Page 142 of The Gods Veiling
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.
