Page 123 of The Gods Veiling
“Are you itching for another fight, angel? I’ll gladly sprinkle some chaos about if that’s what you’re looking for. If not, I’d keep that tempting little mouth of yours shut until we get out of this Court. You’re about to rile everyone up once again.”
The Court is silent as though everyone really is waiting for my answer. The attention is gliding across my skin.
Every part of my body is screaming in agony, but I don’t let it show. Or at least I try not to, but there’s no way I can go another round.
I won’t be admitting that, though.
“Fine.” With that, I stomp past Creed and keep facing the exit.
My eyes frantically bounce across the few Attendants lining the wall at the archway that leads down the long walkway. I don’t see Yemi among them. She isn’t inside the tunnel either or right outside the Court.
“Where’s Yemi?”
“She was just—”
“I’m right here,” she yells, cutting Kyzen off.
I whip my head to the left far too fast and my vision blurs. I see two Yemis, two Jays, and two Leahs as I stumble into Creed, who holds me up effortlessly. I try to pull away, but he makes some damn growling noise as he keeps me steady.
“Whoa, take it easy. Come here. Sit down for me,” Jay coos as she grips my arms and leads me down to the ground. “Hand me those rags, please.”
Yemi practically throws them at her as she kneels down in front of me. “She was the closest Healer I could find that wasn’t busy. I knew you wouldn’t want to go back to the healing villas after that.”
“I sure as shit don’t want that, but she needed to be healed too. Are you two okay?”
“We’re fine now. There’re always a couple of Healers on standby. Our…friend is here today, so he jumped straight to us. He had us patched up quickly before moving on to the worst.”
Leah makes a small giggling noise before clearing her throat and casting a nervous glance over at my Valtrue, who’s silently watching me.
“Got some satisfaction from that, did you?” I ask.
She shrugs. “The last time this happened, they toyed with us. They dragged it out and ignored all our surrenders. This time was much different and more merciful.”
“Because of you,” Jay whispers.
“I didn’t do anything more than get you all into a better position to defend yourselves.”
She huffs as she keeps cleaning up my blood. “No, you did more than that. You gave us a chance. None of the dominant Defender females are brought down unless they’re up against one another.”
“It’s ridiculous you’re even pitted against one another. Why the hell is that even a thing?” I again point my question directly at Creed.
“That’s Gladian’s training style.”
“And none of you have ever thought, ‘You know, this is wrong, I’m going to say something to stop this?’ You all just stay put in your little Holding, whatever that is, and watch this shit go down?”
“The Holding is a reinforced blockade designed by Gladian. You can’t see the wall, but he embedded his power in the threshold. Once you pass in, you can’t get back through until he allows it.”
“Thank you for the information, Amick. Anyone want to acknowledge the rest of what I said?”
Again, my eyes land on Creed.
This is his Designation. He needs to explain.
He doesn’t.
Instead, he marches away in the direction of the house.
I scoff, but the sound accidentally morphs into a moan. “Oh stars, what’s happening?”
