Page 5 of The Gods Veiling
Whatever crawled into his bed with him the night before and left him an unsatisfied, miserable ass that morning wasn’t mine or anyone else’s problem to deal with.
Of course, that little comment said out loud started an argument that’s been remembered.
This group of men training with us has grown used to our spats. It comes with the territory since we’ve been raised as siblings. He pushed me too far that day, though.
My fists clenched at my sides as he verbally laid into me. His words still blare in my ears like a never-ending alarm.
“You don’t have a choice in this, Thayla. You’ll train just like everyone else. We never know what could happen and you don’t tell the gods what you will or won’t do.”
No matter how many times I’ve expressed that I’ll never enter the Veiling, I’ve been told just as many times that I have no choice but to be as prepared as everyone else.
I remember throwing my hands up, attempting to argue why it was a waste of my and everyone else’s time that I was even out there. I wanted nothing to do with the gods.
It made and still makes more sense to me that Mellcom just trains me alone since it’s always been that important to Meridamus and him. Out here, I’m in the way of all these people whose goal is to reach Godsden.
He cut my rant short, baring his teeth and reminding me the gods hear everything we say and all our prayers. If I knew what was good for me, I’d shut my mouth and start reevaluating my life choices.
The audacity.
Red colored my vision, and the ugly side of my temper rose to the surface like an inferno. My mouth can become incredibly disrespectful once I reach a level of no return in my anger.
His words pushed me to that point…
I threw my head back, laughing.
The mocking sound had some men scoffing in disgust, while others looked comically uncomfortable. I made a show of shouting to the sky that the gods could kiss me where the stars didn’t shine.
Mellcom’s face turned furious as the disdain in my laughter faded. My glare leveled on him. Every step I took toward him had his body shaking with the pent-up rage he wanted to release on me.
My prowling ceased as our arms brushed. Despite the almost one-foot height difference between us, I stood my ground, unwavering. The fury leaked out of him as his ferocious features softened.
“Don’t act like this in front of everyone, Thayla. I know this isn’t what you want, but it’s what you must do. The gods have their sights set on Oddian. That includes you.”
His whispered words sent a blazing heat through my body. Of everyone, he’s one of the few people who know why I feel the way I feel.
He’s supposed to feel the same.
I dropped my training sword on his foot and roared, “Fuck the gods!”
My use of the mortal slur left the desired effect I had hoped for. It’s not that we all don’t use the language picked up from the nonmagical realm, but something about directing it at the gods makes it more vulgar.
Everyone sneered and spat at my feet. Their useless curses of ‘mortal lover,’ ‘the Unclaimed’s whore,’ and whatever other unoriginal term they called me did nothing but make me smirk.
I left the arena with my head held high.
My heart and mind believed my days of dealing with endless training were over. I’d made a verbal mockery of the gods they all loved so much. No one would want me in their way in their pursuit of being chosen any longer.
Valories, I was wrong.
The Veiling Ceremony began that day as it always does, according to what everyone said.
I wasn’t there. I’ve refused to attend.
Always have. Always will.
Five names were called. Four men. One woman.
They cheered, cried in happiness, then were carted away to their new lives. I went to sleep breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that my days of waking with the stars to get my ass kicked for nothing were over.
