Page 12 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

“Not this shit already,” Garish groans.

Mellcom’s head whips to him, then back to me. “Thayla.”

“I’m sensing a lot of tension here,” Havar mocks.

His finger points back and forth between Mellcom and me.

“Whatever romantic squabble you two got going on, you might as well get over it. It isn’t going to matter once we get where we’re going.

I’ve yet to see any of the five brought in together, get paired together. Couples never work out.”

I sneer at him as he looks me up and down like I’m a delicious meal.

Which I am.

But not for him, any of the men in here, or the ones waiting at Godsden.

“First of all, that’s my little sister. God or not, I’ll warn you once to quit looking at her like that. That brings me to my next point. I don’t like how much attention you’ve been showing her.”

The protective side of Mellcom that I’m so used to makes my stomach cramp. Too bad the asshole can be like that toward everyone other than Jeremiah and this situation they’ve put us in .

“Sister makes more sense. She looks at you like she hates you. I can’t help my curiosity. She’s different.”

My muscles stiffen. “You don’t even know me.”

“Don’t really have to. This is the fifth Veiling I’ve picked up the Chosen. They all have an air about them. Just as I did, and these four. Cocky, a little too confident, and or excited. You didn’t. The judgment that was scribbled across your face could’ve been seen a region away.”

My cheeks heat. I’ve never been one to be able to hide my emotions. Most of the time, I don’t bite my tongue either, but that’s by choice. I know when to shut up. It’s just a matter of whether I want to or not.

“Well, the Veilatara took me by surprise.”

“That’ll be the least of your surprises. Godsden is realms different from what any of you are used to.”

Great.

I force my muscles to relax as I lean back in the chair. My head falls to the side as I stare out the window. We seem to be moving so much faster than it feels and I squeeze my eyes closed as I grow dizzy.

“What did you mean by those brought in together not getting paired together?” Lambrit asks.

I keep my head facing the window, but I’m all ears for the answer to that excellent question.

“There’s a Designation system you’ll all go through once we get to Godsden. Which will be in about two hours. That process—”

I sit straight up in my seat. “Two hours? I thought this would take like all day?”

“With a Veilatara pulling the carriage? No way. Where did you get that from?”

Well, shit.

It used to take my parents and me hours, days, to travel around.

“I was making a poorly estimated guess.”

“Ah, well, with a normal carriage and a taurn pulling the way, sure, it probably would take that long. Anyways, the processing system will be explained to you by the Chancellors during orientation. We’ll be the last to arrive back, so you’ll get out of the carriage and go straight there.”

Wonderful. No reprieve from one situation to the next.

I flop back in my seat once again and resume my dizzying stare that makes more sense now. I’m sure the views we’re passing would’ve been gorgeous on the all-day ride I thought we were taking.

I was also counting on that extended time to wrap my mind around things .

The outside continues to pass us by in a blur of colors that I can’t make out. We’ve already left Oddian, I know. Seismet’s covering the distance at ten times the speed my legs would go. But I wonder which region we’re in now.

We obviously won’t go through the Unclaimed region because it’s behind Oddian and barricaded. From our region, we’ll start entering the more, how do I say this…evolved regions. Darlander, then Edistoia, Abernie, and last, Godsden.

“Havar, do the Gods ever leave Godsden? I mean, yourself and the Chancellor are the only gods I’ve ever met in my life. Do you just gain your power and then never leave or what?”

He studies me and I fight anything on my face that could lead him to believe I’m fishing for answers.

“You aren’t allowed to leave at first. A piece of your power will be unbound today, you’ll learn your designation and domain, then you’ll be monitored for a while as your power settles.

You’ll learn the way of Godsden and eventually, you get more freedoms.

“This side is mostly traveled by Escorts and the Chancellors. Some gods like to venture over here but not many. Godsden has everything you could want. There isn’t much reason to leave. If it’s your family you’re concerned about, you can write letters.”

“This side? I wasn’t aware there was another side. Why isn’t that shared in any history or records in our library?” Lambrit asks, then sits a little straighter with the possibility of new information.

That magnitude of a secret doesn’t sit well with me.

Havar’s eyes widen for a fleeting second, then he schools his features. I catch it, though. “There’s much none of you are aware of. It’s the Beginning Gods’ rule to decide how much needs to be shared. You’ll learn soon enough. That’s all I can say about it.”

Lambrit’s eyebrows nearly touch his hairline. “Because you’ve been told you can’t speak on it or physically you can’t?”

“Both.”

“What you’re describing is a binding. How is that even possible?” Lambrit leans forward with pure fascination etched across his face.

“The Gods Binding, of course.”

A shiver races down my spine and I swallow the bile that collects in my mouth. My unease increases as Lambrit’s interest turns to confusion.

Why have we never heard of such a thing?

What in the realm is the Gods Binding ?

I drift deep inside my mind with that thought. The anger, hurt, and sadness swirl with the confusion now growing. I have so many questions forming, yet they’re all clouded by the turmoil inside of me.

It’s unexplainable how two hours can pass by in both seconds and take a lifetime.

The men’s constant questions helped keep me distracted.

At least the ones I found to be informative.

Most of those came from Lambrit. He got some answers.

Others he was told we’d find out soon enough.

Garish has cared most about what training here looks like.

Mellcom has been quiet and just stared at the side of my face.

Obviously, I’m not ready to give him the time of day.

And Jeremiah…

He won’t shut the fuck up about the food, the women, and parties.

I’m torn between thinking he’s doing this to get under my skin and truly wondering if the idiot believes we’re off to some sort of extended vacation.

“So you’re saying we can eat at a dining hall anytime we want or someone will bring us food to our house as we please?”

Nope. He’s really that dumb.

It’s amazing how much you learn about someone when you remove the love—or lust—tainted shades from your eyes. I was in love with an absolute idiot.

What does that say about me?

“Are we here already?” Lambrit asks, sitting up in his seat as the carriage rolls to a stop.

The scene outside my window doesn’t look like what I had imagined it would. There isn’t anything but well…trees.

There’s a long stretch of forest and nothing else. It’s a beautiful, flourishing woodland, don’t get me wrong, but I expected to see glistening stone, gold, jewels. The works and luxuries of gods.

“Almost. I need to adjust the Veilatara’s strappings. Stay here.”

Havar’s out of his chair and exiting the carriage quicker than I can ask what he means. I’m up, heading to the door just as fast.

“Thayla, what did he just say?”

I snatch my arm out of Mellcom’s grip and give him my most evil glare as I push the door open. “Don’t attempt to lecture me on doing what people say.”

The resistance against my skin leaving the carriage isn’t nearly as uncomfortable as entering. I forget about the step I’m supposed to stand on getting out, though, and my body flies forward .

Strong arms pluck me out of the air as though I’m light as a feather before I can eat dirt. Havar’s deep laugh travels through the trees and vibrates against my back.

“Is this your personality, Thayla Godrun? You just do as you please?”

“Depends on the situation. I wanted to know what you were doing to the Veilatara.”

And possible escape routes.

“I believe I need to watch out. It looks like a new God of Creatures is on the rise.” He smirks as he rights me on my feet and nods toward Seismet.

He seems more tickled by my disregard for his order rather than angry, so I take that as a win and follow behind him silently.

Well, silent until we walk around to the front of the carriage and my gasp echoes through the air.

We aren’t just in a woodland. We’re on the edge of a cliff.

A roaring river collides with the side of a mountain that stretches far into the clouds.

I crane my neck back as far as I can, but I don’t see the top.

The sound of rushing water is a peaceful lullaby in the air, yet the rapids free flowing through the ravine would sweep you away to your death the moment you dropped below the surface.

“Holy shit.”

“Well, you got the holy part right. That’s the Gods Gully. The God of the Sea and the Goddess of Nature made it together to surround and protect Godsden. Between the rapids and creatures in the water, none that try to cross survive.”

Fuck.

I’ve never traveled this far, and I’ve only read that Godsden is kept separate from the other regions. Seeing this…they made sure they had plenty of space from us mere, powerless immortals.

“Creatures in the water?”

“Oh yeah. Animals beyond your wildest imagination. The Gully connects to the Lost Sea.”

My heart skips a beat and the Gully suddenly becomes a thousand times more petrifying. There isn’t much known about the Lost Sea because it’s technically a part of Godsden’s region. Only a sliver of it flows in Abernie.