Chapter 28 Thayla
Thayla
Even three hours after the fact, there’s still ringing in my ears.
Both from the shock that raced up my spine from the barrier and from Riven’s plea.
Gods, that cut me deeper than the pain from the barrier rejecting me. Us. I don’t truly know which of us it was trying to get away from it.
“You said multiple times you were fine. You were lying,” Seismet grumbles in my mind, causing me to sigh as I close my eyes and rest my elbow on the table. My face falls into my palms and I groan both mentally and out loud.
“I am fine, but yeah, of course that shit didn’t feel good. After getting shocked, I flew through the air and landed in a hot-ass hot spring. I’ll survive.”
“V, do something with your Vedae before I pull this carriage over.”
“What would you have me do? Pester her as you are?”
“Yes, exactly.”
V hoots exasperatedly. “There’s no need to pester her. It’ll only make her feel worse.”
“Thank you, V.”
“Verlet, this is your fault. She was protecting your companion. Why was he even trying to reach into that barrier?”
Seismet has been worked up since the second that power washed across the land surrounding it. He’s no doubt tapping into my emotions, plus dealing with his own.
I’m not blaming anyone, not even Riven, for anything. Yeah, that was my first thought, though. He was trying to pass through.
Now that the high has worn off, no part of me really thinks that and I feel like shit for hitting him. He’s been holed up in our room since we got back in the carriage and I haven’t been able to bring myself to go see him.
Kyzen’s told me twice that he’s fine, just resting.
“He wasn’t trying to reach into the barrier. He was just…”
“Well, spit it out, brother.”
“He was trying to feel what Thayla was feeling. He said she smiled at the barrier as she ran her hand across it, and he was curious. He was just trying to connect with her because he felt bad for letting his chaos slip out so much and kissing her again.”
My lips twitch at the phantom feel of that kiss.
Fuck, it was…so different than the other two he gave me.
The first kiss that he surprised me with was shocking, but that’s mostly because my soul was so tender, freshly split, and the sensation running through me overpowered everything else.
The kiss in the cave was so affectionate and passionate. His harmony was in full force and every part of him was trying to soothe me.
His kiss today…after he beat the hell out of Mellcom, was fucking enchanting.
Literally.
I don’t have another way to describe it.
His chaos had me spellbound, and I was ready to run amok right along with him. He could’ve gripped my hand and said let’s go tear some shit apart and I would’ve giggled and agreed.
The moment he pulled away and sucked his power back in, I was struck by the horrifying reality that this entire trip we’ll be stalked by the two people I’ve desperately wanted to run from.
I can’t seem to ever get away from them.
“I don’t blame him for anything, and you won’t either, Seismet. No one did anything wrong. Shit just happens.”
He scoffs but doesn’t make another remark.
“I’m not ready to talk to you.”
I peek my eyes open at Yemi, who doesn’t take her face out of her notebook as Sevryn slides into the seat beside her.
“Yeah, I’ve picked up on that quite clearly, seeing as you’re making me bed with your cousin.”
I snort, then groan and rub my temples.
I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline crash or just everything that happened in general, but my damn head is throbbing.
“Then what do you want?”
“To talk to Thayla.”
“She doesn’t want to talk to you either.”
A smile crosses my lips as his nostrils twitch, and he looks at me. “You heard her.”
“You two are ridiculous. I hope you know that.”
Faster than I can move, the asshole stabs me in my forehead with his finger.
Creed, who I swear was just at the stove, is on his ass faster than he can blink. He presses the knife he was using to chop some veggies against Sevryn’s throat.
“Remove your fucking hand from her.”
“Back the fuck off, Creed. She’s in pain and is trying to hide it.”
Creed scowls and whips those angry eyes at me. “Are you?”
“I mean, my head’s hurting, but nothing too bad.”
Sevryn huffs. “I’ve watched you for ten minutes now squint or flinch anytime it gets too bright or loud. Lie to someone else.”
“I’m not lying. I’m dealing.”
“Well, it’ll be gone in a second if you tell the God of Death to remove the knife from my throat.”
Creed rolls his eyes, nicking him just the slightest bit when he pulls the sharp blade away. “Whoops.”
“Fucking dickhead.” Sevryn smirks, obviously not affected at all by the little cut.
He’s a dickhead too, though, as without a warning, his power invades my mind.
I swear it feels like sludge is being cleaned from my brain. The strange and rough tugging has me hissing.
It’s done and over with just as fast as it started and for the first time since we got in the carriage, I can fully hold my eyes open.
“That was the most uncomfortable healing I’ve ever had.”
My eyes blink repeatedly, and I finally see Yemi and him clearly.
“That’s because it wasn’t healing. That was my power feeding on your pain. Thanks for the snack.”
“Gross, asshole. I didn’t say you could eat my pain.”
“So you would’ve preferred to stay in pain?”
“I would’ve preferred you say, ‘Hey, Thayla, so my power is fueled by other people’s pain. If you let me take yours away, we’ll both benefit from it.’ Not just fucking eat it like a creep.”
Yemi tosses her head back laughing, earning herself a nasty look, to which she shrugs. “She’s right. You definitely could’ve explained that. I haven’t explained anything to her about your power.”
“I’m sure her Valtrue’s given her an earful.”
“Nope. They won’t tell me a thing, actually.”
His eyes cut over to Creed, then Kyzen, and Amick, who are sitting around the two-seater counter in the kitchen. All of them ignore him.
Sevryn grunts. “I’m basically a carbon copy of my dad. I have power over pretty much all things pain.”
My eyes widen. “Shit, seriously? I mean, I kind of picked up on that in Hellveilious but didn’t really think that was the time to ask all my questions.”
“No, probably not, but I’ve got some questions about two of Gladian’s Valtrue members. The one Riven punched and his friend.”
“Those are literally the last two people in existence I want to talk about.”
“Yeah, Yemi explained what they did that landed you here, and she also said they both have a domain under my father. Tell me about the blond one.”
“I seriously don’t want to talk about him.”
“Drop it, Sevryn,” Yemi warns, but he shakes his head.
“The brown-headed one, he definitely has a domain under pain. I sensed it as soon as he called his power forth. The blond, though, I didn’t sense that at all. It wouldn’t matter that he’s weaker than me. I’d be able to tell. He doesn’t have a domain under pain at all.”
His statement sends the carriage into silence. My mouth opens and closes repeatedly as I attempt to understand what he’s saying.
Amick reacts quicker.
“He has some form of emotional pain. He attempted to use it on Thayla before and we all felt it.”
“Plenty of powers can cause emotional pain, but that doesn’t mean they have a domain under it. I’m telling you. I don’t sense my father’s essence in him whatsoever.”
My gaze bounces between the guys as my mind whirls.
“Deliverances can say whatever they want on them. We know that’s a fact since mine said my domain was untold. The god who told him to enter me in the Veiling could’ve easily changed what his said.”
“Gladian, prior to what happened in the Court, said Mellcom was struggling the most with gaining control over his power. I thought he was lying to keep me from knowing what was going on in his Valtrue. That might not be the case if he’s been working on it under the assumption he has a domain under pain but unknowingly doesn’t. ”
For a fleeting second, relief floods me at the thought that Mellcom doesn’t have a domain under pain. That’s one less thing I have to worry about while they’re unfortunately tagging along on this quest.
That relief is washed away by fear of the unknown.
Fuck.
“This news is disturbing but irrelevant for now. We’ll add it to the list of things to find out after the Binding is in our possession.”
Amick pushes from his seat and makes his way over to me. His lips lie against my forehead for a moment, then slowly slip to my lips.
I try to chase his kiss as he pulls away. “Where are you going?”
“To get Riven so Sevryn can take his pain away.”
“You think he’s hurting?”
“Oh, yes, and trying to lie about it just as you were.”
“I didn’t agree to that,” Sevryn grumbles.
“You also didn’t ask my Binder for her permission before touching her,” Amick calls over his shoulder before passing through our door.
“He’s got a point. You can call this even.”
Sevryn rolls his eyes and turns to Yemi, but she shakes her head. “Nope. Learn to apologize for being an asshole, then I’ll carry on a conversation with you.”
He looks at me and I purse my lips.
“Don’t look at me for help. I don’t know what you did, but I’m on her side.”
“Okay, Amick, fuck. Give me a break.”
Riven staggers out of our room and my breathing hitches. He looks utterly exhausted. He’s walking, though, so hopefully nothing’s broken.
“What’s wrong, angel?” he asks with a sigh, and I cock my head to the side.
“Um, nothing…”
His eyes narrow before he casts them over at Amick. “You said she was feeling out of sorts and needed my help.”
“Well, before that, I asked you three times to come in here and you said no. I figured I needed to get creative.”
“So you lied?”
Amick tilts his head. “Yes, I guess I did.”
Riven attempts to walk away, but I reach out and grab his hand before he can. Sevryn leans forward and lays his hand on top of his without any warning and the look Riven shoots him before his eyes swirl blue is deadly.
“I did not say you could touch me.”
“Nope. She did, though.”