Chapter 15 Creed #2
His eyebrows draw down but smooth out just as fast when she struts over to him and kisses him on his forehead.
“I know they are. Why are you glad Creed’s here?”
“Can’t she be happy to see me?”
He ignores my question and focuses solely on her. It’s like my ass isn’t even here now.
“You’re full of questions this morning.”
“The more questions I ask, the more answers I get. No answer is too big or small. One may help me prepare for what’s to come.”
That sucks the teasing energy right out of the room and Thayla shifts from side to side on her feet.
“Well, I’m not sure what answers we’ll find from this, but I received a letter while I was in the restroom.”
From the front pocket in her pants, she pulls out a folded piece of parchment. Amick’s out of his seat in a millisecond and the two of us sandwich her between us.
The myriad of questions pouring out of us has her shaking her head and taking a step away.
“Okay, calm down. One question at a time. Actually, how about no questions. Just read it, then we’ll talk about it.”
She holds the paper out toward me, but before my fingers can grip it, Amick snatches it away.
“Amick.”
We both holler, but he’s already turned his back to us, and his eyes are devouring whatever is written.
“Have you already read this?”
“Yes, now give it to Creed.”
“It’s about me? Like specifically?” I ask.
“We’ll discuss this tonight at home.”
“What? Hell no. If it’s about me, hand it here, Amick.”
I hold my hand out expectantly. His ass shakes his head and straightens his shoulders.
“It’s in your best interest not to read it right this second.”
“You don’t decide what’s in my best interest.” A frown mars his face and I clench my jaw. “You know what I mean.”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t. So I’ll simply advise you to wait until we’re all together at home before you read this. If you can’t, fine. Manage your own fallout.”
“Amick,” Thayla scolds gently, but his eyes never leave mine as he passes me the paper.
My own fallout.
I’m not a fucking child that’s going to throw a tantrum.
Their murmured words fade from my ears as I unfold the parchment.
Dearest Thayla,
Sincerest apologizes for the manner in which I’m sending you this letter. I wasn’t sure where to send it and it be safe. Then I recalled your pocket I placed the illusion cube in.
Again, apologies for the intrusion of your personal space.
The quest to locate Yemi, Sevryn, and my missing Valtrue members has taken me much longer than I had hoped it would. I greatly long for us all to be together.
That’s why I’m writing you this morning.
I’ve found our missing piece.
Unfortunately, his location isn’t one I can reach on my own or with Nero. Nero is our other member, by the way.
As I was saying, it’d seem our fourth and final member is beyond the barrier of Hellveilious.
I have two favors to ask of you, and I swear to pay back both debts if you shall honor my request.
First, I ask that you not tell Yemi the whereabouts of our fourth member. I don’t want to worry her or have her believing he’s a criminal. I’d like to give him a fair opportunity to explain why he’s in such a predicament.
Second, if you’d be so kind as to ask the God of Death to escort me to him. Once I’m in Hellveilious, I’ll be able to locate him with ease, but my journey may not be a pleasant one without some help. He can also guide me in my decision on bringing our fourth member home or not.
I’ll not infect our Valtrue with a corrupt soul.
I recognize this is a large ask of me. I will understand and accept your decision either way.
If you choose to help, we will be waiting for you at the entrance of Hellveilious tomorrow morning at sunrise.
Valories blessings,
Doren, God of Discovery
“No.”
My head continues to shake as I reread the parchment again.
“Creed.”
“I said no, Thayla.”
I toss the letter on Amick’s desk and turn toward the door. They both call out to me, and I ignore them the same. My power wraps around me as I starshoot home, straight to my room.
I pace in front of my bed as I breathe through the infection taking root inside of me. My thoughts race across my mind. Both bad and horrible.
The door to my bathroom bangs against the wall as I plow through it. Everything trembles as I slam it shut with the force of a raging taurn.
I can’t go there.
I can’t step foot past that barrier right now.
I may not come out.
The last week has been a struggle that we’re all still facing to an extent.
Amick and his million and one questions are trying to sift through every ‘what if’ while forcing himself to be present in the moment. It may not seem detrimental, but for him it can be.
His silence, if allowed, can stretch for years.
Riven’s masking his new trauma behind the elation of finally being in a relationship with Thayla. None of us are ignorant of the fact he’s spending a shit ton of time with Verlet and in the hot spring. Yet he hasn’t visited Annalise or the kids once because he doesn’t want his Harmony to come out.
The bags under Kyzen’s eyes are gaining color, but this is the longest I’ve seen him struggle with his mind. I don’t know what exactly happened in the fighting chamber, but it was obviously a lot.
Gods…him using his power to sneak into my room and steal back one of his swords could’ve ended so much worse.
Matter of fact, I need to check and make sure all my weapons and his are accounted for.
We aren’t going to Hellveilious. End of story.
I breathe through that decision and concrete it in my mind. My stiff fingers uncoil from my sink, and I slowly step back from it so I don’t shove my fist through my mirror.
I freeze as soon as I walk back into my bedroom.
“Quite rude of you to never invite me in here. I really love the whole dark aesthetic you’ve got going on.”
I inhale sharply. Exhale even sharper.
“What are you doing, Thayla?”
“Coming to check on you, my sweetling.”
My soul tries it’s damnedest to smother hers in affection.
“Don’t. Don’t push me right now, my endling.”
She tilts her head to the side with the smallest smile on her lips.
“How did you come up with that nickname?”
My fists clench and my breathing levels the longer I stare at her, waiting for her to ask and push the subject she really wants to. After a full minute, she still doesn’t speak.
“That’s what you want to talk about?”
“For now, yes.”
For now.
Hopefully, this confession distracts her from any other conversation.
“Your first night here, when I went to meet Derivius, he called you his little troublling. I made the comment that it’s not like him to give cute pet names to his puppets. He said we aren’t his puppets, but he gives us all cute nicknames behind our backs. No doubt a habit he passed right to Riven.”
She snorts and my shoulders relax a fraction.
“Then the next morning, you called me little troublling. Your way of scaring me.”
“My intention wasn’t to scare you, but to let you know I knew you were hiding your relationship with him. That nickname is pretty unforgettable, so I knew calling you that, you’d understand I knew more than I was saying.”
“You’ve always known more than you led on.” Her smile is replaced with pure sass. “So what, you turned his teasing nickname into one of your own?”
“Something like that. I was planning on just calling you little troublling anytime you sassed or pissed me off. Valories know you caused trouble for my soul, but I decided against that.”
“Why?”
I bite my lip and let my gaze roam across her.
She’s made herself right at home in the center of my bed with her legs crossed. Her fingers are twisting my black comforter, wrinkling it to hell and back. At least she kicked her shoes off before climbing up there.
She’s as content and comfortable as she can be in my space.
Same as her soul.
“Because how could I look at you like you’re trouble when your soul is so sweet and pure, nestled inside my chest like that’s exactly where it belongs. You have no idea how bright it shines next to mine.”
I take a small step toward her.
“I grew obsessed with the light it radiates long before I ever let mine anywhere near it. I was petrified my darkness would smother it out, but I soon realized, something I didn’t know how to accept.”
My jaw tightens as I fight both my body’s and my soul’s need to go to her. It doesn’t help that her gaze is begging me closer.
“Where my taint ends is where your light begins.”
My calculated strides toward her have her chest rising and falling. She doesn’t fight me at all when I bend forward and grip her by her ankles.
Her body glides to the edge of my bed with ease and I tangle my hand in her hair at the nape of her neck.
“The only trouble your soul has truly caused me is by making mine obsessed. It surrounds yours because it knows—just as I know—that you are the place it stops unraveling. The place the black spot stops spreading.”
I tilt her head back and my gaze flicks to her lips, then back to her eyes.
“I couldn’t call you little troublling, even to taunt you. You are the beginning of everything I thought I’d never have and the ending of the worst parts of me…You are my endling.”
Our mouths and souls collide.
I pull her closer with a desperation I don’t bother hiding. I’m fucking frantic for her. Her touch.
Anywhere her fingers graze my skin, they leave a hum of energy that lights my soul on fire. Only she could cause that reaction.
Only she could make the God of Death feel so alive.
“Thayla,” I warn when she breaks our kiss and her teeth tug my bottom lip.
Her hands fumble around the waistband of my pants, and I grunt as her fingers attempt to slip inside, although she can’t get them undone.
An oomph replaces the frustrated sounds falling from her as I shove her back down to the bed.
With a single flick and swift tug against her pants, she’s bare before me, and I flip her over to all fours.
“Fuck.”
She tosses her head back as I plunge my fingers deep inside of her with no warning.
“Fucking soaking wet, ready for me.”