Page 14 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

Thayla

My mouth dries out when I tear my eyes from Havar’s.

My jaw drops as it seems like an entire new realm appears before me. It sits right on top of the mountain, as close to the stars as it can possibly get. It makes zero sense to me that from up here, it looks like the new region stretches farther than the mountain itself.

Seismet begins his descent way too fast for my liking. I barely begin mapping out the large structures and grasslands before the view changes.

The wheels of the carriage bounce a few times as it hits a runway and the men all stumble to their seats. My face stays glued to the window so I don’t miss a single thing.

“There’s nothing but trees again. A moment ago, there were buildings, land, all kinds of stuff.”

“You got a pretty good aerial view. Normally, the Veilatara come straight to the landing area that leads to where you’ll be staying.

I guess this one wanted to stretch its wings a bit more.

From this point forward, until all your power has been unbound, this is where you’ll stay. It’s safe and secluded.”

The carriage finally stops rolling, and still, all I see are trees. “And where exactly is this?”

“The Godsdawn. The birthplace of the Beginning Gods. Come on, no time to waste. ”

Lambrit and I exchange glances as Havar pushes the door open and exits without a look back at any of us.

The part of me that’s full of enraged hollowness doesn’t want to get out of my chair.

The other part that keeps whispering I have no choice but to accept this for now pushes me to get up and go figure out as much as I can.

That half of me wins out when the men stand and grab their things.

I highly doubt I’ll get away with hiding away in here and going wherever Seismet’s going.

By the time we get out of the carriage, Havar has already moved the strappings back around Seismet’s wings. He’s speaking to another man—another god—about ten or so feet away.

I make my way toward them but stop short at Seismet’s head. The beautiful, obviously playful, Veilatara has the nerve to pull some strands of my hair out of my bun with his teeth.

“Ahh, don’t do that.” I laugh teasingly, tucking the loose threads behind my ears. He nudges me gently and I can’t help but run my hands up and down his muzzle.

“Who in the Veil is she?”

The foreign voice causes me to drop my hand quickly and red colors my face. The power that Seismet radiates is nearly impossible for me to ignore. I didn’t even think about what it’d look like to others witnessing me put my hands on him.

“That’s Thayla Godrun. No doubt a new member of our domain.” Havar’s chest puffs out and his god friend peers between us. He almost looks awestruck.

“Thanks a lot. You did that on purpose and now I have attention I don’t want on me.”

“Afraid of people getting to know you?”

Yes.

I scoff. “No. The more people who see me, the more they’ll notice when I’m gone. You should know that since the Valories have told you all about me.”

“Your sarcasm reminds me of another here. The two of you will get along.” His deep, ancient laugh filters through my mind before he purrs.

“There’s nowhere for you to run now. Once you cross that threshold in the sky, you become tied to the Godsdawn.

The only way for you to get back out of Godsden without all your power is if your role requires it. Like young Havar.”

A sensation that’s a mix of ice and fire spreads throughout my body. The fear and anger of being trapped here course through my blood. “Are you serious? ”

“Unfortunately, yes. Why do you think they strap us?”

I scan the contraption back around his wings. “To trap you here.”

He hums and my breathing becomes erratic.

“Why didn’t you say anything? Gods, I would’ve run before now. Fuck, I would’ve taken on the Gods Gully over this. Are you serious? What the—”

“Calm yourself. It wasn’t my place to tell you that. You’re where you need to be.”

“No, I am not. I’m supposed to be back in Oddian. I don’t want this.”

“You think you don’t want this. But you will with time.”

“I’ll be at the meadow after I escort them off. Get the Veilatara back to their herd,” Havar says to his friend.

Before I can question Seismet, he knocks me with his head again, lets out one of his rumbling neighs, and trots toward the other god.

“This discussion isn’t over, Seismet.”

“It’s not. I’ll see you soon, Thayla Godrun.”

My fingers curl tensely around the straps of my bag. Its weight is the only thing that keeps me grounded in place.

Mellcom and Jeremiah take a side of mine each as the carriage finally passes by and the anticipation pouring from them causes my jaw to grind painfully.

I ignore them to the best of my ability as I watch the new god who was never introduced, Seismet, and the carriage disappear down a path that cuts into the trees up ahead to the left.

At least I have a general idea of where to find him.

“Come on, Chosen ones. The rest are already waiting on you.”

Lambrit practically sprints to get to Havar’s side as he turns around and starts walking ahead. I’m about to put him on my shit list too for leaving me stuck between these two.

The rest of us pick up our pace and catch up quickly enough to hear the answer to whatever Lambrit asked.

“The name Godsden derived from Godsdawn when the Beginning Gods decided to develop and dedicate this area specifically for new gods. To teach, train, and prepare them for their powers.”

“So this is like a school?”

“No. You’ll learn many things, yes, but not in the traditional sense of what we know schools to be. You’re only going to learn the necessary skills you need for your Designations and role in society. You’ll get about a week to get with the program.”

A week? That’s it? There’s no way .

None of us have ever been to school in any sense.

The other regions do have establishments where groups gather to learn, and I’ve read that the other realms most certainly have schools. Especially the nonmagical realm, but we don’t.

Here, it’s the responsibility of parents or guardians to teach and educate their children.

From the time we learn to talk until teenage years, they guide us and teach us the life skills and information we need.

Once we’re a little older and begin thinking about what we want to do in our regions, our focus shifts to hands-on learning.

I could never decide what I really wanted to do with my life, so I just bounced between anything that interested me.

Lambrit opens his mouth to ask another question and I roll my eyes at Havar’s sigh. “I know you’re excited, but all your questions are going to be answered in a few minutes. Just squint. You can see the gate from here.”

Sure enough, a few hundred feet in front of us is the silhouette of what I assume to be the gate he’s talking about.

The men’s pace naturally picks up and I force my feet to put one in front of the other on par with their steps. My gaze continues to travel the tree line or my shoes rather than what’s looming in front of me.

Far quicker than I would’ve prayed for, the trees eventually line themselves up perfectly. There’re gaping spaces between them to the point I see stretches of the land that they cover. When they finally end, and our feet stop for a fleeting second, I release a disappointed breath.

My head tilts up and I trace over a gate crafted for and by gods.

White glistening stone walls surround the silver metal that stretches far above my head on both sides. Most of what’s behind the marble is concealed from view, but through the rails of the gate, a small crowd is gathered.

Their faces are hidden by the sprawling golden wings that are welded in the center. They’re a representation of the extra ligaments given to the Beginning Gods and creatures that come directly from the creators.

The sun reflects off the shiny surface and the rays make the colors of the gems embedded within the feathers ever-changing. Above them, a massive G that matches the one on the carriage sits proudly.

There’s no mistaking you’ve come to the home of the gods when you look at it.

The metal vibrates and I wait for the sound of creaking to come, but it never does. Instead, a quiet hum sings through the air as the gate splits open .

Havar starts walking forward before they even open all the way, and I want to run the other way.

I’m not ready to step behind these walls.

As glorious as this entrance into the gods’ home looks, my stomach sinks. My body warns me not to move.

That’s too bad for me, though. As soon as Mellcom’s fingers touch my arm, I pull it away and step forward. The last thing I’m going to allow is him to escort me in like a child throwing a tantrum in front of all the other awaiting Chosen and Chancellors.

We receive a few glances but nothing more. All fifteen of them are just as clueless as we are.

“This is where I leave you all. The Chancellors are all present, but it looks like they’re waiting on the High Chancellor. As soon as he arrives, your orientation will begin.”

Lambrit, Garish, Mellcom, and Jeremiah all shake Havar’s hand and thank him for his guidance today. I don’t offer my hand, but I do smile.

“Remember what I said,” he says quietly.

“Will do. Thanks again for the warning.”

“Don’t mention it and good luck. I can’t wait to see what Godsden makes of you, Thayla Godrun.”

The wink he shoots me is full of curiosity as he turns and walks away. I don’t share the same sentiment as him and his words repeat in my mind.

I can most certainly wait to see what Godsden makes of me.

I turn back to the crowd, and my feet fall short of moving when I’m met with two sets of glares a few feet away. My nostrils twitch as I make my way between the other two. Lambrit gives me a tight smile, while Garish hangs his head and groans.