Page 222 of The Gods Veiling
The two scared gods fought against her pull,
But knowledge and time will heal her scars.
Hey, diddle diddle, chaos and the killer.”
Thayla
30
Shadows dancing across the floor greet me as my eyes slowly blink open.
My fingers twitch against leather rather than soft sheets and the lamp a few feet from my face tells me I’m in the living room, not my bed.
Heat coming from my front not my back draws my attention. There’s weight resting on both my thighs and a head is tucked on top of mine.
I’m in someone’s lap.
Slowly and agonizingly, I use the armrest for support to push myself up. I bite my lip to hold in a whimper with each move. My entire body is sore and stiff, but it’s my back that screams with every exhale.
I’m not sure what I thought it’d feel like when I woke up, but I sure was hoping a hell of a lot better than this.
My breath hitches when I finally sit myself straight.
The flame from the fireplace flickers in the room, bathing Amick in an orange light. I’ve never seen his face so relaxed, so smooth. His wavy chocolate hair has fallen over his forehead in a messy but perfect way.
He and Riven have never looked more similar.
My eyes scan his strong jawline, down his neck, and to his chest that rises and falls with his deep breathing. He’s sleeping so peacefully, and I can’t help but lay my hand against his heart.
He wasn’t this peaceful the last time I looked at him. He was a level of angry I can’t even describe. It was like all thought left him. He looked empty, devoid of all emotions.
His whispered reassurances that Riven would take care of me were monotone. He promised he’d come for me as soon as they took care of the Court.
I follow the path down his body to where not only his hand but another is resting on my thigh. I trace that arm back up to Kyzen’s face.
The wrinkles in his forehead aren’t as pronounced as the fear I saw in him when he reached me first, but they’re there like this isn’t a fulfilling sleep for him. If I could reach his face, I’d run my thumb across it to smooth them out, then force his lips into his signature smile.
His repeated apologies make my heart hurt and my chest pulls tight.
I wasn’t expecting a soothing embrace to respond. That awareness has my fingers flinching against Amick’s chest.
“Creed,” I breathe.
“I’m here, Thayla.”
The other couch creaks and I want to look behind me, but imagining how much that’ll hurt forces me to stop. He comes around the back of the couch without me having to ask and kneels behind Amick’s head until he’s eye level with me.
“How long have we been sleeping?”
“You’ve been asleep for about twelve hours. It’s just after midnight. They fell asleep a little while ago.”
“Have I been in his lap this whole time?”
“He wouldn’t let Kyzen or me move you.”
“He’s just been sitting here holding me?”
“Yeah. We’ve brought him food, tea, and some books to read. He’s fine.”
