Page 29 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

Thayla

On silent feet, I pad my way over to the first door and place my ear to the wood.

Nothing.

I give it a moment just to make sure before moving to the next and repeating the process. I hear them better now, but it’s still muffled nonsense.

As I reach the third, my fingers flinch when they lie flat. A chill runs through me as my cheek presses to the door and their voices sound like they’re right on the other side.

My heart thunders in my throat and I slow my breathing to calm it down. I make sure to exhale through my nose and my body falls motionless.

“Don’t raise your voice again. I told her to get familiar with her room, then come out when she pleased. We’re going to get this figured out.”

Kyzen.

“What’s there to figure out? I’m pretty fucking sure your wrist looks just like mine does. Like all of ours do.”

Riven.

His angry but smooth voice has the arm my mark is now on twitching.

“Exactly. That’s what we need to figure out.

What do these marks do exactly? It has to be more than just a tie to us.

It feels different from anything that’s been explained.

Will it take away the power we gained or kill her if we figure out how to remove them?

What are our next steps in all of this? How much do we tell her? ”

Kyzen’s response has my skin growing hot. I’m not completely sure if the mark and my soul are connected, but I definitely felt like I was dying there for a second when I tried to snatch it back. So if they try to remove the marks and they are connected, I’m done for.

He who I’ll never name again, I hate you.

“You should’ve made her stay the night in the healing villa. What do you think about this?”

“I think she’s a temporary anomaly. Did she say anything about her domain or power?”

That was Amick responding to Riven’s mean ass. And did he seriously just call me an anomaly?

Kyzen’s nicknames aren’t so bad now.

“No. I gave her the parchment to read. She did, didn’t say anything other than she’s still in the dark, and didn’t want to keep it. So she’s either unhappy about what it said, not the gloating type of god, or…” Kyzen trails off.

Really? That was some sort of weird test?

I knew not to trust the flirt.

“Or she already knew what it’d say, and she’s keeping it to herself. All gods gloat. They can’t hide their arrogance. Especially not powerful goddesses.” That cold tone leaves only one of the men.

Creed.

“The Chancellors claimed she’s acted like she was above everyone the moment she was chosen, then she readily accepted an Attendant to be her bitch on call.

This is on you, Amick. You were supposed to have our predicament figured out by this Veiling and you didn’t.

You don’t even fucking share what you’re up to.

Now look where it’s left us. Trapped with a stuck-up growing goddess.

She’s going to fuck everything up for us. ”

Riven’s cruel words knock the wind out of me. My chest cramps and I place my hand there to ease the pain. The Chancellors definitely painted me out to be the realm’s largest bitch.

“That’s harsh even for you, Riven. You can’t put the sole blame on Amick. Also, we all know a certain god has his hand in this. I also don’t believe she has any intention of treating Yemi like her bitch on call as you put it. We need to hear her out, see what she’ll tell us,” Kyzen says.

Shit…they know about him…

Is that what Riven meant by their predicament ?

“You’re completely leaving out how she spoke to the High Chancellor. She isn’t careful or thoughtful with her words.”

I internally sigh at Amick’s comment. Little do they know Der—Dickhead—told me that information. So it is the truth, but I guess my throwing it in his face was poorly timed after they just heard the worst about me.

“You’re being pathetic, Kyzen. You’re trying to protect her already. Five minutes alone with her and you’re ready to welcome her into our fucked-up mess with open arms. Did you or did you not demand that the Chancellors send us back into the Veil just as much as the rest of us?”

“Yes, I did, because I don’t want this for her—for anyone—Riven, but this is what’s happening.

We’re stuck with a completed Valtrue, with her, and that’s that for now.

Instead of only looking out for and protecting ourselves, we now have to babysit her.

I can’t turn back time to fix it. I’m trying to be practical about our new situation.

You can come at me all you want but get on the same page about her. ”

Apparently, Kyzen getting stern is a thing of rarity. He didn’t even raise his voice, but the low, no-nonsense pitch behind it leaves no room for argument. Not only does it shock me frozen since all I’ve heard is the easygoing flow so far, the other three men briefly fall silent.

“None of us should have to do that. She’s a god just like the rest of them. She can take care of herself. Warn her about whatever you please, but don’t expect anything extra from me.” Creed’s voice takes on a level of detachment and coldness that seeps into my soul.

I absolutely never want him, Riven, or Amick—matter of fact, none of them, to know they now hold a piece of it.

“That’s not going to work. The Chancellor’s already sent me their orders for her. She’ll be accompanying each of us on our rotations, and we’ll all be together during Court like normal,” Amick says matter-of-factly.

Court?

“I didn’t sign up to be a babysitter.”

“That’s because you need a babysitter, Riven.”

“You know what, asshole—”

“Enough,” Kyzen cuts in between Amick and Riven. “This isn’t going to work today. Don’t worry about speaking with her. I’ll do it tonight and you all can get it together, then try tomorrow. You will try again tomorrow. Give me some space and don’t go near her. ”

My body is already drifting back to my room with Kyzen’s order. The pounding in my chest is threatening to rip me open and all I want is to get as far away from them as I can.

The god who did this to me got something fundamentally wrong when he thought they were perfect to tie my soul to. They speak to each other like they barely tolerate one another. Not like brothers whose differences complement each other at all.

I pass through my room and don’t stop even as I sling the door that leads outside open. The fresh warm air adds to the heat spreading throughout my body. I take a second to look around.

Then I run straight for the trees.

I don’t know how long I run for, nor do I know where in the hell I am, but anywhere is better than being at that house. Their tension is tangible, and I’ve only added to it.

They can keep the glitz and beautiful rooms.

I’d rather not live under a roof that does nothing but fight. I’ve already been dealing with that for the past year.

That foreign pain still beats in my chest, and I clench my fist hard enough to leave indents in my palms. I swear it’s like my being is begging to be made whole once more. It recognizes it isn’t safe or welcome where it’s now having to reside.

I place my hands on my knees to catch my breath as I come to a small clearing somewhere in the middle of the forest. After a couple deep inhales, I plop down on my ass as I struggle to focus on anything other than everything that was said.

Kyzen’s comment about not being able to turn back time blares in my mind along with his remark about babysitting me. The many times I’ve been spoken about like an orphan child that needs someone to watch her every move rings through my ears.

The little rock at my feet goes soaring through the trees as I throw it as hard as I can. When it bashes against a branch, I let out a scream that I feel like I’ve been holding in all damn day.

I let my anger fly free as I tear up handfuls of grass and dirt. Each moment of the day that replays across my mind has more of the agony in my chest and hatred in my heart bleeding out all over the forest floor.

My throat grows raw as my eyes burn with tears I can’t hold back anymore. My desperate breaths draw up a memory I wish it wouldn’t have.

“I can’t run anymore, Mom. I’m gonna be sick.”

“Things in our lives, Thayla, will push us past our breaking point. We must push back harder. Never give up.”

“Keep going, my shooting star.”

I bellow to the sky. “What’s the fucking point past the breaking point?”

Why the hell did you both tell me never to come here if you knew this is exactly where I’d end up? Why did you leave rather than prepare me better?

The crack of a branch has me on my feet, spinning around in a millisecond. I get into position, ready for the attack.

My muscles never relax, but I quickly drop my guard and wipe my cheeks as Yemi steps out from behind a tree. “Did you seriously fucking follow me?”

“Where you go in your free time, I have to go. I saw you run out your door.” She shrugs.

“Gods. No, you don’t. Go back to your house,” I snap, then turn my back to her and try to collect myself.

There’s no movement behind me, but hell, honestly, I wouldn’t know if she left or not. I never once heard her following me.

“Are…you okay?”

“Why even ask if you don’t give a shit? You’ve made it incredibly clear you want nothing to do with me, and I get it. So here’s your out. Just get away from me.”

I drop back down as my legs scream for me to give them a break. My shoulders slump with the shaky sigh I let out and I stare through the endless stretch of trees.

A silent moment passes before the leaves crunch beside me, and she makes herself comfortable. I roll my eyes as I pull my legs closer to me and cross them, then pointedly ignore her.

“It’s not that I don’t want anything to do with you. I just don’t want my life to be harder than it has been over the past two years. I’m just trying to protect myself.”

I hum quietly. I can see and understand that. I’ve done that for quite some time now, although I was never cold to anyone, just…closed off.