Thayla #3
“That’s no longer going to be a problem. Isn’t that right, Ms. Godrun?”
My back straightens and everyone’s attention whips to the left. My eyes stay peeled on Zareb as he strolls up to our group. Phoelius, Barir, and even Delun bow their heads at him.
“I received word that you were here, but I see the God of Death isn’t with you. What’s the meaning of this meeting?”
Before I can tell him none of his business, Phoelius jumps right in, explaining, ignoring my scowl.
“I see,” Zareb hums. “May I see the parchment?”
Again, before I can rip it from Phoelius’s hands, he passes it over. I hold my breath and hide my shock as Zareb scribbles his name across a line and it glows as he embeds his power.
“There you are, Ms. Godrun.”
My mouth opens and closes as I stare down at his signature.
Zareb, God of Confinement.
“Why?” I ask.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, a signature is a signature, but I don’t understand.
“I stood in the archway that day to verify the God of Death was going to do as he promised. I believe a very reasonable compromise is coming in our near future.”
He heard and saw what my soul did.
I’m in no position to answer or make decisions for Creed, but I know Amick’s already been working on a way to fix some of Hellveilious’s issues. He had already jotted down notes about it. One of the key things he wrote was, keeping Creed’s soul from attaching to this place.
My soul can prevent that from happening.
“There is.” I nod.
“That’s comforting to hear,” he hums and bows his head to me, then focuses on the others. “I’d advise you three to rethink the stance you’re currently taking on this decision.”
With that, he starshoots out, and I stand here a little dumbfounded.
“What was that about? Zareb has been angrier with the God of Death far longer than us. Why the sudden change of heart?” Barir asks.
“I was right.”
My gaze jerks from him to Phoelius’s smile. That’s the same look he wore when he made that comment about how he couldn’t wait to see how worthy Creed actually was.
“Right about what?” I ask.
“You’re changing him, and in turn…he’s going to change Hell.”
Phoelius holds his hand out, and my eyes bounce between him and the parchment clutched in mine.
Eventually, I pass it back to him.
A subtle breath slips through my lips as his power flashes across the parchment. Barir stares at him for a long moment as he hands it over to him.
“You’re sure about this? All because of Zareb and his cryptic words?”
Phoelius nods. “Very sure, and they weren’t cryptic at all.”
“Dangerous.” The God of Treachery exhales a quiet laugh, shaking his head. He signs the parchment nonetheless, then passes it toward Delun.
“I’m not signing that.”
“Don’t be a fool,” Phoelius says.
“You two and the old man are fools. Allowing the God of Death to step out from underneath his father’s rule gives him more opportunity to do as he pleases.”
My head cocks to the side as a buzz skirts across my senses. My power of Accord is trying its hardest to relay something to me, but I can’t quite grasp it.
“I don’t pass judgment on potential. I pass judgment on what is.”
On what is…
Understanding dawns on me and I desperately want to shove Creed’s sword through his heart. I refrain. Barely.
“You don’t want to sign because it isn’t only Creed you’re leveraging. You don’t want anything to change around here and you know if you sign that, things will, and you’ll lose whatever it is you’re gaining from the God of Obliteration.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says.
“Then correct me.”
Silence answers.
The buzzing in my mind sharpens, then settles. It threads together, and something clicks into place as I hold his gaze.
I take a slow step forward, not closing the distance entirely but enough.
Enough that this isn’t a conversation anymore.
It’s a line.
An agreement.
Phoelius stills beside him, and Barir goes quiet in a way that feels…attentive. Sevryn, Gladian, and Mara don’t move to stand beside me, but they inch a little closer.
“You’ve built something here. A system that works in your favor. One that only functions as long as he stays in the exact position he’s in.”
Delun doesn’t move.
Doesn’t blink.
“And you think him being freed from this agreement made on his behalf takes that away from you?” I ask.
“It does,” he grits out through his clenched teeth.
“We agree on that.”
I nod once. A flicker of confusion crosses his face. And I smile. Not wide. Not kind. Certain. The hum in my head deepens into something that feels less like assuming and more like knowing.
“When this place shifts, remember that you chose this.” I step back, breaking the tension myself.
I roll the parchment between my fingers, then starshoot it back to the house.
“I don’t need or want your signature, but I appreciate you letting me know whether you’d stand on the right side of what’s coming. ”
“You presume—”
“I know!”
His face falls blank as my shout echoes through the space surrounding us.
“Let’s go,” I say.
Phoelius pivots as I stomp between him and Delun.
“We look forward to your next visit, Ms. Godrun.”
I toss a dismissive wave over my shoulder, then jerk the door into the Division open. Faron scrambles forward, but I hold up my hand.
“Thank you. We’ll see ourselves out.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
We march through the Division wordlessly, but my hackles continue to rise. Gladian’s and Mara’s stares literally burrow beneath my skin. There’s no doubt in my mind they’re confused as fuck, but I can’t do anything about that right now.
“You three go ahead. I’m right behind you,” I say as I lay my palm against the wall that’s going to suck us up.
Sevryn nods for Gladian and Mara to go first, then he crosses his arms and stares at me.
“What?”
“Were none of you going to tell us that Creed’s soul is growing attached to this place?”
I sigh and hang my head. “It wasn’t my place to say anything, Sevryn. Plus, if you haven’t noticed, we’ve had a fuck ton of shit going on.”
“Yeah, I think everyone notices now.”
I grunt. I don’t have much to say to that.
He doesn’t push me, and I release a breath as he steps through the wall.
Four—well, five once I make Gladian sign—seven to go.
My body rises through the darkness with far less resistance than it did the first time around. I suppose having permission to pass eases this transition.
Sevryn’s waiting on the edge for me as soon as I break through the black abyss with Mara and Gladian standing there tensely.
Still, I don’t say or even hold their eye contact for long.
I make my way to the barrier and step through without checking to make sure they’re following me. Its warmth fades from my skin and is quickly replaced with the sun’s, and I inhale sharply.
“Where to next, Goddess of Death?” Sevryn asks and I smirk.
“Not sure yet, lover boy.”
“V, we’re out. Any news from anyone?”
“The God of Creatures will be meeting you at the Meadorium after lunch, so you have a few hours. I see you got three signatures. One of which wasn’t on the list.”
“Yeah, I didn’t even know he was a Domain God after our first run-in. I won’t complain, though. Redemption and Treachery were ready to argue before he showed up.”
“All that matters is you got them. Is the God of Strength ready to sign?”
“Good question.”
I turn to face the god in question and find him already glaring at me.
“Well, I really appreciate the backup. Can I get your signature now?”
“No.”
“No?” I ask low, narrowing my eyes on him.
“This isn’t over. You still have seven more gods to go. I’ll be seeing this through, and I want an explanation of what the fuck is really going on.”
My teeth and fist clench.
“You’ve been told everything you need to know.”
Mara startles as a barking laugh belts out of him. I’ve never heard that sound leave his ass either, but I don’t flinch. I continue to stare at him as he falls the fuck apart in a fit of laughter.
“No. I’m done being in the dark. I’m not fucking blind, Thayla.
Since the second my Valtrue was ordered to go with you all on that journey to find what the hell ever you all had to find, I knew something more was going on.
Then not to mention being accused of stealing whatever it was and having my house torn apart.
“I’ve got a Valtrue member with weird abilities, your power feels different, your Valtrue has been acting different, the attacks at the barrier have lessened, which may sound like a good thing, but it’s not.
It’s a shift in the pattern, and it’s never a good thing when the God of Obliteration does that.
So, no. Fuck no. I haven’t been told everything I need to know. ”
He ends his tirade by throwing his hands up in the air.
My skin fucking tingles with the control it’s taking me not to stab him. I can see it so clearly.
Creed’s sword would glide out of my halter smoothly, then it’d pierce through his heart like a tender piece of meat.
Breathe.