Chapter 32 Thayla
Thayla
I can’t remember the last time I just sat still and watched the clouds roll by.
They still fill me with the same sense of escape they did when I’d lie in the meadow grass at the hot spring back in Oddian, or in my front lawn after a long morning of training.
My daydreaming is still as strong as it once was.
It’s a little darker.
Still there, though.
I’ve always been curious about what clouds really feel like.
Are they weightless and my fingers would glide right through them?
Or maybe they’re a touch more since they’re the block between us and the Valories’ gateway during the day.
Yeah, I know when we flew in the carriage, we seemed to bust right through them, but maybe they’re different for a godly body. Maybe without the power of a Veilatara leading the way, our mere immortal feet could land on the thick white and just…sit.
I wish I could perch myself in the middle of one and gaze out at what’s below me.
Yeah, but what if you sank right through?
I feel like that’d be a long, terrifying fall to my death.
“Tell me what’s got you so out of focus.”
I startle, blinking my eyes rapidly as I turn my head toward Riven.
My lips crash into his.
We freeze.
He snaps himself out of it the moment I give myself over completely to the feeling of his skin touching mine. He attempts to pull back, but I don’t allow it. My hands cup his cheeks and I tug him closer.
Fuck, I’ve missed his touch far more than I realized.
A groan slips from the back of his throat as we sink deeper into the kiss. Chill bumps break out across my arms and my pulse thunders when he gently wraps his hand around my neck.
The longer our tongues stay tied, the more grounded I feel.
We’re both breathing heavy by the time I let him pull away from me and he leans his forehead to mine.
“Bad angel,” he whispers against my lips. “I was only trying to distract your mind.”
“You did that. In the best kind of way.”
A mischievous smirk crosses his face as someone—Creed—clears his throat. My hand slips down to my thigh, and I lace my fingers through Kyzen’s. His palm has been a gentle weight there since before I zoned out.
If we weren’t in the meadow and Riven kept going, no doubt I would’ve wiggled my way into his lap and pulled Kyzen right along with us.
I clear my voice and pretend nothing just happened.
“So when should we be expecting Amick?”
Creed glances at Kyzen indiscreetly, while Riven chuckles.
Obviously, that’s what they were talking about when I tuned the realm out.
“Did you—”
“He’ll be here any minute,” Kyzen says, cutting Creed off. He doesn’t voice the rest of his question.
“Let’s get you up and shake some of those nerves out. You’re making my belly flutter.”
“I’m sure it’s her nerves that’s doing that,” Creed grunts but stands, holding his hand out for me to take.
“It is. Her kiss made my dick flutter, thank you very much. By the way, you look adorable when you’re jealous.”
I snort and roll my eyes at him as Kyzen snickers and Creed scoffs.
“I have nothing to be jealous about. I can kiss her whenever I damn well please.”
I arch my brow, both in a dare and a warning. Creed, of course, feeds right into that and snatches me against his chest.
His warm hand grips the back of my neck and tilts my head until I’m staring into his eyes.
“Tell me I can’t.”
“You can but won’t.”
My mouth doesn’t have time to curve into a teasing smirk before his lips are plastered to mine.
Right where I wanted them.
His kiss is just as consuming as Riven’s was, and I sink against his body. His teeth nip my bottom lip when he pulls away.
“If you wanted a kiss, that’s all you had to say. You don’t have to challenge it out of me.”
“Maybe I like to challenge you.”
He snorts and his smirk has me pressing my thighs together. “There’s no maybe about that.”
Gods, even his wink is tempting.
I begrudgingly step away from him as his fingers release my neck and trail down my spine.
They’ve all in some way, shape, or form treated being physically intimate with me as something they have to be cautious about here lately. I don’t just mean sex.
That was the first time Riven and I had kissed in…days.
Aside from Kyzen’s and my explosive moment in the shower, all kisses, cuddling, subtle but purposeful touches are initiated with careful consideration.
I can’t and won’t put all the blame on them for that. They’re trying to be mindful.
I haven’t built up the courage to tell them that they have no idea what their touches and affection do for me. Things—unfortunately—have made me jumpy here lately. They notice it but don’t call me out about it.
They respect my space. That way, they aren’t the reason for the obnoxious flinching.
My reality is, though, when I’m in one of their embraces is when I feel the most like myself.
I crave them. Every part of them.
I need their touch as much as I want it.
If I were to be bluntly honest, I’d tell them I’d crawl under their skin if I could.
That may be a bit too much.
Uh, Riven would probably like that.
That’s how desperate I am to be close to them.
I’m obsessed. More than obsessed…
“So what did bestie say about you wanting to come out here to practice your powers today?” Riven asks.
I eye him up and down as he shifts closer to me. Hopefully, that kiss snapped the small distance he’s put between us. Not that it’s been a bad distance, but the guilty kind.
He hasn’t said flat out, I feel bad for what I did to Yemi and her Valtrue, but he does.
It’s been small things that have given that away.
“She was excited and told me if I needed any help with Boundaries to let her know.”
“I’m going to be so pissed if she teaches you how to see through my Chaos. I hope that’s an ability you don’t have.”
His brothers scold him about discouraging anything I may be able to accomplish, but I grin as I continue to see through his taurnshit.
A couple of things are very clear now.
One, he was holding himself back because he didn’t want it to seem like he was pushing me to get over being upset with him. Nor was he going to rush me to get over what happened to me.
He was waiting for my permission.
He’s got it.
I try not to make excuses for his actions, but honestly, I got over being mad at him when Yemi told me she was fine.
Two, I truly believe something significant changed between his powers from the boost we got from the Binding. I don’t think he knows how to manage it.
Again, he hasn’t admitted it, but I’ve noticed with every—what Amick calls impulsive decision—he’s made here lately, he gets frustrated with their questions. Then frustrated with himself that he can’t explain it more than his powers made him feel like it was the right decision.
I don’t know.
Valories know it’s hard for me to find fault in anything they do, so I could be way off.
A slow breath escapes me when branches crack a few feet away. It’s strange to admit the sound of footsteps brings me relief.
Even stranger than that, muffled by foliage or not, I know exactly who’s approaching us just by the way he walks.
A smile takes over my face as Amick strolls through the meadow grass toward us. He doesn’t spare his brothers a glance. Those candy-colored eyes stay locked on me until he’s only a few inches away.
“Hey—”
His mouth steals my words.
Sound fades from my ears, and my heart pounds as his fingers trail down my cheek. There’s nothing rushed about his kiss, and I can’t help it as my body grows limp.
And hot.
Between this very tender kiss, the way Riven and Kyzen lay their hands on my lower back, and Creed’s soul playing with mine, I’m about to burst into flames.
Valories. I don’t know what’s gotten into them today, but it better be permanent.
“I’ve been counting down the minutes until I got to come home to you.”
My breath rushes out of me.
“We’re in the meadow.”
“Wherever you are is my home, Thayla.”
I blink repeatedly, then finally tilt my head up to meet his gaze.
“I missed you too,” I whisper.
I bite my bottom lip and clench my fist to stop myself from either kissing or tracing his adorable dimple. His smiles are so rare and every one he gives me, I swear, I imprint on my brain.
“Are you ready?” he asks as he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.
Ready to go home and jump in bed with all of them?
Yes, yes, I am.
Too bad that isn’t what he means.
“Yeah. I think so.”
He nods, then gestures toward the sacred hot spring. We aren’t getting in, but I guess we’re going to take up the same spot we sat in when they taught me about my power of Seduction.
I shake my hands out at my sides and roll my neck before dropping to my ass between them.
They tower over me in this position.
“Well, are you all going to sit down or what?”
Kyzen’s the first to sink to the ground and his smile disarms me.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about. You don’t have to do anything today but listen and learn if that’s what you want.”
I exhale as the other three sit and my lips flap together.
“I’d rather master it all right now.”
“I know that’s your desire but—”
“Hell yeah, little burden. That’s the delusional kind of confidence I live by. You got this.”
Amick cuts his eyes at Riven, either for interrupting him or feeding into my unrealistic expectations. Whichever, it makes me laugh. The sound eventually morphs into a huff.
“I can’t help but be nervous. I realize and understand I’ve put my powers in this weird little box inside of me.
Like I know they’re there. I appreciate that they burst out when I need them to and they listen to me when I need to starshoot shit and whatnot but…
because of everything that keeps happening, I continue to go back and forth about them.