Chapter 22 Kyzen #4
“Ellian informed me Harriseen was getting ready to enforce a monthly mandatory power measuring. All completed Valtrues were going to have to put their blood back in the Volreen. We won’t be here for their meeting that approves it, nor will we be for the first measuring.”
“Why does he want to do that?”
“Supposedly, the Gods want to make sure the power they’ve given is being appreciated.
It smells of something foul, but I haven’t figured out what yet.
I truly don’t know anymore whose side or what the High Chancellor is up to.
This hasn’t been a priority of mine to figure out, given everything else going on. It’ll still have to wait.”
“Thayla’s blood can’t go back into the Volreen. We can’t afford anything about her being noticed by the other gods.”
He sighs heavily as he staggers toward the desk and places his hand on his newly copied book. “I know that. We’ll figure that out when we return.”
His starshoot sends the book to his room, I assume, and his entire body slumps forward. He catches himself but barely.
We both shake our heads and gather ourselves enough to cross the room.
“They are leaving now.”
Amick and I startle as V’s voice penetrates our minds.
“Perfect timing. We are as well.”
Amick heads out first, and I crash right into his back as soon as I shut the door behind me.
“What are you—”
A thud echoes down the hall, and I step around him. My eyes grow wide as they run up and down Thayla, Yemi, the body at their feet, then back up to their guilty faces.
“I swear this isn’t what it looks like.”
“It looks like the two of you have some explaining to do.”
“And quickly,” I add on.
“I may have freaked out. I didn’t mean to. It just happened,” Thayla says, looking between us nervously.
Amick pinches the bridge of his nose. “I beg of you, Thayla, please use your words. I don’t have it in me to try to piece together what it is you’re wanting to say.”
Her mouth opens, and concern etches across her forehead. “Are you both okay?”
I nod. “We’re exhausted and drained. Back to the problem at hand, please.”
“Right. Well, he came around the corner and surprised me. In this really mean, stern voice, he barked, ‘Hey. What are you two doing here?’ and I panicked.”
“By panicked, she means froze, then knocked his ass out. She didn’t even attempt to say what you told her to say,” Yemi adds, crossing her arms and smirking over at a glaring Thayla.
“Let’s get him into my office and we’ll figure it out from there. I’ve got to sit down.”
Amick and I step toward them, but Thayla waves us off.
“No, you two really don’t look good. We can get him. He isn’t nearly as big as you all are.”
“Practice makes perfect,” Yemi teases, winking at Thayla, who laughs like she isn’t picking up an unconscious man.
“What is she referring to?” Amick asks.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“V, will you tell Riven and Creed to meet us at my office, please? We’ve got a situation.”
A small hoot flutters through my mind as I guide us through the few halls over. Every few moments, I peer over my shoulder and have to hold in a snort as Thayla and Yemi waddle sideways.
Yemi’s got the guy’s legs and Thayla has his arms.
“We should drag him.”
“For the Valories, Thayla. You already knocked him out when he didn’t do anything but scare you.”
“Shit, you’re right. That was awful of me to suggest a way to make this easier for us.”
My lips curl between my teeth as I hold in my laugh and open my door. Creed and Riven whip around to face me at the same time.
“What’s the situation?” Creed asks, immediately on the defensive.
“Oh, you know. Just Thayla knocking people out and shit.”
I step to the side and allow her and Yemi to shuffle in. Poor Amick is pale in the face, but he’s holding his shoulders back and following right behind.
We all stare at the girls as they lay the man down and Thayla places her hands on her hips, stretching her back out.
“Damn, he was actually heavy.”
Silence follows for half a second before Riven loses his absolute mind. He falls into Creed’s side, dying with laughter, and it’s taking everything in Creed not to crack along with him.
“Gods, you tickle my fancy.”
She snorts, shooting us all a guilty smile. “I really didn’t mean to do it. I just reacted.”
“Do you think he saw your face?” Amick asks.
“Oh yeah. I really did freeze while I repeated what Kyzen told me to say in my mind. My fist just reacted before my mouth.”
I don’t have the energy to do anything other than smile at her.
“Easy fix,” Riven singsongs as he skips over there. Before I can shout for him to stop, he sprinkles powder over the poor guy’s face. “There we go, good as new.”
“Riven, what the hell was that? And where did it come from?” I ask.
“My right pocket, obviously. That delicious little treat, I’ve named Forget Me Dust. He’ll wake in about twenty minutes and not remember the last few hours.”
That’s a little extreme.
“Don’t dwell on it. It’s taken care of. Did you two get it done?” Creed asks.
“Yeah.” I sigh.
“Good. You two starshoot to the house if you can. You both look like shit. I’ll take care of Thayla’s victim, and we’ll walk back.”
“I have to get my finalized report to the High Chancellor. It’s on my desk in my office.”
“We’ll handle that as well. Go, both of you,” Creed commands, and I don’t have a fuck to give or argue.
Thayla crosses my office over to me and presses up on her toes to give me a kiss. “I’ll see you soon. Creed and I will whip something up in the kitchen to make you both feel better.”
“Will you, now?” I ask, smirking and peeking over her head at him.
“Yes, we will. You and Amick go get comfy.”
She makes her way over to him as well and hesitates only for a moment before laying a kiss on his cheek. It takes a massive amount of restraint for him not to smile.
He and I nod at one another, then starshoot home.
To my surprise, we both appear right outside her bedroom door.
I arch my brow at him.
“I’m about to fall asleep, but I’d like to try whatever she makes me. I figured she may not want to enter my room without me answering my door, so I decided coming here would eliminate that worry for her.”
I smile at him and pass through her door, then kick my shoes off as I stagger to her bed. “For future reference, this is my side. That can be your side.”
“Very well. I like the positions. If there were to ever be an intruder, you could use your power to slow them down while I roll her off this side of the bed.”
My head hits the pillow, but that doesn’t stop the offended glare I shoot him. “So I’m being sacrificed, huh?”
“If they’ve made it past Creed’s room and this far into the house, we’re all sacrifices.”
Fuck, the things he thinks about.
“Maybe we all should just sleep in the same room then.”
“I approve of that idea.”
Damn. Probably should’ve run that by Thayla and the other two first before I opened my mouth.
Knowing Amick, he’s already reworking the bedroom’s layout.
Really, though, we’re getting ready to get a taste of what it’d be like.