average human’s Reviews > The Gods Veiling > Status Update

“Just tell me which of the houses is hers and we won’t bother you again.”
“No, absolutely not. You’ve lost your mind, Mellcom.”
“Do we have an issue here?” I ask as I walk up behind the two new gods cornering Lambrit at his podium.
Most Valtrues like to stick together. Mostly. It’d seem I made a grave mistake placing them on the same rotation, though. It’s becoming abundantly clear they’re going to be quite the nuisance in our lives.
“No issues at all. Just catching up with our Oddian buddy,” Jeremiah—the one I dislike the most—says as he attempts to lob his arm over Lambrit’s shoulder, which he easily evades.
“I see lying comes easily to you. I’d advise you to quit questioning the whereabouts of my home and the location of my Binder. This will be my last warning since yesterday wasn’t clear enough. You’re only receiving another because we’re within the Athenaeum.”
I stare them down. They may think they’re imposing figures now that they’re in Godsden and in a completed Valtrue with the God of Strength. But I shared a womb and have lived with the God of Death my entire life. They frighten me as much as the wind does.
“Come on, Jer,” Mellcom, the smartest of the two, says.
Lambrit scoffs and shakes his head as he watches them stomp off. He gives me a grateful nod and turns his attention right back to his work.
“Lambrit, your assistance for a moment.”
The brand-new fully placed Guider begrudgingly closes the book he was trying to read on the podium. I understand the irritation with being interrupted again whilst in the middle of something, but my request will only take a minute.
Just between his time with Chancellor Ellian yesterday and his time in the Athenaeum this morning, although Thayla was wrong about the hour comment, I do believe him mapping it all out has been an easy feat. He’s not only been able to identify and procure the material he needs for his own studies, but he’s also already begun guiding both his Attendant and Thayla’s.
It’s impressive. I look forward to working with him.
Rose rises from her chair she was sitting in, but I halt her. “Rose, you may stay here with Yemi and continue your lessons. He’ll only be a moment.”
A look of shock skirts across her face as her eyes bounce from me to Lambrit then back. I assume it’s the use of her name. I’ve overheard Lambrit and Thayla call her by her name rather than just Attendant, so if that’s how they deem both of their Attendants be addressed, then that’s what I’ll call them.
Wordlessly, Lambrit follows behind me to my office. Once I approach my door, I place my hand on the wood and turn the knob so he can enter.
“Would you like this shut, Rising Chancellor? And is this about what just happened? I didn’t tell them anything.”
“Open is fine and you may call me Amick. And no. I’m not concerned with the two of them. I’d like your opinion on these two chairs.” I motion to the new additions that are taking up space in my office.
Only one will stay, but narrowing down the choice has posed to be more difficult than I thought it’d be. I first grabbed a seat at random from within the Athenaeum, but when I sat on it, it was as hard as the floor. No matter how I maneuvered my body, it never got comfortable.
“Is there something special about either of them?”
“No. They both match the aesthetic, so they’re pleasing to the eye. They’re of above average size to accommodate a large male, so a female sitting with her legs crossed won’t be cramped. It’s the comfort level I haven’t been able to measure. I know which one I believe is more suitable, but another agreeing opinion would verify that.”
“A female with her legs crossed? Are you picking out a chair for Thayla, sir?”
“Yes.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you just ask her?”
“Given her Designations and the fact she didn’t decide on or hold a consistent role within Oddian, that leads me to believe she doesn’t like making choices.”
“You’d be correct. Choices about little things anyway. She finds them irritating.”
As do I.
“So you sought my opinion because she’s my best friend?”
“Precisely. She made the relationship between you clear to me. I would’ve asked Yemi, but they haven’t spent enough time together to know subtleties about each other such as this.”
He murmurs an agreement, then takes a seat in the first chair. Even though he brings his legs up to cross them as she does, he’s too tall to achieve it. “It’s very thoughtful of you to do this for her.”
“Thoughtful? She said she learns better when she’s relaxed and comfortable. She has a lot to learn. It’s practical.”
“Practical, yes, but you didn’t have to accommodate her. That makes the gesture thoughtful.”
Huh. I hadn’t considered that.
He rises and moves to the next chair, my choice, and makes an appreciative sound in the back of his throat. My silence stretches and when he realizes I have nothing to say, he carries on.
“Don’t worry too much about her catching up. She’ll get it. She always does. I’m afraid the strange sense of comfort she seeks when she studies is my fault. I study better standing.”
“How would your standing affect her comfort while learning?”
He laughs a little as his eyes lose focus and he grows still in the seat. “When we were growing up, she’d pace back and forth around me while talking. It was distracting. I tried to avoid her, but she always found me. So I started keeping snacks in my pocket for her. If she continued to talk, I’d pass her something to eat. But then she’d pace and eat.
“When she started doing that, I’d grab my book and lower myself to the ground wordlessly. She’d follow me. I did that wherever we were if I was doing something. After a while and many times of her complaining she wasn’t hungry and to stop giving her food, I exchanged the snacks for books. I always picked one I knew would hold her attention. It became habitual. She’d find me in the library, sit down on a chair or the ground with her legs crossed and I’d pass her a book.”
Fascinating.
That conditioning approach could be very beneficial for me. If I could get her comfortable enough to focus, make Kyzen stand in here and slow down time, I could have her caught up in no time.
“Can you define the time it took for this to become habitual for her? Were there other factors you tested? Did you use any sort of rewards system for her?”
He snorts and shakes his head with a small smirk on his face. “Thayla’s far too observant to be conditioned. She knew the entire time what I was doing. She just never called me out about it.”
“That simply can’t be true.”
“It is. It took me a really long time to realize she was trying to bond with me over my interest. She recognized I wasn’t going to verbally tell her to go away, but I didn’t want her interrupting me. She picked up on my…quirks as my mother calls them, immediately.
“So she altered the way she spent time with me by adjusting her approach to a method I responded to. I like to read in peace. She likes to talk. Once I realized that’s what she was doing the whole time, I tried to reciprocate by dedicating time to just having conversations with her. One thing led to another and now she’s my best friend.”
That leads me to believe she’s adaptable to both her environment and the people surrounding her if she’s seeking to relate to them.
“So you’re saying your relationship was built on her putting your interest above her own and she found comfort in doing so. Then you replicated what she did?”
“Yep. Now she likes to read, and I know how to talk to people. We both benefit greatly from our relationship.” He stands from the chair and looks back down at it. “This one. It’s plenty wide, but it also has more length than that one, so her knees won’t hang off the front. There’s also better lumbar support.”
Those are the exact variables I concluded as well.
I nod my agreement as I grab the other chair. “Thank you for your help, Lambrit. That’ll be all.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Shut the door behind you…please,” I instruct him as he makes his way through. He continues back to his area while I take this chair back to where I found it. He’s given me a lot to think about when it comes to Thayla.
I know everything that’s available to us to know about Binders. The most obvious fact about them is they’re going to have the same Designation as their Valtrue and a similar domain.
Despite believing we’d never get one, I prepared myself for the fact that if we ever did, she’d be nothing like me.
Due to my brothers and I having differing domains and Designations, the likelihood of us getting a Binder that was a Guider was one in five. Only five female Chosen come in each year, then you add them into the entire pool of people waiting to complete their Valtrues. The odds become even lower.
From the short time I’ve spent observing everything Thayla does and her Equalized Designations, it seems that she relates to each of us in some way. That’s something I never considered to be a possibility.
If she had been dominant in one of the Designations, I’d know how to approach her based on how I approach my brothers or how I want someone to approach me.
As I pointed out to her last night, the way her interest piques at things relates to me. She does enjoy discovery and knowledge, but she can be careless with her words and actions like Riven.
She has a humorous side but also calculating, observant as Lambrit called it, that relates to Kyzen and his method to most things. Her ability to strategically plan in the face of danger but also her reservations and mistrust are very much like Creed.
The woman is an anomaly. It annoys me to no end to admit, she’s out of my scope of knowledge.
“Amick, why in the realm are you carrying a chair?”
My body tenses in annoyance, and I pivot around to the High Chancellor. “High Chancellor. I’m returning it to where I took it from.”
“Get that from the Rising Chancellor at once,” he barks at his Attendant. It’s not his primary Attendant, the one I put to sleep, but just a random one he’s decided to use today.

The Attendant, whose name I don’t know, quickly removes the chair from my arms with a grunt. If he’d stopped me on his own to get it, I wouldn’t have allowed it. There’s no point in disobeying the High Chancellor’s direct order, though. It’d only result in punishment for this Attendant.
“You are a Rising Chancellor, Amick, not some foolish errand boy. You cannot be seen carrying furniture around the Athenaeum.”
“It was a waste of my time seeking out an Attendant to remove the chair for me when I was heading this way, High Chancellor. Your concern is noted, though.”
“Very well.”
“If that’ll be all, sir,” I say as I bow my head slightly. He holds his hand up to stop me.
“It will not be. What level of power release did you and your brothers receive this Veiling? And the girl? What has she said about her Veiling?”
My unblinking eyes bore into his. He’s not only a god but the God of Records. It’s built into his blood to memorize and share the history, whichever version he prefers. That ability gives him an unsustainable need to know any and everything he can. It’s supposed to be for the benefit of the realm, but truly, he thirsts for his knowledge to be power.
“We received our usual sir. I believe our Binder was bound in the Gods Veil. She tried and failed to express to us what happened. Her abilities have yet to surface, but it’s a safe assumption based on my observations that she’ll be marginally weaker than us.”
He rubs his chin and nods. “The gods realized she cannot control her tongue so a binding would have been necessary. I find your observation on her strength hard to believe. Gladian informed me of her first training session yesterday.”
Of course he did.
“It’s been brought to our attention that her training wasn’t an occasional thing to work off her punishment but daily. She’s a highly capable Defender, but that doesn’t lead me to believe her powers will match that of ours.”
“You are sure of that? Unlike your brother, I will not tolerate her running amok in the Godsdawn.”
“Understood.”
“Very well. I expect to be informed of her progress when you see signs of her abilities coming forth. Carry on.”
I dip my head and turn on my heels without another word. He knows more about my brothers and me than anyone, and he’s been bound to that knowledge. He can’t speak about it unless he’s speaking to one of us. It’s always been crucial to us that we keep him as uninformed about any new developments as possible.
That now extends to Thayla.
“I like the new addition,” Kyzen says as soon as I pass through my office door. He’s lazing away in Thayla’s new chair, rubbing the armrest.
“I’m going to revoke the permission I’ve granted you to enter in here. Get out of the chair and go,” I say as I make my way around my desk.
The task of finding a perfect seat has put me back for the day and my chest is growing tighter as I grow close to being behind schedule. That’s unacceptable. I’ve had far too many run-ins with unanticipated people this morning.
“Why add a chair if you’re not going to let anyone sit in it?”
“I am going to allow someone to sit in it.”
“Ohhhhh.” He exaggerates with a chuckle. “You’ve procured a chair for our Binder, I see.” I stare at him and he holds his hands up. “I’ll get out of your office. I was just informing you I’ve come to get Yemi.”
“Yemi’s in the middle of her lesson on her newly added responsibilities.”
“I know, but there’s a situation at the Veilatara meadows that requires Riven’s and my immediate attention. Thayla said that she needs Yemi to accompany her.”
“She’ll have to wait for her to finish what she’s doing.”
“Actually, according to Thayla, Yemi’s already ahead of her lesson since you allowed her to gather her material yesterday. Also, Attendant rules state that the Attending God’s need for their Attendant supersedes the Attendant’s studies.”
I lay the parchment I had just picked up back down and slowly look at his smiling face. “Did she put you up to coming in here to talk to me rather than herself because she knew you’d know what to say?”
“That she did. And she told Riven he wasn’t allowed inside and that she’d, I quote, ‘Fuck him up if he ever rearranged the books ever again.’ So she’s babysitting him outside.”
That little anomaly.
I see what she’s doing.
“Fine. You’ll find her four rows down at a table. Tell her I expect her to be able to answer any question I ask.”
“I’ll let Yemi know.”
“That goes for Thayla as well.”
He snorts as he opens the door. “Yeah, okay.”
I’m not sure if he’s agreeing with me or mocking me.
Regardless, he leaves and shuts the door behind him. I reorganize my desk into priority piles to get me back on track. Things that must get done today, this week, and then my pleasure reads. That pile will be accompanying me home and Kyzen will be assisting me as repayment for his interruption.
I make my way over my sectioned bookshelf dedicated to the Healer Designation. It only takes me a moment to scour the spines to find what I’m looking for.
The Anatomy and Physiology of the Female Brain.
I add that to the top of my pleasure pile.

59%

“Hope you don’t mind ditching your lesson. I’m so excited.”
Yemi blanches as her head whips to Kyzen, then back to me. “Ditching? Kyzen told me it was an important emergency and you needed me.”
The embellishing god chuckles as he leads the way for us to follow him. “Technically, there is an emergency, but it had nothing to do with Thayla.”
“Don’t let Kyzen freak you out. It’s not an emergency. I just wanted you to come with us where we’re going.”
“Actually, it kinda is an emergency. We’ve got to go save a god from being killed.”
“Meh, he deserves it.” Riven shrugs.
They glance at one another nonchalantly. Riven even has a smirk on his face. Yet I can tell they’re being completely serious about this.
“What? You just said there was a situation at the Veilatara meadows. You didn’t mention the first thing about someone possibly being killed.”
“The Veilatara meadows? Really?” Yemi grips my arms as a rare, genuine smile takes over her face.
“Yep. I remembered how you told me Havar wouldn’t let you come with him, so I wasn’t about to leave you out.”
“So worth the ditching,” she squeals before sadly toning it down. “I mean, I already went over everything I’m doing last night, so it’s not really ditching since I’m ahead. Right?”
“Exactly. No rules are being broken and you’re ahead of schedule.” I smile and she exhales.
“Look at you, little psycho. You’ve already forgotten all about the god that could be killed any minute.”
My eyes narrow on Riven. “Pick a name and stick to it. Preferably Thayla.”
“Aww, I thought we were doing this cute thing where we give each other matching nicknames.”
“I didn’t call you—oh well, I did call you a psycho but not to your face. I wonder how you knew that.” I turn my glare on Kyzen, who winks at me.
“He was flattered. Back to the issue at hand. There’s a god being held…I don’t want to say hostage, but yeah, kind of hostage by a Veilatara. He was strapping a young one for the first time and the youngling stepped on his foot when she got spooked. He struck her. Needless to say, the rest of the Veilatara reacted. I need to go mediate for his life.”
I gape at the chuckles that fall from him and Riven. Either neither of them truly cares about this god or maybe they’re both a little psycho. I’m not sure, but they don’t seem to be the least bit concerned about this.
“I’m so confused by how both of you are reacting. Someone came for you at the house like an hour ago and we’re just now coming out here.”
I didn’t answer the knock. Riven did, and he loudly shouted from the door that duty was calling for Kyzen.
The two of them pretty much switched spots and Riven gave me this deranged-ass smile when he sat beside me on the couch. He said if Kyzen was being called off for something important that I couldn’t attend, then he had special plans for us.
Nothing about that sounded fun for me.
The original plan was for Kyzen to give me a proper tour of the Gods Sanctum, and he was going to show me where he spends most of his time in his role.
I was utterly relieved when he announced that we’d all be going on this little adventure.
“The Veilatara have their own set of rules they live by as well as the rules of the Godsdawn. A cardinal rule for them is they protect their own. In their eyes, this is an offense punishable by death. In the eyes of the Godsdawn, it’s not. So now I’ll have to find a compromise.”
“You don’t seem to be concerned about compromising for his life.”
Kyzen shrugs and my eyebrows rise. “I have to put my personal feelings about this to the side. And I will. Once we get there.”
I take note of our very leisurely pace. Riven has a bounce in his steps like we’re going on a lovely stroll and Kyzen’s just as chipper with his drop-dead gorgeous smile on his face.
“Damn, Kyzen. You’ve got a vicious side I was unaware of.”
Why do I like that?
No, ma’am. Absolutely not.
“There’s plenty of me you still need to get to know.” I keep my face relaxed when he winks at me. “I’m not being vicious in this case, though. It’s inexcusable to hit a Veilatara, especially a young one. I can’t even make excuses for the god. He isn’t new. He isn’t young and inexperienced. He’s well aware of the rules of the Veilatara as well as the rules and responsibilities set forth by his Designation. He didn’t panic and react on instinct. He got angry, took a moment, then reacted.”
That sobers my mood. “Is the Veilatara okay?”
“She’s okay. He got a single lash on her before an older Veilatara stepped in. Well, charged. Then one of the mentors also jumped in. Apparently, after some back and forth, word was sent for me. The god is apparently still pinned beneath the Veilatara’s hoof and a gathering of both gods and Veilatara is forming in the meadow.”
I don’t mean to snort, but it escapes me anyway. Yemi whips toward me and huffs. Granted there’s a very small grin on her face, so she’s obviously not judging my reaction.
“So you’ll be mediating between the Veilatara and who? The god who did this? And how will you communicate with them?” I ask.
“No, the Prime Veilatara will communicate with us and the lead Meadow Hand. The Prime speaks for the whole herd. He’s the only one who will communicate.”
Huh, I wonder if Seismet is the Prime.
I guess I’ll be finding out.
Unlike when I arrived and we passed the path to the meadows on our way to the gate of the Godsdawn, we take another way that’s been carved out through the forest.
On each side of us, the towering trees blow gently with the wind. There’s a sense of peace in the air. It didn’t feel anything like this from the Assembly or even when I took a run through the woods.
“Does the Veilataras’ power flow through here?”
Kyzen peers over his shoulder at me with a smirk. “Why do you ask?”
“Because this walk just seems and feels peaceful, like we’re surrounded by calming power.”
“It’s a mix of theirs and Riven’s in the air.”
“What?” I snort. “Riven’s?”
“You know, little burden, I’ve got this feeling you think the worst of me, and I can’t fathom why.”
“Really? No reason rings a bell?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Other than the highly insulting nickname you continue to call me, how about the kiss you laid on me without my permission?”
Beside me, Yemi gasps, then snorts. I forgot I hadn’t told her about that, and I eye her as she tries but fails to cover up her laughter.
Riven groans dramatically and throws his hands in the air. “Kyzen and Creed have already yelled at me about that, and you slapped the shit out of me. I gave you a present to make up for it and I haven’t done it again. I believe you should stop holding it over my head.”
“I believe you should apologize for it, stop calling me a burden, then I’ll consider changing the way I look at you.”
“Oh, angel, I’ve seen the way you look at me. Right now, we’re discussing how you treat me. I do have feelings.”
I poke my tongue into my cheek to stop from both popping off and smirking. I think all four of them have caught me ogling them. He and Kyzen are the only two to blatantly call me out about it.
“I have feelings as well and I don’t like being called a burden.”
“You’re not a burden,” Kyzen says, then scowls at Riven’s drawn-out “Well…”
I roll my eyes. I’m torn between thinking he really does view me as a burden and he’s only doing it because he knows it bothers me. I’ve noticed how he does shit to get under Amick’s skin to try to get a rise out of him. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is some weird-ass test he’s putting me through and I’m failing every time.
I decide not to play into him and focus on Yemi. “On a scale of one to ten, how surprised do you think Havar’s going to be?”
“Off that chart. I haven’t seen him to tell him I have an Attending God. He’s probably about to be pissed you’re bringing me out here.” She laughs and I smile at the sass.
“I see pissing your cousin off pleases you.” I chuckle along with her. “He didn’t see you at the Veiling ceremony and witness my embarrassment?”
“No. At least I didn’t see him. The Escorts and a few other select gods are allowed to miss the ceremony if duty is standing in the way. The Veilatara are an excuse high up there. He usually doesn’t, but I guess it took him longer at the meadows than normal. He’s been a lot busier now that he has a mentee.”
“Oh yeah, I briefly met him. Havar told him he’d meet him at the meadows when he dropped us off.”
She goes to say something, but Kyzen cuts in with his own question. “What about the Veiling ceremony embarrassed you?”
“Uh, the passing out in front of the entire Godsdawn. I saw all those eyes on me as the four of you stampeded your way up there.”
“Oh, well, we were to you before you even hit the ground. Creed caught you and Amick took your Deliverance from the High Chancellor so he couldn’t read it in front of everyone. He didn’t give it back to him until we were at the healing villas.”
“There’s no way. You all were still like halfway in the crowd when I saw you.”
“Ask Yemi.”
Her wide eyes tell me he’s telling the truth.
“You didn’t think that was something you should’ve mentioned?”
“When should I have brought that up? When you woke up freaking out or during our stroll? No, I didn’t think either of those times was a very good moment to bring that up. I really haven’t thought about it since then.”
My nose scrunches thinking about how she witnessed both of those very low moments for me. Yeah, it probably was a good idea she didn’t tell me I was caught and carried away like a damsel in distress.
“I guess it isn’t so bad then knowing I wasn’t just lying there for everyone to gawk at.”
“Oh, everyone was definitely gawking at the fearsome Creed carrying you off the platform and the High Chancellor throwing a stink about not announcing you.” Riven chuckles and I glare.
“All right, enough, we’re coming up on the meadow.”
Kyzen’s words have a smile replacing my frown and I put a little pep in my step to catch up to his side.
A gorgeous stretch of green grass sits at the end of the tree-lined path not too far in front of us. Excitement thrums through my blood at the thought of seeing a herd of Veilatara.
Granted, yes, the situation that’s brought us here sucks, that poor Veilatara, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m going to cherish it.
A squeal tries to escape me when we reach the end of the path and Kyzen guides me to the right with a hand to my lower back. The sight at first is breathtaking. Then I realize how breathtakingly terrifying it is.
The beautiful meadow has been divided in two.
On one side, gods line up as they face rows of Veilatara, young and old, on the other. Each of them is standing with their heads held high, showing off their majestic height and stature. The sea of black and gold is stunning.
“Oh, this isn’t good,” I whisper.
“Everything will be fine. Remember everything I told you at the house.”
I nod to Kyzen. I didn’t bother telling him then that I knew plenty about the Veilatara. I didn’t want to let anything about my trip here slip, so I just smiled and listened.
A wave of peace flows over my skin and my chest jerks. I try to push it off as anxiety, but I can’t ignore the true reason for it. My eyes cut over to Riven. He’s strolling along with his hands in his pockets, but there’s definitely something different about him right now.
Part of me wants to snuggle into his side. I damn near bite through the flesh in my cheek to ignore that weird-ass sensation. My fists ball at my side and I breathe softly until I grow used to whatever’s going on with his power.

Yemi comes up beside me and lightly bumps my arm. I follow the direction her finger’s pointing, and our attention must have a weight to it. Havar stops his pacing, and his eyes lock on us before we even make it to the deadly circle that’s formed.
We slow our paces as he rushes over. “What are you doing here?”
He directs that at Yemi, and she crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s lovely to see you as well, cousin.”
“Yemi, now isn’t the time. Why are you…” He looks between the two of us, then at Kyzen and Riven. “Well, shit. The rumors are true.”
“Not sure what rumors you’re referring to.”
“It doesn’t matter right now anyways. We’ll play catch-up when we can. It may be for the best that you’re here.”
That causes me to lose my attitude quickly. Even Yemi drops her arms at the desperate tone. “Why would it be best I’m here?” I ask at the same time Kyzen asks, “What does she have to do with this?”
Havar bounces his gaze between the two of us before settling on me. “I’m sure he’s informed you of what’s happening. The Veilatara that escorted you here is the one pinning Ike down. The youngling that was struck is from that Veilatara’s direct line.”
Well, shit, Seismet. You protective little badass.
“I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, Havar. That’s really the whole point of Kyzen coming. I’m just supposed to watch and learn.”
“Well, will you try?” His voice rises with his question and I stare blankly at him. “I get it. I already see it all over your face. I know what Ike did was fucked up, okay? He should be punished and most certainly removed from the meadows forever, but death? Like this? That’s a harsh sentencing.”
It’s easy to guess that this god is a friend of his. There’s pain and desperation etched into every feature across his face. I won’t give him any false hope that I can or even want to do anything about this, but I won’t exactly shut him down completely either.
“I’m not the one who will be making decisions today. We can see if the Veilatara responds to me again, though.”
“Again?” Riven, Kyzen, and Yemi ask at the same time.
“This Veilatara took an interest in me on the trip here.”
“You’re dulling that down on so many levels. The Veilatara met her bow and allowed her to touch them.”
I sneer at him when all three of them whip toward me. “You’ve got a big mouth.”
“You should be bragging about the fact a Veilatara embraced you. Not acting shameful.”
“I’m not shameful. I just didn’t want any more damn attention on me. I’ve got enough of that now thanks to my Valtrue and my grand entrance into the Godsdawn.”
“Well, it’s not like it’s going to be foreign attention for now. The Veilatara respond to your Valtrue the same way, so it makes a lot more sense. I’ve just never seen this one embrace anyone the way they did you. Can we just get over there and try, please?”
It’s my turn to let shock color my face. Kyzen and Riven pointedly ignore me as they glare at Havar. “You do have a big mouth. Come on, let’s see what can be done, if anything.”
Kyzen motions for us to start walking without another comment or any explanation. I don’t push, though.
I hadn’t decided if I was going to share this information. I planned on seeing if Seismet embraced me again before I mentioned my trip here. If he didn’t, I was going to keep it to myself.
Now I can’t help but wonder why these revered creatures have taken a liking to my entire Valtrue, apparently.
Havar steps closer to Yemi, shielding her practically as we make our way through the parted circle. My eyes continue to widen when I take in the true cause of the commotion.
Seismet’s standing above Ike and his deadly two-toed hooves are pressed firmly into his chest. There’re small speckles of blood beginning to pool through his shirt.
His ragged breathing is barely heard over the powerful huffs that are falling from Seismet’s nostrils.
“Kyzen, Riven, thank you for coming as soon as you could,” a man, I suppose the lead Meadow Hand, says as he comes up and offers them his hand.
The sound surrounding us fades from my ears. I feel like I’m moving in slow motion as I take a step toward Seismet.
“Thayla.” Kyzen’s warning barely registers.
A massive, and I do mean absolutely ginormous, Veilatara comes to stand between Seismet and I before I can reach him. I hadn’t even realized it was multiple steps I had taken, not one.
The stomp of his foot sends a vibration through the ground and into me. Every part of me trembles from the power behind it. My body shakes like a leaf as I force myself into a low bow.
Yemi’s gasp behind me isn’t one of surprise but fear. I hold myself as still as possible as the Veilatara leers above me rather than meeting my bow the way Seismet did.
“Easy, Verlet. This is the one I told you about.” Seismet’s voice penetrates my mind and the fear coursing through me. I don’t release my breath, though.
Hot air blows across my hair and face. My body tries to stiffen, but I forcefully make my muscles stay relaxed.
Shit. What do I do if this Veilatara doesn’t like me?
Who am I kidding? I’ll be dead, so it won’t matter.
“You were correct. She’s very loud.”
Well, that’s a little ru—
My thoughts cease to exist when a muzzle touches my forehead. A shaky, breathy laugh that’s mixed with a sigh of relief escapes me. The Veilatara’s gentle purr sends shock waves radiating through me. I’ve never felt so alive before in my life.
It’s probably a mixture of adrenaline, fear, and admiration.
“My name is Verlet. It is very nice to meet you, Thayla Godrun. Pardon my hostile introduction. I imagine you can sense the turmoil in the air.”
“Uh, it’s no problem. You got a lot on your…hooves at the moment.” I can’t help the stutter in my quiet voice. I don’t even want to look around me right now. There’s no doubt that every eye, god or Veilatara, is on me right now.
“Now she whispers,” Verlet says. Obviously to Seismet.
“It’s because you called her loud. Also, she’s nervous and doesn’t like the attention.”
“Well, attention is something she’ll have to grow used to. The Valories and gods are always watching what interest them.”
“So are nosy Veilatara, obviously.”
My eyes widen the moment the words travel through my mind. Even if I didn’t mean to speak it to them, their rumbling, ancient laughter fills my head.
“We most certainly pay attention to beings like us. Speaking of, I need to excuse myself. Your Valtrue member is growing restless and impatient for my attention. Protective and possessive as usual. Plus, we have much to discuss.”
“Kyzen, really?” I peer over my shoulder, only to find Kyzen glancing at me while simultaneously paying attention to whatever the Meadow Hand is spitting off so fast.
“Not Kyzen. He’s never demanding, only appreciative. Creed’s very respectful and quiet. Amick’s a wealth of conversation. Riven’s protective and possessive. He’s always wary when we converse with beings he doesn’t know. Please excuse me. You may speak with Seismet. I’m looking forward to hearing more about you.”
I stand in utter disbelief as Verlet struts around me. Riven drops the glare he was shooting me and opens his arms wide. I nearly fall over when he wraps Verlet in a hug.
What in the realm is going on right now?
“Much. Much is going on,” Seismet says before peering below him and huffing viciously.
“Care to explain any of it? That’s the second time I’ve been told that pretty cryptically.”
I slowly make my way closer to him. I do spare the god beneath him a glance. He’s shaking in his skin. I have a small tinge of sympathy for him, but it gets washed away when a sad little sound travels through the air.
A young, much smaller Veilatara is pacing frantically between two others that I can tell are trying their hardest to calm it down. It’s just an assumption, one I’d be willing to bet on, that’s the young one who was struck.
“All I can say is, the realm is out of order, and it needs to find its place once again.”
“And why do I have this feeling my Valtrue and I will be right in the middle of it finding its place? It’s been hinted enough I get the picture, but no one will flat out say it.”
“I’ll say it. You’re in the middle of it. There’ll come a time when you all must pick the side you want to stand with.”
A deep sigh escapes me and I’m starting to feel like I constantly have to repeat myself. “I don’t want to stand or have a place.”
“It’s usually those who don’t that make the greatest of changes. Your parents were the same.”
My entire body flinches and I blink repeatedly. “What did you say?”
“Your parents didn’t want to choose a side or do what they had to either. Once you make a choice, though, there’s no turning back.”
“Did…did you know them? Have they been to Godsden? Impossible, they weren’t gods. What does—”
“Calm yourself, Thayla. I don’t know your parents personally. I only know what the Valories have shared with me.”
Heat rises through my blood as irritation at these non-answer answers takes hold. I’m so tired of feeling like a pawn and just going with the flow to figure shit out. Not even just this situation I find myself in.
I’ve literally been doing it my whole life.
“It’d be great if they’d share some shit with me. You know, it’s my life that’s been flipped upside down, again, and I don’t have a clue what’s going on. I’m pretty sure the guys are also, mostly, in the dark.”
“Why would they trust to tell any of you anything when you don’t trust each other? What good would it be to share secrets of the realm with five individuals who are supposed to be close but harbor secrets of their own and don’t share what they know with one another?”
I cross my arms over my chest and bite my bottom lip. “We’ve known each other for all of five seconds. Can we have a little time to get to know one another before we start telling each other our deepest, darkest secrets?”
“Sure. I forget sometimes that you gods know the best way to handle these sorts of things compared to us creatures.”
“That sounded a lot like sarcasm, Seismet.”
“That’s because it was.”
Another sigh escapes me, but its noise is washed away by a painful grunt. “Looks like you know exactly how to handle this situation.”
Ike’s panicked eyes bounce between Seismet and me. I imagine I look pretty crazy to him as I stand here in silence above him. He’s probably really freaking out right now.
A little fear won’t hurt him.
He should’ve thought about that before striking a poor young creature.
“I’m handling it the way Veilatara handle those who disrespect us so monumentally.”
“Do you think this is the best way to handle it?”
“Do you not approve of my choices?”
His question isn’t asked with anger but genuine curiosity like my opinion for some reason matters. His glowing white eyes dive into mine like he’s waiting patiently for my response.
“No, I definitely do. I just don’t trust these gods around here. I’d be afraid of their retaliation. Even though he’s one hundred percent in the wrong, I don’t see them ultimately taking the death of one of their own very well.”
“You realize you’re a god, correct?”
“Meh. I’m not sure about that yet. Other than my looks, not much is changing.”
“You’d be very surprised, Thayla.”
“How so?”
I grow antsy as he doesn’t answer me. His attention shifts to Verlet, who approaches us with Riven and Kyzen at his side. They seem more confused than content.
“What did they decide?” I ask quietly when it becomes obvious the Veilataras are having their own conversation.
“Nothing has been decided,” Kyzen says.
“What do you mean? What have you all been talking about this whole time?”
He briefly spares the Meadow Hand a glance before his eyes first meet Riven’s over my head, then mine. He steps so close to me that my nose nearly touches his chest. I can’t contain the shiver that runs down my spine when he leans down to my ear.

“Verlet only spoke to us and asked how everything was going since becoming a completed Valtrue. He avoided talking about the situation at hand entirely. It seemed more like a distraction to keep the focus off yours and Seismet’s clear conversation.”
“How did…we weren’t—okay, yes, we were, but that doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, it doesn’t but—”
“We’ll spare the god’s life today. He’s never to return to the Veilatara meadows. If he does, we’ll revoke our decision immediately and he’ll be killed on sight. The decision of his punishment will be left up to the gods, not us.”
Kyzen rapidly turns around, making it clear to me that Verlet spoke to at least both of us. “Are you sure? Any other terms, we will honor.”
He speaks out loud, I assume to let the Meadow Hand and the rest of us know he’s being communicated with. No one steps any closer to us, but the silence of the meadow is deafening.
“Riven is to be present while Anastasia is being strapped. That won’t happen today as she needs time to recover and settle. Other than that, no.”
“Of course I’ll be here,” Riven says. The smooth, almost soft tone makes my knees tremble and my mind cloud with confusion.
With that, Verlet bows his head. Kyzen mimics the gesture and I quickly do the same. He strolls away from us and heads toward Anastasia. Her plus the two older Veilatara who I assume are her parents, join him at his side.
It’s a majestic but almost saddening sight to watch them run off farther into the meadow together. It doesn’t necessarily feel like justice was served, yet it feels like that was the wisest choice.
A clear, annoyed huff vibrates through the air and Seismet finally withdraws his hooves from Ike. It only takes the god a second to get to his feet and on trembling legs, then he stammers closer to us.
“Why did it take that long to negotiate for my life? Are you not supposed to be the best Mediator for a reason?”
Oh, this motherfucker…
The sound of cracking echoes through the meadow and the slight pain blooming across my knuckles is a startling jolt back to reality. I shake my hand out and Riven’s laughter muffles the god’s bellows from the ground as he cups his bloody nose.
Oops. Saw red there for a second.
“How dare you? Have you lost your mind?” Ike yells at me.
I sneer down at him. “No, but you obviously have. First, you act ungrateful that your life’s been spared after the atrocity you committed. Then you have the audacity to speak to the members of my Valtrue, who made that possible, like that. If your life had been in my hands, you wouldn’t have one anymore.”
My face must speak more than my mouth does because he blanches. His frightened features don’t change with whatever he sees on Kyzen’s and Riven’s faces.
“Have him escorted to the Gods Court. The Veilatara have spared his life and left his punishment up to the gods,” Kyzen announces and not a second later, a few of Ike’s fellow gods are lifting him from under his arms.
I scoff at the begging now falling from his lips and track his every move while he gets marched away. It’s crazy to me that he’s so fearful now. I’d be a thousand times more worried about the Veilatara than the gods.
A gasp attempts to escape me as Riven crowds me. His lips graze my ear as his chest presses firmly to my back, and I force myself to stand ramrod straight.
My body’s first reaction and desire are to push my ass back into him. I quickly tell myself I’m mentally losing it because I should throw my elbow into his stomach.
“You’re such a good little burden. Throwing perfect punches and defending your Valtrue. What am I going to do with you?”
Obviously, I’m suffering some sort of side effect from him possessing part of my soul.
I, as subtly as I can, clench my thighs together. His words have me both turned on and pissed all the way off. It’s infuriating that I find him an attractive asshole and funny as shit.
While also questioning if I’m even safe in his presence.
I turn around until the two of us are chest to chest. Well, boobs to upper abs, that I can feel through his shirt.
Fuck, this god is ripped.
I crane my neck back until I’m gazing into those mismatched, nothing but trouble set of eyes. I bat my lashes and put on a face full of fake innocence.
“It’s not what you can do with me but for me. Be my good little psycho and go beat him up. His face hurt my fist.”
Trouble was the perfect word to use. A smile that can only be described as that takes over his face. I thought it’d be impossible for us to get any closer, but he proves me wrong. With his hand on my lower back, he tugs me against him even more and lowers his face to mine.
This would be a great time to pull away before he lays another unwanted kiss on my lips, but I know if I do that, he’ll know he got to me.
Again.
“You’re a tempting morsel, Thayla Godrun.” His voice drops to that smooth tone that I don’t know how to react to, then he chuckles darkly. “I really can’t tell if you’re an angel sent to set me straight or a burden sent to ruin me and what little I have. I’m not really interested in finding out which it may be. Boop.”
His finger taps my nose, and I startle back. Directly into a body I hadn’t even noticed had crept up behind me. Something passes between him and Kyzen, and without another glance at me, he starshoots away.
I stand shocked, staring at the spot he just was. “Does he really think I’m here to ruin him? I don’t even know what he means by that or how that’d be possible.”
Kyzen’s pause is too long for my comfort. I take a step away from him and turn to face him fully. His small, unconvincing smile makes my eyebrows scrunch together.
“Havar has agreed to Yemi’s begging for a tour around the meadows. We can do that, or I can give you the tour of the Gods Sanctum like I originally planned. Whichever is fine with me.” His complete avoidance makes my chest pang.
I haven’t given any of them a reason to think I’d ruin them. I seriously don’t even know what that means. From the condition my poor soul’s currently in, plus the lack of my power right now, I should be the one with that fear.
A heavy exhale falls from my lips and my gaze moves to Yemi. She’s talking animatedly to Havar, who’s smiling down at her like it’s the first time he’s seen her in forever.
A purr draws my attention away from them. “Is that okay, Seismet? I don’t want us to intrude after what just happened.”
“You’re no intruder. You may visit the meadows anytime. Today was a necessary experience for you but don’t let it cloud the opportunity now presented.”
I bow my head at the honor I know that is. I really can’t believe these gods take these creatures for granted the way I’ve witnessed. “Thank you very much.”
“Thank you, Thayla. Until next time.”
He neighs before trotting through the crowd of Veilatara still behind him. Row by row, they follow. It’s a powerful sight and I wish more than anything they didn’t have those straps around their wings.
If they didn’t, we’d be able to witness them fly together. We’d experience the true power of the Valorian Veil through them.
“So Escort turned tour guide, huh?”
I plaster on the fakest smile I can when I focus on Havar.
Kyzen steps closer to me and his hand goes to my lower back. I’m incredibly tempted to step away, but I force myself to stop. I can’t blame him for Seismet’s warning, Riven’s words, or my own. Well, my lack thereof.
The five of us haven’t opened up to one another fully. Other than Creed telling me he wasn’t comfortable with me knowing his domain yet, not oversharing is a silent agreement we as a Valtrue have made.
I understand the motives of all of us in that regard despite what Seismet said. I’m not mad at or even blame them for it. I struggle to open myself up to people completely. I need time for this, and I know they do too.
Really, what’s getting to me is his words were another warning about things going on in the realm we don’t understand.
What if, whatever that means, blows up in our faces before we do learn how to trust and talk to one another?

AHHHH YESSSS

I turn around until the two of us are chest to chest. Well, boobs to upper abs, that I can feel through his shirt.
Fuck, this god is ripped.
I crane my neck back until I’m gazing into those mismatched, nothing but trouble set of eyes. I bat my lashes and put on a face full of fake innocence.
“It’s not what you can do with me but for me. Be my good little psycho and go beat him up. His face hurt my fist.”
Trouble was the perfect word to use. A smile that can only be described as that takes over his face. I thought it’d be impossible for us to get any closer, but he proves me wrong. With his hand on my lower back, he tugs me against him even more and lowers his face to mine.
This would be a great time to pull away before he lays another unwanted kiss on my lips, but I know if I do that, he’ll know he got to me.
Again.

60%

Gods damn it, she’s a strange goddess.
A burden. She’s a burden on my mental health.
Her actions just now in the meadows have been the most confusing of them all.
For the first time since I followed Creed to Derivius’s temple, when that god got to his feet and popped off to Kyzen, my chaos swirled in my belly. That’s the first time since her arrival that it came freely without my command, which means it was needed in that situation rather than my harmony half.
Her swift, sexy as fuck punch, followed by her defending us, made that swirling travel down to my dick. I was so mesmerized I completely forgot I was supposed to do something to him myself.
My power dissipating at her quick reaction to the situation made my mind go into a frenzy. Never in my fucking life has my power just simmered itself down without being released.
I thought maybe if I stirred her up, it’d once again stir my power. Instead, all she did was turn that shit around on me.
I had to get the fuck away from her.
I didn’t know if I wanted to fall at her feet and worship her or cuss her out for stealing my fun.
Obviously, I decided to get far the fuck away.
The arched tunnel of the Gods Court blocks out the sun and makes my humming echo all around me. I let the beautiful, haunting melody of my own tune soothe the uncertainty still brewing in my stomach.
Thayla can be Kyzen’s problem for the rest of the day.
I may give our relationship one more shot later before I say to hell with having a partner in chaos.
My happy sigh has the Attendant standing at the entryway taking a huge step away from me. I shoot him a wink and a smile of appreciation for the ego boost I really needed.
“What’s going on?” I turn my smile from the fearful Attendant to Creed. His quick notice of me also makes my heart happy.
Granted, he knows I only come here for training or if I’m looking to pick a fight. What better place to do that than an arena used specifically for that.
Today, well, not yet anyway, it’s for neither of those reasons.
“We just had to defuse a situation down at the Veilatara meadows. A god struck a youngling, and he’s being escorted here now for his punishment.”
“His punishment? He’s still breathing?”
“Unfortunately. It’d seem our live-in goddess somehow convinced Verlet and Seismet that the better course of action would be to spare him and let the gods decide what to do with him.”
“Wait, are you saying—”
I huff in annoyance and hold my hand up. I catch him up on everything that happened. Of course my words are only speculation. I have no clue what Thayla and Seismet discussed. Verlet’s weirdness is the only indicator I have to go on that he allowed her words to sway their choice.
Another mark against her.
The Veilatara are my comfort creatures. Until I know she has, without a doubt, zip, zilch, zero, ill intentions toward them, I won’t be letting her go near them without one of us around.
“We’ll discuss what was said with her later. Let’s go tell Gladian we’ve got a god needing a punishment on the way here.”
I snort as I follow behind him. I make sure to wave at all the scared little gods we pass as we stomp our way through the Court. “Discuss it with her later. You’re hilarious. She’s avoided all your pointless questioning. She’ll do the same with this.”
“Then I’ll get Kyzen to do it.”
“You could try to do it when the two of you are alone tomorrow on your rotation. Maybe if you ask nicely with those big, beautiful, sad eyes of yours, she’ll give in.”
He stops and stares at me. I smirk. “We aren’t on rotation together tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you are. That’s what Amick said.”
“Well, I’ll tell Amick otherwise. I’m healing tomorrow.”
“Who cares? She’s been to the healing villas.”
“Not that healing, Riven.”
“Even better. Give her a big ol’ dose of reality.”
“No. You know as well as the rest of us, we can’t bring that up yet. She’s liable to flip the fuck out and cause a scene that has the High Chancellor on our asses even more.”
I like that idea.
Not the High Chancellor on my ass. My ass is off-limits.
The part about her flipping out.
Gods, it’s going to be so fucking sexy…No.
No more lusting over the strange, confusing Binder. I don’t want her.
“I don’t know. I think you’re all underestimating what and when she can handle news. I’ve always hated that we follow a schedule on when to tell all the newbies about our dark and deadly secrets.”
He cuts his eyes to me and a deep sigh escapes him. “Yeah, same, Riven. In our case, though, she’s going to have to know sooner than the rest anyways. Which means she’ll be finding out about where we come from. Is that a story you’re ready to share? Are you ready for the fallout if she can’t stand the thought of our past? Eternity is a long time to live with someone who’s disgusted by you.”
My nose scrunches and my chest pulls tight. I hate this new feeling. I don’t know why this shit keeps happening, but it can fuck right off.
“No, I have zero intentions of sharing. I don’t care for her to know anything about me, and I couldn’t give a fuck less if she can’t stand me, but Kyzen enjoys her company. I think he likes her.”
“I never said I didn’t like her or her company. I just think the predicament she’s in, that we’re all in, is taurnshit and she shouldn’t be subjected to it sooner than she has to be. Now drop it before one of these fuckers hears you.”
I gasp and place my hand on my heart. “Do you have a crush on her?”
He stops walking completely and cocks his head at me as his features twist. “What are we? Ten? Would you shut the fuck up now?”
Oh my gods. He does have a crush.
What is the Valorian Veil coming to?
I ponder his words as we now silently make our way into the chambers to hunt Gladian down. I agree to an extent with him about what he said.
Thayla, I have no doubt, will be able to handle the truth about the many layers of Godsden that the rest of the Valorian Veil is shielded from. She’s different from the other Chosen. That much is very obvious, judging by the way she, well…judges things she doesn’t agree with. She’s spoken out enough already to know that she’ll say something if she believes it’s wrong.
Most things about the Abandon and Hellveilious are wrong, but there’s nothing to do about it for now. She’ll have to get over it.
It’ll probably crush whatever pretty picture she painted of this place when she entered the Veiling. That’s going to piss her off and she may bitch about it, but she’ll take it in stride like she’s annoyingly done everything else.
Or she may lose her shit completely and cause some beautiful chaos.
I like that thought.
What I don’t like the thought of is even remotely explaining to her our past. What we were forced to do on the other side. Those are things I have no intentions of bringing up.
It’s none of hers or anyone else’s business.
“Gods, what’s he doing here?”
I give my new target, the golden-haired god, a dazzling smile. “I missed you and needed to come see you.”
“Unless it has something to do with Thayla, don’t concern yourself with me.”
My smile fades gradually. It morphs into what I know is a deranged smirk. “Your obsession with my Binder is going to be an issue, Golden boy. You have a Binder of your own to worry about.”
“Don’t—”
“Enough,” both Gladian and Creed bark, although the tones are very different.
Gladian’s sounds exasperated, while Creed’s sounds menacing and pointed directly at the other god, not me.
“What’s going on, Creed?” Gladian asks, disregarding my presence completely. He spares my brother a meager glance before looking back over a map of the Abandon.
Hate him.
“A god from the Veilatara meadows is being escorted here now. He struck a youngling. The Veilatara allowed him to live and deemed we decide his punishment.”
Gladian’s finger stops tracing the line of the barrier and a smile creeps across his face as he stands straight. I actually have to hold in a giggle when swirling in my stomach starts.
Fuck yes. It’s go time.
I’m incredibly disappointed it’s him that’s getting my power going, but I’ll take what I can get.
“What a gift from the gods. Mellcom, go find Jeremiah and Chasin, then get to the center of the Court,” Gladian says, then turns back to us. “Are we waiting on the rest of your Valtrue?”
“No, they’re attending to their duties. It’ll just be the two of us.”
“Unfortunate. This would be a good thing for your Binder to observe.”
Creed takes a step closer to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“No maliciousness, simply the truth. She needs to know what punishment in the Godsdawn looks like. You can’t hide the ugly from her. She lost that privilege when she was paired with the four of you. She hasn’t gained any for that reason either, though.”
I’ll be gods damned.
I don’t like what he’s insinuating at fucking all.
He and the High Chancellor’s ass have made comments about her not getting any leeway because she’s our Binder. Yet they expect her to carry herself and attend to all our roles as though she’s on the exact level as us.
So yes, the fuck she does get privileges.
I arch a brow and cut my eye to Creed to see which one of us will be setting that record straight. He takes the lead.
“She most certainly has. The privileges, as you call them, that we have, so does she. That’s the last time I’ll address that, and I’d advise you to heed that warning, Gladian. Pass it on to whomever you believe needs to hear it as well.”

I tap my fingers against my lips as a little snicker slips free. Fuck, I love it when Creed goes all top god. He has so much more control than I do and is way better at showing Gladian respect because of his standing.
If it were up to me, we’d just squash him like the pest he is and then Creed could just take over commanding the little Defenders.
He doesn’t want that role, though, so it is what it is.
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Gladdy snarls as he stomps past us out of his chamber.
“You know your laughing makes the situation seem less serious,” Creed grumbles as he starts making his way back to the Court as well.
“I can’t help it. These situations just tickle my bones.”
My laughing has him turning those beautiful gray eyes on me as he steps closer. I’m tempted to boop his nose as well, but reading his mood, he may bite my finger off.
“Don’t make what’s about to happen out there any worse. I feel your shit swirling all around me. Knock it off.”
“Sure thing.”
“I’m serious, Riven.”
“Your serious concern is noted.”
He growls as he turns away from me and stomps down the corridor. He can’t stand it when I use Amick’s favorite word choice. My stuffy brother only says that when someone says something he doesn’t care to acknowledge or agree with.
By the time we reach the Court, all the Defender gods who were training when we walked in have gathered in a crowd behind where Gladian’s Valtrue will soon move to stand. The five of them are currently smack in the center, surrounding the post that’s placed there for his punishments.
He’s showing his handy-dandy whip off to his Valtrue like it’s his prized possession.
What a strange object to be obsessed with.
“Are you going to the middle?” I ask Creed.
“No. That wouldn’t be wise after what just happened. May as well let him get his sense of superiority back.”
“Oh goodie. You can sit with me in the front row then.” He gives me a deadpan stare that I wink at.
I take the stone stairs two at a time and walk to the center seats that are directly across from the whipping post. As soon as I kick my legs up on the side and get myself comfortable, the gods from the meadow walk in with Ike.
I smirk at the dried blood under his nose, then quickly frown when I remember I’m still upset with Thayla for taking that from me.
Other than that, his shoulders tremble and his eyes are red and swollen. That’s the only evidence he cried and pleaded his whole walk here. Now the features of defeat across his face say he’s ready to just accept and get on with his punishment.
Golden-haired god and his little buddy who’s always near him take Ike from the Meadow Hands as they step to the side with Gladian. They’ll tell him the entire scope of the offense he committed, then his punishment will be decided.
“I say Gladdy will give him seven lashes,” I whisper to Creed.
“Seven is a low ball. Ten at least.”
“Really? You think he cares that much?”
“About the Veilatara? No. But I believe he enjoys punishing people, and this Veiling has had him in more vicious form than normal. He needs someone he can take it out on and get away with it.”
He has a very good point. I’m sure Gladian was ecstatic to have the upper hand on us when his Valtrue was complete. Then our little Binder stumbled out of the Gods Veil not five minutes later and fucked that all up for him.
“Defenders, I present to you Ike Molder. Up until today, he was a Meadow Hand at the Veilatara meadows. Unfortunately for him, today he lost himself to weakness. Sadly, we know Plentifuls aren’t built like we are, so when a youngling stepped on him while she was being strapped, he struck her in retaliation.”
The entire group of Defenders boo and I join in, although his little dig at my Designation doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s pandering to his masses. He knows as well as I do there are several Plentifuls that can hold their own.
I’m one of those.
I quite enjoy going rounds with the Defenders.
“He has been stripped of the right to ever enter the meadows again and the Veilatara have requested I decide his punishment. I’ll leave his new role up to the Chancellors to decide.”
I snort at his high and mighty act. He knows he has no say-so in that. Realistically, it’ll be Amick who decides what this loser will be doing for the Godsdawn next.
“Five lashes. Get him on the post and strip his shirt.”
“What?” Creed and I hiss at the same time.
I sit a little straighter in my seat. “That’s it? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Creed doesn’t answer me, but his face is twisted in as much disgust as I feel. Sure, that fucking whip hurts like a bitch, but five lashes for committing an offense that’s punishable by death is a slap in the face to the Veilatara.
Disrespectful prick.
Once the pathetic god is strung up, Gladian and his Valtrue take their spots the distance away the whip will need to travel. The four of them give Gladian his space as he wiggles his arm out and gets the handle comfortable in his grip.
His power swells around the arena center. “Five lashes.”
The once black whip sizzles as gold slithers down its length. His power embeds itself into every fiber, so it’ll intensify the damage each lashing leaves.
The crack of his practice swing booms through the air like lightning striking a tree. The deadly warning has Ike sobbing and sniffling as he mumbles under his breath.
There’s no ferocious grunt or bellow of heads-up as Gladian’s whip sails from behind him straight toward Ike’s back. It’s the most lax, less forceful swing I’ve ever seen him take and my eyebrows draw together.
Ike still shrieks in agony and blood begins to drip down the small slice of skin, but what he just received is nothing compared to what Gladian’s dealt out before.
The second swing comes just as quickly and just as pitiful.
My teeth grit together. “What the fuck is he playing at, Creed?”
“I don’t know. I obviously misjudged his mood.”
No. I think the little ego-sensitive man god is fucking with us. I think he knows how much the Veilatara mean to us, and I believe the Meadow Hands told him everything that went down. So he’s going easy on him to get under our skin.
The giggling and pointing of his Defender bitches behind him make my nostrils twitch. They see that Gladian’s only toying with him. They all should know, he deserves far worse than this.
Fine then…
If he wants to fuck with us on this, then let’s fuck around.
The third and fourth swings are the same as the first two, but as he prepares his fifth and final, I wiggle my fingers out.
Go play.
My power flares to life, causing my eyes to swirl. It leaves my body just as Creed grips my forearm.
Too late, brother.
The last swing lands with minimal damage just like the others, but when Gladian flicks it back, there’s a little bit too much power behind it.
It soars through the air so fast, Mara doesn’t have time to flinch out of the way. The tip of the whip nicks her face, and her scream…her beautiful, painful screech, brings a smile to mine.
She cups her cheek, throwing vicious curses Gladian’s way. He looks dumbfounded, with his eyes narrowed on her. Her lady Defender friends run over to check her over, but in her current fury, she shoves them away.
Two of their bodies go flying backward from the force she put behind that angry little thrust. They collide with the rest of the bunch standing behind them and more people hit the dirt with pissed off grunts. They push each other in their haste to get back to their feet and the slurs falling from their lips get more colorful.
My knee bounces as my eyes scan the frenzy starting and I push more of my power out. It’s craving to be completely unleashed. I can’t quite let it do that. Someone is liable to end up dead today if I do.
I can let it out enough, though, that this stunt may disrupt training this afternoon and give Gladian a massive fucking mess to deal with.
My head falls back, laughing as the first punch is thrown. The Defender girl is out cold before her body hits the ground.
I stare, mesmerized, at my handiwork as the entire Defender Designation in the Court tears each other apart. All of them ignore the barking orders coming from their useless leader.
He and the other men in his Valtrue try but fail to break up all the madness and fight off my power. Their underlings don’t even realize who it is they’re swinging on.
Poor things. Pick what you’ll focus on.
The fight in front of you or fighting me off.
Ahhhh. Sweet, sweet chaos.
My laugh is still ringing loudly as I follow Creed over the side of the arena wall. I dance and twirl my way behind him as he stomps over to Ike. Any god I find gaining their wits about them, I focus my power on. I can’t have them snapping out of it too soon.
My chaos soaks up their minimal anger and intensifies it to new heights.
One god getting off easy is enough for the day.
I want them all bloodied and beaten.
The healing villas are going to be packed here soon.
The sniffling man shudders and cries out as Creed approaches him. The whining noise makes me sneer. Lucky for him, my brother doesn’t get pleasure from praying on those below him.
It’s not that I do either. Okay, I do, but in certain circumstances, of course.
It all depends on how these pretentious, self-absorbed gods act. When they start to be bullies and take shit like this as a joke, you have to remind them of the pecking order around here.
Ike grunts and groans as he holds himself up after Creed frees his arms. He doesn’t so much as spare the waste of space a glance as he walks toward the exit of the arena.
I, on the other hand, kick him back over when he finally gets some balance under his hands and knees. Personally, I think he should crawl the whole way to the healing villas.
“Come on, Riven. You’ve unleashed enough. Pull some back and let it run its course.”
I groan. “Fine, fun sucker.”
I don’t pull any of my power back.
I’ll do as he says and just let it run its course, though. They’ll eventually be able to break free from it on their own.
I follow behind him with a smirk on my face. It quickly morphs into a fake pout when he peers over his shoulder at me.
It’s back in place when he turns around.
The entire walk through the tunnel, I hum happily in tune with the grunts and shouts following us out of the Gods Court. A cheerful sigh escapes me when we emerge at the end and start walking toward the house.
“Uh, I needed that. My sweets hasn’t come out to play in so, so long.”
“You use your chaos every day.”
“Well, yeah, but I mean, it itself hasn’t come out on its own since Thayla got here. I’ve had to poke and prod it. That was just the release we needed.”
He scoffs. “You’re blaming her for there not being a need for chaos? You don’t think shit is a little chaotic enough without adding to it?”

“No, no, I do not. It could be so much worse than this. So, in fact, you’re welcome. And yes, I’m blaming her. It’s her fault. I don’t know exactly what she’s doing to cause my power to be so lazy, but that’s what’s happening.”
“Then I owe her a thanks. I can’t believe you just pulled that shit back there.”
“You said that without even a hint of anger, so I’m going to assume you feel like you have to say that but don’t really mean it.”
He doesn’t deny it.
The closer to the house we get, the more my excitement starts to die down. The drop in all those happy emotions has a yawn escaping me and I stretch my arms over my head.
As soon as we get to the house, I plop my ass on the couch and spread out. I kick my shoes off and holler at Creed in the kitchen. “I’m taking a nap. Wake me up for lunch.”
I’m pretty sure he grunts at me as I gather some throw pillows. I need three of them. One for behind my head, one for between my knees, and the last I cuddle close to my chest. That yummy, deep comfort that the promise of a nap brings settles over me and I’m out like a light in seconds.
That beautiful feeling is over far too fast. One minute, I’m sleeping peacefully in nap land. The next, Creed’s sweet voice is calling my name.
“Wakey, wakey, Riven.”
Soft caresses trail down my face, and I whine as I try to knock it away. “Creed, stop.”
His laugh has changed. It’s higher pitched and makes my heart flutter.
“Not Creed. It’s so sweet that he makes your heart flutter, though.”
“Get out of my head.” I try to cover my face, but the pillow is snatched from me.
“I’m not in your head. You keep talking in your sleep. Lunch is ready and Creed told me to wake you up.”
Finally, I peel one lid open. Standing over me is Thayla’s mischievous, smiling face. “Bad, bad burden. Leave me be and let me sleep.”
“Fine, eat or don’t eat. I don’t care,” she says before leaning in so close to me, her breath whispers across my ear. “You can drop the burden shit. Your lips lie when you’re awake but speak all your truths when you’re sleeping.”
My eyes fly open, and she squeals as she jumps out of the way of my arms reaching for her. She hauls ass around the couch and hides behind Amick.
I fling myself up and glare over at the two of them. “Was I talking in my sleep?”
“Yes. Loudly,” Amick says, then walks to the table with a dying of laughter Binder hot on his heels.
Fuck me.
Well, that’s exactly what she was doing in my dreams.
I need to get her the fuck out of my head.