Page 91 of The Gods Veiling (The Valorian Veil #1)

Kyzen

A groggy-ass groan comes from me as I sit myself up on the couch.

My whole body cracks as I stretch myself out, then grip my head between my hands. The light coming in through the windows is far too bright and at any moment I’m going to puke if everything doesn’t stop spinning.

Shuffling beside me draws my attention and I peek my eyes open. Amick’s lids twitch before they fly open and he clutches his chest. His hand swiftly moves from there to his head as well.

“Creed drugged us. Again. I’m going to kill him,” I croak.

“I’m aware. Where’s Thayla?”

That question has me releasing my hair and turning far too fucking fast to look behind the couch.

Fuck.

My power shoots out of me and slows everything around me while I catch my breath. The saliva pooling in my mouth is going to make me lose whatever I ate yesterday all over Amick, then he’s really going to snap.

“Yes, I drugged you both, but I have what will make it better here.”

The dead god himself emerges from the kitchen with a mug in each hand. My glare at him deepens when I watch one corner of his lip curl.

“Don’t make whatever that fucking face is at me. Why the hell did you do that? You know my power reacts badly to forced sleep. ”

“You both needed some rest, and you weren’t going to do it on your own, so I did it for you.”

I sneer at him as he hands me the mug and gulp down the lukewarm drink. The effects are nearly instantaneous. Maybe a second passes as my power spreads throughout my body and I sigh.

“Where’s Thayla?” Amick asks again and this time, I can focus.

Creed’s face almost softens and my muscles tighten in confusion. He never looks at anyone like that. Maybe a child, but never one of us or any other god.

“Is she okay?” I ask.

“She’s fine. She’s in her room. She didn’t want to wake either of you, but she’d like to speak to you both.”

His words barely leave his lips as the two of us jump from our seats. We cross the kitchen and get down her hall in a matter of seconds.

“Thayla,” Amick calls. His fist lands against her door, and to my shock, he steps through.

I better have permission too.

Instead of knocking, I press my palm to the wood and smile like the smug little shit I can be when her room accepts me in.

I crash into Amick, who for some reason, decided not to move a step forward when he came through.

“What are you—”

“You need to flip over. You’re not supposed to lie on your back.” He cuts me off to say.

Stepping around him, my smile spreads as my eyes land on Thayla. She’s sitting propped in the middle of her bed with a blanket cuddled around her and a book lying in her lap.

“Good morning to you too, Candyman.”

“Thayla—”

“Why don’t you two just come sit down with me before you start ordering me around, huh?”

I grip Amick’s shoulder and snort as I lead him over to her bedside.

Something’s changed.

I’m not sure what happened while we slept, but the way she’s absolutely glowing right now is evidence enough that something did.

I can’t help but drink every inch of her in.

Her toes wiggle underneath her blanket and my lips tip up as I follow the outline of her legs to her stunning scarlet face .

“You went to the sacred hot spring,” Amick states, stealing her attention from me.

“You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life.”

“Yes, I know. Did Creed or the Veilatara explain to you why we didn’t take you there to begin with?”

Fuck, I didn’t even think about that. I hope they did.

“Yeah, Creed did after the fact. He said that it isn’t like the meadows where we can visit anytime. We have to receive a direct invitation from Verlet, but Seismet told me last night I can come whenever I want or need.”

“Well, aren’t you just a spoiled little goddess? It took years for Verlet to extend that offer to us.”

She shrugs. “What can I say, I’m special.”

I lie back on her bed, laughing, then prop myself up on my hand.

Damn, her bed is comfy. I could enjoy my sleep in here…

“Yes, you’re a very special Binder,” Amick says exasperatedly as he holds his palm out to her. She smirks down at it, then up to him.

“You want to hold my hand again?”

If only she really knew.

“I do and I will momentarily, but for now, I’d like you to let me sit you up so I can see your back.”

The smiles slowly fade from both of our faces. My throat constricts painfully as her eyes mist the slightest bit. She shakes herself out of it quickly, though, and lays her hand in his.

“It’s a lot better,” she murmurs.

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

I push myself up completely and clear my throat. “May I as well?”

She nods rapidly without ever looking at me and I squeeze her other hand that’s tangled in the blanket as I move to her other side. Amick grabs the hem of her shirt and starts to lift, but she holds it down.

“I don’t have a bra on, so no peeking at anything else.”

“I saw you completely naked last night. Today will be no different other than you’re conscious.”

A shiver races through her, and I stare at him. “For the Valories, Amick.”

“What?”

“You can’t just say stuff like that.”

“Why not? I did see her naked, and she was unconscious. ”

I open my mouth to explain the importance of sensitivity when you say things, but Thayla grips my hand before letting it go. “Let’s just get the show and observation over with, okay?”

She snatches her own shirt over her head faster than either of us can say or do anything.

Not that it’d matter.

The sight of her now scarred back makes the hair on my neck stand up. I saw bits of them last night, but her whole back was red and swollen, obscuring them. All that’s to see now is the aftermath.

My eyes trace over every inch of the new markings. There are two that are identical. They stretch from her shoulder blades across her back to the bottom of her opposite ribcage.

The third goes right through the middle of them, directly down her spine until it touches the last one that’s straight across her lower back.

I have to close my eyes and breathe through the rage that boils in my blood. Had that one in the middle been deeper than it was, he could’ve done severe damage to her spine.

There’s no doubt in my mind he fucking knows that, and that’s why he didn’t hit there as hard as he did her shoulders.

I should’ve let Creed…

“Why are there more?”

“What?” My eyes fly open at Amick’s question.

His fingers slowly run along several other scars that’ve been there for enough time that they almost blend in with her skin. The four new ones are so much more pronounced that I didn’t even notice those at first, but now I see them all.

Her back is covered.

Who I fucking think is responsible better not be.

“That’s a tale for another time,” Thayla says softly as she slips her shirt back on. “I need to ask the two of you something, then we’re having a Valtrue meeting.”

Amick and I look at each other behind her back. The switch from teasing to serious is obvious, even for him, but an understanding passes between us.

“We need to talk to you as well. Before the family meeting.”

“About what?” she asks as soon as I move down her bed so I can face her. Amick mimics my position.

“You first.”

She exhales sharply and runs her palms across her blanket. This transition into nervousness is new. She never outwardly shows it this much .

“If someone could find a way to unpair us, take away our Valtrue tie, is that something you’d want? Would either of you like to be without a Binder again?”

“No.”

Our answers echo around us. There was no thought, no hesitation, no need to even consider it.

Just no.

My heart and mind race over that question. The thought of our tie being taken from us almost makes me feel sick. Despite where and why this all started, I’ve grown to enjoy and look forward to every moment spent in her company.

From our flirty mornings together to the way we’re now able to look at each other and joke with just our eyes. No. There’s nothing that would make me want to give up what we have growing.

“I don’t know where that question even came from, but no. I have zero desire whatsoever not to have you as our Binder. Matter of fact, I want you to be more than my Binder.”

“Agreed and so do I.”

Her mouth slackens as she does a double take between Amick and me. She stutters a few incoherent sounds before slamming her mouth shut.

“What?” she finally breathes.

“Yesterday after you left Amick’s office, we talked about this. We’re not okay and we’re never going to be okay with you seeing or dating another god. That’s because we want to be with you.”

“We? As in both of you…and you’ve already discussed this. How would that even work?”

I defer to Amick for that explanation. “The logistics are quite simple. You have your own relationship with Kyzen and your own with me. We covered the issue of jealousy and that’s not going to be a problem between the two of us.

I’m sure there will be some societal pressures and issues since this isn’t normal, but we’re not of the norm, so that’s nothing new.

We’ll treat this as any other relationship is treated and learn as we go. ”

The more she looks between us, the redder her face grows, and the more labored her breathing becomes. Her hands tremble as she grips her blanket and snatches it off her legs.

My body freezes as she practically races off her bed and heads toward her door. Amick’s now blank face watches her as she goes, and I scoot to the edge of the bed.

Shit…we fucked up .

She halts before walking out of the room and turns back to us. Her eyes are pinched shut when she spins around and she releases a loud exhale.

“Don’t take my reaction as me rejecting either of you.

That’s not what I’m doing at all. I just don’t know if this is my greatest forbidden fantasy coming true or the start of a nightmare.

” She opens her glossy eyes and bounces them between us.

“I promise I’m not turning this down. I…

we need to have our Valtrue meeting first, then the two of you need to reconsider this after that. ”