Chapter 25 Riven
Riven
Two days too long.
For a grueling forty-eight hours, my angel has locked herself away in her cage.
She’s stripped my permission to enter.
She won’t let me in. She won’t let anyone in.
None of us.
Not Lam-the-man. Not Yemi. Not even V.
She’s verbally told him not to enter again after he starshot in there. He refused to tell us the condition she’s in and now even he’s tucked away in his nook above the fireplace, ignoring us.
Poor Seismet. Despite the danger and technically the rules about not leaving the meadows, he’s been doing nothing but lying under her windows.
The first night, we slept in her hallway. Well, saying we slept is a stretch. We sat there. For hours, listening to her cry.
I fucked up and got yelled at when I attempted to talk to her through the door. She moved away after that, either to her bathroom or closet. The guys were fucking furious.
I was furious at myself. I couldn’t help it, though. I needed her voice to say my name.
She didn’t.
When does she open the door to get the food Creed leaves her?
I don’t fucking know.
Yesterday, we stood at the end of her hall for hours, waiting to see if she’d open the door and grab the plate.
We walked away for five minutes.
That’s all it took for the sneaky little thing to snatch it up, then shut the door once again.
Today—well, I guess tonight, this morning…it’s like two in the morning, so whatever that’s called—I’m doing something about this.
A lot of things actually.
This plan of mine has been in the works for twenty years. Now I have the resources and gods at my disposal to enact my vengeance.
It’s going to be so, so delectable.
I stroke my finger down Creed’s nose and stare at the beautiful scar across his eye. He’s so much more approachable when he’s snoozing.
“Creed, sweetie,” I coo as I pinch his nostrils closed.
A shriek tears from me as he sits up, gasping and wrapping his hand around my throat all in the same second.
“Riven. What the fuck are you doing standing over me?”
“Good, you’re awake,” I choke out as I rub my poor esophagus.
He sneers at me and squints his eyes when I flick his lamp on.
“Someone better be dead.”
“Oh, someone’s going to be. Don’t you worry your pretty little black heart. I need a favor from you.”
“What time is it?”
“We don’t have time for silly questions. In let’s say—well, actually, how long does it take to bake cookies?”
“I know good and fucking well you didn’t wake me up to ask about cookies.”
“Yes. Could you give me an estimated time of completion from start to finish?”
He groans, flopping his arm over his face. I pick it up and grin at the scowl he gives me.
“Thirty minutes or so, Riven. Why?”
“Thirty minutes…okay. Here’s what I need you to do. In one hour, I need you to bake a batch of cookies for me. Leave them on the counter when you’re done if I’m not back.”
“Fuck no. Get out of my room.”
I snatch the pillow he attempts to cover his face with and throw it across his room. My apologetic smile for whatever that was that crashed to the ground doesn’t work on him.
I don’t have time for this.
I’ll have to pull out the big threats.
“You will cook them, or I will give it a go myself.”
His eyes narrow.
“The last time you tried to cook something, you forgot about it in the cooker. The house smelled like char for days.”
“Well, practice makes perfect. I’ll try again.”
“No. Why can’t you wait until this afternoon?”
“Because I’m setting a trap for my little burden.”
Maybe I should’ve started there. That gets his attention.
“How many do you think she’ll want?”
“Be on the safe side and make two trays.”
I obviously need a tray for myself.
“What are you doing in the meantime if you want me to wait an hour before starting?”
“Duty calls.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“Is there a death schedule I’m not aware of? Must be nice. There are no set hours for Empowering. I go where and when I’m needed.”
He huffs and rolls toward his sunsetter. I smile in victory as he sets an alarm for one hour from now.
“Fine. This better work or I’m going to be pissed with you.”
“Nothing new. Wish me luck.” I blow him a kiss and snatch the blanket off him as I haul ass out of his room.
My body shivers with the restraint it takes to hold in my giggle when he bellows my name.
I have to be careful not to startle the next brother, though.
Don’t want to get stabbed in the face or heart.
Or well, anywhere.
I crawl into the bed beside Kyzen and face him silently. Aside from the soft sigh that slips through my lips. His sheets are so soft.
A few moments pass as I sit here staring at his sleeping face. His lashes flutter, and my smile is very welcoming, so it won’t scare him when he opens his eyes fully.
“What in the actual fuck are you doing, Riven?” he asks in his sleepy voice.
“Do you want to go do something really, really bad with me?”
His bright navy irises flare to life.
“Like what?”
“Like…break about a thousand rules.”
“You’ve lost it.”
“Yes, but it’s okay. My powers are already agreeing, which means a harmonization is in order.”
“What kind of harmonization?”
“A big one. It’s going to be so fun.”
“Your fun typically goes against everything I’m supposed to uphold.”
“Meh. Live a little.”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere dark and spooky.”
My giggle slips free, and I cover my mouth with my fingers.
“Do I need weapons?”
“Yes, but no worries. I’ve already stolen them out of Creed’s room earlier.”
Before I woke the violent beastie.
He rolls over and kicks the covers off him before jogging toward his closet. I can’t help but hop up and jump on his bed in excitement.
This is going to be so epic.
We’re about to fuck shit up and get a taste of revenge.
I mean, hopefully, we don’t die.
I’m confident we won’t.
“Get your shoes off my fucking comforter.”
“Oh, damn, my bad. Got a little excited about murdering someone.”
I cut a front flip off his bed and he freezes, when he should finish tying his boots.
“Who are we killing?”
“Just some dickhead that has been using his power to create horrid things.”
“So we’re skipping the whole reporting him, fair trail, possible time in Hellveilious?”
“Yep. I’ve already got Creed in on the plan.”
Well…sort of.
“And he agreed?”
“Yep.”
To baking cookies.
Lie out loud. Truth in my mind.
I call that balance.
“So where are we going?”
I clear my throat and whip out my handy-dandy directions that my new friend, the God of Discovery, gave me yesterday. That’s about the time I started obsessing over this little plan of mine.
The second he opened his cheery mouth, I knew that his number one goal was to impress dear sweet Yemi. So all I had to do was present him with a new notebook and a pen that I stole from the Athenaeum and told him she likes to write.
I encouraged him to give it to her as a gift and say it was from him.
He beamed at me like I hung the moon.
I was honest and told him my motivations weren’t purely innocent.
He needed an in with Yemi, and I needed a location.
He obliged easily and highly impressed me with his skills in knowing where someone is.
Kyzen scans the very detailed map, cutting his eyes at me every so often.
“I’ve never been to this part of Godsden. Who would even live this far out?”
“Someone who wouldn’t want to be found or disturbed. Especially during the day.”
“Have you been here? Are you going to be able to starshoot all the way there?”
“No. I’ve been about this far,” I say, pointing to a farm on the outskirts of Godsden. “We’ll have to trek it from there. Shouldn’t take too long, though. Twenty-thirty-minute walk.”
“I haven’t even been that far. I don’t know if I can starshoot to that farm precisely.”
“I will take you both if you wish.”
A silent shriek gets stuck in my throat, and the map goes floating to the floor when Kyzen drops it. V calmly sits on the bed with his head cocked to the side.
“Nosy Vedarya. Have you been eavesdropping on our conversation?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“What else have you been eavesdropping on?”
My forehead wrinkles as I wait for his answer that hopefully will only be directed at me.
“I’m afraid you are not a quiet thinker, Riven. I’m well aware of your plan.”
“And you agree with it?”
“Not the method in which you’re tricking Kyzen, but the motives and possible outcome, yes.”
Good enough for me.
“That works wonderfully. V can take us and drop us off at our destination.”
Kyzen shrugs oh so nonchalantly, then bends down to pick up my pointless map. Well, I suppose it isn’t pointless. V still would have to be told where we needed to go to get us there.
With a snap of my fingers, Kyzen’s two favorite swords appear at the foot of his bed, and he smiles lovingly at them. I do the same, and my backpack and waist bags appear for me next.
“Let’s get going. I’ve got exciting plans for the rest of the night.”
My brother arches a brow at me. All I give him in return is a wink as V flies over to my shoulder.
“Ready, boys?”
“Ready.”
Faster than even I can starshoot, we appear at a division in the forest. Behind us, if the sun was shining, we’d see gorgeous, blossoming green trees. Before us, the dead of night gets even darker.
“Thank you, V. We’ve got it from here,” I say.
“Good luck, you two. If you need me, call.”
His quick flash of light reveals shadows crawling over the path cut out ahead of us. From my backpack, I grab my new lamp and flick the flame on.
Kyzen’s eyes glow as his head pivots slowly from left to right.
“Where the hell are we? At first glance, you’d think we’re in the woods going to Derivius’s temple, but we’re obviously not.”
“No, we’re definitely not there. This frightening path leads us to the God of Shadows’ front door.”
The air around us stills as his power blasts from beneath his skin. My act of innocence has a grueling glare taking over his face.
“What kind of fucking game are you playing, Riven? We can’t kill a Domain God. No matter how much he and many others deserve it.”
“Oh, but we can as long as no one knows it was us. Which they won’t.”