Page 29 of The Gods Veiling
Gods. You’re kidding me.
My mouth gapes as I gawk in both horror and fascination at the creature that will be steering our trip.
They’ve chained and strapped a Veilatara.
“Chosen five of Oddian. Congratulations. I am Havar. I’ll be your Escort back to Godsden. The gods have deemed you worthy and now it’s time to prove them right.”
The clapping is muffled echoes as I tone them all out. My eyes beg me to blink, but the glowing contraptions strapped to the Veilatara’s wings, keeping him or her from flying like they’re meant to, won’t allow me to look away.
“Thayla,” Mellcom whispers harshly.
“What?”
He doesn’t respond with words. He nudges my back and steps so close to me, the rise and fall of his chest presses against my shoulder. I sneer behind me, but his face is forward, and his jaw is locked tight.
I follow his line of sight and my lips part.
Oh.
Irises that are as gold as the metal surrounding the carriage bore into me. There’s no heat or anger reflected at me, but genuine curiosity. I’m trapped in the undivided attention he’s showing me.
After a moment of a stare off that I know everyone notices, he grins like he’s pleased I’m listening now. “This is your final moment of goodbyes. Then you’ll enter the carriage in the order in which your name was called today.”
I suck in a breath as he finally looks somewhere other than at me. “Shit. That’s the sort of command behind the power of a god, huh?”
“Obviously. Maybe next time don’t do anything to draw that much attention to yourself.”
I scoff and take a hearty step away from him. My arms cross over my chest, but all my attention goes right back to the Veilatara a few feet away. The creature’s bright white eyes lock onto mine like it knew I was staring. Before I know it, in a few short steps, I stand feet away from the powerful beast.
Their head inclines instantly to examine me and it makes its imposing height even larger. From hoof to shoulder, it stands inches taller than me, but with its neck stretched up, it adds another foot. I’m cautious with my steps as I walk around them.
Their silk black coat glistens from the sun beating down on it. The gold hair growing from its tail and neck is beautifully braided.
Supposedly, no one braids the strands for them. It’s their power that does that. If they allowed you to touch them, the count of the braids would tell you their age. This one in front of me has an abundance of small micro-braids.
Hundreds. Probably more.
At the end of their four legs are two-toed hooves that are so sharp they’d slice me in half before I could blink.
If they weren’t confined, its wings would easily stretch sixteen feet.
I remember Lambrit and I discussing them once upon a time in the library. I argued that it’d be impossible that they could take flight with someone on their back. Between their size, weight, and wingspan, it’d never happen.
He told me not to doubt the power that runs in their blood. Their wings, although not anatomically large enough, hold a hundred times the strength within them than any other muscle in their body.
I believe that now.
There are many creatures in the Valorian Veil that are revered for their intelligence and power that comes directly from the Valories. They were never affected when our power was stripped.
That’s made them deities in their own right.
Now look at how far we’ve fallen on the respect aspect of creatures as old as our realm.
“This is shameful what they’ve done to you and I’m sure others of your kind,” I whisper. My fingers twitch with the desire to touch the feathered wings as I trace their shape through the air. “Do they not understand how important you are to our realm?”
“Do you wish for death rather than immortality?”
Again, I was so enthralled with the Veilatara, the little god boy—man…he’s all man—barely registered on my radar. His voice is smooth, as is his tanned, shining skin. With his head cocked to the side and his long black hair fanning around him, he looks innocent. The power floating between us tells me otherwise.
