Creed #3
It makes it so much harder, so much more real.
Then my eyes fly open with Thayla’s scream.
“No!”
She bashes her fists into the floorboard as tremors tear through her. Riven, Kyzen, and Amick instantly fall to her side and hold her.
“This is going to change her. Completely. She’ll never be the same, free-spirited, sweet, innocent little girl ever again!”
She continues to rock in their arms, raging out her grief.
“She won’t,” I say, and her red-rimmed eyes that refuse to let a tear fall snap up to mine. “But she won’t be alone. She won’t be abandoned. We’re going to find her and bring her home. With us in Godsden. To Lambrit.”
She stares at me, unmoving, unblinking, for a moment, long enough to worry me that she’s upset with me.
“Did…are they with the Valories? They had their issues like most people, most parents, but they were good people.”
I give her a small smile as I reach out and cup her cheek.
“Their souls went up together, and I prayed for the Valories to welcome them home.”
Her breath fans through her lips as she closes her eyes and leans into my hand.
“Thank you, Creed.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” She kisses the inside of my palm, despite the fact I know she wants to argue. “Let’s go find Laney.”
She nods as my brothers lift her to her feet, and she rolls her neck out.
My body shivers when she lets out a long exhale and her power flows out of her. It coats Mrs. and Mr. Armend first, then the entire house.
“No one will be able to get in here, and I’ve got to—” She squeezes her eyes shut and curls her fingers at her sides. “I’ve got to see what Lambrit and Laney want to do.”
My soul shrivels in my chest from the pain that hers is in.
“We’ll find that out as soon as we find her and go home, little goddess,” Kyzen says as she laces his fingers through hers and gives them a squeeze.
“Okay.”
At her clipped, but confident nod, we file back out of the house, and her head pivots once again to the neighboring house. With a few clenches of her fist, she stomps in that direction, and we follow behind her.
Her fingers slowly trace down the white door, and as if she doesn’t want to talk herself out of her decision, she breathes, turns the knob, and slings the door open.
She doesn’t step in, though.
Her head scans the quiet home from the threshold.
“No one’s moved our stuff.”
“Wait. This was where you lived?” Riven asks.
“Yeah.”
She doesn’t bother shutting the door. She turns on her heels and races down the path. The shouts and screams have grown more distant, but each one that pierces the air a little louder than the rest grabs her attention.
Her feet skid to a stop and she withdraws her sword without a second thought as a Dark God runs out on the path in front of her.
In three strides, we catch up to her side, and his body hits the ground.
“Thayla? What are you doing here?”
Our heads whip to the left at that voice. Mara charges between two houses, sword raised as if she were chasing that god Thayla just cut down.
“What does it look like?”
“Well, obviously, I see what you’re doing, but when did you get here? You weren’t at the Court with all of us?”
“Ellian came and got us after. I don’t have time to explain. I’m looking for someone.”
She gives her a small nod, then leaps over the Dark God’s body and once again runs forward. We follow her. So does Mara.
“Godrun, wait!” Gladian shouts, and my brothers and I spin around. I quickly glance over my shoulder to make sure Thayla waited for us.
She did, but impatiently. Her foot is tapping a mile a minute as Mara leans into her, saying something we can’t hear. Thayla’s shoulders drop.
“What do you want, Gladian? We don’t have time for this,” I say.
“They’re looking for Mellcom and Jeremiah. They got separated. Let’s go!” Thayla shouts.
Gladian’s and Chasin’s footsteps fall in with ours as we race to catch up with Thayla and Mara. All our eyes stay peeled for any fucker who may pop out and surprise us.
“Where are we going?” Gladian asks.
“Apparently, to their arenas. Mellcom has the little girl we’re looking for.”
“Little girl? Why would he have a little girl?”
I cut my eyes at him. “It’s Lambrit’s little sister.”
His gaze widens.
“Shit. I didn’t realize he had a sister.”
“Why would you, Gladdy? You know fuck all nothing about any of us,” Riven says as his pace picks up, eating the distance between us and Thayla.
Kyzen joins him, but Amick and I keep the space between them and us so we can watch their backs. We make it to a long stretch of a dirt path, and Thayla’s strides speed up. The four spaced-out clay structures looming not too far ahead spur us all on.
Kyzen’s power wraps around Amick, me, Gladian, and Chasin, and quicker than we can blink, we’re at their backs. Thayla rushes through the open door of the second structure and slams to a stop. My heart thunders in my ears as my power begs me for freedom.
“About time, sweet T. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Thayla’s shoulders rise and fall as her panicked gaze locks onto the sword pressed against a little girl’s throat.
Motherfucker.