of the room and her ability to make her own light.

They examine why Luka can Travel. Tessa theorizes his non-Devram origins exempt him from the Legacy’s lost ability, paralleling Scarlett and Sorin. The topic stirs Tessa’s own longing for origin answers and the potential cost of knowing. When Luka tries to explain why he hid their bond, she rejects the justification and withdraws to the sitting room.

Luka follows and confronts the illusion of control in her confinement. Tessa’s agitation spikes; he steadies her and reveals the Solstice gift from Lord Jove, which he delivers unopened. Discussion pivots to her visions: shifting scenes of sea, sky, Fae, angels, cages, collars, and a dragon; crucially, Axel has gone missing from the latest one. Luka reassures her that visions can change and holds her when she fears she is going mad.

Tension resurfaces over Theon’s expectations versus who actually pushed Tessa’s training. Tessa needles Luka’s loyalties, asks after Auryon, and tries to send him away. Before leaving, Luka promises she can reach them through the bond. Tessa then asks what their life would have been if she had been Luka’s Match.

Luka answers intimately: their nights would be open, gentle, and unguarded—shared starlight and fireside ease rather than barbs, anxiety, and shields. He admits Theon would have been part of it, acknowledging a deeper, undefined triad bond. Tessa insists it is too late and calls herself a monster; Luka counters that monsters seize happy endings, and “dragons eat the monsters.” Desire and doubt ripple between them, but Luka turns away. After Tessa admits it would have been nice if things were different, he departs.