37. Thayla #2
“But the realm changed. The beings within it changed.” A faint ripple moves through the space. “The Gods Binding changed with it. We did not.”
“Changed how?” I ask.
The seven look toward the Stargate, maybe the realm—hell, maybe the Gods Binding. I don’t know.
“The Gods Binding is not merely an object. We did not simply give it our blessing. We gave it a piece of our power just as our creations did,” Creation herself states.
“It is threaded through every part of the realm. Every life. Every choice. Every consequence. It knows what the realm requires to continue.”
I stare at them, confusion clearly contorting my face.
“Then why did you interfere with anything?”
I refrain from fidgeting when, for the first time, the Valorie that passed on Seduction meets my gaze.
“Because we are not without preference. We curated choices that attracted what we wanted.”
My jaw tightens.
“So you admit it.”
“Yes.”
There’s no hesitation in her answer.
“You manipulated people. Us. Every choice we got to make for ourselves was already aligned with your wants,” I say.
“We influenced outcomes.”
My eyes narrow.
“That’s the same thing.”
“Perhaps,” Consequence says. The lack of denial makes my anger flare. Before I can say anything, though, he continues. “We did not create your path. The Gods Binding did. We aligned it with our wants.”
A chill runs through me and my breath rushes from my lungs.
“The prophecy? My powers? My men’s? How everything unfolded the way it did. You’re saying the Gods Binding decided all that?”
“It is not that simple, nor will it ever be,” Accord says.
I don’t need my powers right now to sense her deflection.
It’s obvious. “The Binding has evolved. In the beginning, we could influence it. Shape powers, make decisions, but the stronger it grew, the more integrated it became with the realm. It answers to itself.”
My gaze flares.
“You can’t control it anymore.”
Their silence and the blank features on their faces tell me everything I need to know. A low laugh slips through my lips.
“You only know everything you do because of the piece of your power you gave to it. Through that connection, you see the paths and the plans it has for the realm. There’s not a damn thing any of you can do about it unless you decide to end the realm yourselves.”
For a moment, they say nothing. I say nothing. Then a much louder laugh escapes me before I can swallow it down. They literally created everything. Now they control nothing.
The hysteria spilling through my lips has me bending over and clutching my stomach. Tears stream down my face, and I wheeze for breath.
“You have to be kidding me.”
My hand wipes my face clean but breathless chuckles still fall from me.
“All this time…everything could’ve been avoided if you all would’ve just let the realm be.
If you had let the very creation you gave yourselves a piece of, lead your other creations, the realm would’ve been thriving.
You just couldn’t help yourselves, though.
And it all started because two people fell in love. ”
Another crazed laugh belts from my chest. It eventually tapers off as I stare at their unnerving and unwavering stare.
“So what happens now?” I ask.
The Valories glance at one another.
“You have a choice.”
My eyes lock on the Boundaries Valorie. This is the first time he’s spoken, and my throat closes for a fleeting second.
“I assume that choice involves either going up those stairs or returning to the realm.”
“Yes.”
My gaze drifts toward the staircase behind me.
“You all stopped me before I made that choice moments ago. So it’s easy to assume you want me to return to the realm. Why?”
“We want the realm to continue.”
I study all seven of them.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is the only one that matters,” Consequence says.
“No.” My voice hardens. “It’s the answer you’re willing to give.”
The Valories remain silent, and I cross my arms.
“You want me to return to the realm? You will tell me why.”
They hesitate, visibly, and unease bubbles in my belly. There’s no contemplation on their faces as they stand still. They stare at me, then at the Stargate. As one, they extend a hand toward it.
“Place your hand upon it.”
The seven of their voices take on an ethereal tone and my shoulders straighten.
Slowly, I approach the glass, casting a wary gaze at each of them. Once I fully approach the Stargate, I take a moment to watch what’s unfolding below.
The battle continues. My body still lies there. My family still fights.
My jaw clenches as I press my palm against the surface.
For one second, nothing happens. Then the glass beneath my hand disappears. I still feel it beneath my fingers, but I’m no longer touching something outside of me.
I swear…I’m touching everything.
A gasp tears from my throat as warmth rushes through my arm, flooding my chest, my mind, my soul.
The realm itself floods me.
Every heartbeat. Every life. Every thread of power woven through it.
The sensation is so immense that my knees nearly buckle.
I see the damage, and I don’t mean the war raging below.
The imbalance that has existed for generations.
Power held by those who were never meant to keep it.
Choices made by those who believed they had the right to make them for everyone else.
Then I feel it.
My choice.
The paths forward.
I jerk my hand back, but the overwhelming, endless, ancient feeling remains. My lips part, and the words leave me before I can stop them.
“I can’t.” I stare at my own hand. “I don’t have the power to do that.”
The Valories watch me silently.
“You will, if you return. But you do not have to.”
My head snaps up. That voice is not any of the Valories.
It isn’t outside of me. It is everywhere.
Oh gods—that’s…the Gods Binding.
“What if I don’t?” I ask, not expecting an answer, but praying for one. “What if I return and I choose something else? Or I decide not to return?”
Silence.
The warmth around me doesn’t fade, though. It changes. The glass ripples beneath my hand and I don’t understand what I’m seeing. I don’t think I’m meant to.