21. Creed
Creed
I wish I could go back to last night.
To the blissful hours where today wasn’t happening. All that mattered in those moments was my Binder.
Our Binder.
Our bodies moved between reckless, desperate, and devoted as we showered her with pleasure. She endured all of it. Craved more of it. It was as though she was determined to have every last piece of us until there was nothing left to give.
Part of me wanted to tell her to stop acting like this was the end.
The other part wouldn’t let me utter the words.
We don’t truly have any idea what we’re about to face.
The dread curling through my soul is a combination of nerves over the possible success or failure of this mission and…
Facing our childhood home.
The memory she brought forth for me last night when she asked her innocent question calmed something deep inside of me. But now…
The countless souls I took within those halls plague my mind.
I’m old enough to understand that none of those beings were truly innocent, but I also know that some would’ve abandoned the Abandon if they’d been given a choice. They would’ve run from my father if an option had been presented to them.
I can’t dwell on any of that at this moment, though.
My eyes scan Val from head to toe as he hovers his hand inches away from the barrier to the Abandon. His pinched lips and wrinkled forehead say plenty about its condition.
It’s not going to be able to withstand this corruption much longer.
Fortifying it won’t matter after today.
The clock has already been ticking.
Once my father lays eyes on him in a few moments, the real countdown begins. He better fucking come back today from the Neutral.
My endling is almost ready to face his truth.
“If anything goes wrong and you need me, you call. Immediately. Don’t hesitate,” Derivius says, gripping Amick’s and Kyzen’s shoulders.
He moves on to Riven and me next.
The strain on his face is telling. The Chaos lurking beneath his surface is far more subdued than I figured it’d be with this situation.
Thayla’s shoulders relax a fraction when he lays both hands on her. A small, tight smile crosses his lips.
“You got this, little troublling.”
She nods far too many times.
“I know.”
He cups her cheeks for a heartbeat and lays his lips to her forehead, then steps away. Her gaze falls on Meridamus.
He doesn’t offer her any words of encouragement, nor does he inch closer to her. He dips his head once, then turns his attention to Val.
“I’ll let you know when Kira arrives at the Neutral.” Val bobs his head a couple of times as Meridamus aligns himself shoulder to shoulder with Derivius. “Let’s go, Chaos.”
This is the first time that not only can I tell, but I see clear as day that the three of them aren’t just concerned with our travels but their own.
Valveilious could turn into a battleground today.
Bright white light steals the two Beginning Gods away, and beside me, Thayla exhales heavily.
“V, a Binding, please,” she mutters.
Another flash of light glows around his claws, and he soars over to Doren’s shoulder. Yemi, Sevryn, Nero, and Iric give him some space as he readies himself for Val’s signal.
Behind them, Barir, Vulius, and Prath stand stoic. Their gazes continue to drift over to Mara, where she’s firmly placed herself at Thayla’s back. Riven attempted to make a joke about how she was staying by her side so she wasn’t forgotten about.
It nearly cost him a punch to the gut, but Thayla refrained.
I sense the apprehension floating off Gladian. He hates the idea of his Valtrue being separated, although they really aren’t.
“Begin, Doren.”
Val’s voice and his suddenly glowing eyes have all of us startling, but Discovery pulls himself together. His eyelids drift shut, and his power roars to the surface without a second thought.
“What are you doing?” Thayla whisper-yells at Val.
“Just making his travels through the barriers a touch easier.”
“You’re risking—”
“Thayla,” he says softly. “I’m not risking anything. No one can sense my power being used. Everything’s okay.”
Her fists clench at her sides and her jaw muscles jump, but she doesn’t push any more. I swear, none of us take a full breath while we wait for Doren.
At least three minutes pass before he takes a gasping breath and stumbles back a step. Sevryn grabs his shoulders, holding him steady, while Yemi basically snatches the vial Vulius passes her.
It’s taking everything in Amick not to tell him to hurry up and collect himself.
“It’s there. I just need one moment for the vial to kick in,” Doren pants, nodding like a madman as he answers everyone’s unasked question.
Val clears his throat, gaining all of our attention.
“Thayla, Yemi, get ready.”
The two of them snap their attention to one another, then step forward together, pressing themselves shoulder to shoulder.
Kyzen, Amick, Riven, myself, Mara, and Gladian step closer to Thayla, while V flies to her shoulder.
Right beside us, Yemi’s Valtrue and the rest of Gladian’s do the same thing.
Thayla’s and Yemi’s eyes close as they fall into deep concentration. The seconds stretch by long enough that I want to shift on my feet but refuse to. I won’t allow myself to have any doubt in either of them.
Air flows from their lips and the sensation of my Binder’s power of Boundaries coats my skin just as it did when we practiced. My coiled muscles relax as her glowing eyes flash open. Val runs his stoic gaze over each of us.
“Good. Remember, the less power you all use, the easier it’ll be for them.”
We all nod in acknowledgment.
“Unsensed and unseen for as long as possible,” he adds.
Thayla releases a long, harsh breath as she shakes her hands out. Her attention stays firmly locked on him and her desire to say something is obvious. Whatever the words are, they sit in the back of her throat. No matter how many times she swallows, the struggle she’s facing is clear.
Val notices as well.
“My shooting star,” he whispers.
His yearning to say more than that is obvious as well, but he doesn’t. Instead, he backpedals until he nearly touches the barrier.
“It’s time.”
The finality in his tone cracks her composure. She takes a small step forward, and her mouth parts a few times before she clears her throat.
“Be careful.”
A silent second passes as he studies her like he’s weighing every version of what those two words can mean. He finally decides against saying anything. He gives her a tender smile.
Then…he disappears.
Her fingers flex at her sides as she stares at where he was just standing, then at the sky, followed by the dirt at her feet. It’s as if she’s waiting to see whether the ground is going to split open beneath us.
“It’s time, little goddess,” Kyzen says.
She ducks her head for a fleeting second, then steps back beside Yemi.
“Right. Yemi, you ready?”
“Yeah,” she breathes.
“Everyone else?” Thayla asks.
An echoing of yeses responds to her.
“V? Sense anything?”
“Nope. You girls are doing perfect. Now, hold steady and don’t release that grip.”
The power coating me intensifies and Thayla clenches her fists.
“Drop and go, V. I’m not kidding.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Everyone, prepare yourselves,” he says. “Three, two…one.”
The sight of Thayla is stolen from me as his power swarms us.
It lasts no longer than a couple of seconds and I wish it had lasted a few moments longer.
My throat tightens and my soul swells as my father’s house comes into view. The tainted air engulfs my senses and my power stirs through my blood.
I put a furious leash around it as V reluctantly starshoots away again, taking his comforting power with him.
On both sides of me, my brothers flinch.
No matter how much we prepared for this, you can’t truly prepare yourself for how you’ll feel gazing at your childhood prison for the first time in twenty years.
The massive black, gray, and white layered stone monstrosity branches out to the left and to the right. The spires reaching from the towers in the corners seem shaper than ever. The three distinct entrances to each wing are surrounded by gardens too beautiful for such a place.
Appearance-wise, nothing has changed. Yet everything has.
Dark essence floats atop the ground that was never visible before.
Countless Dark Gods and Oblirians mull around the space, but they’re none the wiser that we’re here. Their lack of attention to us has my soul relaxing a fraction in my chest.
“Shit,” Thayla and Yemi breathe.
“What’s wrong?” Amicks asks.
They glance at each other rather than answer him immediately.
“You feel what I feel?” Thayla asks. “That pull?”
“Yeah,” Yemi says, nodding. “It’s much stronger than I thought it was going to be.”
“What’s going on?” Amick asks with less patience in his tone.
Thayla grits her teeth. Not in anger at him, but whatever it is that’s bothering her right now.
“The power here is pulling on ours. I’m worried about one of us attempting to split our focus from all of you and separate the connection of their sight from the front door.”
His attention shifts from her to the double doors lying ahead that we need to get through. His lips tighten for a split second before his features smooth out once again.
“No problem. Plan B.”
“What the fuck is Plan B?” I ask.
“Riven,” he says. A mischievous smirk creeps across Riven’s lips and Amick frowns at him. “You’re to warp the appearance of the front door so we can sneak in. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
Riven groans dramatically.
“Fine. Where’s the fun in that?”
“The fun is in not fucking me up,” Thayla says.
He puckers his lips at her as his forehead wrinkles.
I’m going to fuck him up.
“You two focus on what you’re doing now,” Amick says, ignoring Riven and focusing entirely on Thayla and Yemi. “Doren, don’t call your power forward until we’re all inside and Riven stops using his power. Understand?”
Everyone murmurs their agreement, and instead of Doren stepping forward and leading the way like we originally planned, Riven does.
I could drive my sword through his fucking back when he starts skipping ahead with a damn whistle leaving his lips.