17. Thayla
Thayla
My ass hits the ground beside Yemi and she has the audacity to laugh at my annoyed huff.
She can tease all she wants. Her exhaustion is just as obvious as mine.
Our powers of Boundaries flow from us and cocoon us in a bubble just like Val instructed. Recharging like this isn’t nearly as fast as other Domains of mine—hint, hint, Seduction—but it works wonders for Yemi within minutes.
Her appreciative sigh tugs my lips into a smirk, but I never take my gaze off Val and Meridamus talking quietly several feet away.
They…I don’t even know.
Meridamus was acting strange yesterday when he finally joined us for training after leaving the Neutral. His smart-ass comments were gone and he didn’t have much helpful advice. When I asked how it went, he said pointless as usual.
I don’t believe the Beginning Gods’ little meetings are pointless. I think he calls them that so he has an excuse not to go and be around Sabe.
My power of Accord agreed with that thought yesterday. My mind hummed when he said that about the meeting. Then again this morning my awareness flared when I asked if he was okay and he said I’m fine.
‘I’m fine’ my ass.
“You’re staring so hard there’s no doubt they feel it on their faces.”
I startle and purse my lips at Yemi.
“I’m trying to read their minds. It’s not working.”
She laughs and bumps me with her shoulder.
“Now why in the realm would you want to do that? I’m sure there are equal amounts of things you don’t want to hear along with everything you want to know.”
“That’s probably very true,” I grunt. “It’s just frustrating. Everything about this is getting on my damn nerves.”
“Hey, training went really well yesterday and today. Yes, sight was a touch more difficult than sound, but we got it. Our one failed attempt at separating the perception of power was just the beginning.”
My lips curl tight between my teeth as I pluck a strand of meadow grass and twirl it around my fingers.
“I’m not just referring to the training,” I whisper.
After Doren discovered the Bindings yesterday and training began, Val made us jump right back into separating sound. It took about three hours to get it down to the point he was happy and ready to move on to sight.
We worked on that all of yesterday and all of today. It’s the same process as separating sound, but of course there are extra little details that make it so much more difficult.
“I don’t understand why he waits to explain things to me.
All yesterday he let me get frustrated that I wasn’t grasping separating my sight.
Then first thing this morning he explains it’s because of my power of Accord.
My awareness is constantly reaching outward and collecting information and every time Boundaries separates my sight, Accord tries to reconnect it. ”
I huff, thinking about his very simple explanation. It’s easy enough for the mind to tune out a sound. I can ignore critters chirping if I don’t pay attention, which makes it easier to separate the connection.
With sight, though, it’s hard to ignore what I’m actively paying attention to. The moment I focus on something, I strengthen the very connection I’m supposed to be separating.
“Do you just want to vent your frustrations or do you want me to put my two cents in on why he does that?”
I can’t help the snort.
“Let me hear your sage analysis.”
She grins for a fleeting second before her expression turns thoughtful.
“Because he doesn’t know any better.”
My brows scrunch. “What? Of course he knows.”
She shakes her head.
“I really don’t think he does. Technically, you’re the first being with seven domains who’s lived long enough to actually use all seven powers.
He may have more understanding than most of what you or each domain can do, but until he sees you wield your abilities, he doesn’t know how they’re going to react with one another.
Why do you think he told us to try separating perception of power literally one time, then told us to take a break? ”
“To burst my bubble.”
She huffs. “He’s studying you.”
“Ugh, I don’t like how that sounds.”
I ignore her side-eye.
“Think about it,” she says. “Yesterday you failed repeatedly and we couldn’t figure out what was going on.
It wasn’t the same issue with sound and your power reaching out to him.
That was fine. Then this morning he came back with the solution and you’ve been getting it down since.
He observed you, spent the night thinking about it, then figured out where the problem was. ”
I blow out a breath and lean back on my hands.
“That’s true. So you think he’s going to do that again? Was that why he waited until the end of training to give his little explanation on separating the perception of power?”
“Thayla, nothing about that explanation was little.” She laughs, shaking her head.
“He was very detailed. It’s not like sound or sight because those are just senses we’re removing.
This is different. This is the natural instinct people have when power is used near them.
That pressure they feel, that awareness under the skin that something shifted in the realm.
What we’re trying to do is separate someone’s awareness from recognizing that shift completely, even while we’re still using our power inside the boundary.
“I’m not going to be shocked at all tomorrow morning if he says it’s still your power of Accord interfering.
Accord doesn’t just let you perceive what’s around you.
It connects you to it. So when you try to separate that layer, Accord is still reaching outward and reinforcing the very recognition you’re trying to cut off. ”
I sit with that for a moment, letting it settle.
My power of Accord isn’t something I ever think of as a problem. Simply because it isn’t destructive. Its awareness, its clarity, it’s the thing that keeps me from missing what matters and noticing when someone’s lying to me.
The way she explained it makes it sound like it’s doing the exact opposite here. Like it’s holding onto the reality of the realm too tightly when I need it to let go. My fingers curl into the grass as I exhale through my nose, turning the idea over until it starts to make sense.
“So tomorrow,” I say finally, “I’ll try again and do what I did today. Redirect it to work with my power of Boundaries rather than let it cling to the connection I’m focusing on.”
She hums. “Sounds good. Plus, he may have some extra insight.”
My gaze scans over Val again. His relaxed posture. His quiet words.
“I still don’t understand why he waited until yesterday to explain he’s teaching us in this order because we have to use each ability to sneak into the Abandon.
We’ll have to separate sound, sight, and perception of power all at once.
If he’d explained that from the start, I wouldn’t have bitched about wanting to jump straight to separating perception of power. ”
“Now that I don’t know but definitely agree with you. Him explaining that would’ve saved you some frustration.”
“Just me?” She rolls her eyes at my tone. “I distinctly remember someone muttering that would’ve been good to know.”
“Yeah, yeah. It was frustrating for me too. You know I like to have a list and a plan.”
“I know.” I sigh.
A plan…I swear that’s all our lives revolve around right now.
A plan for this. A plan for that. A plan for training.
A plan for sneaking into the Abandon. How to steal Obliteration’s Binding. How to survive once we get there.
Everything has a plan attached to it. Everything except…him.
My gaze flicks toward Val and Meridamus again. They continue their quiet conversation. For all I know, they’re discussing us. Hell, maybe the weather.
I narrow my eyes and focus on the space between them and us. The power surrounding me stretches forward at my command.
“Val,” I say, then pause. “Meridamus.”
Neither diverts their attention, but Yemi’s gaze locks onto my face. She lifts a brow when I peer at her.
“You just separated our voices from their hearing.”
A small, satisfied smile tugs at my lips.
“Maybe.”
“Are you trying to get their attention?” she asks, and the smirk fades.
“I don’t know.”
Her features soften and confuse at the same time.
“What’s wrong, Thay?”
I glance past her and let my attention wander across the meadow while I get my thoughts straight.
“You remember the morning after the Veiling, when we were having breakfast at your house?” I ask. She stares like that was a ridiculous question. I chuckle. “You made the comment about how I’m not an organized person and fuck that was so true.”
I shake my head, smiling at myself as I think about that morning. How pissy I was, fumbling around my room with no lights. How nervous I was about having lunch with the guys.
Gah…time has changed so much.
“The realm and all its taurnshit has swept me off my feet so many times since then that not having a plan literally gives me anxiety. I know we can’t control everything, but at least having a plan helps.”
I take a deep breath and look at her.
My best friend.
For what exactly? I don’t know.
Her guidance. Her ability to always show me a different perspective.
“I have no plan for him,” I say, nodding toward Val. “He was right the other day about how six of my powers search for the outcome first, but it isn’t only my powers. It’s me. I do that. I’ve done it my entire life. I can’t see our outcome. I have no clue what I want our outcome to be.”
Air blows through my nostrils when she lays her hand on my knee and gives me a small shake.
“Has spending the last almost two full days with him changed your mind about talking things out?” she asks.
“No,” I say. Too quickly. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
I huff and rub my palms up and down my face.
“The truth is I’m tired of not knowing. Not just with him. With everything.” I let my hands fall and stare up at the changing sky. “We’re stuck.”
“Stuck? Who’s stuck?”
I chuckle despite her seriousness. I know that was a choppy thought spoken out loud.