Chapter 13 Thayla
Thayla
“You’ve got everyone about ready to shit themselves.”
Yemi’s knowing smirk and arched brows have me chuckling as I approach her at her back door. She eyes the plate in my hands, and I contemplate keeping it to myself.
These cookies are so damn good.
I accidentally ate three before I left the kitchen.
“You don’t seem worried at all.”
She shrugs, taking the plate I finally offer. “I’m not. I’ve been thinking about the worst things you could come in here and say. To be honest, none of them are bad enough to make me freak out. The closest to it is if you tell me I have to go to the Abandon with you next time.”
I cringe. I don’t foresee me asking her to join me if, by some chance, we have to go before our trip.
Afterward…well, if we fail, I still don’t plan on her coming with me. I don’t know if someone’s going to force that, though.
“Ugh, I don’t like that look at all.”
“I know. I swear I’m not asking you to go to the Abandon with me. Does everyone want to eat or talk first?”
“Talk. Well, Havar’s already eating. He said he wasn’t letting you spoil his appetite. We might be lucky to get food.”
I snicker at her jab at him. She really is a great cook, though, so it wouldn’t be hard for Havar to eat all her food. She could give Creed a run for his talent.
I may very well, if this goes okay, set up a cooking competition between the two of them. It’ll be a good excuse for me to stuff my face and be a nice little bonding moment for them since she’s still the most hesitant with him.
As soon as we walk in, the laughing ceases, but the smiles on Lambrit’s and Rose’s faces settle my instant doubt.
Rose’s gaze is tender even as it moves from Lambrit to me and I find myself increasingly appreciative of her. Not only has she made him incredibly happy as far as I can tell, but she’s also been so welcoming and accepting of our friendship.
Never once has she made me feel like she’s only my friend because of Lambrit. Hell, there have been times she’s called him out gently for calling me out.
Yemi and I cross her living room to her counter, and I smirk at Havar’s puffed cheeks.
“What?”
“Knew you were getting us into some shit when you suggested a big dinner together.”
I grin deviously as Yemi elbows him in the ribs, causing him to choke. “How about you don’t talk with your mouth full, you savage beast?”
“You know…you’ve been taking her side a lot lately over mine and I don’t appreciate that,” he sputters and we all laugh at him as he wipes his mouth.
“She doesn’t drive me mad. You, on the other hand…”
“What’s driving me crazy is not knowing what’s going on. Ready to jump in, Thay?”
I wasn’t. I was enjoying the banter starting up, Lambrit.
I, of course, don’t say that and instead pull one of Yemi’s counter stools out and make myself comfortable.
“Havar, Rose, you’ve both been told about how I didn’t want to come here and how I ended up here, right?” They each look at the person responsible for telling them and I laugh to ease their nerves. “It’s okay, I figured by now that would’ve been shared among you all.”
Here goes nothing.
I let it all fall out. And I mean everything.
Each time I pause to suck in air, they prepare to say something, but I don’t let them. I continue to let it all pour out of me.
From the moment Havar picked us up in Oddian, to this moment right now, I don’t skip a detail. Every moment that passes, I see the multitude of emotions flash across each of their faces.
Lambrit’s expressions have me on edge and I can’t focus on him too long. He may have sworn nothing I had to say would change the way he felt, but he had no clue what I was really about to lay on the table for them.
His features morph from fear to anger, back to fear, to calculation and deep concentration. I don’t know what’s running through his mind.
Rose looks absolutely concerned. Her power is trying to crawl all over me, and I don’t know if she can’t help it or if she’s letting it out freely to help her and Lambrit.
Havar is stunned. He’s statue-still, with his fork stabbed full of food and clutched in his hand. Part of me is curious to know if he’s thinking to himself, ‘Fuck, I should’ve left this girl in Oddian or at the cliff.’
Yemi…she’s the one who has me most worried. Her face hasn’t changed one time. It’s shut down. Blank. She stares at me intently even as her hands take notes in her notebook that keeps her organized.
She’s going to be mad as fire when I tell her she has to destroy those.
I release a final deep breath. “So yeah, if we don’t succeed on this quest, the God of Obliteration is going to take me back with him to the Abandon and give me his power.”
The silence that hangs in the air isn’t heavy. It’s fragile.
It’s like we all know, one wrong word—reaction—will have the friendships crumbling around us. New and old.
I can’t take it any longer and let my face fall.
“Someone say something. Anything.”
Everyone speaks all at once and I jerk back from the noise.
“Stop. Everyone, stop now. I can’t take you all shouting,” Yemi commands.
Her chest rises and falls as she grips the counter and stares down at her list as she tries to catch her breath.
“Thank you. We’ll start at the beginning. Does anyone have any questions about from the time she was Chosen to her arriving in Godsden?”
They all murmur no, and I swallow roughly at the low tones.
“What about what happened during her first two tests?”
Everyone shakes their heads.
“The Gods Veil?”
A question falls from each of their lips, but she holds her hand up. “You first, Lambrit.”
“Did he really, like physically split your soul or is it more of like a metaphorical connection? Maybe your Valtrue mark and tie are stronger somehow because of him, but it’s not really your soul.”
“No, he really split it. I felt every second it took to tear apart, and the guys felt it when it pierced them. I could tug on the sliver of it I have, and they more than likely would kick Yemi’s door in to get in here.”
“And that’s how they got to you so fast in the Court?” He follows up.
“That’s right.”
“As long as it’s in them, you can’t die.”
“Yes. Derivius confirmed that.”
“Anything else about the interaction in the Veil?” Yemi asks and the others murmur that Lambrit brought up what they were going to. She nods and my heart pinches a little at her clinical way of approaching this.
It’s like the girl I met on my first day is standing before me. Not the girl I’ve grown close to. I’ve desperately tried to ignore it, but she was swiftly becoming one of my best friends. I can’t help but feel like I’m losing that as she checks off each topic on her list.
“I do have questions about the Oblirians, but those aren’t the creatures I care to talk about.
I believe that can be discussed at another time.
I want to know about your connection to I believe you said his name is Seismet?
And also, not trying to be a dick right now, but I think you’re confusing Vedaryas with some other creature. ”
“Is she?”
Light blaring through the room has everyone but me shielding their eyes and turning their heads. I give V a deadpan stare as he appears perched on the backrest of Yemi’s couch.
Now was most certainly not the time to make his grand entrance.
They’re all stunned as it is.
“I warned you they’d be shocked and to prepare for that.”
“I-impossible,” Havar stutters as he backs away from the counter.
“Not impossible. He’s standing right before you,” I huff and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Everyone, this is V. He somehow has impeccable, yet poor timing.”
“Don’t listen to my negative Vedae. My timing is perfect.
I’m so happy to finally meet you all. My name is V.
I will be inadvertently guiding all of you alongside Thayla.
So my first piece of guiding advice is to drop this conversation.
You are all worried, worked up, nervous, and fearful.
All of which is normal, but I can promise you, Thayla is no different of a person than she was before she told you these truths.
Her Valtrue are still the men you’ve come to know. The five of them aren’t to be feared.
“One way or another, beside them, or without them, all your lives would be changed by the changes happening in our realm. This journey you all are embarking on together is your opportunity to grow closer. Envision a realm you want to live in. Together, you are all going to make a difference.”
V’s power flows through the room like a small breeze on a scorching day.
It settles over our skin, cooling the emotions that were blazing to life.
I’ve felt his power plenty. Every time he lands on me or I hold him, but this is the first experience I’ve had where his words are physically changing something inside of me.
My fear and doubt that they’re going to freak out and never want to speak to me again cease to exist. Everyone seems to gradually become lighter.
“V, what exactly are you doing?”
“The same as what happened to you in the hot spring is happening right now.
My realmly power allows me to wash away obstacles such as thoughts that could be clouding your judgment.
Fear is a very powerful emotion. Sometimes it is best to embrace it, make decisions based on the situation at hand.
Then other times, like right now, the fear is a natural response, but there is nothing for anyone to work out or learn from that emotion.
“It’s weighing you all down and burying your truer sentiments.
If any of them had really felt negative toward you, they would’ve reacted so as soon as my power washed over them.
The same as you. If you didn’t care for them or their opinion of you, it would’ve been obvious.
I don’t usually interfere to this degree, but I wanted you to see your friend’s truth and I wanted them to see yours as well.
You all mean something to one another and it’s time to put the hesitation to the side. ”