Page 35 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

Thayla

My early morning plan of getting ready and being as friendly as I can be isn’t going the way I wanted it to.

After a fretful night of sleep, no damn light in my room aside from what the fireplace and moon provided me, I literally stumbled around in the dark.

The bathroom was pitch black, so other than relieving myself, I was in and out of there. So now, dressed in my Oddian best—soft, clingy pants and a mid-thigh T-shirt—I’m standing outside of Yemi’s door, annoyed and ready to just get back in bed until the sun comes up.

Okay, this is ridiculous. You’ve raised your hand like ten times now.

Just knock already…

I stumble back when the door opens before I can raise my fist again. Yemi stands there with a mug in her hand and a smug smirk on her lips. “Figured I’d put you out of your misery.”

“How did you know I was out here?”

I follow her pointed finger to the small, darkened window I thought for sure was obscured by curtains. “I’ve been watching you for like five minutes now.”

“Well, that’s not creepy at all.”

“No creepier than you standing and staring at my back door.”

I snort, but the delicious aroma floating out here has my stomach growling loudly. She chuckles and steps out of the way, inviting me in, and I tell myself to leave the pissiness at the door .

“Coffee, tea, water?” she asks as she makes her way over to her counter.

“Coffee would be amazing.” I twirl in her living room as I take in her house.

It’s not at all what I was expecting.

Like my new home, the living room and kitchen aren’t gilded in gold or marble, but there’s color everywhere. The walls are a beautiful light blue with dark hardwood floors and there’re plants decorating the space.

Everything’s lively and relaxing. Complete opposite of how she’s come off since meeting her.

Maybe this is how she was before the Gods of the Godsdawn got their claws in her.

“I’m thankful it’s the same as my last house.

Only a few changes.” Her eyes scan her new place as she passes me a mug and anything I could possibly want to add to my drink when I slide onto a stool around her counter.

I still feel guilty for uprooting her whole-ass life. “So how did your first night go?”

My cheeks heat and I take a large gulp of my drink to avoid answering that question. It doesn’t get past her, though. I’m not sure if she’s naturally this observant or if her time here has made her that way.

“Uh-oh. What did they do?”

I groan, covering my face with my hands as the embarrassment of last night sends heat through my whole body. I don’t even want to look at her as I tell her I opened the door for Kyzen practically naked.

She tries to hold it in, but after a moment of me blankly staring at her, she dies in a fit of laughter. “I’m so sorry. I know that was probably mortifying after yesterday.”

“I don’t believe you’re sorry whatsoever,” I huff, taking another sip of my drink before grimacing at the lingering embarrassment. “I don’t want to face him at all today. Any of them really. Can you believe he actually called me out?”

She covers her still giggling mouth with the back of her hand before wrapping it around her own drink. “I feel for you. I really do. Today’s an off day, so they’ll probably be home all day.”

“Kyzen mentioned it was an off day as well, but I have no clue what that means. I’m assuming not having to do our godly chores or whatever?”

“Yep, pretty much. The day after the Veiling Day is supposed to be a day of relaxation and giving thanks to the gods for another wonderful group of Chosen. You all are supposed to use this time to get acquainted and prepared for tomorrow when everything goes back to normal.”

“Lovely. So a day is all we get to get a grasp on our new reality.”

“Usually, the Chosen are quite excited. You’re the odd one out on that. ”

“Yeah, story of my life. So what should I be expecting to happen today?”

“If I’m being honest…I have no clue. Since I’m an Attendant, the other Attendants took all of us newbies under their wing for the day and gave us a rundown on what to expect.

Your experience is going to be pretty different from mine.

Your schedule should arrive sometime today and I’m sure they’ll go over it with you. ”

“It came last night. That was something I overheard Amick say. The Chancellor sent it to him, and I’ll be following them on their rotations then with them all in Court. Whatever the hell that means.”

The plate she was passing me, that my greedy fingers were already stretching for, stops just short of my reach. Her slack jaw, pale face, and the whitening of her knuckles make me sigh in defeat.

“What? Just spit it out.”

“That’s a brutal schedule. The Court every day? You’re sure they said that?”

My stomach sinks. “You know what, how about let’s eat before any more bad news?”

She shakes herself out of her stupor and gives me a forced smile as she pushes the plate toward me. I’m shocked at the array laid out. The bright yellow fluffy eggs, the strips of meat, fresh fruit, a buttered muffin. I mean, she went all out.

The spread brightens my souring mood.

“Goodness. Where did all this come from?”

“The dining hall. I still went last night for my own dinner and grabbed some stuff to fill my icebox with while I was there.”

“Oh yeah, you said that. I didn’t realize you meant you could get stuff to cook from there. So the dining hall serves as both a place you can eat and like a market?”

“Pretty much. There are some gods who do like to do their own cooking, although rare. A lot of the Attendants do, but our assortment is never this lavish. We can eat better food in the dining hall, but it’s not always worth it being in there.”

“What do you mean by this lavish?”

Her eyes instantly widen and her cheeks color pink.

“What?”

“Don’t get mad.”

“You saying that makes me nervous.”

She sighs and lets her fork fall against her plate.

“Gods with better Designations get a better selection of food to store at their homes than the Attendants do. Like the Defenders get mounds of proteins. It’s not like they attempt to starve us or anything, but there’s a big difference in the quality. ”

“Okay, ridiculous, but…”

“Havar has always snagged me some good stuff, but he was busy last night, so I may have…”

“Yemi, just say whatever it is. I won’t get mad.”

“I was asked if it was true I was accepted and if I was storing food for my Attending God. I just went with it and said yes.”

Her words fall out of her in a rush. I glance down at the fresh and fragrant food, then back up to her bright red face. A laugh bursts out of me that causes her to startle.

“So you let them believe you were getting food for me so you could get the good stuff?”

“Yes. That makes me a shitty person, doesn’t it?”

“No. I mean, they all probably think I’m slack and can’t get my own food, but I guess technically you did get it so you could prepare it for me.” My chuckles taper off and I shove a forkful of said food in my mouth.

“They definitely don’t think you’re slack. They beamed with pride like we were both doing exactly as we should.” She sighs and takes a bite as well. There’s no heat behind her words and the little smile on her face says she’s relieved I’m not mad.

“If that’s the case, you can name-drop whenever you need so you can get yourself a treat.”

We both laugh at that, but the reality is that’s so shitty. This is just another example of why her demeanor at first was the way it was. Like damn, I’d be beyond mad every day too if I knew I was getting the poor-quality food simply because of my Designation. That’s ridiculous and vile.

Whatever.

If this is one of those instances where I look like a bitch for using my Attendant, then so be it if it helps her out.

“So what’s it like being here with your cousin? Is he one of those bossy, protective types who stalk your every move?”

She snorts and a loving smile crosses her face. “He can definitely be that way. Although I’ve told him not to make scenes. Kind of like I told you yesterday, I don’t know how the other gods would react, and I don’t want him in any sort of situation to defend me, then get hurt. ”

“Well, that’s really sweet of you, but Havar is a big ol’ manly god. I’m sure if he wants or needs to put someone in their place, he could.”

“Yeah, he could if needed, but he’s more of a lover not a fighter. Since I know that, I try not to involve him in too many of my problems.”

I’m hesitant with my next question, but I feel like this is information I should probably prepare myself for. “Do you have a lot of problems?”

She arches a brow. “Worried about me getting you in trouble?”

“If I’m being honest, my concern’s the opposite. I’m just trying to prepare myself. If I have a heads-up, I sometimes, maybe, can keep my temper in check.”

She releases a harsh exhale. I catch the hint of animosity and vulnerability on her face before she hides it.

“Back home, in Edistoia, Havar had a close group of friends. They’d all grown up together and when I was born, he just moved me into the fold right with them.

I was quote, the baby of the group. I had sass from hell because of it.

Being the youngest, I always had to fight for everything and constantly tell them to stop stalking my ass once I hit my teen years. ”

I chuckle a little. “Havar called you a spitfire.”

She smiles fondly. “And he’d be right. I was.

When he was Chosen, our whole group was lost without him.

The first time we saw him five years ago when he started Escorting the Chosen, he stopped by quickly when he passed through.

He looked so happy, so free. Told me Godsden was everything he’d pictured and more.

He just wished I, any of us, were there too.

We all entered the next Veiling. Then the next and I was Chosen.