Chapter 41 Thayla
Thayla
Us being on lockdown really isn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened, if I’m being honest. I’ve enjoyed these two days tucked away with my men, having them all to myself.
Maybe I’ve grown a little too used to being in the house since my breakdown. I’d probably be A-okay never going farther than the tree line again.
My men…not so much.
Well, Kyzen would be fine.
The other three? They’re losing their minds.
After my declaration the other day, we heard from Derivius about two hours later. He warned us he was coming over.
That conversation went…okay, I guess.
Amick will have to stand trial before the Beginning Gods.
He’d warned me this was coming. He said it was the only way he could present the proof that Harriseen broke whatever law he did, so I wasn’t completely shocked.
Still petrified, though.
Apparently, when Derivius returned to the Neutral—a building in Valveilious where the Beginning Gods hold their cordial little meetings—a vote was called on what to do with Amick in the meantime. It landed two-to-four in favor of not locking him up until his trial.
To all our shock, more so theirs, the Goddesses of Creation and Accord sided with Derivius and Consequence once Amick’s parchment listing his abilities was presented.
Then Ellian gave his statement before receiving his official blessing, aka, a nice little power boost for his new position.
The Goddess of Accord supposedly said she sensed no deception from Ellian and found no reasonable motive for Amick to have premeditated his actions.
Obliteration and Seduction flipped their shit and left. They were pushing hard for Amick to be confined until the trial.
Thank fuck those assholes didn’t get their way.
I would’ve lost my mind.
The guys still haven’t gone into much detail about their moms. They also refuse to show any gratitude for the vote in Amick’s favor, which I understand. Riven commented that at least his mom’s lack of emotion did something right for once.
That earned him a sad smile from Derivius, which I completely ignored.
Other than that, they’ve made it clear they want nothing to do with them. They’d rather not acknowledge who those goddesses are to them at all.
If so many people didn’t know who their father was, they wouldn’t acknowledge his ass either.
I haven’t pushed it.
I don’t want to talk about my mom either.
She was amazing.
You know, until she abandoned me.
Anyway.
Amick’s official lockdown was lifted after that, but a five-day lockdown on the Godsdawn went into effect while Ellian settles into his role. There’ll be a speech and all the formal taurnshit at the end of it.
For now, only Attendants are allowed to move around and deliver food.
I can’t wait for that shit to change.
Before Derivius left, he asked Amick if he still wanted him to declare the Law of Doppia Disaccord on their behalf, or if he wanted the honors himself.
Amick wants the honors. He also wants time to gather every signature we need so he can present them the moment his trial ends.
I’m so fucking nervous about all of it.
It really isn’t helping how nonchalant and quiet he’s being.
I see right through that.
“Could you two go fuck with Thayla? I don’t need any help in here.”
I scowl at Creed from where I’m lying with my head in Amick’s lap. I was thoroughly enjoying him playing in my hair mindlessly while he reads. What I won’t enjoy is Riven diving on the couch and squashing my ass again.
Apparently, reorganizing everything is his solution to boredom. The couches face each other now instead of forming a broken L, which gives us a clear view of the kitchen.
Amick can’t stand that the windows are behind him, but he likes having a better view of the whole house. So he let it stay.
“Leave us be. We’re taking pleasure in the stillness over here,” Amick calls out as he flips his page and I kiss his arm that’s resting against me.
“Without the rest of us?” Riven asks, eyeing us like he’s about to catch Amick’s hand down my shorts or something.
“I can get pleasure from any of you at any time alone or otherwise, thank you very much.”
“Yeah, okay. See if I don’t insert myself in there the moment I get a whiff of freaky feelings.”
“I’m afraid you’ve created an addiction in him, Mysenta.”
I chuckle at Amick’s whisper and his lips twitch as he turns another page, then goes back to twirling my hair around his finger.
“As long as it’s only me, that’ll be okay.”
“It’ll always be you.”
My lids drift shut as he kisses my forehead. They fly right back open as a painful hiss echoes through the kitchen.
“Shit, I’ll get a rag,” Kyzen mutters as he races to the other counter.
“See, you should’ve let us help you, then you wouldn’t have cut yourself.”
“Creed never cuts himself,” Amick says, completely absent-minded, not even looking over at the commotion in the kitchen.
“Creed!”
Kyzen’s bellow has me throwing myself off Amick. I hit the ground hard, but Creed hits his knees even harder. The house shakes and I sling the blanket wrapped around me away, then haul ass toward him.
His blazing white eyes freeze my hands as I go to cup his cheeks, but the groan of agony that leaves his lips snaps me out of it.
“What’s wrong? Talk to me, please.”
“Someone go get Sevryn,” he grits out.
“What?” Kyzen asks.
“Go get Sevryn!”
Kyzen’s gone in a flash and I frantically stroke Creed’s soul. I do everything I can think of to do to calm it. I’ve never felt it react this wildly.
It’s desperate to break free from him.
“What’s—shit,” Sevryn says as he and Yemi pop into the kitchen. “What the fuck happened?”
“Your father happened. He’s killing innocent people. A lot of them. His power’s bleeding through their prayers and souls.”
Sevryn’s eyes grow wide, clouding over with a level of fear I’ve never seen from him. He wasn’t even this scared in Hellveilious.
“No,” he whispers. “Where? I have to get to them.”
“You can’t go face your father. Are you serious?”
“He’s killing them because of me, Yemi! I have to go.”
He grips his roots and paces back and forth. No matter what Yemi mumbles at him, he doesn’t slow his steps and constantly states he’s going. He has to.
“This is my fault. All my fault.”
“What is?” Amick asks.
“This is why I got sent to Hellveilious. When you all…when I thought you left me, I kept my head down for years, then I started working on my own plan. My own rebellion. I was gathering the people who didn’t want to be in the Abandon.
Those who were there because they’d been taken from the lower regions, kids, just anyone who wanted to leave but couldn’t.
“I was trickling them through the stronghold. A few at a time. Not in the numbers that would really get noticed from either side. The others, I helped them congregate in different hiding places. One day, my father caught me moving a group. I refused to tell him where the others were. That’s when he sent me to Hellveilious. ”
My jaw drops as my men—aside from Creed—stare at him in both disbelief and pride.
Fuck. He got wrongfully punished for trying to do the right thing.
Doubly fuck. There are actually innocent people in that horrible place.
“How long ago was this?” Yemi asks.
“Five years ago. I have to help them. I put them into this mess when I got caught and left them stranded there without any direction on what to do. Fuck…if he found all of them.”
He slams his eyes shut as he pulls at his hair.
Creed grunts as he grips the counter and tries to pull himself up. I hold him around his waist, lending him some help as he breathes through his power’s persistence.
Gods, he’s struggling.
“Then let’s go. We don’t have long. Everyone go get geared up. Except you, Yemi.”
“What the fuck do you mean except me? I’m going.”
“No,” all of us bark and she decides it’s me she’s turning her glare on.
“Thayla.”
“Any other time, I’d be different,” I say, stepping closer to her and gripping her hands.
“This is a calculated attack and more than likely a trap of some kind. We know that. If his dad gets an inkling that his son’s in a Valtrue and you’re his Binder, he’ll turn his attention to you. So he can use you to hold over Sevryn.”
Her jaw goes slack. “You don’t know that for sure. I can help.”
“I know that for sure, Yemi. It’s the same thing my Valtrue’s father wants to do. You need to stay here with the others. Please.”
She clenches her fist at her sides, mad as fuck.
I completely understand. I’d be the same way if they tried to tell me this, but unfortunately, we’re different. K has a need for me. He’d use me not only as leverage over the guys, but to fit his agenda. He’d use my powers against me.
The God of Pain would simply use Yemi to torture Sevryn.
“Fine,” she finally says.
“Everyone move,” Kyzen says and his power bursts through the house, wrapping around each of us.
I’m in my closet, putting on my dreaded armor, in less than a few seconds.
“Derivius,” I call.
There’s no response as I tighten my daggers at my sides, then adjust the strappings on my back.
“Derivius.”
Still nothing when I make my way back into the kitchen.
“Anyone got a response from Derivius?”
An echo of no answers me and I grit my teeth.
“V, please be on standby to relay messages to Yemi. Yemi, go inform Ellian of what’s going on. If shit gets to be too much over there, he’s going to need to send Gladian and some help. This is undoubtedly a coordinated attack,” Kyzen says and I swallow as that distant look flickers in his eyes.
“Of course,” V hoots and I let the sound settle in my blood.
We should just stay home.
We can’t.
There are innocent people being killed.
Creed won’t be able to resist the calls much longer.
He’s already hurting.
Fuck.
Yemi nods and Sevryn snatches her to his chest, laying a fierce kiss on her lips. I turn my attention from them and focus on my men so they can have some privacy.
“This is a trap. Either for him or for us,” I say.
All four of them nod.
“Maybe we should—”