15. Thayla
Thayla
The words to the song I don’t even know belt from my chest. Add in Yemi’s, Rose’s, and Mara’s voices and we have the windows rattling.
I’m not exactly sure whose idea it was to dance on the couches rather than the very flat floor where I have balance, but Yemi and I almost tumble off for the hundredth time as our hips bump into each other a little too hard.
Our hands grip one another for safety and laughter tears through the chorus.
“Damn it, Thayla. You made me spill my drink.”
“Me?” I ask her, pointing at myself. “You crashed into me.”
“Neither of you needs any more drink. You’ve had”—a hiccup and giggle cuts through Mara’s comment—“too much anyway.”
Yemi, Rose, and I share smirks with one another.
Then launch the decorative couch pillows at her.
Her squeal echoes through the house and her already pinkened cheeks flame brighter as she throws her head back. She nearly falls off the back of the other couch but catches herself.
She does not save her drink.
“Oh no.” She pouts, holding the empty glass up to her eye and looking through it.
She really started pounding back glass after glass when I told her there was no getting out of meeting her Valtrue. She found a loophole, though, and I truly find it hilarious that she’s going to hide at Rose’s house.
I wouldn’t say the three of us encouraged her to drink her fear away, but we definitely haven’t stopped her either. I slowed my sipping down when my body grew all warm and fuzzy. I’ve been sitting in this very comfortable, happy place ever since.
My laugh silences as I catch a glimpse over Mara’s head, but my smile never falters. It grows. Riven’s mischievous eyes meet mine and he shakes his head as his thumb traces his bottom lip. Bodies pile in around him and my heart swells in my chest.
“You’re home,” I cheer, taking a step forward.
Completely forgetting I’m on a couch. My arms flail around, but there’s no shit to grab onto. Yemi has somehow stepped out of my range.
Before I can face-plant the floor, strong arms pluck me out of the air and situate me bridal style against his warm, chiseled chest.
“My hero.”
“Always, little goddess.” Kyzen chuckles as he lays a kiss to my forehead and sets me on my feet. “You look like you’ve had fun.”
“The best time. Girls’ day was a success.”
Yemi, Rose, and Mara hold their glasses up, cheering and hollering their agreement.
“Mara…”
That voice silences our mirth, and my gaze widens at the utter shock on Gladian’s face. A few choked chuckles still slip free when he takes an incredibly cautious step toward her.
“Oh my gods, you’re back too.”
Without a fucking care or warning, she launches herself over the back of the couch. He rushes forward and catches her before she splats against the floor. His big ass doesn’t know what to do when she tangles herself around him.
I die laughing. So does everyone else.
The rest of my men make their way to me, and my soul preens as they gaze at me with tender smiles.
Uh, gods. I love them so much.
“Did you all have a great boys’ day?” I ask.
It isn’t any of my men who answer.
“Fantastic fucking time. Let me tell you,” Sevryn grumbles as he takes a seat on the couch, promptly pulling Yemi into his lap.
She giggles to herself and burrows closer to his chest. Doren grins down at them like it’s the sweetest thing he’s ever seen.
“Uh…c-can you believe everything they had to tell us?” Mara slurs, squashing Gladian’s cheeks and forcing him to look at her. “I am not ready to fall in love with four men. You are so, so complicated all on your own. You get on my nerves so bad. I want to punch and kiss you. I can’t stand you.”
I slap my hand over my mouth to hide my gasp, while Yemi’s jaw drops open. Rose plops down on the couch and tugs the blanket she’d been using as a cape over her face to hide her silent laughter.
“I thought you weren’t planning on saying anything?” I ask.
“Shhh, Thayla. We aren’t saying anything,” Mara says, whipping her head toward me so fast, Gladian has to splay his hand across her back to hold her steady.
“You just said a whole bunch,” I say.
“I suppose I did.” She hums as she focuses back on Gladian. “I think I will kiss you now.”
Gladian’s gaze widens in pure, hilarious panic.
“No, nope,” he says frantically and turns his head. “Fuck, this was a bad idea. It’s time to get you home.”
“I’m not going home. I can’t meet my Valtrue.”
She covers her face with her hands and he sighs. My attention follows where he peers over his shoulder.
Uh-oh.
My gaze traces over the two men I’ve never seen in my life, standing at the edge of my entrance hall like they don’t know what to do with this situation.
I lock onto one who’s…far too pretty to be paired with Gladian.
Well, pretty probably isn’t the right word. Put together. Like he’s supposed to be roaming the streets of Valveilious. His shiny tanned skin, bright smile, blond hair, button-up shirt, and dress pants are hilariously different from Gladian’s entire demeanor and attire.
Despite all that, there’s something oddly…familiar about him.
I’m not sure how I feel about that.
The one standing next to him looks even more out of place.
His wild black hair screams I couldn’t care less about fixing myself up. He’s also wearing what looks like a healer’s cloak…
His eyes keep drifting to Riven.
My little psycho must have made him nervous on their adventure.
They’re both large in build like most godly men, but they’re smaller than Gladian. Like most everyone.
They’re missing one…
“Too late for that, I’m afraid,” I say, pointing behind her. “I don’t know those two people in my house but can take a gander at who they may be since my men allowed them in here.”
Mara shrieks when she notices them, then falls still in Gladian’s arms.
“Oh no…” she says, snapping her attention to me, then Yemi, then Rose. She looks petrified. “They’re really hot.”
The one who looks like he’s on the verge of passing out straightens his shoulders. The blond-haired one is wearing a sly smirk. Gladian doesn’t seem to be too happy with that comment. That tickles me so much I burst out laughing. It grows louder and more contagious when Riven joins in.
“Oh my gods. G-Gladian, get me home,” Mara groans, tucking her face into his neck. “I can’t officially meet them like this. I’m not ready.”
“You’re not meeting them today. I’m going to get you home and into bed,” Gladian swears.
“Bed, yes. I want my bed. Men-less. No men in my bed.”
“I swear to you, no man will enter your bedroom.”
“Then how will you put me in my bed?” she asks, and he closes his eyes, huffing.
“I will put you in bed, then leave your room.”
“You can stay.”
I fall into another fit of laughter, waving bye to Mara as he groans and stomps toward the door.
Flustered as fuck.
“I’ll walk them. I need to speak with him anyway,” Creed says, laying a quick kiss on my forehead before rushing toward the door.
The other two give little dips of their heads, but before they can spin on their heels and run, Riven claps his hands, hollering for them to wait.
“Introductions are in order elsewhere,” he cheers, greeting me with a bright smile. “Angel, let me introduce you to my very, very dear friend. Vulius Gulliver. Better known as Vullie.”
My eyebrows scrunch together.
His friend…Vullie.
“Oh my gods. You’re the asshole who made that sleep paralysis drug that put me and Yemi on our asses.”
He twists his fingers together as he steps forward.
“I did, and I do apologize, angel. I had—”
Riven’s echoing gasp has Vullie snapping his mouth shut.
“What the hell did you just call her?”
“I, uh…angel. That’s what you call her.”
Kyzen and Amick, as well as Doren and Sevryn, shake their heads and stare at Vullie like he’s lost his ever-loving mind.
“Her name is Thayla,” Riven says so low, I swear the house drops a few degrees.
Gods, his possessiveness should not turn me on the way it does.
“Of course.” Vullie clears his throat and faces me fully again. “Thayla, I had no clue what it was going to be used for. I never would’ve sold it if I had known.”
“Why make such a thing anyway?” I ask.
“There are many who have trouble sleeping. Whether they’re plagued with nightmares or any other afflictions that inhibit them from catching a restful night of sleep.
The use of it on you and Yemi was the first time it’s ever been used in such a way.
That I’ve been made aware of, at least. And again, I’m truly sorry for that. ”
This time, he bows to both Yemi and me. The sincere guilt on his face eases any animosity I may have still been holding onto. Riven’s explained to me numerous times that his friend creates solutions to issues that others in the Plentiful and Healer Designation don’t want to fix.
I can respect the fact that he goes against the grain to help people.
I mean…he does make shit that blows up as well, but that actually came in handy for us.
The second newcomer in Mara’s Valtrue takes a step forward until he’s aligned with Vullie. He smiles a lot more compared to anyone in their Valtrue.
Maybe his cheeriness will rival Doren’s.
So far there’s a grumpy one, a nervous one, and a happy one. I wonder what the fourth will be. Smart one, funny one, quiet one, ass—
“My name is Prath. I’m the new God of Shadows.”
My mental list and laugh die in my mind, and my attention slowly zeroes in on him. That smile of his has grown tender while the entire house has descended into silence.
Kyzen’s strong hand lies gently on my lower back as I stare. Riven and Amick shift closer to me.
The new God of Shadows…
That familiarity. Oh no.
“I swear to you, just as I did to my Valtrue, yours and Yemi’s, I am new in all ways. I won’t repeat the ways of old.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat and hold his gaze as I push my Accord toward him. My mind doesn’t hum with any trace of deception.
“I hope not,” I mutter.
“If my life starts leading down that path, I hope the same thing that was done to my predecessor will be done to me.”