Chapter 9 Thayla #3
I did find that fascinating, and to my surprise, Yemi opened up and said that’s how she sends letters to her mom. In her mind, she pictures their kitchen table and starshoots the letter there for her mom to find.
That comment made me think back to what Havar said about us sending letters when he escorted me here on the Veiling Day. That’s how that’s possible. That’s also how everyone in Godsden communicates with each other so fast if they’re separated.
The only thing is, it’s one-way communication if it’s going out of Godsden.
The family or friends back home that these gods may want to write to have no way of getting a letter back to them.
My thoughts couldn’t help but drift to Laney.
A spark of motivation strummed through me. I grew determined to get my power to spread just so I could write her a letter and tell her we haven’t stopped thinking about her.
Once again, my power denied me that satisfaction and I called it a fucking day.
My fists clench around my comforter as annoyance burns through my body. I swing my legs over the side of my bed and head out my back door.
Fresh air, that’s what I need.
“Going for a run?”
“Shit,” I shriek as Yemi seemingly pops up out of nowhere. “You scared the life out of me. Where did you come from?”
She chuckles and nods toward her house. “I was coming to check on you. You were pretty irritated on the stomp home.”
“I didn’t stomp.”
Her brows scrunch together teasingly.
“Okay, maybe a little, but can you blame me? Why’s my power got to be so fickle? Why can’t anything be…easy?”
“I don’t have an answer for that, but I do understand.
My powers settled quicker than yours did, but it took a really long time for my abilities to show themselves.
They would’ve been handy early on when I was getting my ass beat daily, but they waited until the worst of the bullying was over before appearing. ”
I release my breath as my hands drop from my hips. My irritation with my power not cooperating dissipates and guilt that I’m whining over this shit when I could be completely alone like she was replaces it.
“I’m being a brat about this.”
“You are, but I think it’s earned.”
I smirk at the sass that’s been slowly but surely coming through more each day.
“Thanks for the support.” I sigh and internally fight with myself about telling her why my power is so weird and why it’s really bothering me. It takes me a millisecond to decide against it.
“So what are you about to do with the rest of your evening?” I ask.
“Havar’s lazy ass asked me to cook dinner for him tonight. He extended an invitation for you, but your secret admirer is going to be there as well.”
“Bummed I’m going to miss out on your cooking, but that’s a hard no from me. Did you tell Havar about him asking me out?”
“Absolutely not. Granted, in this case, I don’t think he’d say anything because he’d be worried about his friend losing his life. Not worth the risk, though.”
“Smart. Although I don’t think they’d do anything just because he asked me out. They’d probably give him ugly looks every time they saw him.”
“Really?” She arches her brow.
“You think they’d do more than that?”
“As reasonable as I’ve come to learn they are, I was right about how they’d act about you asking if you could date other people. So yeah, I think they’d do more.”
I shrug and nod. She’s got a good point there. When her smirk turns saucy and she crosses her arms, I know where she’s going with the conversation.
“Speaking of that…”
“I’m going for my run now. Have lots of fun and save me some leftovers.”
She chuckles behind me as I race toward the forest. Only a few paces in, I slow my sprint to a steady walk. I didn’t really care for a run. More so a stroll to clear my head.
It’s not helping, though.
I’m desperate for answers that would make life a little simpler.
“Seismet, V, are the two of you anywhere near me?”
Not a second later, a hoot sounds overhead, and I spin in a circle with my neck craned back.
“The grouchy old horse will be here in a moment.”
I snort as V lands on my shoulder and nuzzles into my cheek. The sounds of branches cracking grow closer, and I search the trees for Seismet.
“Why is he grouchy?”
“Because you are.”
“Me? I haven’t even seen him today.”
“You don’t have to see him. He’s been tapping into your connection increasingly in an attempt to solidify it faster. When he does that, though, he gets a great sense of what you’re feeling.”
“The way you pick and choose when to mind your own business is infuriating,” Seismet says as he trots into view.
“Says the one who’s been eavesdropping on my feelings without my knowledge.”
He doesn’t stop his walk until he’s face-to-face with me and lays his forehead against mine.
“Oh, please. He does it as well, but unlike our companion here, I do know when to mind my business. Any hint of feelings I shouldn’t feel, I pull away.”
My sigh is loud rather than mental, while their laughs bounce around in my head. “Thanks, I suppose.”
“You’re most welcome. What has you so moody today?”
Both of them express their displeasure and outrage when I start off telling them what the High Chancellor tried to pull. I chuckle as Seismet threatens to stomp on him and while V agrees, he pushes for more.
“What else happened?”
“We tried working with my power today and it was an epic fail. It wouldn’t listen whatsoever and I’m so tired of not understanding it. Some insight from my lovely, ancient, know-it-all connections would be helpful.”
Neither of them gives me any sass, any laughs, nothing. The silence that fills my head has me throwing my hands up and kicking the dirt at my feet.
“Don’t the two of you think I should know what you know about my powers?”
“No,” V says while Seismet huffs, “Yes.”
“That’s two against one.” My head swivels to stare at V.
He has the nerve to peck me on my damn nose, then flap his wings all in my face.
“Gang up on me all you want. That won’t sway all the answers out of me.”
“Come on, V. Give me something. Just a little guidance. I can’t have a repeat of what happened in the Court or the other day.
My power destroyed my bathroom. Thank fuck for the self-cleaning and fixing or it’d be unusable.
Even though Amick explained to me what it’d feel like, I didn’t even realize it was happening both times until after the fact.
“The sensations closely resemble what I normally feel when I’m pissed. I don’t even understand what my power does. First in the Court, it seemed verbal, as though my voice could command people, but then I literally destroyed glass and marble.”
“I will make a compromise. How does that sound?”
Seismet and I scoff. That draws an unexpected laugh from me, and V squawks at us like he’s tired of our shit already.
“Fine, fine. A compromise I can live with, if it’s promising.”
“Anything I say is promising.”
“Yeah, yeah, we get it. You’re ancient and know best. Get on with it and tell her something useful.”
“The two of you are going to be so difficult for me. I can see it clearly.”
I smile between the two of them as my heart swells. Their bickering is hilarious, but their easy teasing and closeness bring me a lot of joy.
It’s sweet.
“What’s your compromise, V? I’ll take anything at this point.”
“Instead of Amick telling you about how power is released from the Gods Binding and what it’s doing to you, I will teach you that. I will tell him the direction he needs to go in his lessons on teaching you how to control your power.”
“I really want to know how you knew that was his plan. Have you been talking to him without me?”
“His mind is much louder than anyone else’s. Due to his power, he is always thinking, nonstop, and those thoughts are loud. Last night, he was highly focused and concentrating on the plans he had for us all and what would benefit you the most.”
My heart pinches in both appreciation and worry. That’s incredibly endearing and flattering to know. At the same time, the way my thoughts send me spiraling out of control sometimes, I can’t imagine what it’s like to always be thinking.
I wonder what it’d be like for him if he could cut the thoughts off just for a little while.
“That’s a good compromise, V.”
“Wonderful. Just so you know, the Gods Binding has countless uses that you’ll eventually learn, but for the sake of this explanation, I’m only going to focus on releasing power. Let’s jump in.”
I snort and narrow my eyes at him.
Sly Vedarya had this planned.
“So as you’ve already been taught, in the very beginning, the Beginning Gods made the Gods Binding with the guidance and blessings of the Valories.
Many believe its creation was for the Beginning Gods to cycle their power through it to benefit others and the realm itself, but that wasn’t what it was originally intended to do.
That came later. Its purpose at the start was to help them harness their power.
Unlike nowadays, they were created with all their power at once.
That was more destructive than it was constructive. They had to find their harmony.
“They, together, decided the best way to achieve that would be if they could store some of their power. Start small and work their way back up. That was the birth of the idea behind the Gods Binding. Its formation was their first successful creation.
“We will skip the many millennia to come, but know, during that time was when they were learning how to work together.
They found their purpose with one another, their Designations, and the creation of the Domain Gods came about.
From there, they created the mini replicas.
I know you voiced previous confusion over that, but the process is quite simple.
The Beginning Gods formed seven imitations of the Binding.
Picture it as nothing more than a normal, everyday object.