Chapter 2 Thayla #3
I give Creed a nod that I’m better—if that’s how I can describe the blinding fury I felt—and he returns the gesture. The entire entourage of gods escorting us starts walking as soon as he does. None of them moved any closer or any farther.
They waited mindlessly.
“Reason two hundred thirty-three and reason two hundred thirty-four.”
I peer over at Riven as he bobs his head to his silent song I have no doubt he’s humming in his mind.
“What do those numbers mean?”
“Those are the number of reasons why I’m going to kill our sperm donor.
Reason two hundred thirty-three is that he showed up here unannounced and demanded to see us.
It displeases me greatly that he’s going to lay his eyes on you.
Two hundred thirty-four is because he committed an unforgivable atrocity against those revered creatures. ”
“Riven,” Kyzen whispers harshly.
“If we want to be technical, how many days have I been alive? Some odd twelve thousand plus? That’s a more accurate number of reasons, but nonetheless, the two hundred thirty-four is narrowed down and easier to recite.
And those are only my reasons. I haven’t tallied up my brothers’.
They won’t share with me all the conversations they have with themselves. ”
Beside me, Kyzen makes a sound of displeasure, Creed subtly shakes his head, and I’m not sure what Amick does, but my attention falls back to Riven.
To anyone else who’d glance at him right now, they’d more than likely be frightened by the smirk on his face. My heart hurts as I observe beyond that. His smile is painful, not playful.
Damn, Thayla…you seriously had it all wrong.
They don’t want anything to do with him.
They’re nothing like him.
We enter the Assembly silently, and there isn’t another god in sight. No one is rushing to the Hailtorium, the Athenaeum, or the Sanctum. It’s the emptiest I’ve ever seen this part of the Godsdawn.
“Where is everyone?”
“Mandatory lockdown. Depending on when and what a Beginning God comes here for, all others are to return to their homes and not come out until otherwise informed. What more than likely happened is he arrived, called for the High Chancellor, gave his orders to retrieve us, then the High Chancellor sent word of the lockdown before coming to get us. Once he leaves, the Chancellors’ assigned Attendants will start making their rounds to the houses, and the lockdown will be lifted. No one will know who came or why.”
I don’t respond to Amick as we’re steered to a path that leads to the temples. The circle around us grows tighter, and I can’t help but think, how and why has the God of Obliteration been allowed to bring at least three Valtrues’ worth of gods with him?
What if he decided fuck it, seize my sons, then set them free on the Godsdawn? I believe they’d be defeated eventually. Not at first, though, seeing as everyone would be caught completely off guard since they’re in their homes, clueless about what’s going on.
It’d be a bloodbath.
Lambrit, Yemi…
I shake my head to get those disturbing images out of my mind.
My erratic, intrusive thoughts about the guys continue to settle with each step, and my fear fades to a weird sort of acceptance.
Am I still intimidated? Yes. Do I still have worries in the back of my mind? Also yes, but I’m trying to cling to the thoughts and obvious signs that the sides they’ve shown me are who they really are. The current and prime example of their true intentions toward me is the formation we’re in.
As the smaller temples belonging to Domain Gods that’ve truly made a name for themselves thin out and the circle of deadly gods continues to close, the tighter the guys move in around me.
Guarding me.
Kyzen’s and Riven’s arms are practically glued to mine. Creed’s so close, I can’t see around him, and heat from Amick’s body is keeping my back warm.
I know we’ve started coming up on the Beginning Gods temples only because they tower into the sky. The glistening white and gold marble that shines bright is much larger than the Domain Gods’, and they have ample space separating their structures from the next.
I crane my neck around at the last one we passed and catch a glimpse of a smaller replica of an obsidian statue in front, just like at the Sanctum.
Creed’s back collides with my face when he stops walking unexpectedly and his arm reaches around to catch me.
Muttered curses fall from my lips as my fingers tangle in his shirt. I both pull myself closer and push away from his amazing scent and toned muscles that twitch beneath my hands. He doesn’t release me, though, and the others crowd impossibly close.
My cheek stays plastered to his rock-hard back while my eyes watch Kyzen’s scan the gods surrounding us. They’ve each drawn weapons I didn’t realize they had on them, but they aren’t facing us.
“Now, now. Put your toys away before I make a game out of how you all kill each other.”
My lids fall shut as Riven’s chuckle joins the one coming from somewhere in front of us.
He showed up.
Dickhead definitely could’ve responded to us rather than make a grand entrance.
“I won’t repeat myself. Disobey the rules of the agreement and I will lay waste to you all, and your master won’t see his sons because of you.”
“The terms of you being present expired upon the sons’ twentieth birthdays. You have no right to demand a presence alongside them.”
“Kelshin, it’s good to see your nose is as brown as ever.
Looking a little blacker nowadays, actually.
Anywhos, my required presence expired upon their twentieth birthdays, but my chosen presence did not.
You and I both know the clause. It’s not up to you, me, or Kirabaddon if I am here, but the boys.
If they wish me to leave, I will. If they want me to stay, I will. ”
My fingernails dig into Creed’s back, silently but painfully telling his ass to speak up. I don’t know if they really want him here, but I damn well do.
“Derivius will stay and accompany us as he always has.”
My breath whooshes out of me, and I declaw myself from him. I hold in a yelp when his hand slowly slides from around me and squeezes the shit out of my hip before he takes a step forward.
“If that is your will,” Kelshin, I suppose, grits out.
All the Dark Gods sheath their swords at the same time, then change their formation. Instead of circling us, they now stand on each side, creating their own path for us to walk through. I stare in confusion until Derivius’s voice sounds far closer than it was.
“Boys, it’s very good to see you. Who do you have here?”
My nose scrunches as I scowl at him when he steps into my view. The seriousness on his face, along with his outstretched hand, confuses me.
“This is Thayla Godrun, our Binder. Thayla, this is Derivius, Beginning God of Chaos.”
Understanding dawns on me at Amick’s introduction.
Don’t make it obvious we know each other.
My hand slides into his, and his fingers grip me gently.
“Isn’t this my lucky day? I get to meet not one but two Beginning Gods. Who would’ve ever thought a little troubled girl from Oddian would have all her prayers answered?”
His lips twitch and his blue eye twinkles with the desire to laugh. “It pleases me dearly to make you feel so special.”
He releases me with a small chuckle and pulls both Kyzen and Riven in for a hug. He and Amick exchange a nod, then he lays his hand on Creed’s shoulder.
“Shall we? I’m sure he’s growing antsy by this point, and that’s always a delight.”
His tight smile has me right back on the edge, and I straighten my spine. My eyes scan what’s ahead of us before he closes the gap with his shoulder pressed to Creed’s.
It wasn’t as long of a look as I’d like, but I saw enough. The gods who escorted us here have, in fact, created a path for us. One that leads right past the God of Obliteration’s statue and into his temple.
A dreadful shiver races down my spine despite the impeccable shine of the structure and the chiseled perfection of the stone. Nothing about this place of worship brings me any comfort or peace, like I’ve heard people say they experience when they leave the temples.
I can’t believe that, of all places, this will be the first house of worship I step into.
My stomach is revolting, as are my feet, and I want to turn around and take my ass back home. I’d never make it, though. I have a sinking feeling that if I tried, I’d be causing more problems than we can currently handle.
My unease sinks deeper inside my bones as we enter the large torch-lit chamber, and a dark laugh echoes all around us.
“My sons. Look at how much you all have grown. Come forward and let me see each of you.”