Page 67 of The Gods Veiling
My eyes devour his far too relaxed posture. “Bad.”
A huff falls from him as he places his hand on his heart. “You got it all wrong, gorgeous. I’m Kyzen and I’m most certainly the good god. The one you called Candyman is Amick. The mouthy one was Riven. The quiet one was Creed. We’re your Valtrue. I’m sure you’ve already worked that out yourself since the Chancellors blurted it out and you saw your mark, but I just wanted to state the obvious for you.”
“Appreciate that. Could you state the obvious and tell me what’s going on?”
His head hangs as he sighs, but his smile never fades completely. “This is going to take some adjusting for all of us. By your reaction and what you said, it’s clear this isn’t what you wanted or expected, but it’s a little late for any of that to matter. We’ll have to make do from here.”
I observe him. Intensely. I don’t know what to make of him. He shifts back and forth on his feet, apparently waiting me out while also enjoying my silent appraisal.
His body and all his features are calm. His power is still crawling all over me, but nothing around us is actually happening. I have no clue the reaction it would have if I tried something crazy, but it doesn’t feel defensive or harmful.
I release a deep breath and force my shoulders to loosen. “My reaction has everything to do with not knowing what’s going on since I got here. Answers would be nice.”
He nods like he completely understands and is on the same page with me. Ever so slowly, my anger leaks out when he withdraws a rolled parchment from his back pocket. “This is all I’ve got for you at the moment until we’re all together at the house.”
Fuck, of course. A house I’ll now share with not two but four men.
The two of us take a step toward one another. We only get close enough to where I can grab the parchment, then we back up once again. I run the wrinkled ribbon between my fingers, then look up at him. “You’ve all already read it?”
“We didn’t read it, but the High Chancellor took it upon himself to warn us.”
Warn them…
I stare at the cream parchment. Part of me is desperate to unravel it and finally know what the Chancellor was keeping from me. The other part is fearful about what Derivius did.
“Why are there two?” I ask as soon as I give in to my need to know and a small slip of parchment falls from the larger one.
“All the Chancellors collect information on the Chosen before they leave their regions. They truly only move the piece of the Volreen. Then they staybehind, concealed by an illusion, and ask around about the Chosen. The High Chancellor will announce it to all of the Godsdawn at the ceremony. You were spared that embarrassment today when you passed out and we got in the way on the platform.”
My fist accidentally clenches the paper. There’s no telling what whoever he spoke with let slip.
I bite my lip as I debate whether I want to read it or not. Especially in front of him. I don’t want the words to set me off, but I also want to know what picture I’ve been painted in for these men.
I blow out my breath and flip the little parchment around. Better to face it now and be ready rather than have it thrown in my face later.
Thayla Godrun. Thirty years old. Lives at home with her adoptive brother and ex-lover. Never wed under the eyes of the gods.
Stars…give me a break.
Spends her mornings training in one of the four arenas and sometimes spends her afternoons in the library, market, or secluded.
Never been one to foster a relationship with the rest of Oddian and is easy to anger if provoked.
Under the direction of her training group due to an altercation she instigated, she was put through many training trials. For a female, she did exceptionally well. They felt she was close to redeeming herself.
The last words on the parchment drive a knife through my heart. There are many things they could’ve said about me that I’d let roll off my back, maybe even laugh about. But these words make me want to puke, knowing what I somewhat know now.
Orphan. Abandoned by her parents at ten, followed by her appointed guardian at eighteen.
My lids drift shut as I ball the piece of paper in my hand. If it had been a year ago, they would’ve said something along the lines of a little introverted and sarcastic but friendly to everyone. Helps her dear friend Lambrit in the library or the merchants in the markets and the farmers in the fields. Enjoys spending alone time in the meadows or picking wildflowers.
It’s amazing how one event warped the way everyone viewed me and everything I did. I used to help the community any way I could. I just never went out of my way to be incredibly close with anyone outside of Mellcom, Jeremiah, Lambrit, and Laney.
I hate to say I’m thankful, but given where I’m at, I’m relieved they just made it seem like I caused a fight rather than what I truly said and did. There’s no telling how everyone would treat me here if it came out, I hate the beings they’re literally becoming and worship.
I shove the piece of trash in my pocket and shake my head as I focus on the more important parchment.
Now or never.
