Page 175 of The Gods Veiling
My feet continue their forward march. The last thing I want is to have any part of this celebration. I want to get the fuck out of here.
“Thayla.”
“Thayla, wait.”
My name continues to echo behind me. I recognize each voice, but I ignore them all the same, until one far too close to me calls out.
“Thay.”
I spin around, sword at the ready.
The tip of the deadly weapon sits on the breast plate above Mellcom’s heart. He raises his hands slowly as my chest rises rapidly. Jeremiah slows his run to a jog as he comes to his side. His eyes are wild, looking between the two of us, and that’s the only amount of attention I give him as the rest of his Valtrue joins them.
Mine surrounds me.
“Thayla, remember what—”
“Don’t attempt to remind me what your sword is capable of, Creed. I’m well aware. I quit counting the lives I was taking when I hit fourteen.”
There’s no emotion to my voice as it comes out. It’s as hollow as I feel right now. My face must speak a thousand words more, though, as Mellcom’s falls. It makes me sneer.
“I know you’re upset. I just wanted to check on you and make sure you’re okay. I’m trying to be here for you like I promised I would. I’m always going to be here, Thay.”
Something akin to slime slithers across my skin as his smooth words travel through his lips. The sensation makes my heart hurt and my hand twitch. The way his hunter green eyes flash for a split second makes everything freeze once again, though.
I’ve seen enough changes to gods’ eyes to know what that means.
“Your powers have settled, and you dare use them on me right now?”
He blanches. “I don’t have control of them yet. I just want you to calm down and hear me out.”
“LIES.” My shout silences the entire Abandon. My Valtrue takes a step closer, but my voice halts them. “Don’t interfere.”
“Thayla, you’re going to put the sword down. You, me, and Jeremiah are going to go get in the carriage and talk this out. Your Valtrue can starshoot back and we’ll bring you home. Tell them that’s what you want to do.”
The desire, the need to agree with him, is overwhelming. The command behind his quietly whispered words pierces me straight in the chest and I want to sob.
“You motherfucker—”
A ground-shaking neigh fills the air, cutting off whatever else Kyzen might have wanted to say. I don’t remove the sword or my eyes from Mellcom even though he looks over my head with fear coloring his features. He and his entire Valtrue stumble backward when the sound of hooves drops down behind me.
It’s a battle to keep my tears at bay as the level of his betrayal sinks even deeper. I don’t know what kind of abilities he has within the domain of pain, but it’s obviously not physical. It’s emotional.
The war within myself becomes even harder to fight when Seismet nuzzles against my arm that’s still pointing the sword.
“You’ve had enough of the Abandon for one night, Thayla. Allow me to escort you back.”
He continues to rub my arm until it trembles and I slowly lower it.
“Whatever that was, whatever you just did, just sealed it for me, Mellcom. I will never forgive you. Get out of my sight.”
He shakes his head in denial as though that will change my mind. Too bad it isn’t only my mind that’s made up.
My heart has hardened.
Jeremiah clings to him, no matter how many times he elbows him off. When the rest of his Valtrue latches onto him and pulls him back a couple of steps more, his bellows of my name and begging for forgiveness cause the stone I just placed around my heart to crack.
No, don’t give in.
