Page 59 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

Thayla

“I…think…you’re punishing me,” Lambrit wheezes out as he places his hands on his knees. Yemi, Rose, and I smirk at him while we catch our breaths like normal people. “Your jealousy is forcing you to treat me harshly and I don’t appreciate it.”

“Yemi nor Rose are sitting here complaining about that run. Only you. And yes, of course I’m jealous your power is already settling. You can control lights, and you already feel it inside of you. But it’s not in the ‘ugh, fuck you’ way. It’s all out of love and I want to be you when I grow up.”

“You are grown. We’re the same age.”

The three of us snort at him as he gives in and falls on his butt. Poor thing. I really should’ve made him work out when we were in Oddian.

Yesterday after lunch, we went back to the Athenaeum, and Yemi and I jumped into discussing how we were going to start going on runs in the mornings. Rose heard and asked if she could join us. We obviously agreed while Lambrit grimaced.

It was then I realized, because of his Designation, he doesn’t train at all. That didn’t settle with me well. I still don’t have a clue why the Defenders or my Valtrue, for that matter, train so hard. The fact we have to, though, is reason enough for me to make Lambrit do so as well.

He was resistant at first, yes, but Rose batted her lashes and it was decided .

“I promise I’m not punishing you. But yes, I’m mad my powers are still settling in. You’re the smart one. Tell me why they’re doing this.”

“The god that’s smarter than even me has explained this to you, Thayla. Twice now, I believe. He even said that his release he got from the Veiling hasn’t come through fully.”

Yeah, and I’m pretty sure he and his brothers are lying.

A shiver races down my spine when I bend over to grab my toes, and a low whistle sounds from behind me.

“Looking good, gorgeous. Keep this up and I’m going to have to beat the other gods off with a stick.”

I place my hands on my hips and slowly turn to face Kyzen. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. They see me beside my big and scary Valtrue, they all run for the waterfall . ”

My mocking does nothing but cause him to laugh. “We aren’t scary. Everyone just knows we like to keep to ourselves. That includes you now.”

I bite my bottom lip to stop my smirk from spreading and I give him my back so I don’t chuckle at that flirty face of his.

It’s the truth, though.

Everyone gives me a wide berth if one of them is around. Yemi, Lambrit, Rose, and Havar are the only ones who approach me fearlessly. Well, and…Mellcom and Jeremiah.

Granted, they’ve only stared since the first day in the Gods Court. Mara glares.

I was hoping yesterday after Riven’s stunt, training would be canceled.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t even though only half of the Defenders were in attendance.

No one messed with me, though. I believe a conversation that I wasn’t a part of was had.

A silent agreement seems to have been struck between Gladian’s Valtrue and mine.

I’m not complaining. Yesterday was far less stressful and I’m not nearly as worried about this afternoon.

I peer over my shoulder to see Kyzen still standing there blatantly appreciating my body. “I have two guesses as to why you’d be out here interrupting the end of our run.”

“Well, let me hear them then.” He plasters on a very fake, serious face and crosses his arms over his chest.

“One, breakfast is ready. So you’re here to tell me I need to come fuel my perfect body.” I wiggle my brows, and his seriousness starts to split. “Or two, Creed’s bailing on me, so you’re here to tell me first that way I don’t cuss him out or throw something at him.”

I groan when his face softens. Riven made an offhanded comment last night about me never getting to see Creed in his role because he’ll never let me get that close to him. I didn’t take him too seriously, but I did keep the remark in the back of my mind.

All right, if I’m being honest, I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

Kyzen uncrosses his arms and lets them lie limply at his sides. “Two things can be true at once.”

“Yeah, yeah. He better have a really good excuse as to why I can’t go with him, or I’ll be showing my ass. You’ve been warned.”

“You can show me your ass anytime you please.”

“Try defending Creed’s taurnshit. You’ll be lucky to get a glimpse of my knees, much less anything else.”

His eyes map my body. “ Again. I’ll be lucky to see anything again.”

“You were lucky to see it then.”

“Stop blaming that on ‘being startled awake.’ You did it on purpose, admit it.” I huff and turn my back to him again, ignoring the heat starting to course through me.

“Are the two of you having sex?”

Yemi and I gasp. Rose grips Lambrit with one hand and covers her mouth with the other. I stare wide-eyed and horrified at my best friend.

“Lambrit, you can’t ask shit like that. Especially not in front of him.”

“Why not? The question involves the two of you.”

“Oh my gods,” I groan and rub my temples as Kyzen dies of laughter. “That’s something we, as in you and me, would discuss privately behind his back.”

“So you are having sex?”

“Fuck me. Kyzen, please go inside.”

“Hold on now, Lambrit’s right. This involves us and I want to hear your answer.”

“Go. In. Side,” I grit through my teeth and flaming red face.

He holds his hands up, chuckling while he starts taking a few steps back. “Fine, fine. I’ll go give Creed your warning. Would anyone else like some breakfast?”

Yemi and Rose mumble nos while trying to hide their laughter.

Lambrit, on the other hand, smiles. “I would—”

“Not. He would not like any breakfast.”

Kyzen takes the hint, and I hear him chuckling his entire walk to the front door. I wait until the sound completely disappears before I face Lambrit and throw my hands in the air. He looks confused and utterly disappointed.

“What was that?”

“What?”

Rose places her hand on his bicep and smiles sweetly at him. “You can’t ask a girl about her sex life like that. Thayla’s and your relationship is a little different, so I know you’re comfortable just asking her that, but you can’t do it in front of the guy you’re inquiring about.”

“Well, I just haven’t seen her show attention to anyone since Jeremiah. She’s attracted to her entire Valtrue as far as I’ve observed from her actions and words. I wanted to know if she’s taken a step toward a relationship with any of them.”

I suck in a sharp breath as Rose gives me an apologetic smile on his behalf and Yemi falls into my side. My first instinct is to hold her up, but after a second of her shaking from laughter, I let her fall to her ass.

“He’s the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life,” she gasps out.

“You only say that cause you’re not the one he’s calling out right now,” I grumble, then glare back at him. “For the Valories, Lambrit, we’ve only been here a few days. I need a little more time than that to jump into bed with him, any of them.”

I mean, I’ve thought about it…No. Never mind.

“I’m not calling you out, or at least I’m not trying to. I’m genuinely asking and concerned. You can’t blame me for my candidness. After the falling-out with Jeremiah and what he did to you, you shouldn’t blame me for wanting to know these things.”

My embarrassment and small tinge of anger leak out of me at his soft omission.

When you’re in the trenches of heartbreak, it’s easy not to notice how your feelings are affecting those around you. My grief in the breakup didn’t come until after Jeremiah’s switch up. The way he treated me after the Veiling destroyed me. I let it bleed out everywhere.

Poor Lambrit was there to pick up my pieces through it all.

“I don’t blame you. Just next time, that’s a question you ask when no one’s around. Yemi and Rose are the exception to that. No one else, though, okay?”

“Okay, I understand. You know you only have to tell me once.” His cocky little tone causes me to snort. “Just so you know, I’m happy you’re finding some happiness in them and this…situation. For what it’s worth, if you decided to have a relationship with one of them, I approve. ”

Yemi finally pushes herself to her feet. “Uh, have you met Riven yet?”

“Yeah, he came to the Athenaeum. He was really nice.”

My mind seems to malfunction. I can’t hear anything else they say. His words ring between my ears on repeat until they cause me and my thoughts to grow dizzy.

One of them…

How awkward would that conversation be?

“Of course—whichever one I choose—I’d love to be in a relationship with you. Oh, and by the way, all of your brothers hold a piece of my soul. Hope that’s not an issue.”

Fuck no. Not happening.

“Thayla, did you hear me?” Yemi asks.

“No, I’m sorry. What did you say?”

She arches her brow at me, and I mimic the gesture, encouraging her to repeat herself. “Since we don’t know what your schedule looks like now, do you just want to come get me when you’re ready to go?”

“Yeah, that works. Are you two headed off?”

“Yeah. We need to go figure out food since someone so rudely denied me an invitation, then get to the Athenaeum.”

I shake my head at Lambrit and smirk at Rose as they start walking in the direction of their houses. “I’ll see you both soon. Yemi, enjoy your alone time.”

She sends me a wave over her shoulder as she makes her way to her door. “You enjoy…whatever’s about to happen in there.”

All I care about happening is getting some water, then coffee, and food. In that order. Shower will come after I’ve cooled off and got my belly full.

I make my way through my back door, kick my shoes and socks off, then head straight to the kitchen. The guys’ voices are already traveling down my hall.

“Good morning, my oh so lovely Valtrue.”

My cheery, sarcastic tone has all heads turning toward me as I make my way to the cupboard then sink. My ‘ahh’ after chugging a whole glass of water is met with a few murmured good mornings.

“Someone’s in trouble,” Riven sings.

“The sun’s barely even up. What could you have done already?” I ask as I join them at the table.