5. Thayla
Thayla
The realm, unfortunately, refuses to stop turning because your life falls apart. That’s been glaringly clear since the second my feet touched the land of Godsden.
It became even clearer seconds after Amick told Riven what he needed him to do today.
By the time breakfast ended, he’d already assigned everyone a role.
Riven was checking the locked hallway in the Sanctum, with Nero and Doren following him.
Riven didn’t care for that, but the other two easily agreed.
Lambrit’s responsibility was to subtly inspect the restricted hallway for signs of our break-in and make sure the Guiders haven’t noticed the discrepancy in their rotations.
Havar was thrilled to actually be tasked with something. He’s going to get together with Verlet and Seismet and classify the Veilatara into two categories. Guardians of the herd and of the land itself.
Kyzen, Creed, Sevryn, Yemi, Rose, and I are carrying on to the Court.
Tonight, just my Valtrue will go to Derivius’s temple and speak with him.
He planned the day out as if any of this were normal.
I suppose in a sense, it is our normal. Shit is always coming along and piling up. Still, I guess I appreciated the structure.
For the first time since starshooting away from the Assembly mere hours ago, I’m not staring at a mountain of emotions and impossible questions. We have a list. A direction. A purpose.
One problem at a time. That’s manageable.
The morning air brushes against my skin as we make our way toward the entrance of the Court.
Beside me, Creed, Kyzen, and Sevryn discuss how the male Attendants are coming along and areas the Defenders need work in.
On my other side, Yemi and Rose murmur among themselves as well, but their voices fade into the background as we step into the tunnel.
My gaze automatically lifts to the mural stretched across the ceiling. More times than I remember, I’ve walked this hallway and greeted it the same way. A middle finger in the air. Sometimes two.
Today, my hand remains stubbornly at my side.
The painted image stares back at me.
The God of Obliteration. The God of Boundaries.
My chest tightens and I tear my eyes away from it.
One problem at a time.
The distant thuds of wood banging against wood drift to us and Yemi groans beside me. Judging by the sounds growing louder, Mara’s already started the day, and I’m not going to complain. Hell, she can lead this one up all on her own and I’ll be perfectly fine with that.
Sure enough, when we walk into the center, she has the females paired up, getting loose, and practicing their strikes with one another. Yemi and Rose grunt under their breaths as they break away from us and head over to the pile of training swords.
“I’ll come see you after I talk with Gladian,” Creed says as he gives my bicep a squeeze and continues toward the chambers.
Kyzen spares me a smile and a wink as he jogs toward the male Attendants. With a clap, they all straighten their shoulders and face him.
My gaze runs across the perfect forms of the females as I cross the space to Mara. It really is amazing to witness how far they’ve all come in a short amount of time. I really have no doubt in my mind that any godly being can do anything if they put their minds to it.
That can be both a good and a bad thing.
“Well, thank you for finally joining us,” Mara says as she side-eyes me.
“I’m not even late,” I scoff. “Did you wake up ready to train today or something?”
“Something,” she grunts low, and I arch my brow. She shifts from side to side on her feet for a moment before whirling toward me with a curious scowl on her forehead. “Do you ever ask yourself how the fuck this is my life?”
I can’t help the surprised laugh that tumbles out of me, and her frown deepens.
“Every day. I’m asking myself that in this very moment.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Especially this morning,” I grumble and cross my arms.
She hums. “Something happened this morning?”
I suck my teeth and cringe. “Unfortunately.”
“Interesting,” she murmurs, then faces back toward our group still loosening up. I observe the way her eyebrows draw down in deep concentration. I swear she isn’t watching the females, though.
“Is there something you want to—”
“Mara.”
The two of us whip around at the sound of Creed’s voice. I tilt my head to the side as he and Sevryn march toward us with new scowls on their faces.
“Is Gladian already at the barrier?” he asks as soon as he’s closer to us.
“No. He’s running behind today,” she says.
His face pinches in confusion.
“He never runs behind.”
“Well, he is today.”
My mind hums as she shrugs a shoulder and stares at her feet for a fleeting second before she meets his glare again.
“You’re hiding something,” I say.
“I’m not.”
“You are. I can tell.”
She clenches her jaw. “How can you tell?”
“Don’t deflect. Did something happen? Are you in trouble?”
She throws her hands up, groaning. My eyes widen as she mutters a million curses under her breath before slamming her hands on her hips.
“I don’t know, because why the hell would I be told what’s going on?
I get ordered to come to the Court and wait here while he figures shit out for himself like it isn’t my life getting flipped around as well.
Stupid-ass God of Strength. Next power boost I get, I’m knocking his teeth down his throat. ”
Creed and I share a glance, while Sevryn has a bloodthirsty smirk on his face. I shake my head at him and focus back on the fury scripted across hers.
“So…something did happen.”
“Yes, Thayla. Something very weird happened this—”
“Can I have your attention?”
Speak of the god.
Gladian’s bellow slices through the Court, silencing every murmur and halting every wooden sword. My shoulders straighten the second I face him. The last two people I expected to see standing on either side of him were my men.
Amick’s face is stoic. I’m not sure if he’s pissy from his day obviously being interrupted or if he has really bad news. Riven’s smile doesn’t give me any answers either, but the hair on the back of my neck stands.
Kyzen, Yemi, and Rose make their way to us in seconds, and we all stare at Gladian.
“This morning’s training is canceled. Return your training swords and get out.”
My eyes narrow on him.
“Please,” I add, and all the females focus on me.
I give them a subtle nod, and they finally do as he so rudely fucking requested.
Him, Amick, and Riven march over to us, and I try to ask with my eyes and soul what the hell is going on, but they don’t give me an answer. Mara’s nervousness is new, weird, and unreadable. The glare she keeps trained on the God of Strength is familiar, though.
The next two minutes pass by in intense, awkward silence as the Court empties.
I don’t have the first clue what’s happening right now.
“What’s going on?” Creed and I ask at the same time.
“I don’t believe I’m needed for this conversation, so I’m going to join Lambrit,” Rose whispers, giving my hand a squeeze, then starshoots out.
Gladian keeps his attention on Mara.
“Ellian couldn’t share anything and advised me to speak with Amick,” he says, and her shoulders deflate.
“Again, what is going on?” I ask and finally the gigantic shit glances at me.
“Early this morning, Mara and I experienced a similar, almost painful sensation sweep across us. We figured it was Mellcom finally severing his tie. That was until Chasin crashed out of his room in a panic.”
Early this morning…
“In a panic? Was he under attack?” Creed asks.
“Worse, I suppose,” Gladian grunts.
“Spit out whatever it is you’re trying to say. Some of us have realm-saving tasks and plans to get to today,” Amick says, voice laced with impatience and annoyance.
So he definitely doesn’t know what’s going on.
“Chasin’s Valtrue mark is gone, but we still have ours, but it’s…”
Mara sighs, cutting her words off and thrusting her wrist out toward me. I trace what used to be a scripted S but is now a beautifully decorative E with my finger. Gladian holds his out as well for Amick to observe.
He studies it for maybe a fleeting second before he flicks those candy eyes to me, then moves to my side. Riven follows suit and holds his arm out dramatically for Mara to go stand with Gladian.
Questions burn in their eyes as they glance at one another, then all of us.
Fuck. I know exactly what’s going on. We all do.
Well, except for them.
Poor Chasin.
Hell, poor Mara.
“Would you like to explain, or would you like for me to?”
My head jerks at Amick’s question.
“I most certainly don’t want to explain,” I say.
“So you all do know what’s going on?” Mara asks.
A tinge of guilt spears through me. The pleading in her tone makes me feel bad, although nothing about this is my fault. She’s confused as fuck, though, understandably, and she’s about to get some unsettling news.
“Yes, we do,” Amick says as he laces his fingers behind his back.
“The Beginning Gods have been tampering with the Valtrue pairings for many years now, centuries really, rather than allowing the Gods Binding to do it properly. Mellcom and Jeremiah arrived here because of a promise from an unidentified god, not true selection. So with Jeremiah’s death and Mellcom’s faux tie being severed—I assume it’s now truly severed—it unraveled the arranged pairing, and the power of the Gods Binding responded. ”
Gods. Did it fucking respond when he stepped out from right in front of it?
“It responded? What does that mean?” Mara asks.
“Responded simply means it did what it was always supposed to do. It revealed your true tie. Chasin is not your true Valtrue member. The two of you, by the looks of it, are true Valtrue members. Since you still bear your marks, although new, you have three other members somewhere here where the Gods Binding’s power can reach.
What you felt this morning wasn’t entirely Mellcom’s tie severing, but your proper tie clicking into place. ”
He didn’t soften the delivery of that news whatsoever.
Did Mellcom’s tie really sever, though?