Page 54 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

Thayla

“Hope you don’t mind ditching your lesson. I’m so excited.”

Yemi blanches as her head whips to Kyzen, then back to me. “Ditching? Kyzen told me it was an important emergency and you needed me.”

The embellishing god chuckles as he leads the way for us to follow him. “Technically, there is an emergency, but it had nothing to do with Thayla.”

“Don’t let Kyzen freak you out. It’s not an emergency. I just wanted you to come with us where we’re going.”

“Actually, it kinda is an emergency. We’ve got to go save a god from being killed.”

“Meh, he deserves it.” Riven shrugs.

They glance at one another nonchalantly. Riven even has a smirk on his face. Yet I can tell they’re being completely serious about this.

“What? You just said there was a situation at the Veilatara meadows. You didn’t mention the first thing about someone possibly being killed.”

“The Veilatara meadows? Really?” Yemi grips my arms as a rare, genuine smile takes over her face.

“Yep. I remembered how you told me Havar wouldn’t let you come with him, so I wasn’t about to leave you out.”

“So worth the ditching,” she squeals before sadly toning it down. “I mean, I already went over everything I’m doing last night, so it’s not really ditching since I’m ahead. Right? ”

“Exactly. No rules are being broken and you’re ahead of schedule.” I smile and she exhales.

“Look at you, little psycho. You’ve already forgotten all about the god that could be killed any minute.”

My eyes narrow on Riven. “Pick a name and stick to it. Preferably Thayla.”

“Aww, I thought we were doing this cute thing where we give each other matching nicknames.”

“I didn’t call you—oh well, I did call you a psycho but not to your face. I wonder how you knew that.” I turn my glare on Kyzen, who winks at me.

“He was flattered. Back to the issue at hand. There’s a god being held…

I don’t want to say hostage, but yeah, kind of hostage by a Veilatara.

He was strapping a young one for the first time and the youngling stepped on his foot when she got spooked.

He struck her. Needless to say, the rest of the Veilatara reacted. I need to go mediate for his life.”

I gape at the chuckles that fall from him and Riven. Either neither of them truly cares about this god or maybe they’re both a little psycho. I’m not sure, but they don’t seem to be the least bit concerned about this.

“I’m so confused by how both of you are reacting. Someone came for you at the house like an hour ago and we’re just now coming out here.”

I didn’t answer the knock. Riven did, and he loudly shouted from the door that duty was calling for Kyzen.

The two of them pretty much switched spots and Riven gave me this deranged-ass smile when he sat beside me on the couch. He said if Kyzen was being called off for something important that I couldn’t attend, then he had special plans for us.

Nothing about that sounded fun for me.

The original plan was for Kyzen to give me a proper tour of the Gods Sanctum, and he was going to show me where he spends most of his time in his role.

I was utterly relieved when he announced that we’d all be going on this little adventure.

“The Veilatara have their own set of rules they live by as well as the rules of the Godsdawn. A cardinal rule for them is they protect their own. In their eyes, this is an offense punishable by death. In the eyes of the Godsdawn, it’s not. So now I’ll have to find a compromise.”

“You don’t seem to be concerned about compromising for his life.”

Kyzen shrugs and my eyebrows rise. “I have to put my personal feelings about this to the side. And I will. Once we get there. ”

I take note of our very leisurely pace. Riven has a bounce in his steps like we’re going on a lovely stroll and Kyzen’s just as chipper with his drop-dead gorgeous smile on his face.

“Damn, Kyzen. You’ve got a vicious side I was unaware of.”

Why do I like that?

No, ma’am. Absolutely not.

“There’s plenty of me you still need to get to know.

” I keep my face relaxed when he winks at me.

“I’m not being vicious in this case, though.

It’s inexcusable to hit a Veilatara, especially a young one.

I can’t even make excuses for the god. He isn’t new.

He isn’t young and inexperienced. He’s well aware of the rules of the Veilatara as well as the rules and responsibilities set forth by his Designation.

He didn’t panic and react on instinct. He got angry, took a moment, then reacted. ”

That sobers my mood. “Is the Veilatara okay?”

“She’s okay. He got a single lash on her before an older Veilatara stepped in.

Well, charged. Then one of the mentors also jumped in.

Apparently, after some back and forth, word was sent for me.

The god is apparently still pinned beneath the Veilatara’s hoof and a gathering of both gods and Veilatara is forming in the meadow. ”

I don’t mean to snort, but it escapes me anyway. Yemi whips toward me and huffs. Granted there’s a very small grin on her face, so she’s obviously not judging my reaction.

“So you’ll be mediating between the Veilatara and who? The god who did this? And how will you communicate with them?” I ask.

“No, the Prime Veilatara will communicate with us and the lead Meadow Hand. The Prime speaks for the whole herd. He’s the only one who will communicate.”

Huh, I wonder if Seismet is the Prime.

I guess I’ll be finding out.

Unlike when I arrived and we passed the path to the meadows on our way to the gate of the Godsdawn, we take another way that’s been carved out through the forest.

On each side of us, the towering trees blow gently with the wind. There’s a sense of peace in the air. It didn’t feel anything like this from the Assembly or even when I took a run through the woods.

“Does the Veilataras’ power flow through here?”

Kyzen peers over his shoulder at me with a smirk. “Why do you ask? ”

“Because this walk just seems and feels peaceful, like we’re surrounded by calming power.”

“It’s a mix of theirs and Riven’s in the air.”

“What?” I snort. “Riven’s?”

“You know, little burden, I’ve got this feeling you think the worst of me, and I can’t fathom why.”

“Really? No reason rings a bell?”

“None whatsoever.”

“Other than the highly insulting nickname you continue to call me, how about the kiss you laid on me without my permission?”

Beside me, Yemi gasps, then snorts. I forgot I hadn’t told her about that, and I eye her as she tries but fails to cover up her laughter.

Riven groans dramatically and throws his hands in the air. “Kyzen and Creed have already yelled at me about that, and you slapped the shit out of me. I gave you a present to make up for it and I haven’t done it again. I believe you should stop holding it over my head.”

“I believe you should apologize for it, stop calling me a burden, then I’ll consider changing the way I look at you.”

“Oh, angel, I’ve seen the way you look at me. Right now, we’re discussing how you treat me. I do have feelings.”

I poke my tongue into my cheek to stop from both popping off and smirking. I think all four of them have caught me ogling them. He and Kyzen are the only two to blatantly call me out about it.

“I have feelings as well and I don’t like being called a burden.”

“You’re not a burden,” Kyzen says, then scowls at Riven’s drawn-out “Well…”

I roll my eyes. I’m torn between thinking he really does view me as a burden and he’s only doing it because he knows it bothers me.

I’ve noticed how he does shit to get under Amick’s skin to try to get a rise out of him.

It wouldn’t surprise me if this is some weird-ass test he’s putting me through and I’m failing every time.

I decide not to play into him and focus on Yemi. “On a scale of one to ten, how surprised do you think Havar’s going to be?”

“Off that chart. I haven’t seen him to tell him I have an Attending God. He’s probably about to be pissed you’re bringing me out here.” She laughs and I smile at the sass.

“I see pissing your cousin off pleases you.” I chuckle along with her. “He didn’t see you at the Veiling ceremony and witness my embarrassment? ”

“No. At least I didn’t see him. The Escorts and a few other select gods are allowed to miss the ceremony if duty is standing in the way.

The Veilatara are an excuse high up there.

He usually doesn’t, but I guess it took him longer at the meadows than normal.

He’s been a lot busier now that he has a mentee. ”

“Oh yeah, I briefly met him. Havar told him he’d meet him at the meadows when he dropped us off.”

She goes to say something, but Kyzen cuts in with his own question. “What about the Veiling ceremony embarrassed you?”

“Uh, the passing out in front of the entire Godsdawn. I saw all those eyes on me as the four of you stampeded your way up there.”

“Oh, well, we were to you before you even hit the ground. Creed caught you and Amick took your Deliverance from the High Chancellor so he couldn’t read it in front of everyone. He didn’t give it back to him until we were at the healing villas.”

“There’s no way. You all were still like halfway in the crowd when I saw you.”

“Ask Yemi.”

Her wide eyes tell me he’s telling the truth.

“You didn’t think that was something you should’ve mentioned?”

“When should I have brought that up? When you woke up freaking out or during our stroll ? No, I didn’t think either of those times was a very good moment to bring that up. I really haven’t thought about it since then.”

My nose scrunches thinking about how she witnessed both of those very low moments for me. Yeah, it probably was a good idea she didn’t tell me I was caught and carried away like a damsel in distress.

“I guess it isn’t so bad then knowing I wasn’t just lying there for everyone to gawk at.”

“Oh, everyone was definitely gawking at the fearsome Creed carrying you off the platform and the High Chancellor throwing a stink about not announcing you.” Riven chuckles and I glare.