Page 2 of The Gods Veiling
“Thank you for apologizing, baby. We know this isn’t fair. Say whatever you need to.”
She never fails to understand me, and that makes me choke on another sob. I hold my hand out for her to sit me up and crash into her open arms the second she does.
“I just want to know why? You’ve never kept things from me. Why are you keeping this from me?”
“I’m so sorry. I know this feels unfair, and it is, but this one and only time in our lives, we ask that you accept our just because as an answer. It’s safer and better for you not to know anything.”
“Safer? Are you in trouble?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Thane.”
“I refuse to leave her here believing we’re leaving just because. We’ve always treated her equally and we’re not stopping now. We discussed this, Anylah.”
“You’re right…right. Okay.” My mom releases a shuddering breath as she runs her fingers through her long hair.
“Look at me, my shooting star.” Dad tilts my chin toward him and runs his thumb under my eye. “Your mother and I did some things years ago, and our choices are catching up with us. We need to leave you now while we prepare to face the consequences of our actions.”
“Is…is that why we’ve moved so much?”
“Yes.”
Fear for my parents floods my blood and my chest cracks open. My fingers tremble in my lap and my vision blurs as tears well up once again.
Who could be after them? What did they do? It couldn’t have been bad. They’re good people. The best. They love me so much.
Where are they going to go? How long will they be gone?
Mom runs her hand in soothing circles around my back, and I focus on the motion. “Hey, hey. Breathe for me, baby.”
“Can’t…can’t you pray to the gods? Ask them for help. Any of them. What you did can’t be that bad, right?” My head bounces from left to right between them as they glance at each other over my head.
“Tell me what we’ve always said about the gods and why we don’t pray to them anymore.”
I take a few deep breaths, both trying to calm my lungs and my mind. It’s all growing fuzzy, but I give my dad the best explanation I got. “Because our prayers give them more power and they can use that power over us without giving us anything in return.”
He nods twice. His pinched smile makes my heart clench. “I won’t allow them to have the power they want over you, my girl.”
I jump to my feet as anger sweeps through me. Everything inside of me heats to a degree I’ve never felt before. I don’t have the words to describe this unknown feeling.
“So what are they even here for? Why did the Valories take all our power but allow them to keep theirs if they weren’t going to do anything for us?”
My voice travels through the meadow and my shoulders shake. I’m sure even the creators hear me yelling at them.
“Thayla girl,” my mom says as she and my dad grab a hand each.
“What does this mean? How long will you be gone? What am I supposed to do? I don’t want you to go.” I lace my fingers through theirs and grip them as tight as I can.
“This means, for now, you’ll stay here in Oddian, safe. Meridamus is telling Mellcom the same thing now, so there won’t be any secrets for you to keep from them. You can talk to Meridamus the same way you do us. He’ll continue to teach you, just as we have. You just continue being you.”
“Dad,” I cry as he pulls me down into a hug.
The embrace seems to last both forever and not long enough. When he ruffles my hair, I do it back like I always have.
“I love you, my shooting star.”
