Chapter 38 Thayla
Thayla
“I love the fact that we’re all sitting around enjoying breakfast like shit isn’t hitting the fan in an hour.”
The random thought that obviously slipped Riven’s mind has me choking on the forkful of eggs I just put in my mouth. Kyzen rubs his hand in circles on my back as I fall into a coughing fit.
Creed reaches over and slides my glass of water closer as if I can actually hold the damn thing right now. It only takes him a second to realize I can’t, so he stands from his seat and comes over to place it on my lips for me.
“Did…” I choke out, getting the last remaining coughs to come up. Then I take a huge gulp of coffee instead to wash everything down properly. “Did you two not care that I was dying?”
“That’s a tad dramatic, angel. If you’re coughing, you can breathe. Amick taught me that.”
I narrow my eyes on him. He’s the one who caused me to swallow my food wrong.
“I taught you that because you guzzled your meals so fast, you were in constant danger of choking or aspirating. Each time you’d panic.”
“What can I say? I was a starving boy.”
The fact that’s a serious statement makes my eye twitch.
“We talked about this at dinner last night. There’s nothing else to say or do,” Creed grumbles as he sits back in his chair.
“We didn’t talk about shit. Amick told us we have to meet all the other Valtrue’s at the Sanctum, and the High Cocksucker will call each Valtrue up one by one.”
“What the hell else do you want to talk about then, Riven? That’s what’s happening.”
Riven throws his hands up at Creed as he stands from the table, stomps to the living room, and paces in front of the fireplace.
I hide my highly inappropriate smirk. It’s funny to me, though, the four of them gravitate toward my addition to the house when they get to thinking too hard.
You know, I kind of miss our living room beds.
I mean, I love the fact my bed is now big enough to accommodate all five of us, but if the mattresses were still out here, he couldn’t be stalking around like an agitated animal.
“I really don’t understand why we’ve just fucking accepted the fact that we have to get our blood tested. Why the hell wasn’t more done to stop this from happening?”
His cruel glare lands right on Amick and heat spreads through my body.
“What more did you want done?” I ask low, arching a brow at him.
Both a warning and a plea for him to settle his ass down. I won’t be letting this blame game commence when I know all of us are on edge. We’re just hiding it really well.
I release a long breath as I stand and make my way to him.
“We’ve been discussing this. For over a week now.
It’s been in bits and pieces, little conversations, because we all know there’s no getting out of this.
We knew it the moment he wrote it into law and said refusal would be punishable.
There’s no telling the punishment the four of you would face, but we know good and well, whatever he could and would cook up for me would be horrible. I can’t go through that again, Riven.”
His arms wrap around me, and he pulls me tight against his chest. My thumb traces below his slowly, swirling eyes.
“He spent days in Valveilious, rallying the Domain Gods and fuck knows who else behind his decision. Amick told us when he returned, he was bragging about the excitement coming from the gods. They’re all behind the idea of knowing that the blessings us lowly gods have been given are being appreciated.
“He planned this precisely and perfectly, no doubt to get us right where he wanted us. Why? We don’t know yet.
What we know, what’s undeniable, is the fact we can’t refuse this without greater consequences.
We lost this round with him. Now we have to face it and be ready for what happens after that. ”
“What happens if the Beginning Gods come knocking, asking how the fuck we got extra power they didn’t give us?” he asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. We lie. We say this is what the Gods Binding gave us for our Pairing. They have no proof of anything else. Assholes have already checked.”
He sighs, leaning his forehead down to mine.
“This shit has my belly swirling. Not in the fun, chaotic way. I can’t believe out of everyone, I’m the one who seems the most concerned.”
I cup his cheeks.
“We’re all concerned. We’re all freaking the fuck out. I’m scared for us, for Yemi. I can’t let it consume me or I will literally—”
“All of you come to my temple. Now.”
My ears ring and my gaze jerks to Creed, Amick, and Kyzen as they jump from their seats with their fist clenched at their sides. The dishes and cups on the table rattle, some even spill over, but they don’t give a shit about that right now.
“He’s got some fucking nerve,” Creed growls.
All four of them flip their shit and my wild gaze jumps between them.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“Little troublling, if you’d be so kind to please tell your men to stop threatening my life.”
“Maybe if you’d have spoken to any of us since what happened, Derivius, they wouldn’t be reacting this way.”
“I will explain my silence once you’re at the temple. Tell them to bring you or I will come get you myself. Those are the options.”
I grit my teeth and pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Everyone stop,” I shout and they all whip their attention toward me. “Either we all go to the temple—I didn’t even know he still had a temple—or he’s coming to get me.”
“That motherfucker. I’m going to punch his teeth out.” Riven sneers.
They start their yelling once again and I blow out a harsh breath. The entire house falls silent, though, as a hoot washes through the air.
“I understand all of your anger in this moment, but it’d be wise for you to do as Derivius has asked,” V says.
“What does he want to talk to her about?” Amick asks.
“He wants to speak to all of you. About many things.”
That keeps the silence at bay as all their attention falls on me. I shift on my feet. Both curiosity and pure fucking annoyance at his timing battle through my blood.
“I’m going to change.”
I won’t be going to a damn temple in a shirt and underwear.
So much for taking my time getting ready this morning.
I mean, I purposely washed my hair last night, so I didn’t have to this morning but still. I planned on taking as much time as possible.
The stampede behind me follows me into my room and continues into my closet. Their pissy, muttered words silence as I sling my shirt off, put my hands on my hips, and spin toward them.
“Now that my boobs have got your attention, listen. I understand you’re all mad at him for ignoring us.
I’m mad at him, but what I’d rather happen right now is for the four of you to take me to his temple rather than him to swoop in here and steal me away, forcing the four of you to follow anyway.
So, if you would, please and fucking thank you, go get ready to go. ”
They each look down at themselves, then back up at me.
Right. I’m the only one who was fucking off this morning. You know, trying to prolong the inevitable as long as I could.
“Okay then. Just stand there while I get ready.”
They may be mad as hell right now, but that doesn’t stop their eyes from devouring the sight of me as I get myself dressed. That shit makes it incredibly difficult to put clothes on.
Fucking Chaos. I had plans to seduce them after breakfast.
Not this.
My grunt of frustration has Kyzen slipping past the threshold and kneeling in front of me. He fixes the bent heel of my shoe and helps me glide my foot the rest of the way in.
He doesn’t give me any calming words or promises that everything’s going to be fine. It’s clear from the stern glint in his eyes, he’s not happy whatsoever about this adventure.
“We aren’t walking through the forest. V is going to take us all to the temple,” Amick says as Kyzen and I come out of the closet.
“What forest?”
The wrinkles on my forehead deepen as Creed and Riven take turns describing this fucking forest full of poor undead creatures. I don’t agree but can understand why they added separation between Derivius’s temple and the other ones.
The creatures were a step too far, though.
Part of me wants to see them. The other part completely rebels against that because I’d have to defend myself if more than what Creed could handle attacked us. It’d break my heart to harm an animal. Regardless of the fact Creed explained they have no intelligence or emotions anymore.
“Ready?” V asks when we walk back into the living room.
I give him a nod, and he soars over to my shoulder. The guys each lay a finger on him and his flash of white light steals the sight of our house from my eyes.
The rising sun that greets us is overwhelmingly different than what we usually see outside our window or in early morning training. It’s slightly obscured, but I don’t linger on that detail very long. My gaze lands on the flicker of torches coming from the opening of the…temple.
What’s left of a temple.
“Let’s get this over with,” Creed grumbles as he stomps forward.
Amick and Kyzen squeeze my fingers to get my feet moving, and we follow behind an incredibly quiet Riven.
His silence is more worrisome than his giggling.
Our footsteps fall still as we line up with the other two and stare at Derivius. The almost heartbroken look on his face both pulls at my heartstrings and pisses me off.
“It’s really nice to see all of you.”
“Where have you been?” Riven asks low.
My chest pulls tight at the emotions in his tone and my soul strokes his tether. His shoulders deflate and his harsh exhale echoes between the crumbling walls.