Thayla
Almost time, soul.
Just a few more minutes.
My chest expands as I rub my hands down my hips, mapping out the shape of my daggers. They’ve been a constant companion, a reminder, every moment since I hit the fucking dirt in the Court.
The breath I release flows through my lips as my trembling fingers trace the handles of Creed’s swords.
Okay, my precious weapons of death.
Time to go get my men.
A small chuckle replaces my exhale as I sheath the swords in my holsters, then leave his room.
I’ve been very careful returning them to their exact positions each time I’ve borrowed them.
Despite Creed’s hatred toward his parents, even he can admit that these weapons are valuable.
It’s also a little poetic in my opinion that when his father handed them over to him, his cocky ass probably never assumed his son would wield them against him.
My gaze meets Yemi’s as she finishes tightening the straps on her back that hold her own swords. I swallow the nerves that creep up my spine. I won’t voice my fears about her, Doren, Iric, and even Nero coming with us. She knows I have them. She also knows I have faith in her.
“Ready?” she asks.
“Yeah.”
“Seismet, Verlet. We’re getting ready to go,” I say as she links her arm through mine.
“I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to tell Havar to come move my restraints so I can join you,” Seismet says.
“You’re not.” I chuckle lightly. “It was too much of a risk when you did that and came to the Abandon. We won’t be doing that again.”
His very unhappy neigh vibrates my mind, and I pat Yemi’s hand, halting her steps before we pass out my front door and I get too far out of his range.
“I know you’re worried about me, and that means the realm to me, but I swear to you, Seismet, this will be one of the last endeavors I take on without you by my side. I will do any and everything in my power to get you out of that contraption.”
He sighs. “I know you will. I just want you to be safe.”
“I will be.”
“Good luck, Thayla. Bring them home to us,” Verlet says.
“I’m going to.”
I swear.
With a nod to Yemi, we carry on to the front door, and everyone’s attention swivels to us.
Sevryn, Iric, Nero, Doren, Gladian, and Mara are armored and weaponed up. Ready to go. Lambrit, Rose, Havar, and Ellian wear matching, concerned smiles.
I give them one full of as much confidence as I can.
“We’re cutting it a little close, don’t you think?” Sevryn asks.
“No. It’s going to be tight in timing, but they can’t leave that house until exactly forty-eight hours. Not a minute before. We can’t risk just standing there waiting for the minutes to tick down. That leaves too much time for the Goddess of Creation to figure out what’s happening.”
He tightens his lips and nods.
“Sevryn’s filled us in on everything except how we’re getting there. He said that was for you to share,” Gladian says and I focus on him.
“I don’t trust you,” I state, holding my hand up to shut him up before carrying on. “But I’m going to, today.”
“V.”
With a hoot that shakes the very ground, he appears on my shoulder in a bright flash of white light. Gladian and Mara stumble back, staring at him in disbelief.
“This is V. My Vedarya. He’s going to take us to Valveilious.”
The two of them stand frozen. I’m not even sure if they’re breathing. I give them another moment to stay lost in their stupor before I snap my fingers to get their attention.
“Iric is aware of where the Goddess of Creation’s house is, so he’s going to share that location with V.”
My attention turns to Iric, but Nero cuts in before he can speak.
“There are two weak spots in the barrier to Valveilious. One is where we left through from the Sanctum the day of the trial and the other is in the center of the Court. It’ll be easier for us to move through one of them than leave from this lawn.”
“Of course,” I grumble.
“Leaving from the Court would be the smartest move. You don’t need every eye in the Sanctum to see you leaving like this,” Lambrit says.
I nod and turn my focus back to Gladian. “Can you go clear the Court?”
“Yeah,” he grunts, then disappears through his starshoot.
I meet Mara’s arched brow. “What?”
“You’re always full of surprises. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad.”
“Same.” I huff a small laugh. “You sure you want to do this?”
She shrugs. “No others can say they went to Valveilious, killed a bunch of Dark Gods, broke the sons of Obliteration out of entrapment, and then lived to tell the tale.”
I roll my eyes at her, then turn back to Iric.
“Ready?”
V glides over to him after he dips his head. We all wait silently as he does whatever it is he does to see something in someone’s mind.
After a heartbeat, he hums and soars back to me.
“Let’s go to the Court and we’ll decide what we’re going to do from there.”
Mara flinches and her head darts around before settling on V. Everyone else has most certainly grown accustomed to him speaking in their minds over the last almost forty-eight hours.
Lambrit, Rose, and Havar pull Yemi and me into a group hug that I teasingly laugh at. Really, their love and care for me sink deep into my bones.
I’ll never be able to repay them for everything they’ve done for me.
Not that I really think they’ll want repayment, but what do you say to those who’ve literally been ready and willing to put their necks on the line for you?
“We’ll be back. Straight to the entrance of the Court,” I mutter as I separate myself first.
Those of us going collectively nod to one another as Lambrit, Rose, Ellian, and Havar step away.
Our footsteps fall in line with each other as soon as our starshoots release us. Yemi’s ass lowers my arm before I can tell the Beginning Gods’ mural fuck you with my middle finger.
“Today’s probably not the day to chance that,” she states, cutting her eyes at me.
True.
The last of the Defenders leaving the arena of the Court cross the archways to the chambers just as we step foot into the dirt. Gladian stands in the center, twirling two swords with two more strapped to his back.
“Go ahead, V,” I say.
“There’s a small pathway that leads to the gates of her house. Do you want me to drop you all there, or right in her gardens?”
“Right in the gardens would give us the element of surprise. We just come out swinging. But…the gates would give us a moment to regroup,” Nero responds.
“Yeah, but what if there’s something that’s surrounding the gates? It could take Thayla and me too much time to break through it. That would for sure grab the attention of all the Dark Gods,” Yemi says.
Fuck, she’s right.
The choice kind of makes itself then.
Deep breath.
“The gardens it is.”
I unsheathe my—well, Creed’s swords—and keep them pointed down so I don’t accidentally slice one of them. Everyone follows suit, readying their weapons.
“Are you all ready?” V asks.
“Yes.” They all respond. Except for me.
“You drop us and leave, V.”
“I can help.”
“I have no doubt about that, but it’s too risky. What if the Goddess of Creation senses the commotion and sends the God of Obliteration to check on things?”
“I’ll stay and block everyone’s power so you go undetected. I’ll stay out of the fighting.”
The finality in his tone makes my jaw tense.
“Fine.”
“Here we go, everyone. Three, two…” My eyes drift shut as I inhale and let the numbness settle inside of me. “One.”
His power wraps around us, and my blood heats from his warmth for a few blissful seconds.
Then the strong floral scent hits me and my lids fly open. The glistening home shines brighter than the sun. It’s damn near freaking blinding.
A stunned silence holds everyone still.
Until the first bellow breaks free.
Yemi’s power brushes across my skin as she places a barrier around any and everyone near her. My spine tingles from the familiarity.
Sevryn, Gladian, Mara, and I separate from her and the others with war cries pouring from our throats as we charge toward the small, oncoming army.
Fuck…there may be more than forty here now.
My stomach swirls as the first Dark God’s sword collides with mine. I lock my Chaos down as tight as I can. The emotions that threaten to burst out of me wouldn’t bring these beings to their knees today.
If anything, it’d make this battle a hell of a lot harder to conquer.
A shout of determination rips from my lips as I plunge my sword through his stomach. His dark blood drips off the tip while he hits the ground.
The first night I ever battled these beings races through my mind. I remember how petrified and panicked I felt when Creed told me there’d be ten of them to one of us.
Those feelings are nowhere to be found now.
The more the merrier.
The more we take down now, the fewer there are in the Abandon.
Steel clashes around me like a relentless symphony of violence that drowns out everything but instinct.
Sevryn moves at my side. He has a sword but rarely wields it.
His hands stretch out as he directs his Pain, efficient and lethal, while Gladian meets brute force with brute force.
Each swing of his weapon shakes the ground beneath us.
Mara—crazy ass—has a bloodthirsty smirk on her face as she spins and stabs any who get within arm’s length of her.
Another Dark God lunges for me, and I pivot. His blade screeches against mine as I shove him back and swing the second one up, nearly slicing him in half.
There are so fucking many. They close in, pressing, testing, waiting for one of us to falter.
My grip tightens and my determination solidifies.
A scream tears through the garden, and a pinch of panic squeezes my heart.
“Sevryn!”
Yemi’s shriek may be muffled, but the fear in her voice isn’t. I swear time slows as I stare at the rippling bubble she has around herself, Doren, and Iric.
“No!”
Sevryn’s bellow pierces my ears as he races across the space to reach them. Dark God after Dark God continues to slam their swords against her hold.
Just like in Hellveilious, she’s holding her barrier strong.
Protecting them with all she has.
They will not lay a vile fucking finger on her.