Page 110 of The Gods Veiling
Riven’s such a dick.
He turns on his heel and like the good little Guiders we are—they are—we follow along. Every row, he explains the information we’ll find in each section.
I hate to admit it with how ornery he’s been with me, but Amick knows his shit. I can’t imagine the time it’s taken him to memorize all of this, but there isn’t an area or row we go down that he doesn’t know everything about it.
My steps slow as a set of double doors to the right grabs my attention. He stops walking as well and waits for everyone to gather closer. There’s a smidge of annoyance gleaming on his face, but it’s washed away in a heartbeat.
“The hall behind those doors is a restricted area. That space is completely off-limits to anyone who isn’t a Chancellor, their Attendant who’s been given explicit permission, or a Beginning God. Traversing in there without that permission will result in dire consequences.”
That’s a little extreme.
“Do you have permission to go in there?” I ask.
“No.”
Well, damn. That makes me want to go there even more.
For the next hour, we walk every square inch of the Athenaeum and listen to Amick as he tells the history and significance of this place. Apparently, once upon a time, the Athenaeum was the only building in all of the Valorian Veil that held text of knowledge.
The Beginning Gods created the Sanctum first, and that’s where they lived. After years of them writing and recording their own stories, the Athenaeum was created to store it all.
It’s only grown from there.
We make our way back to the nook we originally started in and my face scrunches when I spot two new men as well as Chancellor Ellian.
“Amick.” He bows slightly. “A good first day for our newest gods, I assume.”
“Same as every Veiling. Clarisse and Ruth, the two of you will join Tyson and Luke. They’ll accompany you to gather your beginning materials. I’ve given them your roles to walk you through. Lambrit, Chancellor Ellian has requested you accompany him for the rest of the morning.”
Lambrit’s eyes widen. “Really?”
“Yes.”
All three of them join whoever they were just assigned to and after quiet introductions—which now I realize Amick never did introduce them to Yemi and me—they leave the little area. I shift back and forth on my feet anxiously.
“Come.” With his single word order, he marches past us and I sneer.
“Don’t say a word,” Yemi harshly whispers.
I’m proud to say I didn’t make one joke or sarcastic remark to him at any point during his tour. Despite the burning desire to anytime someone asked a good question, and he responded with emotionless facts.
It didn’t matter who we came across, who bowed, or spoke to him. He acted and treated everyone the same.
Like he couldn’t care less.
“Oww. Damn it,” I shriek when I slam right into the door that Amick walked through.
“Shit, Thayla, are you okay? Why did you keep walking?” Yemi asks as she pulls my hand from my face to look at me.
“Because he kept walking. I thought the damn door was like the wall at the healing villa.”
“This would be the door to my office. It requires my essence or permission to enter. Next time, wait for me to open it.”
“Yeah, no shit, God of Stating the Obvious.”
He cocks his head to the side briefly, then turns and walks farther into the room, leaving the door open for us to pass through. I quit rubbing at the pain in my nose as the full display of his office comes into view.
The precise organization and dimly lit space remind me a lot of our living room. I have no clue how the others’ rooms are set up, but based on Amick’s office, that little touch at our house has a lot to do with him.
