Page 40 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

Her mouth parts as she glances in both directions. Another blush creeps onto her cheeks as her eyes linger on the couch. The living space is lit by the new low-burning fireplace, and it looks more romantic than comforting right now.

I arch a cocky brow and smile. I thoroughly enjoy how easy it is to fluster our Binder.

“The table is fine.”

I don’t antagonize her or tease as I hold my arm out toward the table and let her pick her seat. I grab the kettle of coffee and both creams before following her. I’m sure she isn’t a one cup and done person this early in the morning and neither am I.

She chooses the same chair as yesterday and I have to hold in my snort thinking about that damn head Riven dropped in her food. I feel a smidge bad that Amick’s going to have to act oblivious until he figures out how to steal it back from her and return it .

The small interactions we’ve had so far lead me to believe she’ll be able to handle their tendencies, but the worst is yet to be seen.

Riven can be…testy with people. Amick doesn’t care about conversation or social interactions.

People think it’s him being rude and they lose patience with him quickly.

“So why am I starting with Amick today?” she asks, breaking our small moment of silence. She must have been thinking about yesterday as well.

“Did you want to be with one of the others?”

“It doesn’t really matter, I guess. You all have your reservations about this.”

She clocked that quickly.

“I have a meeting I have to attend today, and the High Chancellor will be present for most of it, so I didn’t think it’d be best for you to start with me.

Creed will be in his Defender designation today, which leaves him training nearly all day.

I didn’t think that was the best way to start you off in the Godsdawn.

And honestly, I have no clue what Riven’s doing.

I didn’t even consider placing you with him first.”

“I appreciate that.” She chuckles, then takes a sip of her drink. “So is this how this works? Because of your Designation in Ruler, you get to call all the shots?”

“No.” I snort. “Me trying to tell my brothers what to do would be like telling trees to walk. Just situations like this, they know when it’s best to let me organize it.

Just the same if I need to know something, I’d go straight to Amick.

It’s not that you don’t have a say now. I just figured you don’t have any idea of what’s going on.

Once you’ve been in a few rotations with all of us, just tell us where you want to be. ”

She sighs and wraps both hands around her mug.

“I hate not knowing what’s going on. I’m confused about what exactly I’m even supposed to do with all of you besides follow you around.

There are too many questions brewing in my mind.

I don’t even know what to ask first. I should be thinking about things far more important than the disappearing clothes in my closet. ”

I chuckle. I bet that was a shocker. “These homes have more than enough power running through them, making them sentient. Aside from them being designed with our essence mingled in, the Goddess of Illusion recruited and used multiple gods in the Plentiful Designation and their powers to design them. They’re made with the gods’ comfort at the forefront of the innovation.

“If you put your dirty clothes on the bathroom or closet floor, the power knows it needs to be cleaned. If we were to leave our dishes in the sink overnight, it’d wash those as well, but we never do.

We keep our spaces clean on our own, mostly.

You and Amick will be in the Athenaeum today.

I’m not sure what’s on his schedule, but I have no doubt you’ll learn some shit.

He’s the best person to ask any question, especially something like this. ”

She gapes at me, then shakes her head. “I don’t know how to process that or the fact I don’t have to wash my own clothes or anyone else’s anymore. I’m looking forward to learning some shit.”

You say that now…there’re some things that’ll scare the shit out of you here in Godsden.

I don’t dare speak my thoughts out loud to her. There’s a time and place she’ll be learning the secrets kept in this region. The Chancellors like to make the Chosen wait until they’re too smitten with this place to care about the truths they learn.

We all know when we can share those revelations with the new gods. Her finding out will come sooner than the others because she’s in our Valtrue, but I’m in no rush for her to know.

It’s going to be a test of how well or how bad this new relationship is going to go.

If it goes bad, I don’t have the first clue what we’re going to do. This is fucking…forever we’re talking about here.

Gods, there are so many pieces to this we still have to figure out.

“Morning,” a gruff voice says behind us.

Thayla curses under her breath as her coffee sloshes everywhere and I sigh. We weren’t even being loud, but obviously someone couldn’t sleep.

“It’s a little early for you to be up, Creed,” I say, turning in my chair to watch him grab a mug and his cream.

“I have an itch in my chest that won’t fucking stop.” He grunts as he takes a seat and grabs the kettle.

“You should probably visit the healing villas for that,” Thayla says.

He pins her with a dark gaze. “The healing villas aren’t going to fix this issue.”

His glare doesn’t deter her. She meets him with one of her own. I lean back and sip my coffee in silence, waiting to see how this goes down.

“What’s your domain?”

I choke on the fiery liquid. I sure as shit didn’t see that being what came out of her mouth. Fuck, she either has zero self-preservation, or she’s truly unfazed by the energy that pours off us.

“I’m not comfortable with you knowing that yet,” he says with far more restraint than I’ve ever heard him use when anyone has dared bring this topic up .

Her narrow eyes never waver, but there’s no anger in her look. It’s calculating again. “Fair enough. Baby steps. We’ve got to build up some trust.”

Huh. Didn’t expect that either. She’s just full of surprises.

I’m surprised Riven doesn’t love this.

Creed doesn’t respond as he tips his coffee back and they seem to let whatever that was go.

“I was going to bring this up yesterday but decided against it since it was a semi-decent lunch, aside from the psycho.”

I can’t hold in my laugh, and she shoots me a pleased smirk.

“It’s important for me to address this before our day starts, though.”

“Well, go on and say what you got to say now that you’ve made the mood so serious.”

She arches a brow, then looks between Creed and me like she can’t believe I’m blaming her for the shift in energy.

“I’m not sure how you all get your meals or stock of food brought to you from the dining hall, or anything you may need in your roles, but Yemi’s not to be used.

She’s not going to be fetching things for us.

She’ll be using me as an excuse in order to get herself a better selection of food for her house, but that’ll be the extent of that.

“She’s not a slave, nor will she be treated as one by anyone.

Whether it’s food runs or anything else the Attendants are made to do, she’s not going to be doing any of it for anyone but me, and that’s only within reason that I don’t get her in trouble.

That goes for you four as well as any of the other gods.

I despise how I’ve seen the Attendants be treated so far.

My reaction to her being treated poorly won’t be pleasant. ”

My jaw hangs slack as my eyes widen. I had a feeling when she made it clear we address her Attendant by her name, she was going to treat her differently than the others do.

This is a level of respect I’ve only ever seen from my brothers and me.

We know the true history of the Attendants, and we’ve never wavered from the way things are supposed to be.

“Understood. We won’t cross those lines,” I say and Creed grunts in agreement.

“If that’s how you truly feel, you need to be prepared to correct the gods’ behaviors immediately. If you allow one to get away with it, they’ll all try. Without your power settling yet, you should be ready for the worst.”

Again, she eyes Creed like she’s trying to figure him out. “Will the four of you not have my back on this? ”

She asks the question like it’s a test. Depending on Creed’s answer is how she’s about to view us. I go to open my mouth to reassure her, but he beats me.

“If things go too far, yes, we will. But she’s your Attendant and the expectations you have of her need to come from you. Not us. If you get into the habit of using us as a crutch, the other gods will single you out the second you’re not around one of us. Make your stand known.”

She worries her bottom lip, but her stony face never falters.

“Understood.”

Creed nods once before getting up from the table and heading to the icebox. The lights in the kitchen come fully to life as he starts pulling stuff out for breakfast.

I chuckle as she cocks her head to the side and watches him. “Wait, you all don’t go to the dining hall?”

“Never.” I smile at the shock on her face. “Creed does the cooking.”

He’s cooking early today to be spiteful about her assuming.

“What?”

“That’s the Healer in him. You got to nourish the body. Can’t let that gorgeous physique of yours wither away.” I wink and openly eye her. I’ve seen and heard enough to know if she’s not okay with that, she’s going to tell me. I may earn myself a slap.

“Don’t bring that up.” Her whisper travels through the kitchen and my smile widens.

“Bring what up?” Creed asks.

“Nothing,” she answers far too fast while she stares daggers at me.

I throw my head back, laughing.

At least if I don’t get to enjoy my mornings alone anymore, they’ll be entertaining for me.

“Make sure you keep our secret today, angel. You don’t want to face the wrath of a pissy Amick.”