Thayla #3
Just the thought of the power has the back of my throat humming. I suck in a deep breath, and on my exhale, my Obliteration flows through my parted lips. The moment it makes contact, the Goddess of Creation’s power reacts.
It flickers—almost a flinch—and the air around the door warps. Pressure builds as if the space itself is trying to reject me.
I don’t relent. I push more.
My Obliteration pours out of me and devours her Creation from the inside out.
Her power doesn’t shatter. It simply…ceases. Piece by piece. Layer by layer.
Until there’s nothing left.
The pressure vanishes, and my hands slam flat against bare wood.
For a fleeting second.
Then a breeze blows past me as even the wood fades to nothing but ash in the air.
My soul surges from my chest, and my gasp has my eyes flying open. Everything within me shudders and my hands fall fast.
“Thayla.”
My name echoes through the space.
“Guys.”
I breathe.
Before I can lift my foot from the ground, my whole body’s being lifted and spun around.
Four sets of hands lie against my body everywhere they can reach. Fingers caress my face. Mouths brush against my skin. Their souls touch mine in frantic strokes that steal my breath.
The embraces are everything and more, yet I…don’t feel it as strongly as I expected.
A harsh breath tumbles from my lips as Riven sets me down and stares into my eyes.
Okay, emotional barrier, you’re not needed anymore.
Thank you for protecting my heart.
My power comes to my call, lowering the block I’ve miserably had up for almost two days now.
My chest hollows and my knees threaten to give out on me as soon as my power of Boundaries reaches my spine. Water builds in the back of my eyes, and I choke down a sob ready to force its way through my pinched lips.
Oh…no, no, no. Nope.
I summon it right back to the surface and slam it back in place.
The guys all take a step back from me as my hands grip my knees and I struggle to catch my breath.
“What the fuck was that?” Creed asks.
Ah shit.
That’s what Yemi meant when she warned me about the emotions I truly felt roaring to the surface.
“Thayla, what’s wrong?” Kyzen asks as he bends down in front of me.
“Nothing, it’s…I’ll have to explain later. We don’t have much time. Matter of fact, I need the exact time right now. How long has it been since we first arrived here?”
“Almost forty-eight hours. Why? What’s—”
“No, Kyzen. Hours and minutes to the exact time.”
His eyebrows scrunch together as he studies me. I force my back to straighten, and I spare Amick, Riven, and Creed a glance as I feel the weight of their attention pressing in on me.
“Forty-seven hours and fifty-four minutes.”
Holy shit. We’re really cutting this close.
“Okay, we need to starshoot to the front doors, like now. I have no clue how to get us back through the house, and we don’t have time for that anyways.”
“What is going on, Thayla?” Amick asks, and I clench my hands.
“I swear I will explain everything I can as soon as I can. Please, everyone, starshoot to the front doors.”
I don’t wait for them to keep questioning me. The best way to just get them to listen is to make them.
My power wraps around me and carries me away. I pop out of my starshoot and Mara and Gladian whirl around to face me.
“Shit. Where are—”
Mara’s question is cut off as the air shifts behind me.
“Not fucking cool, little burden. You—what the hell are they doing here?” Riven asks.
I take the few steps down and head toward Mara. She passes over Creed’s sword without me even having to ask.
“Everything out here okay? All the Dark Gods taken care of?”
“Yeah,” Gladian grunts. “Where is Sevryn and his Valtrue? And how the fuck are we going to explain all these bodies?”
There are quite a few piles.
I step past them, focusing—well, attempting to focus—on nothing but the bodies laid about.
Slowly, I allow my Obliteration to bleed out of me once again. A few unfortunate bushes and flower beds don’t survive, but it is what it is.
I’m so grateful it’s been listening to me so well today.
Usually, I’d never…oh.
Oh my gods. I know why it’s coming to me so easy.
“Thayla!” I whip around to Creed’s bark of my name. “What the fuck is going on?”
My gaze scans the four of them. Their tense muscles, furrowed brows, and deep frowns speak a thousand words.
Wait a second…
“Who the fuck put their hands on you?” I ask.
All of them.
They all have blackened eyes and busted cheeks.
Who needs to die?
“We can talk about that later, little goddess. We need to get out of here,” Kyzen says, and they each nod.
“No, no, no,” I shout, throwing my hands up before Riven does something stupid like starshoot out without us.
“V, I got the guys out front. Everyone okay?”
“Perfect timing. Everyone’s okay and every Attendant’s coming with us. Plus…well, never mind, Yemi can share. We’re ready to go when you are. Once I leave, my power leaves.”
Shit. That’s right.
I release a tense breath.
“Go to the Sanctum and wait for her and her Valtrue. They’re leaving when we do. She can explain what’s going on.”
Gladian and Mara nod at me, then at each other. In a blink, they’re gone.
“What the hell?” Riven asks, perching his hands on his hips. “What did you do, angel? Gather an army while we were locked away.”
I cock my head to the side. “I mean…something like that.”
They each gawk at me.
“Kyzen, what’s the time?”
“Why do you—”
“Please,” I beg.
“Forty-seven hours and fifty-eight minutes.”
“Ah, fuck me,” I shout, gripping my roots.
They’re going to have to deal with a simple explanation and a trust me.
“Leave in exactly two minutes, V.”
He hoots, and as gently as I can, I pull the parchment out of my armor where I’ve had it tucked the whole time. It’s definitely not as pristine as I’ve kept it, but a couple of wrinkles aren’t going to change the outcome.
“Okay, please just listen and trust me. I don’t have time for questions, but I promise to answer everything when we get home. We have to wait to leave this house at exactly the forty-eight-hour mark. Not a minute before and not a minute after. From here, we have to go straight to the Neutral.”
“The Neutral? Why—”
I wave my hand, cutting Amick off. His eyes drop to the parchment I’m attempting to pass him.
One glance at it and he knows everything I did.
“Mysenta,” he breathes.
“What?” Creed, Kyzen, and Riven yell.
“She got the signatures for us.”
They snap their attention to me, and I muster up as much of a smile as I can.
“Time, Kyzen?” I ask.
“Thirty seconds,” he says as he takes measured steps toward me. His heated gaze bores into me, and his finger tilts my chin up as soon as he reaches me. He lays the barest, softest kiss on my lips. “Do you remember how to get to the Neutral?”
I nod. “I remember the statues.”
“I know you fucking didn’t,” Creed rumbles, and I bite back my smirk as he eyes the parchment in Amick’s hands.
“It’d seem the Goddess of Death can go to Hell whenever she damn well pleases.”
He scoffs, but I catch the twitch on his lips.
“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this story. I’m so pissed we missed out,” Riven says, grinning from ear to ear.
I take a deep breath and slowly release it.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…”
Their voices join mine and, together, we finish our countdown.
As soon as we hit one, I give them a confident nod.
Their flashes of light cause my bottom lip to tremble, and I swallow down the knot in my throat.
Just a little while longer. Then you can feel it all.