Chapter 17 Thayla
Thayla
The warmth of the barrier welcomes me in, and rightness washes away the nerves that were crawling under my skin on the other side.
A hot, humid breeze smacks me in the face as I glide free, and shock takes hold of my mind. My feet stumble to a stop, and I peer over my shoulder, only to find that the barrier doesn’t shimmer on this side.
It’s just stone.
I lay my hand against the cold wall, searching for that steadiness once again.
Vibrations spread through me, as does reality.
My fingers flinch before I snatch my hand back, and I choke down my gasp.
Gods…that’s my power, not the barrier.
Holy shit.
That’s my power of Boundaries responding to the same power source.
I’ve felt this sensation quite a few times. When we were in the Abandon…
“There’s no way for us to search every part of Hellveilious nor will we be doing that. Do you know the level we need to go to?”
Creed’s voice snatches me out of my mind, and my mouth gapes open when I focus forward. Never in my life—well, since I found out about Hellveilious—would I have guessed the entrance is a massive-ass dark crater.
Torches decorate the ginormous circular space, but their light doesn’t stretch into the black abyss in the center. The narrow walkway that flows around the edge is jagged, and pieces are crumbling off the side as we speak.
I’m confident the ground will give out when we walk around this pit of definite death.
“I believe I’ll be able to get a more accurate idea once we’re actually in the beast’s belly, so to speak.” Doren nods as he glances down into the pitch-black hole. His hum is abruptly cut off when he glances back at Creed. “Oh, no offence.”
Creed scoffs, pulling me forward with him. “None taken.”
“So which way do we go?”
Everyone stops moving.
I grow incredibly uncomfortable and nervous as their gazes land on me. Mine roams over each of them as I try to decipher why they’re staring at me.
Finally, Creed rubs his hand down his face and sighs.
“We go down. Then wherever from there.”
“I’m sorry, down? Down where?”
The second his eyes flash to that center, I yank out of his grip and backpedal.
“Nope. Fuck no. Good luck, everyone. I’ll be outside waiting for you.”
My back collides with a chest, and a grunt slips through my lips. My hand holds on to the arm Riven snakes around me.
“Don’t be scared, angel. We won’t let you fall. You’ll fly right down and land on your feet.”
“Let me go, Riven. I’m not jumping into a dark pit that I can’t see the bottom of. No freaking way.”
Creed stands before me, blocking my sight of that damn hole and smushing me more firmly between him and his brother.
“It’s an illusion meant to scare any who are dumb enough to come here on their own. Once you leave this ring, there’s no getting out without certain gods’ permission. It’s going to feel like a three-foot drop. You’ll land on solid ground, and we’ll be right there with you.”
My breathing labors as Kyzen and Amick step up to my sides, but my eyes continue to peer around Creed to glance at that abyss.
Whose fucking idea was this?
They couldn’t have thought of something other than a black hole?
How about be normal and put up a second barrier?
Or just let people learn their lesson the first time.
“What do we jump into? Like what’s there waiting on the other side?”
“The Processing Ring. It’s where all gods brought in are accounted for and sectioned off by where they’re supposed to go.
At least that’s the proper process. We’ll land, Doren will get a feel for where we need to go, then we walk through the Division, which is the structure that divides you based on your crime. Then you’re escorted there.”
Damn. There’s like a whole-ass system to this.
I kind of thought criminals were just dropped in here like Yemi and I were.
Did we go through a process?
Fuck, don’t worry about it. Deep breath. You’re doing this for her.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
I fall into the expanse of Creed’s eyes as they shift from dark gray to his power primed, never-ending white. Their appearance is utterly opposite to the crater behind him. Something about that recognition really grounds the panic coursing through me.
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
He nods, but when everyone attempts to release me, I grunt.
“You all are definitely holding on to me through this.”
Riven chuckles against my neck, sending shivers down my back as his fingers tangle into my shirt. Kyzen and Amick are quick to lace their hands with mine. Creed steps around us, and I exhale as he grips my bicep.
Should’ve thought that through.
Now I have to lead the damn way to that hole.
I cut my eyes over to Sevryn’s scoff and sneer at the smirk on his face.
“You didn’t even act this scared in the Judgment Rings.”
“First of all, I was freaking the hell out down there, thank you. That was life or death. This is a willing decision. A stupid one. And my Valtrue’s here with me, so I can panic all I want.”
“Oh, I do hope Yemi has that level of unwavering trust in us.”
“Aww, how sweet,” Riven coos.
I honestly can’t tell if he’s teasing or not, but regardless, Doren smiles, and how sentimental I sounded forces heat to my cheeks.
It’s the truth, though. My full-blown survival mode is always a bit dampened when they’re around.
“We’re just going to start walking and keep going, little goddess.”
“Right. Okay.”
Yeah, my first step almost has my knees giving out beneath me. If not for their holds, I definitely would’ve tripped.
My heart thunders in my ears as the edge grows closer. For whatever reason, I suck in a deep breath and hold it as though we’re about to go underwater. My lungs scream at me to breathe, but I’m trying not to actually scream.
“One, two, three.”
Amick’s countdown breaks through the ringing in my ears, and I snatch my soul to me as we free-fall off the side.
Darkness may steal my sight, but I swear to the Valories, my life flashes before my eyes. Sweat coats every surface of my skin as a heat flash rips through my body.
My legs liquefy as my feet hit solid ground. I can’t hear anything but the ear-splintering whistle blowing through my brain.
“Breathe, Mysenta. We’re here. We’ve got you.”
I gasp as my lungs force me to do as he said. The soothing rhythm of his fingers massaging the back of my neck steadies my racing pulse.
My fingers flex in the material of his armor, and I blink my eyes open.
I don’t have the slightest idea of when I let go of Kyzen’s hand and practically climbed Amick like a tree.
I tilt my head off his chest and he leans down, laying a tender kiss on my forehead.
“Look who faced her fear and came out fine.”
Riven locks his hand around my jaw and turns my face toward his. His devilish smirk is the only warning I get before he seals his lips to mine in a reckless kiss.
“Enough. We’ve got company.” Creed huffs, and reality halts my body from inching any closer to Riven.
I break our embrace and choke down the panting breaths falling from my lips. My flaming face peers over my shoulder toward Doren’s and Nero’s curious glances.
Damn. If they hadn’t already put our dynamic together, they definitely have a good idea now.
Sorry, Sevryn. I’m pretty sure I just gave Doren a lot of hope.
Kyzen chuckles as I fully release the grip I still have on Amick and run my hands down his breastplate of armor as if I’m smoothing it out.
“Where are we going?” Sevryn asks as his gaze stays forward, and his eyebrows narrow.
Mine jump up to my hairline as the structure ahead of us steals my attention.
Well, that’s unwelcoming.
The obsidian black stone structure resembles a temple, yet I know for a fact there’s no worshipping happening in there. The handfuls of windows that line the front are darkened, obscuring what, or rather, who’s inside.
The layout of this…ring is incredibly similar to the one we just left.
Honestly, it looks as though that dark hole we jumped through morphed into the building once we hit this level. There’s nothing else but the stone walls, ground, torches, and that black structure.
“This is very strange,” Doren murmurs.
This is the first time I’ve noticed his eyes glowing. Not only that, but the lime green shade is quite striking.
It’s incredibly different compared to the darker shade of Mellcom’s, or—Never mind.
“This whole place is strange. What’s your point? Where are we going?”
I cut my eyes at Sevryn and his tone. He stares at me blankly. Well, not really. The glare more so says, ‘don’t give me shit right now.’
Poor thing.
“Are there more levels than the ones we’ve been informed of? Like a level within a level?”
Creed’s soul thrashes against mine. He shuts it down just as fast, but the muscles in his neck flex, and his chest slowly deflates.
“Why?” he asks.
“Well, when I look over my path…” Doren waves his hand through the air as though he can actually see something we can’t. His arm stops moving with his palm facing somewhere randomly to the right.
“This direction is where my line leads me, yet the inner area is darker than the rest of the landscape.”
Creed’s fingers flex at his sides as his gaze narrows.
“You’re sure that’s where it’s leading you?”
“Positive.”
Doren nods as he continues to drift his hand in the air. My attention, though, doesn’t linger on whatever he’s doing.
“Creed,” Amick mumbles and our whole Valtrue pivots toward him.
Other than his trembling fist, he stands still like he’s in shock. As gently as I can, I stroke his soul and skim my fingers across his knuckles.
“What is it?”
He gulps as he peers down at me.
“I’ll explain on the way. We need to get a carriage. Everyone stay behind me as we walk through the Division.”
Without another word, he separates himself from us and stomps toward the building. Sevryn doesn’t have to be told twice as he follows right behind him.
Amick, Kyzen, and Riven share a look with one another, then me. Their confused features deepen my own.