Chapter 30 Thayla #2
“It was pretty late. I wanted to make sure what Riven gave me actually worked. I also felt explaining what happened while they weren’t forced to be honest was the best way to handle it.”
“Gods. How mad is Yemi?”
“Well, surprisingly, and I guess not really, Nero was the maddest. Yemi’s torn.
She’s pissed he drugged her, obviously, but thankful he did it.
She feels guilty for being happy about it.
She said for the most part, nothing came from her that she hasn’t already expressed to them, but they—more so Nero and Iric—have been pretty tight-lipped.
“Sevryn’s sort of the same. Plus, he wants to beat Riven’s ass. He’s been rudely and brutally honest this whole time and his only slip-up was admitting he likes Doren, which pissed him off.”
I snort at that. I don’t know how anyone can’t like the God of Discovery.
“How did Doren handle all of this?”
“He was actually upset.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Given his slip of confession that the God of Consequence was the one who tampered with the Binding, and he wasn’t supposed to tell us that, I can understand that,” Amick adds and my eyebrows rise to my hairline.
“Shit, I forgot about that.”
“Well, it got fucking loud and ridiculous after he announced that,” Creed grumbles.
That’s true.
“So, we still have friends?” I ask.
Kyzen chuckles, then takes a sip of coffee.
“Riven’s got some making up to do with the men, and Yemi’s going to pretend to be pissed at him, so her Valtrue isn’t pissy with her, but yeah. We still got friends. Surprisingly.”
“Splendid. More people to attempt to understand. More importantly, though, how did they handle the Power Worthiness situation?”
“Ah, shit.” Kyzen grimaces.
“You forgot to tell them.”
“Yeah, Amick, I did. I was a little busy calming down their food fight, then got distracted explaining to them how our brother gave them all an illegal truth tonic. Forgive me.”
“Of course I do, but we need to inform them so they can prepare to be exposed. They have nothing to be ashamed about in terms of their Valtrue Pairing, but they have a lot to worry about in other ways. The God of Discovery and Sevryn are supposed to be dead. I have a feeling Nero doesn’t necessarily agree with his own parents’ beliefs, but he knows what it would mean for him to speak out.
“Rumors will undoubtedly ensue when it comes to light that he’s in a Valtrue whose Binder is the Attendant to the Binder of the sons of Obliteration’s Valtrue.
That could destroy his role because no one would look at him as an unbiased party anymore.
Iric has a negative history in both the Godsdawn and Valveilious.
“These are all reasons I’ve been adamant about keeping their situation hidden and haven’t incorporated them back into society. Not to mention, their Valtrue is technically unconventional. That will raise questions all on its own.”
Fuck. I literally considered none of that.
I bring my legs up in the chair and rest my elbows on my knees as I rub my forehead.
“I’ll discuss this with her sometime today. I don’t plan on going back to the Athenaeum yet, so I’ve got time on my hands.”
“You never have to go back if you don’t want to.”
I give Amick a tender smile.
It warms my heart that he really means that. It’s like his favorite place in the Godsdawn, though, and I enjoy spending time with him there. He may not admit it, but I believe it’d bother him if I never joined him there again. Lambrit as well.
I get the best of both there.
I can’t hide from the High Chancellor forever.
Just long enough where I’m not tempted to shove a sword down his fucking throat.
“I want to. Just not yet.”
“What would you like to do with your day then, gorgeous? I don’t have much on my plate.” Kyzen says.
I hum. “Get more informed.”
“Care to expand on what that means?” Creed asks with an arched brow.
“I want to know all there is to know about our powers.”
The looks on their faces would be hilarious if I weren’t being serious. I am, though. I’m not as clueless as I once was, but I’m still not as aware as I want—need—to be.
“That’s—”
“A lot, I know.” I nod at Amick and set my mug down. “I know you’ve been feeding me information as we go, and I appreciate it. It’s kept me from becoming overwhelmed, but I’m a big girl. I’ll get over that.”
“You don’t have to get over anything. Tell me what you want to know, and I’ll make it all accessible to you in the way you’ll learn it best.”
That, I believe wholeheartedly.
There’s no doubt in my mind that my Candyman is the best damn Guider this realm’s ever seen.
“I liked the way you all explained my power of Seduction to me. Bite-sized pieces of information that I could digest and instantly implement. I’d like you to compile either a list for me like that or explain all of my powers to me that way.
“I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I couldn’t care less to continue learning about the hierarchy and structure of shit anymore. It’s all fucked anyway. That, you all can continue to inform me as we go.”
That pulls a snort from Creed and Kyzen. My lips twitch at the minuscule smile that dusts Amick’s lips.
“Anything else in particular you want me to include in these details?”
“Umm…” Now that we’re talking about it, nothing’s coming to mind.
Oh, well, actually.
“Does everyone have a way to feed on something that recoups or fills their power aside from resting? Like Sevryn’s ass can eat someone’s pain.”
That really gets Creed and Kyzen going. The sound of their laughter mingling together like that has me squirming in my seat.
“Not everyone, but most, yes. For example, if I’ve used a great deal of power, I can read and that will help replenish me.”
Yeah, I figured that. It makes sense.
“You know how my power feeds.”
I stare at Creed. “No, I have an assumption. You’ve never said it out loud.”
“’Cause it’s fucking gross.”
“Nothing about your power or you is gross, Creed.”
Literally not a thing. If only he knew how much I’m struggling to keep my eyes off his chest.
Valories…I can’t explain how good both he and Amick look sipping coffee shirtless at the table. I’d give anything for Kyzen to strip his off.
I’m not pushing that, though, until he’s ready.
I blink out of my staring that most certainly was noticed and Creed tears his eyes from me.
Focus.
“It’s a hungry fucker that feeds multiple ways. One, if I devour a soul rather than release or ignore it, that’ll do it. Then death does, but not deaths I cause.”
My mouth parts as I tilt my head. My assumption was only partially right.
“So the soul part kind of confuses me. I’d been thinking that any death would feed your power.”
He nods and takes a deep breath. I hate to feel like I’m pushing a sensitive subject, but it’s probably far past when I should’ve asked about this.
“Just because I devour a soul, doesn’t mean the being dies immediately.
If I don’t want them to, that is. Think of it like a dual action.
I command my power to take the soul and kill the body.
When I don’t want the being to die, I only let my power take the soul. They can live as a shell of a person.
“Many rotting in the lower level of Hellveilious are that way. Most of the creatures or what some call undead gods in the Abandon, are beings living without their souls. Then just being around a death fuels it.”
He knows the questions spinning in my mind without me even asking. He takes a large gulp of coffee, then clears his throat.
“No, I did not create all those beings in the Abandon. Some, yes, absolutely. Some, our father created himself by taking them into his Veil. Some he stole from Hellveilious. Although it’s my domain and where I’m supposed to rule, he’s still a Beginning God and can do as he pleases.”
Ugh, I fucking hate that.
Piece of shit god and father.
I nod and don’t push anymore.
My attention turns to Kyzen, who looks far more inclined to talk about his power than Creed did.
“Time isn’t something that ever truly runs out.
I mean, death isn’t either, but Creed isn’t always surrounded by it.
Deaths happen out of his range, whereas for me, time is unavoidable.
I can definitely drain my power and tire myself out, though.
You’ve seen it. When that happens, I sleep or sit in the grass and let it feed. ”
“What?” I ask. “I’ve never seen you go sit in the grass.”
“Yes, you have. Plenty.”
“You mean like when we’re training? It’s literally as simple as you sitting in the grass?”
“Well, not necessarily that simple. I sit, pause myself, and listen. I focus on the wind, the feel of how the temperature of the dirt changes the further I sink my fingers. Your breathing. I concentrate on the rhythm of the realm around me. Everything is always moving, always changing. Time flows with it all.”
My eyes widen with that, honestly, beautiful explanation. Kyzen, out of all of us, even me, seems to greatly appreciate everything. He cherishes where many of us go on about our business.
He smiles at blossoming flowers, where I barely spare them a glance until they’ve fully bloomed. He tries to make every second count.
Wait a minute…Am I an idiot?
Please tell me I am not just putting two and two together.
“Kyzen…”
“Yes?” he says with uncertainty and a frown.
“Are you the God of Time?”
That frown leisurely—deliberately—curves into a knowing smirk. He peers at his brothers and I can’t help but do the same. Creed’s hiding his mouth behind his fist, while Amick scowls at Kyzen.
“Yeah, little goddess, I am. I wasn’t keeping that from you or anything. I don’t acknowledge the title, and I’ve asked others not to either.”
A surprised, I don’t know if that’s a huff, scoff, or disbelieving laugh that comes out of me. Whatever the noise is, it makes his smile widen.
“Why?”
“I guess because it doesn’t feel real or earned. I was defaulted that the moment I was born. No one else in the realm can manipulate time.”