Page 21 of The Gods Veiling
With a flick of his robe and hurried steps, he makes his way to the double doors that exit what’s formally known as the Gods Athenaeum. The click of them echoes through the enormous space, and I inhale the calming scent of parchment and ink.
“Come out. We can’t waste anytime.”
From somewhere deep within the towering shelves, a laugh pierces the silence. My eyes fall shut with the warning noise just as the sound of a book slapping the ground mingles with it.
“Gods damn it, Riven. Where does that go?”
My brother Kyzen barks, but it’s no use. There’s no telling where one of our other brothers Riven took the book from, then waited for the opportune moment to let me know he messed with things he had no business messing with.
Riven’s the type, unfortunately, that’d tear a page out of a tome just to force a reaction out of me. If anyone else dared to test me like that, though, he’d lay them out where they stood. It’s a confusing emotional response on his part that I don’t fully understand.
He thrives in both chaos and harmony.
He’s a being who’s, how do I say this gently…
Energetic, impulsive, sporadic, wishy-washy at best.
“Sorry, Amick. I’m not sure—”
I hold my hand up to Kyzen. “We don’t have time for it. Let’s move.”
Wordlessly, the two of us leave a snickering Riven standing in the spot I just was. I don’t allow myself to get distracted by the irritation budding in me from his idiotic little stunt that could get us caught.
Every book in here has already been cataloged for the day. I’ll have to worry about putting it back when this is over.
We approach the foreboding double doors in the back of the Athenaeum and slip through them silently. Our feet fall still, and I listen to the pattern of footsteps pacing ahead.
Our backs press to the wall, and we become shrouded in shadows as we maneuver down the dimly lit hall. The entire time, I count the steps.
I appreciate a predictable person.
It’s an unfortunate attribute for a god, but in this case, I can’t hold the man accountable. He’s not at fault for the limited power he has or the fact he’s at the mercy of the Chancellors.
“Thirty seconds, Amick.”
Kyzen’s voice doesn’t rise above a breath as he steps closer to my back and passes me a mask. I peek around the corner and observe the Chancellors Attendant.
He takes twenty steps in one direction, turns, and then twenty steps back in this direction. Every single rotation.
Nothing distracts him from his duty to guard the door that we have every intention of breaking into. He’s a loyal pawn who follows every order given with no questions asked.
The issue with his unwavering patrol is just that. It doesn’t waver, and he’s grown comfortable.
Predictable as I said.
This dark hall attached to the Gods Athenaeum is off-limits to anyone who isn’t a Beginning God, a Chancellor, or one of their Attendants. Kept locked away within this restricted space is their most treasured history.
It’s their secrets.
It has information I’m searching for.
“Now.”
Kyzen’s power flows across my skin and the Attendant’s footsteps fall sluggish. I speed across the distance separating us unseen and stalk behind him.
My gloved hand glides into my pocket and wraps around the small plastic pouch. The fine white powder fills my palm and I’m careful not to inhale too deeply. It’d be quite disastrous and idiotic for me to accidentally put myself to sleep rather than him.
Kyzen’s power releases me and time catches up.
