Page 35 of The Gods Veiling
It’s amazing how much you learn about someone when you remove the love—or lust—tainted shades from your eyes. I was in love with an absolute idiot.
What does that say about me?
“Are we here already?” Lambrit asks, sitting up in his seat as the carriage rolls to a stop.
The scene outside my window doesn’t look like what I had imagined it would. There isn’t anything but well…trees.
There’s a long stretch of forest and nothing else. It’s a beautiful, flourishing woodland, don’t get me wrong, but I expected to see glistening stone, gold, jewels. The works and luxuries of gods.
“Almost. I need to adjust the Veilatara’s strappings. Stay here.”
Havar’s out of his chair and exiting the carriage quicker than I can ask what he means. I’m up, heading to the door just as fast.
“Thayla, what did he just say?”
I snatch my arm out of Mellcom’s grip and give him my most evil glare as I push the door open. “Don’t attempt to lecture me on doing what people say.”
The resistance against my skin leaving the carriage isn’t nearly as uncomfortable as entering. I forget about the step I’m supposed to stand on getting out, though, and my body flies forward.
Strong arms pluck me out of the air as though I’m light as a feather before I can eat dirt. Havar’s deep laugh travels through the trees and vibrates against my back.
“Is this your personality, Thayla Godrun? You just do as you please?”
“Depends on the situation. I wanted to know what you were doing to the Veilatara.”
And possible escape routes.
“I believe I need to watch out. It looks like a new God of Creatures is on the rise.” He smirks as he rights me on my feet and nods toward Seismet.
He seems more tickled by my disregard for his order rather than angry, so I take that as a win and follow behind him silently.
Well, silent until we walk around to the front of the carriage and my gasp echoes through the air.
We aren’t just in a woodland. We’re on the edge of a cliff.
A roaring river collides with the side of a mountain that stretches far into the clouds. I crane my neck back as far as I can, but I don’t see the top. The sound of rushing water is a peaceful lullaby in the air, yet the rapids free flowing through the ravine would sweep you away to your death the moment you dropped below the surface.
“Holy shit.”
“Well, you got the holy part right. That’s the Gods Gully. The God of the Sea and the Goddess of Nature made it together to surround and protect Godsden. Between the rapids and creatures in the water, none that try to cross survive.”
Fuck.
I’ve never traveled this far, and I’ve only read that Godsden is kept separate from the other regions. Seeing this…they made sure they had plenty of space from us mere, powerless immortals.
“Creatures in the water?”
“Oh yeah. Animals beyond your wildest imagination. The Gully connects to the Lost Sea.”
My heart skips a beat and the Gully suddenly becomes a thousand times more petrifying. There isn’t much known about the Lost Sea because it’s technically a part of Godsden’s region. Only a sliver of it flows in Abernie.
What I do know about it is it didn’t get its name becauseit’slost. It got its name because all who enter it are lost to it forever. What happens to the brave or stupid who enters, I couldn’t tell you. They’ve never returned to tell the tales.
I have a better idea why now.
I put some more distance between myself and the edge. “In that case, how will we be crossing? And how long will it take to do that?”
He chuckles at the evident fear written across my face. “The Veilatara. And only a few moments, but you’ll wish it lasted longer once you experience it.”
