The Gods Abandon (The Valorian Veil #3)

Chapter 1 Previously In

Previously In

The Gods Binding

Thayla

So…yeah.

My Valtrue members are the sons of the God of Obliteration. There’s no denying that.

Unfortunately.

I won’t pretend that didn’t scare the absolute shit out of me. Our power dynamic shifted sharply in their favor.

I got my head out of my ass fast, though. They’ve had every opportunity to hurt me and never have. Not once.

Unlike other people I know.

Derivius eventually answered our summons and showed up at the God of Obliteration’s temple as soon as we did. He was clearly displeased to be in the same space as his counterpart.

I genuinely thought I was about to witness the two Beginning Gods brawl.

Kirabaddon examined the guys like weapons before turning his attention to me.

His fascination resulted in him and Derivius literally tugging my body between them with their power, ending with me terrified and perched on Kirabaddon’s lap.

That’s when the first clue that I’m a freak of nature was announced.

Kirabaddon revealed Derivius broke sacred rules. If the other Beginning Gods had sensed me in the Gods Veil, they would’ve killed me the moment I exited. Derivius didn’t just split my soul. He hid my existence.

This gave Kirabaddon leverage. The real reason he summoned us was because the Goddess of Seduction’s Binding had been sensed. She lost it long ago, and none of the Beginning Gods have been able to locate it.

Our task? Find it within two months.

Failure meant Kirabaddon would claim me by giving me a piece of his power of Obliteration—forcing me into the Abandon.

I think the fuck not.

Once home, Amick explained what this all meant. Every becoming god carries a fragment of a Beginning or Domain God because of all the power stored in the original Gods Binding. When it releases power, a piece of its source comes with it.

I don’t have a tie to a god, but to a creation made by the Valories and the Binding itself. They’re known as the Messenger.

A piece of all Beginning Gods is within me, making my power unpredictable and dangerous. We have no idea what kind of power that’ll produce.

Derivius confirmed there are actually two missing Binding replicas, and he hinted that finding the replica could help Amick figure out how to return the guys’ stolen power—without the Beginning Gods. He also left behind the original agreement made on the guy’s behalf.

Oh, and Amick bluntly informed Creed and Riven that he and Kyzen were romantically involved with me. That conversation was…not pre-approved by me.

They gave their blessings, though not convincingly.

The day ended with me introducing the guys to my Vedarya, V. They adored him. He’s excited to handle whatever challenges we bring.

During training, Creed vanished in a panic and returned blood-soaked and spiraling. My power reacted violently not only to seeing him like that, but to my now even more scarred back. I destroyed my bathroom.

Kyzen shielded me from the glass and vowed to protect me because I’m his. That was it for me.

Soul gone. A sliver is now attached to his for good.

The High Chancellor attempted to block me from the quest entirely, even requesting that the Beginning Gods let him confine me while my Valtrue left. Derivius denied it outright.

Thank fuck.

I can’t believe that asshole tried that.

I finally told Yemi, Lambrit, Rose, and Havar everything. I expected rejection. Instead, they accepted it with ease. Then promptly had their minds blown by V’s existence.

Yemi also confessed that her Domain is under the Beginning God of Boundaries, which explained why she’s always hidden it.

While researching at the Athenaeum, Yemi and I were kidnapped and woke up in Hellveilious. Specifically, the Judgment Rings.

We were imprisoned with Sevryn, son of the God of Pain, and our power—plus my soul’s ability to reach the guys—was stripped from us until we entered the ring to fight for our lives.

The God of Judgment changed the rules last-minute, turning it into a sudden death free-for-all.

It was brutal. I nearly died.

My Valtrue got to me in time, though.

Not only in time, but I apparently tugged them to me so hard, Creed couldn’t battle off the call of my soul.

Right smack in the middle of the pit of death, he slammed his lips to mine while our souls sealed together.

Oh, and did I mention he’s the God of Death?

Oh my gods, also, Sevryn is actually a member of Yemi’s Valtrue. Something she technically shouldn’t have but does.

Turns out, I was the one who turned my attacker to ash. And then accidentally consumed him. Horrifying.

Creed informed me of that disgusting news, then promptly told Kyzen and Amick I’m as much his as I am theirs.

Three boyfriends. Working on a fourth.

Amick and Kyzen broke into the High Chancellor’s office so Amick could copy the Book of the Gods Binding, exhausting themselves but gaining critical insight.

Before leaving, Riven and V took me to find an Angel Aura Amethyst. In a moment that shouldn’t have been possible and is still confusing, Riven calmed my power enough for me to starshoot to the sacred hot spring. He said what his power did is our little secret.

The night before leaving for our quest, I spoke privately with Amick. He opened up about the horrors his father forced him to endure and pointed out that I share a trauma bond with Mellcom and Jeremiah. I wasn’t ready for that—but I admitted my anger toward my parents.

That conversation ended with my first kiss from him.

And then…a lot more.

Our souls are sealed too.

Leaving Godsden was beautiful. The wonder on the guys’ faces is something I’ll never forget.

Then fucking Mellcom, Jeremiah, Gladian, Mara, and Chasin showed up.

The High Chancellor had convinced the God of Consequence to allow them to join us.

Riven beat the hell out of Mellcom almost immediately.

It was flattering, but then his ass touched the barrier separating Oddian from the Unclaimed.

I threw myself between him and it. We were launched straight into the hot spring I’ve spent years escaping to.

He begged me not to give up on him. I won’t.

Our journey through the regions was discouraging. The only useful information we learned came from gods living among the ungodly beings. They’re forming families, breaking rules, and they confirmed what we already knew.

The gods lie.

Creed and Sevryn finally fought it out and discovered their fathers had manipulated them all.

Later, under the stars, the guys told me how they escaped the Abandon and the devastation that followed.

That night, the Messenger sent me my first message.

We followed it to the Lost Sea. Two days in, I was pulled overboard and brought before the God of Discovery. He’s another of Yemi’s Valtrue. He told me my Valtrue and I are part of an unfolding prophecy.

He gave me a key and…

The Binding.

He’s also going to find the last two missing members of their Valtrue.

I can’t wait to see how that goes.

Derivius appeared to warn us that the Goddess of Seduction sensed her Binding again. We had one week to return it. That ruined Amick’s plan and forced him to call me out on a truth I’d been avoiding.

I wield a piece of all seven Beginning Gods’ powers.

Because of my tie to the Messenger, if those powers remain equalized, I can command their Bindings. Terrified or not, I agreed. I would do this.

For them.

V later revealed the final blow. My parents were tasked with protecting the Binding. Their decision to leave me stemmed from Kirabaddon’s attack on Edistoia the same night the guys rebelled.

Creed tried to blame himself. I shut that down.

One thing led to another, and he told me his devastating story of what it was like growing up with his father while wielding the power of Death.

Yeah…after that, I told him to seal our souls.

They were already sealed, but without going into delicious detail, we partook in the activities that would normally seal souls if they weren’t already.

Commence power training.

I threw my all into learning during the week we were given before we had to return the Binding. Untampered with.

We focused solely on my Seduction since it was her Binding and that power seemed to be the easiest to grow comfortable with. Given the fact that I’m surrounded by four naturally gorgeous individuals, I didn’t have too many issues navigating that power.

I was a ball of nerves when it came time to release our power.

V, Seismet, Verlet, and a herd of Veilatara surrounded the sacred hot spring, ready to shield the use of the Binding.

It was honestly intoxicating having that power released. I felt untouchable, as did my men.

Until we arrived at the barrier of the Abandon.

Kirabaddon didn’t come alone. Sabelline stood beside him with a cruel smile curling her lips.

Derivius left out the little nugget of information that she, in fact, hadn’t lost her Binding. He stole it.

The realm around us shifted when she announced the Binding had been tampered with and the one who tampered with it was the one who always stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.

She was referring to Amick…

In a moment of pure horror, Kirabaddon shot his power out toward him.

Riven jumped in front of him.

The consequences of us breaking the rule about tampering with the Binding were announced.

Riven or I would be returning with them to the Abandon.

My heart and soul thundered in my chest.

My little psycho.