Riven doesn’t bristle or budge.
His smile grows the longer their stare off continues.
“Disgrace,” Kirabaddon huffs, then narrows his glare on Derivius. “Sabelline sensed her Binding. It was a faint sensation, but she felt it nonetheless. I assumed I’d come here and find that my sons had somehow gained possession of it. Imagine my surprise when I arrived and the High Chancellor informed me they have a completed Valtrue.
“Seeing as I didn’t grant my sons a Binder, but it was no doubt you, I then assumed I’d find the girl crawling in that sweet, seductive essence you released for her. It was shocking just now to find something far more interesting bubbling inside her. Care to explain that?”
Derivius stays silent. That both pisses me off and pleases me. I desperately want to know what the hell isbubblinginside of me, but I one hundred percent don’t want this god to know.
“Fine then, have it your way. Due to your disregard for the rules of those tied to the Messenger and your meddling, here’s what’s going to happen. I give them two months to locate and return Sabelline’s Binding to me, or I claim Ms. Godrun for myself. She’ll return to the Abandon with me and the only way my sons will see her is if they come there for a visit.”
The who?
“Excuse me?” I ask while the others shout, “What?”
My eyebrows scrunch together as I glance at each of them for an explanation. Creed, Kyzen, and Riven share my confusion. Derivius’s face is full of fury. He seems seconds away from exploding, but it’s Amick who steals my attention.
He may appear bored and uninterested, but I’ve seen that look of utter concentration plenty of times.
He knows something.
“You’re playing a very dangerous game, Kirabaddon.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you once again interfered with my sons’ lives. They’re not yours. Never have been and never will be. This time, you will learn your place.”
He takes the steps from his throne at a harrowing, leisurely pace and we shift our feet. His eyes scan over us, and his smile grows as he takes the five of us in. When he settles his gaze back on Derivius, the energy in the room grows darker.
“You haven’t claimed her yet, which tells me you have no plan or desire too. The others obviously don’t know of her existence. If they did, she wouldn’t be standing here before us. That leaves me. I sense she has a good bit of me in her, and I have four very good and deadly reasons to give her more.
“If you step out of line and tell the boys or her more than they’re allowed to know, that’ll truly be the end of you. I’ll make sure of it. Inform the High Chancellor of their permission to leave Godsden, and all questions or concerns are to go through you. With my permission, you may oversee this quest. If they fail, so do you, Chaos. Return the Binding, or she comes with me. Tamper with the Binding once it’s located, and there will be consequences.” His sneer shifts in my direction and morphs into a sickly sweet smile. “I look forward to adding you to my collection, Thayla Godrun.”
He starshoots away faster than Derivius can charge him.
The five of us stand here in a state of confusion, anger, and really, I don’t know what else. I can’t get my thoughts straight as the yelling and curses falling from Derivius’s mouth are too loud to drown out.
My eyes widen as he marches up to me and grabs my hand. “Meet us at your house.”
Without so much as a warning, I’m sucked into a starshoot along with him and my mind tumbles. The millisecond it takes to move from the temple to our living room has my body swaying into his side.
“How the fuck did you just do that?” I grumble.
“All Beginning Gods can move other beings as we please. All Gods can move ungodly beings if need be. You okay, little troublling?”
“I’m—”
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Riven shouts seconds before he shoves Derivius in the chest and Creed snatches me to his side. He attempts to lift my shirt, but I slap his hands away.
“Riven, calm down and let him explain.”
“Stay out of this, little burden. The two of them have been fucking with us our entire lives and I’ve had it.”
“Can you at least let him tell us what the hell Kira—” Creed covers my mouth. I have half a mind to bite him, but his words stop me.
“Don’t say his name now that he’s left the Godsdawn and we’re in our home. Lift your shirt and let me see your bruises.”
The air racing out of my nose whistles across his hand and my throat closes as everyone turns toward me. As he removes his palm from my mouth, Riven withdraws his fingers from the collar of Derivius’s shirt.
His full, frightening attention descends on me as Kyzen and Amick scoot closer to get a better view.
