Riven
16
“Riven!”
My name rings out from a handful of different voices, and I clear my mind enough to boop two of the little mess makers on the nose as I walk through the fence to the Akovas’.
“Excuse me, little cuties, I need to see your momma and her company.”
“Momma doesn’t have company. She’s inside feeding baby Ezra.”
Oh, if there isn’t a little burden in there with her, along with her sidekick, I’m going to fly off the fucking rails.
I march through the door, attempting to choke down my humming, only to hear Annalise singing a sweet melody.
“Who is a good baby? You are, yes, you are—Oh, Riven, what are you doing here?”
“Has my ang—Thayla been by here today? She and Yemi actually?”
Her head tilts in confusion. “Well, no, of course not. Do you think she’d really venture out of the Godsdawn without you?”
Without me. Without me. Without me.
She did go somewhere without me, though, didn’t she?
“Very well. I’m off then. I have a goddess to hunt down.” I spin on my heel, walking right back out of the kitchen.
I’m already halfway down the walkway when her voice calls back out to me. “Hold on, Riven, wait a minute. Has somethinghappened?”
I wave over my shoulder without turning around. “Godsden better fuc—freaking hope not.”
This better be a fucking epic game of hide and seek.
My power wraps around me as I starshoot back to the Athenaeum, where I’m supposed to meet my brothers. I was told to go search the meadows and come here just in case.
Creed was checking Daddy Gladdy’s new house, the Court, and the healing villas.
Kyzen, the Sanctum, although he’d just left there, the dining hall, and other possible places like Hay-Hay’s house and Lam-man’s.
Amick was going to the temples, which made no sense, but what the fuck do I know? Then he was going back to the Athenaeum and that’s where we were to meet him with our Binder if we found her.
One of them had better have her by now.
Creed and Kyzen spin around as soon as I starshoot behind them. Their disappointment is obvious, as is their growing worry.
My eyes swirl at the empty space around them.
“She never visited Annalise, did she?” Kyzen asks.
“Nope.”
“She’s in for the realm’s most brutal training when I get my hands on her stubborn ass.” Creed growls as he snatches the door to the Athenaeum open.
We make our way to Amick’s office and find him pacing in front of his desk. His head snaps to us, and he scans our bodies as if we’re hiding Thayla somewhere between us.
A noise I’ve never heard from him rumbles through his lips as he shoves past us and stomps through his precious rows of text.
I’m still pretty pissed about the way he acted toward me in the meadow, but I’ll admit, I’m enjoying seeing him all riled up.
