Page 49 of The Gods Veiling
“Did I miss the High Chancellor say anything important while I was freaking out?”
“He gave his speech about the gods and instructed us Attendants that while you’re in the Veil, we need to come around to the Assembly and wait for you at the platform.”
“Well, well, well, sweet T, I’m honestly shocked you decided to accept this little mystery here. You can barely keep yourself out of trouble, much less take care of a whole person. You probably should’ve taken the hint when the Chancellor wouldn’t announce your Designations and not taken on any more responsibilities.”
Yemi’s entire body locks up when Jeremiah slings his arm over her shoulder. She looks petrified and an inferno of protectiveness surges through me.
“Get your damn hand off her, Jeremiah.”
“Oh, come on—”
“If you don’t think I won’t fuck you up in front of everyone, you’ve lost your mind since arriving. If I didn’t give a shit before, I don’t know why you think I do now.”
I step closer to him, threat clear in my stance. It’s one thing that he talks and treats me the way he does, but laying his hand on a random woman, unprovoked and uninvited like that. Has he lost his fucking mind?
“Move, Jer. The two of you aren’t doing this in here,” Mellcom orders, removing Jeremiah’s arm from Yemi for him.
She quickly separates herself and moves behind me. The tremors passing through her are so strong, I feel them down to my bones.
“Get him away from us. Now.”
A touch of pain passes over Mellcom’s face, and I don’t feel the slightest bit guilty for the venom in my words. He eventually agrees, pushing a reluctant Jeremiah in the direction of the other Chosen now milling around the room.
“I’m sorry about him. Both of them are assholes.” As I turn around, I find Rose comforting Yemi, yet her eyes are locked on me. “You okay?”
“You act and talk like you don’t care who hears you.”
“I’ve heard that a time or two in my life.”
She blinks repeatedly before turning her back to me. “Yeah, well, I don’t know if that means my life is going to get a lot better or a lot worse.”
Ouch.
Honestly, though…it’s a fair concern. I don’t know either.
Great going, Thayla.
Three to five minutes is all the time it takes between each name called.
I’m literally sweating and shaking as I count down the final few moments I have left.
From the little spat with Jeremiah, to Yemi pretty much making it clear with me she isn’t too on board with this arrangement, I’m a bundle of lonely, pissed off nerves.
I just want to pepper her with questions since she’s already done this herself, but I’ve refrained. The last thing I want is for everyone left in here to know I’m losing my mind. They all look ready and excited for what’s about to happen.
Well, aside from Yemi. She barely looks anywhere but at her feet.
Lambrit and Rose are off to what seems like an amazing start in their new situation, so I haven’t bothered either of them. I’ve been eavesdropping on their quiet conversations just in case Rose tells him something important. He hasn’t asked the first question about anything other than things about her.
It’s sweet, but damn. Is he not freaking out about stepping into something called the Gods Veil? How about the whole, the things we learn are going to be bound? What about this Valtrue I hope I don’t have?
There’re too many unanswered questions and everyone is way too fucking calm about this.
“Do you want to make your way to the Assembly so you don’t have to rush? Garish will go next, then me.” Lambrit asks Rose quietly and I focus on the true emptiness of the room.
Shit.
“That would be great. Then I won’t have to run.”
