Page 131 of The Gods Veiling
My body tenses in annoyance, and I pivot around to the High Chancellor. “High Chancellor. I’m returning it to where I took it from.”
“Get that from the Rising Chancellor at once,” he barks at his Attendant. It’s not his primary Attendant, the one I put to sleep, but just a random one he’s decided to use today.
The Attendant, whose name I don’t know, quickly removes the chair from my arms with a grunt. If he’d stopped me on his own to get it, I wouldn’t have allowed it. There’s no point in disobeying the High Chancellor’s direct order, though. It’d only result in punishment for this Attendant.
“You are a Rising Chancellor, Amick, not some foolish errand boy. You cannot be seen carrying furniture around the Athenaeum.”
“It was a waste of my time seeking out an Attendant to remove the chair for me when I was heading this way, High Chancellor. Your concern is noted, though.”
“Very well.”
“If that’ll be all, sir,” I say as I bow my head slightly. He holds his hand up to stop me.
“It will not be. What level of power release did you and your brothers receive this Veiling? And the girl? What has she said about her Veiling?”
My unblinking eyes bore into his. He’s not only a god buttheGod of Records. It’s built into his blood to memorize and share the history, whichever version he prefers. That ability gives him an unsustainable need to know any and everything he can. It’s supposed to be for the benefit of the realm, but truly, he thirsts for his knowledge to be power.
“We received our usual sir. I believe our Binder was bound in the Gods Veil. She tried and failed to express to us what happened. Her abilities have yet to surface, but it’s a safe assumption based on my observations that she’ll be marginally weaker than us.”
He rubs his chin and nods. “The gods realized she cannot control her tongue so a binding would have been necessary. I find your observation on her strength hard to believe. Gladian informed me of her first training session yesterday.”
Of course he did.
“It’s been brought to our attention that her training wasn’t an occasional thing to work off her punishment but daily. She’s a highly capable Defender, but that doesn’t lead me to believe her powers will match that of ours.”
“You are sure of that? Unlike your brother, I will not tolerate her running amok in the Godsdawn.”
“Understood.”
“Very well. I expect to be informed of her progress when you see signs of her abilities coming forth. Carry on.”
I dip my head and turn on my heels without another word. He knows more about my brothers and me than anyone, and he’s been bound to that knowledge. He can’t speak about it unless he’s speaking to one of us. It’s always been crucial to us that we keep him as uninformed about any new developments as possible.
That now extends to Thayla.
“I like the new addition,” Kyzen says as soon as I pass through my office door. He’s lazing away in Thayla’s new chair, rubbing the armrest.
“I’m going to revoke the permission I’ve granted you to enter in here. Get out of the chair and go,” I say as I make my way around my desk.
The task of finding a perfect seat has put me back for the day and my chest is growing tighter as I grow close to being behind schedule. That’s unacceptable. I’ve had far too many run-ins with unanticipated people this morning.
“Why add a chair if you’re not going to let anyone sit in it?”
“I am going to allow someone to sit in it.”
“Ohhhhh.” He exaggerates with a chuckle. “You’ve procured a chair for our Binder, I see.” I stare at him and he holds his hands up. “I’ll get out of your office. I was just informing you I’ve come to get Yemi.”
“Yemi’s in the middle of her lesson on her newly added responsibilities.”
“I know, but there’s a situation at the Veilatara meadows that requires Riven’s and my immediate attention. Thayla said that she needs Yemi to accompany her.”
“She’ll have to wait for her to finish what she’s doing.”
“Actually, according to Thayla, Yemi’s already ahead of her lesson since you allowed her to gather her material yesterday. Also, Attendant rules state that the Attending God’s need for their Attendant supersedes the Attendant’s studies.”
I lay the parchment I had just picked up back down and slowly look at his smiling face. “Did she put you up to coming in here to talk to me rather than herself because she knew you’d know what to say?”
“That she did. And she told Riven he wasn’t allowed inside and that she’d, I quote, ‘Fuck him up if he ever rearranged the books ever again.’ So she’s babysitting him outside.”
