Page 78 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

“No, I don’t see any reason to. I don’t care to spend my time here, so there’s no reason to change the over-the-top design. The next person who uses it will probably like it more than me.”

I want to argue how if the Chancellors and gods expect this shit from him, then his space should be his own, but I keep it to myself.

His use of over-the-top design is spot-on, though. About the entire Sanctum. There’s white and gold marble everywhere we go. The entirety of the place is the same from room to room.

Marble, god statues, portraits of gods, and illusion walls that continue to confuse me.

Each of the Chancellors has their own offices here and their names are engraved on large gold plates that hang from their doors. I sneer and contemplate stealing the High Chancellor’s, but think better of it at Yemi’s pale face when I say that.

I keep it in the back of my mind to mention in Riven’s vicinity.

The things that pique my interest the most, though, are the eleven rooms we don’t have access to. Two of them are the rooms I entered on the Veiling Day. Kyzen and Yemi confirmed that it’s the only day they’re opened to anyone other than Chancellors.

Seven rooms, supposedly, were spaces held by each Beginning God once upon a time. They can only be entered by one of them.

According to Kyzen, there’s no record of whose room is whose or what’s inside of them. He said it drives Amick insane, just like the restricted room in the Athenaeum, but I don’t think it’s only Amick who wants to know.

He stared at the doors with just as much interest as I did.

The power pulsed against my skin as I stood there and observed each door.

It didn’t feel welcoming or like a warning, just powerful.

I had half a mind to wiggle the handles just to test the theory, but then I got afraid it might strike me dead or something.

Me messing with a Beginning God purposely isn’t something I plan to do .

If or when Derivius ever gets on my good side again, I’ll tell him he can make up for his treachery by letting me see in his room.

The other two rooms…well, Kyzen has no clue what they are.

No one does. Only the assumption that one of the rooms is the hiding spot for the original Gods Binding.

There’re protections in place around them that were put there by the Beginning Gods and not even the Chancellors are aware why or what they’re for.

I’m going to obsess over them.

“Well, this is it,” Kyzen announces as he pushes a door wide very anticlimactically.

I suppress a smirk as I walk through the threshold.

Yep, it’s glitzy and so not him.

The light that shines in from the windows, that I do actually like, makes the room almost unbearably bright. I’m not sure where the white walls end and the white floors begin. The only other color in the room is the dark wooden desk, shelves, and what looks like the cabinet he mentioned.

With a huge smile on my face, I spin toward Kyzen, who’s leaning against the doorframe. His hands are shoved into his pockets and the smirk on his lips is already calling me out on my taurnshit.

“It’s very nice and clean.”

He snorts and shakes his head. “Well, thank you. I told you there wasn’t much to see.”

“There’s plenty to see. It’s a huge room.” I make my way over to the cabinet and attempt to open it but frown when the door won’t budge.

“Got to have my permission for that, gorgeous.”

“Be a sweetheart and give that to me.”

“You can have whatever you want.” My face slackens as his eyes trace over my body.

“Could the two of you allow me to leave before you defile anything?”

I flinch, then scowl at Yemi. “We aren’t defiling anything.”

“We could. Then I’d have some happy memories to think about while I get my work done.”

“Kyzen.”

He chuckles as he lays his palm against the cabinet door and the clicking of a locking mechanism unlatches on the other side. I turn from him and open it before he can pick on my flushing face .

Stack upon stack of folders greet me and I slowly slide the one that’s eye level to me down.

Oh wow, he has really nice handwriting.

I trace his words with my fingers as I read. My brows scrunch together more the farther down the page I go. “You had to mediate a disagreement between Valtrue members who filed a complaint that the dining hall was giving one member more food than the others?”

“Does that surprise you?”

“I mean, a little, yeah. The Attendants don’t get the good shit, but this is complaint and mediation worthy?”

He rubs the back of his neck. “In the eyes of some.”

“Huh. They call you for any little thing?”

“It depends on how liked they are and who they complain to.”

I grunt. “Typical god shit. I say you bring some of these home with you daily so we can laugh about them over coffee. That’ll give us some entertainment.”

“Oh, I bet there’re some juicy ones in there. Probably even some the gods who actually complained would be mortified for others to know about.”

“Yemi, you little gossip. I’m here for it.” I shoot her a sinister smirk.

“What can I say? It may be petty, but there’s some satisfaction knowing your bullies turn around and bitch about the smallest of inconveniences.”

I hum my agreement as I put the file back and shut the cabinet door. “Are we even allowed to look at those?”

“Technically, no.” Kyzen shrugs. “Well, ladies, this concludes my tour. I do hope you both had a grand time at the Gods Sanctum and plan a return trip.”

I snicker as we walk past him through his door and start down the hallway. I enjoyed my time with him and Yemi, but I couldn’t care less about this place. He’d be the only reason I’d return, and he doesn’t even want to spend any more time here than he has to.

My visits will probably become more frequent, though, when I start going back on rotation with all of them. As much as I’ve needed the time I’ve spent with Amick in the Athenaeum, I don’t plan on being stuck there forever.

“Do you think Havar’s made it to the dining hall yet?”

“Probably. I told him we’d be here for about two hours. We’ve been here for about that long, right?”

“Two hours and eight minutes, actually.”

“That’s oddly specific.”

He winks at me and taps his temple. “Internal sunsetter. ”

“So you just always know the time or how much time has passed?”

“That I do.”

I don’t know if I’d love or hate that.

We exit the Gods Sanctum the same way we came in but split off with Kyzen as he heads on to the Athenaeum. Sadly, we can see the dining hall from here and Havar’s definitely not out front.

“Damn it, Yemi, we’re going to have to walk in there.”

“I know. The impatient, probably hungry asshole could’ve given us ten minutes.”

“Shouldn’t he already be at the meadows by now anyways?”

“His mentee is going through his first rounds of evaluations this week, so he isn’t supposed to be there for them. He’s thrilled he gets to sleep in and start his day a little later. It’ll go back to normal next week when they start their new lessons. Whatever that entails.”

I don’t respond as she grips the door handle and releases a deep breath. She’s just as unhappy about entering this overcrowded space as I am, but at least we can make this quick.

My eyes instantly start searching through the bodies for long black hair that matches hers. She spots him first and tugs on my elbow as she makes me lead our way.

The luxurious booths are full of gods waiting to be served. Both Attendants and gods in the Plentiful placement are bustling around to get them what they ask for. This is a role and responsibility I could never in a million years see Riven actually doing.

He’d probably spit in someone’s food or flip a table.

“Uh, looks like all the mentors have decided to eat together.”

I cut my eyes at her and she chuckles at the displeasure written across my face. All the men standing around fall quiet as the two of us step up and I immediately want to cuss Havar out for not waiting for us outside.

“About time, you two,” Havar says as he opens his arms and wraps them around Yemi.

“About time, my ass. You couldn’t have given us a few minutes extra before coming in here?”

“Come on, no one’s going to fuck with you while Thayla’s here. Plus, I’m starving. You know how busy it always is.”

“Firstly, no one better fuck with her while I’m not around. Secondly, learn to cook and you wouldn’t have to wait. ”

He gasps and teasingly lays his hand to his heart. “I know how to cook, thank you. I just don’t want to.”

“Barely. Give us just a second and we’ll get out of here.”

My eyes widen on Yemi as she drags Havar off to the side, leaving me standing here with five godly men staring at me.

I’m going to kill her.

“Thayla Godrun, right?”

This is not happening.

I plaster on a fake, kind smile for the buff blond-haired god who just stepped toward me. “That’d be me.”

“I’m Collum. I was Havar’s mentor once upon a time. I’ve heard a lot about you around the meadows. I missed the excitement when you visited.”

I look down at his outstretched hand for a second before deciding not to be an ass to Havar’s friends. “I don’t know if excitement is the word I’d use. You did a good job with Havar, though. He was an excellent Escort.”

His warm and large hand engulfs mine. He’s surprisingly gentle with his shake and doesn’t let it linger past the point of becoming weird.

“He said your Veiling trip was his best yet. It’s not every day we get to see a Veilatara actually interact with a god.

They tolerate us at best, but we appreciate them allowing us in their company. ”

Huh…maybe he isn’t like the one who about got his chest caved in by my companion.

“They’re remarkable creatures. I’m very thankful the one who embraced me saw me worthy enough for that honor.”

“It’d be impossible to miss your worth,” he says as he dips his head and my heart pounds in my ribs. “I know Havar gave you and his cousin a tour, but there’s a lot to see. I’d love the opportunity to show you around the meadows if you’d give me that honor.”