Page 81 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

“Are you sexually frustrated, Thayla?”

Her gasp is piercing. “What? ”

“Has our forced proximity to you caused an increase in your libido? Is your body in need of a release you’re not achieving with yourself?”

Her mouth falls open and my eyes cast down to her lips, then back up. She searches my face like she’s expecting me to know or answer for her.

“I…”

I crowd her until her back presses against the door. Curiosity gets the better of me and I lay my hand on her hip. My gentle squeeze has her breath hitching.

“I believe that’s exactly what’s caused this melodrama. You’re responsive to the slightest touches and you crave more. Is that what you need from me?”

“You’re serious?” she breathes.

“I am.”

“Have…have you ever done that before?”

I arch my brow at her. “Have I ever brought a woman to orgasm?”

Her shocked expression morphs into a sneer. “Yes.”

“Yes, I have.”

“You’re not a virgin?”

“What would ever give you that impression?”

She blinks at me repeatedly.

“My sexual needs aren’t what we’re discussing right now. This is about you and giving you what you need.”

Her twisted features change once more. The look now is unreadable, but I sense she’s not too happy. “I can’t let you do that, Amick.”

“Why not?”

“Because after seeing your brothers’ reactions, I know they’d be hurt or upset. I can’t put us all in that position.”

“I truly loathe admitting when Riven is right, especially when he’s being crude, but if this is what you want or need, all you have to do is tell one of us.”

“One of you.”

“Yes, the choice is yours.”

“And there lies the issue.”

My hand slips from her hip as she turns rapidly and opens my door. I’ve barely had time to dissect the meaning of her words before she’s slipped out of my office completely.

Unlike the normal jerking I’m unfortunately growing accustomed to, this tug is painful. It nearly steals my train of thought and understanding of the emotional issue she’s having .

I pull my door wide with the intention of finding her and finishing our conversation, but I’m bombarded as my brothers storm back in.

“What did you say, Amick?” Kyzen asks as Creed shuts the door. “She’d barely even look at us and told us not to follow her.”

“I got down to the bottom of her issue and why she was asking about dating.”

He closes his eyes and rubs his temples. “Would you just do us a favor and explain what happened when we stepped out?”

“I questioned her on why she was suddenly inquiring about romantic dating. It’s due to the fact living with us has caused her to become sexually frustrated. I offered my help, as well as any of yours, to alleviate that issue. It did nothing but cause a bigger dilemma.”

They each stare at me incredulously. As her Valtrue members, we should’ve noticed these signs sooner and have made her feel comfortable enough to say what it was she wanted.

“You did what?”

I cut my eyes to Creed. “You need to go to the healing villas and have your hearing checked. That’s the second time today you’ve asked someone to repeat themselves after they’ve spoken clearly.”

“It’s called shock, Amick. I was shocked by her asking us how we felt about her dating and I’m even more so by what you fucking said to her. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinking our Binder is experiencing a lot of changes that she never wanted to experience. Many of which are completely out of our control. On top of that, her sexual needs aren’t being met, and she can’t have them met.”

Riven barks out a humorless laugh. “Why not? Because you said so? You don’t get to dictate that.”

“We, all five of us, have dictated it. Just now, the four of us made it clear to her we’re not okay with her engaging with other gods.

She said that’s not even what she wants, but she now has the dilemma of choosing one of us.

She made it clear to me, she won’t be doing that.

Therefore, she won’t have her needs met.

The three of you would be incapable of managing your jealousy if she were to ever do that and that would cause an irrevocable strain on our dynamic. ”

“Oh, fuck you, Amick. Just because the three of us can actually experience emotions unlike you, doesn’t mean you’d just be okay with her being with one of us. ”

My body heats at his insult. It’s usually easy to ignore Riven’s constant taunting, but the true anger in his eyes and malicious intent behind throwing my largest flaw in my face add to the discomfort I’ve been feeling since Thayla left.

“I may lack the ability to understand every single emotional response in others and myself, but that doesn’t mean I lack emotions completely. Nor do I lack the capacity to learn. I am learning. For her. I’d be able to control my jealousy. Do you know how?

“Because I have awareness of my shortcomings, even if I don’t broadcast that fact.

Which also makes me more than mindful about the fact I’d never be able to meet all her needs.

I know and can admit that I’d need one of you to also step in for her.

That doesn’t matter, though, because I could never trust one of the three of you to do that for me.

Now get the hell out of my office. I’m done with this discussion, and I actually have work to do. ”

I stride behind my desk without bothering a glance at any of them. I blink my eyes repeatedly to get his words out of my head.

Sometimes the cruelty in Riven’s voice reminds me of our sperm donor’s. It’s taken me most of our lives to understand that his anger lashes out when he feels like someone is restricting him. We all react in our own ways because of things we experienced.

I believe they tend to forget, though, while they were around other beings, I was locked in a room with nothing but a torch lamp that didn’t talk back to me.

“Amick.”

“I don’t care for your mediation, Kyzen.”

“I know…but I need some clarity on what you just said.”

I sigh as I slowly lay my pen down and look at him. His smile is gone, and he’s shoved his hands in his pockets to hide his shakes. “What part would you like me to clarify?”

“You made it sound like you weren’t just talking about you being in a relationship with Thayla alone, but one of us being in a relationship with her as well. At the same time.”

I shake my head at the breath wasted. “You obviously didn’t need clarification.”

“I did and still do. I don’t understand how that would work.”

“Why do you need to understand? It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. She matters to me and so do you. ”

“Then it’s incredibly simple. I’d have my own relationship with her, and you’d have yours. Where I’d lack meeting all her emotional needs, you’d make up for that.”

“But that makes it sound like she gets more from me in the relationship and that doesn’t seem fair to you.”

“I’d make up your shortcomings in return.”

“My shortcomings? What shortcomings do I have?”

“Well, they’re the exact opposite of mine.

Your disdain for confrontation stretches to new heights with her.

Your first reaction is to appease her, where mine is to push her.

Not in the teasing or taunting sense like Riven, but when she gets frustrated with something, I don’t allow her to quit and move on. I make her face it. She needs that.”

He scrunches his nose at me. “I could do that if I had to.”

“But you don’t have to because I do it already.”

He hums and bites his lip. “What about Creed and Riven?”

“What about them?”

“Do you think they’ll be okay with this?”

“No, not at first. They’ll be jealous, as I said.

They don’t have to admit anything to me for it to be obvious they have feelings they don’t understand for her.

Ultimately, none of this matters. Thayla may not want to make a choice between the four of us, but if this solution is presented to her, she’ll have to make the choice if this arrangement is okay with her or not.

All of this is moot without her say-so.”

“Do you plan on talking to her about it?”

“Do you plan on actually going forward with this? I may not feel like you all do, as Riven so kindly pointed out, but I know toying with her about this isn’t okay. It can’t be brought up if you’re not sure.”

“And you are sure?”

“I would’ve never said anything if I wasn’t.”

“Then we’ll talk to her.”

“Preferably after I complete my work. You all have been utter distractions thus far today.”

He snorts and grins mischievously. “Didn’t sound like you were concerned with being distracted when you were offering Thayla a helping hand.”

“I could’ve given her multiple orgasms in the time this conversation has taken. Then we could’ve got to work.”

“Gods, Amick.” He laughs, holding his stomach. “I’ve never heard you talk like this. It’s refreshing.”

“I’ve never had a reason to, nor has this kind of conversation ever interested me before.”

He continues to smile at me for some reason. “I’ll get out of your way and let you get your shit done. I’m going to go find something to do and give Thayla some time to cool off. Unless now would be the time you think I should push her.”

“No. Now is most certainly not the time unless being punched is the sort of thing you’re into.”

“Got it.” He chuckles the whole way out my door and thankfully shuts it without me having to tell him to.

Finally, I release a breath and stare down at the next parchment. The half-erased page and Chancellor’s signed initials at the bottom, though, make my eyes narrow. I could’ve sworn I’d already gone over Ellian’s.

In fact, I did. Three parchments ago.

This type of confusion and nonsense is exactly why I should be present in the Chancellors’ meetings. Not being made to stand outside the door and wait to be handed notes.

As I go to flip his useless second page and continue to the next, my power alights in my mind. With my hand gripping the page, I get sucked into the truth that was scribed without any say-so.

The High Chancellor has put forth a motion that all completed Valtrues be measured monthly by the Volreen. He wants their powers and abilities tested regularly starting after our vote next month.

He’s given no good reasons as to why he wants this change to occur from once-a-year measurements to monthly. His only defense is the gods want to see if their blessings are being honored. Many of the Chancellors are already in agreement.

He’s hiding something. Under his orders, we weren’t to take notes on this topic. Do with this as you need.

My body sways and my mind muddles as my power settles back into place. Touching an object and seeing the truth that isn’t shown on its surface is my strongest ability. It always takes the most out of me, though. Especially when it comes forth unexpectedly.

It’s also an ability the High Chancellor believes I need all my power to achieve.

Ellian knows, though. That’s why he erased the message to try to hide the truth .

I grip the corner of my desk to stop the spinning. The double parchment in my hand slowly becomes one again and I fold it neatly. At home, in my room, all the objects and artifacts on my bookshelves have shown me something along the way.

This will be added to the collection.

The High Chancellor has always been a puppet, but in this matter, I can’t tell if a god is putting him up to this truly or is this his own scheme?

I plan to find out.