Chapter 34 Thayla
Thayla
My sigh echoes around the bathroom and I wiggle down in my hot spring until the water reaches my neck.
It was another day full of working out and power training. I’m sore as shit because Creed enjoys slinging my ass around.
He denies that, but the kisses he gives me every single time he gets me on the ground say otherwise.
Power training went okay. I guess.
We didn’t go over a new domain. Instead, Amick had me work on Chaos, Seduction, and Consequence to see if I was comfortable enough with them to move on.
I am, but I told him I’d like books on each of the domains. Not just any books, though. The ones with the most straightforward, useful information.
There are so many layers to each of the powers. I’ve admitted and reasoned with myself that learning everything about them in the six days until the Power Worthiness Test is impossible. That’s something I have to get over and learn as much as I can, then be proud about it.
Easier said than done when you’re worried the second you drop your blood in a creation of the gods, they’re going to drop from wherever they are and surround you.
Whatever. My men will surround me.
It’s going to be fine.
I blink my eyes open as the water ripples around me. My smile is immediate as Kyzen stands in all his shirtless perfection.
“Where are you going?” I ask as I tilt my head into the kiss he lays on my forehead.
“I promised Creed I’d help him whip something up.”
“Right now? Is it dessert?” He snorts and gives me a knowing look. “Oh. Was it supposed to be a surprise?”
He steps out of the bath and I unashamedly stare as he dries himself off. It hurts my heart for multiple reasons when he pulls a shirt over his head.
I obviously won’t push him to come clean about his mark to his brothers. When he’s ready, he’ll tell them.
I selfishly, though, would love to see the four of them walking around shirtless all the time.
“It’s something like that. Give us a few minutes, then come on out. I’ll leave your doors open.”
He lays his lips to mine and it takes everything in me not to tug him back into the water so I can have my wicked way with him.
Having sex submerged in hot water is probably bad for my vagina…
Bent over the counter would be nice, though.
Kyzen grunts as he pulls away from me. “Whatever you’re pushing down your soul is going to kill me, little goddess.”
“Not seriously, though, right?”
He chuckles again and gives me one last peck. “The restraint I’m trying to have may really do the job.”
My eyes stay on his back until he’s completely out of sight. True to his words, he leaves my bathroom door open, even though I can’t actually see out from where I’m sitting.
The click of my bedroom door never comes, and I exhale.
Waiting in here alone for a few minutes might kill me…
I trail my fingers through the water, trying not to sink into my head. My nosy ass checks on the guys through the tethers of my soul. Again. I’ve been doing it way more than I have any business doing it.
When we’re all together, it’s easy to ignore the literal soul connections because I can see them. When we aren’t? Yeah. I check constantly.
None of them have said anything, so I don’t know if they know I’m doing it or not. Well, aside from Creed. He definitely knows. I couldn’t tell you if they do this to me either.
I’m careful during my eavesdropping. I don’t tug, stroke, send emotions, or anything like that. I just get a sense of what they’re feeling and move on.
I check on Amick first, like I usually do. He’s gone from the house more than the others.
My brows knit when I sense some rare anxiousness. Underneath it…excitement. Kyzen and Riven feel the same. There’s also anticipation lingering in each of them.
What are they up to?
I don’t check on Creed. Like I said, he’ll know—and then he’ll know I’m seconds away from ruining whatever surprise they’re clearly whipping up because I can’t keep my soul to myself.
I take my time getting out of the bath so they can finish whatever they’re doing.
My hair’s had time to mostly dry since my shower. I brushed it, twisted it up, then got into my hot spring to soak. It spills down my body as I pull my hair tie free, and I pinch the end at my hips.
I wonder what they’d do if I walked out there naked with just my hair covering my boobs.
I laugh at myself in the mirror, pull on a shirt and underwear, and shake my head.
Ready or not, here I come in all my nighttime sexiness.
I plan to stuff my face with something sweet and then sleep like a baby between my men.
My chuckle follows me out of the bathroom and echoes through my way-too-quiet bedroom. The gasp that slips out of me is a hell of a lot louder than that laugh.
I stop cold.
Purple petals blanket the floor at my doorway, and a note sits on top, practically calling to me.
My hands tremble as I pick up the parchment and one petal. I roll the soft velvet between my fingers while I read Kyzen’s words.
Everything’s okay, little goddess. Just come out to the living room.
My throat tightens, and my pulse pounds as I step over the flowers.
The moment I enter the hall, my realm tilts.
Angel orchids line the floor all the way to the dark kitchen, and torch lamps cast a low light every few feet.
By the time I reach the end of the short hallway, I’m dizzy with nerves. The dining room table’s gone. Everything’s been cleared away, leaving a single straight path to where the guys are lined up in front of the fireplace.
More torch lamps glow between us, barely lighting the room.
My heart hammers as I finally reach them.
Kyzen’s the only one smiling.
The other three look…so serious.
“What…what’s wrong?”
I hate the way my voice sounds so small.
I hate the tremors on my skin even more.
“Nothing’s wrong. We have something for you.” Kyzen nods toward Riven, who’s at the start of their line, but I can’t tear my gaze from his.
My eyes beg for an explanation.
“Riven won the coin toss and declared we’d give you your presents from oldest to youngest.”
“Our births spanned a mere forty seconds from Riven to you. It’s my opinion there is no oldest or youngest.”
I bounce my attention between Kyzen and Amick.
“You only say that ’cause I was first,” Riven snorts and I follow the sound.
Oh my gods.
Riven, Creed, Amick, Kyzen.
That was how it was listed on my Deliverance.
That’s how their rooms are laid out.
Oldest to youngest.
“Come here, little burden.”
Riven’s smooth command wraps around me and my wobbly legs step in his direction.
“Don’t look so scared.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“We’re trying to be sweet hus—boyfriends. That’s what’s going on.”
My lip twitches at his almost slip-up and he winks at me. The snap of his fingers causes me to flinch then cover my mouth with my hand.
“Riven…”
“I swear I didn’t steal this one and it can actually face your bed.”
A chuckle bursts free from behind my palm and my fingers reach out to trace the small statue he’s holding.
The chiseled marble is etched to perfection in white and obsidian. Every detail is so strikingly smooth and precise.
“Who made this?”
“A friend of mine.”
“You’ve got some talented friends. I’ll give you that. This friend knows what I look like?”
He purses his lips together, then rolls his eyes at Kyzen’s chuckle and murmured just tell her.
“Ugh, fine. I always have to give my secrets away.”
“We shouldn’t have secrets,” Creed mumbles.
My gaze bounces between them.
“I like to keep my hands busy. Haven’t made my way up to full bodies yet, but I’m working on it.”
A slow smile spreads across my face as I take an even better look at what he’s created for me.
It’s of us. The five of us.
I’m standing in the center, holding a bouquet of angel orchids. The four of them are surrounding me.
Sly god. He made the statue heads in our carriage. Of course he did.
“Who is who?” I ask once I can’t determine how he’s placed himself and his brothers.
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is, it’s the four of us and you.”
My gaze flicks up to his. I get lost in his mismatched eyes that are calm and unswirling. The level of sincerity in their depths right now has warmth filling my chest.
“I’ll hold on to it for now. You got something from the second sexiest brother as well.”
He moves the statue from between us and sets it a few feet behind him. Nerves crawl right back up my throat when he gives me another nod toward Creed.
My grumpiest of men is as anxious as I am.
Tension spreads across every muscle and I swear if I focus hard enough, I can see the vein in his neck throbbing.
He doesn’t say anything as he turns from me and picks up a black box off the floor. He exhales harshly as he stares down at it and I inhale sharply.
“I couldn’t embed a sword to an extent that pleased me, but these…” My eyes widen as he opens the lid and I gawk at the shining silver. “I know how deadly you can be up close and personal.”
My hands shake as I grip the handles of both daggers.
They’re mini replicas of his swords.
The light from the fire glares off the blades as I turn my wrist and get a feel for them.
“The past two days we’ve been practicing with tiny sticks,” I whisper.
“We have been.”
“You wanted to make sure I could use them.”
“I did. Although I knew you wouldn’t have a problem.”
He says it with such a straight face, yet the truth and pride in his words blaze across my soul like a wildfire.
“What’s…what’s the difference between these and your swords?”
“These weren’t made by Beginning Gods. My swords were and that gives them that extra boost of power that makes even a small cut kill. I couldn’t achieve that on a sword, nor on these to that extent, but a good stab will snatch their soul.”
I shouldn’t snort, but I do, and his mouth twitches.
“Which gods made yours?”
“The God of Obliteration and Goddess of Creation.”
I nod.
“These are better, just so you know.”
His stony face fully fractures and I match the smile he gives me.
“They are. They were made just for you. I’ll also know if you’ve used them.”