Chapter 27 Riven
Riven
My giggle pierces the air as soon as my chaos slips from my fingertips.
Five undead beasts and a Snugglybug surround Gladdy Daddy and his Valtrue as my brothers and I whirl around.
“What the hell are you doing here, Gladian?”
The God of Strength ignores my brother and keeps his gaze locked on mine. “First, you burn down my home, now you dare direct your chaos at me?”
“Oh, Gladdy. First, you have no proof I did that.” I take a step forward, chuckling as my animated power prowls closer as well.
They have no idea it can’t do any true damage to them, but I’ll keep that little disappointing secret to myself.
“Second, we aren’t in the Godsdawn anymore and this isn’t your quest. I’ll do far more than just direct it.”
One of my beasts lunges forward, snapping its jaw and growling menacingly.
“I’d advise you to answer my brother.”
He slowly reaches into his pocket, never taking his eyes off my sweet babies.
“We have our orders.”
Creed and Amick move as one to snatch the parchment out of his fingers.
My deadly brother can be quite the smug shit sometimes. I love it.
He gives one of my creations a little rub behind the ear, making it clear that the only gods in danger right now are them.
Not us.
Amick’s eyes eat up the piece of paper in record time, then he casts a gaze at Thayla that makes the wings flapping in my belly beat harder.
“The High Chancellor went above Derivius. They’re to accompany us, at a distance.”
“Who?” I growl.
“The God of Consequence.”
My nostrils curl.
We’ve never had the privilege of meeting him. He’s an elusive god who likes to stay out of sight, out of mind. Only making himself known when something bad enough to warrant a reaction calls.
Lazy fuck. All of them.
“Big DD, how the hell did this happen?”
“What in the realm is happening? Thayla is shouting curses at me as well.”
“Oh, don’t play stupid with me, pops. Harriseen somehow getting the God of Consequence to agree to letting Daddy Gladdy and his merry band of fuckwits accompany us all of a sudden.”
“What?” His shout causes my eye to twitch. “That meddling fool. Make do until I find out what happened and get this revoked.”
“Obviously, the High Chancellor shared our travel plans with you, but how did you know we’d be right here?” Amick asks.
Golden boy and Jerry look at my angel and I force my beast to jump at them.
It brings me great pleasure when Jerkoff squeals like a girl, but his lover doesn’t budge.
“Give it twenty years and you all may know her as well as I do.”
Oh, poor, poor Golden boy.
I fucking pounce on his ass like icing on a cake.
I’ll forever cherish the look of surprise that crosses his face as my legs wrap around his waist, and we fall to the ground together.
My knuckles split across his cheek and a laugh belts out of me when his collides with my ribs. Part of me wants to tickle him under his armpits, but instead, I punch him in the nose.
Repeatedly, my fists find his flesh.
I’d love to kill him.
“Give it twenty years,” I mock in a high-pitched voice. “Motherfucker, how about twenty hits to the head and then you won’t fucking remember who she is?”
A small hiss slips through my lips as his tooth cuts my damn knuckle. That’s the most pain this bitch under the domain has brought me and it pisses me off.
Time slows, unfortunately, just as I go to head butt ol’ what’s his fucking name. I pucker my lips and attempt to kiss his nose, but my brother snatches me off him faster than I can.
He slings me behind him, and I collide right into my angel’s open, awaiting arms.
I grip the back of her neck and slam my mouth to hers.
Fuck, her kisses are so addictive.
She’s going to kill me for surprising her again.
Gods, I could only hope so.
I shiver as she presses her body closer to mine, but that delicious feeling snaps me back to reality when my harmony tries to shove its way forward.
It needs to take away her tremors.
I fling myself from her and spin back around.
“I’ll fucking kill him.”
“Try.”
My heart flutters at Amick’s one word and how he blocks Jerry from attempting to get to me.
“Enough, Riven,” Creed bellows.
It’s only now I’m realizing how much of my power I really let seep free.
My poor brothers are doing their damnedest to hold off Gladian and his Valtrue. Our entire group of weirdos has their backs.
Oops.
I call my chaos to me, and everyone’s shoulders drop an inch.
I tap my mouth with my fingers as a handful of pretty angry glares get shot my way.
I shrug. “Let that be a warning about making stupid comments that get people punched.”
The carriage door slams, and we all turn, finding Thayla gone.
Yemi and Rose rush to follow, but before they disappear inside as well, Yemi looks over her shoulder and winks at me.
I fucking knew she liked me.
She better tell me how she senses me.
“Your Valtrue is pushing me, Creed, and I won’t stand for it. And you’ve got some explaining to do for him.”
Gladian points a trembling, menacing finger in Sevryn’s direction. I forgot his daddy and Daddy Gladdy hate one another.
“I’m not explaining shit to you, and I couldn’t give a fuck less what you will or won’t stand for. I read the decree the same as you. We’re in charge out here. You’re to accompany from a distance. I’ll warn you once to keep your distance.”
“We have more interruptions coming our way, boys. Fausta just reached out. They’re loading her and an Escort now for the God of Strength and his Valtrue.”
“Motherfucker. Not you, Verlet. Obviously.”
“The High Chancellor will be hearing about him.”
“He, in fact, won’t be. It’s been decreed.”
No sooner do the words leave Kyzen’s mouth than two parchments starshoot into existence.
One in front of Gladian and one in Kyzen’s hand.
I slink my way over to him, peering over his shoulder as I read.
We sure are putting Big DD to work today.
I, Derivius, Beginning God of Chaos do decree that the existence of Sevryn, son of the God of Pain, be bound knowledge. As far as all areas of Godsden know, he is dead. Any and everything that takes place on the quest set forth shall also be bound.
My lips curl as Gladian and his entire Valtrue shake where they stand.
That unmistakable power of the Gods Binding—well, technically, it’s what the Gods Veil feels like.
I’ve never felt the real Binding—but anywhos, it mingles in the air with Derivius’s, locking the God of Strength’s and his minions’ minds up tight.
The gods tried that shit with us when we first arrived in the Godsdawn, but they quickly and shockingly realized Amick’s mind wasn’t going to be locked down. He told them as long as his mind was free to think, he’d tell us anything.
They just had to take us for our word that we wouldn’t blab to all the other little loyal followers.
As soon as that power releases them, Gladian’s eyes narrow dangerously. He scans them across us slowly, searching for something.
“I don’t know what Harriseen told you about this quest, but you stay the fuck out of our way.”
I bite my tongue to stop from chuckling at Creed’s dark and delicious words. His threat is clear. It lingers in the air, waiting for a stupid-ass response so we can react.
“As you said, you read the decree. We won’t interfere, but you’re not to evade or avoid us. I’ll keep my Valtrue in check. You do the same for your own. Where are you going from here?”
We’re all silent as we stare them down.
“The barrier.”
Amick turns from them, stomping toward the carriage with a neck redder than roses.
Lambrit, Havar, Sevryn, and Kyzen follow right behind him.
Creed turns, gripping me by my damn shoulder and forcing me to go along with him.
I sigh as we pass through the threshold that’s a mix of the Goddess of Illusion’s power and my own. The grin on my face, though, flips upside down as we enter the living room and find only Yemi and Rose sitting on the couch.
“Where’s Thayla?” Creed asks before I can.
Yemi cuts her eyes over at us. No longer seeming all that playful. “In your room. She wants a minute alone.”
Well, that’s too bad.
I don’t make it three steps into the kitchen before Kyzen’s hand is pressed to my chest. I’m expecting some sort of calming speech, telling me to give her a minute.
What I wasn’t expecting was the anger in his eyes.
“What the fuck did I tell you, Riven?”
My forehead wrinkles. “What did I do?”
He stares at me. Long and way too hard.
Finally, he shakes his head in—what is that? Disappointment?
He drops his hand, turns from me, and mumbles to both Amick and Creed to give him a minute with her.
I place my hands on my hips and stare at my other brothers as they shuffle around the kitchen all antsy and pissy. I’m pretty sure with me.
“Either of you cares to spell out what I did? Is everyone mad I punched Melvin?”
“Mellcom,” Amick says.
“What?”
“His name is Mellcom, and no one is mad you punched him, Riven. He deserved it. It’s what you did after that in the heat of your chaos. You have to…” Amick stops and sighs.
He fucking sighs out loud.
When he lifts his gaze to lock onto mine, I’m not going to lie, the pleading behind them is a little shocking to me. My harmony slithers forward and I lock it down.
He steps closer to me, lowering his voice only for Creed and me to hear.
“Stop doing that to her, Riven. It’s confusing. If it isn’t obvious enough for you to see, then I’ll just spell it out. She’s struggling with being back here. This is her Abandon. Don’t make this any harder.”
Her Abandon.
Her Abandon.
Her Abandon.
The words repeat in my mind. The anger brews deep in my belly with the scenarios I create. They’re far worse than her reason for being afraid of the dark.
I shake my head and spin from facing our door before I charge in there and make her tell me every single thing that’s ever happened to her.