Amick’s lips tighten as he shakes his head and casts his gaze to V.
“The Gods Binding is a creation of order. The way power enters and exits must match. It isn’t a matter of shoving your power through to get this to work. Each of the Beginning Gods has always wanted to release their power within it so whatever they want to come out of it benefits them. It’s a desired action. You have to want to do this. You can’t just say you want to. You have to truly mean it. Your soul, self-conscious, power, your entire being have to believe that, or it won’t work.”
She closes her eyes, and her fiddling hands fall still in her lap. She eventually peels her lids back open and looks at Amick.
“That’s why you were pushing me to admit all of that. If I can’t or won’t accept these powers, I can’t do this.”
He nods once. “And you don’t have to do this. I’m not, none of us are, forcing you to.”
“Will you all be mad or disappointed in me?”
“No,” Kyzen, Amick, and I say immediately. Riven, on the other fucking hand, of course, confidently, with his whole chest, says, “Yes.”
We all glare at him, while she gives him a shocked expression.
I really won’t be either of those things. I don’t know if the other two were catering to her emotions, but I’ll be perfectly fine not getting any more power right now.
Do I want my power back that was taken from me? Sure. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.
That doesn’t lessen the fact I can’t stand what I can do and the more power I have, the deadlier I become. My desire to have my power back has always stemmed from wanting to be there for my brothers, and because I want to give my father what he has coming to him.
One day.
“Look, angel, I’m not trying to be a dick by saying that, but I’m being honest with you. Yes, I will be mad. You aren’t the only one who’s been fucked with and had their lives rearranged. We got an opportunity in front of us to fuck with them, even if it is a little bit, and I want it. I want my power boost. I want to give our sperm donor a big fuck you when we pass this Binding over to him and he’s none the wiser that we’re standing before him stronger than the last time he saw us. Call it my need for revenge, call me selfish, pick whichever slur you want, but yes, I’ll be pretty salty. You’ll have toperformnumerous favors for me to make me happy again.”
Us three bark his name while Thayla slaps him on the chest.
“You ass, I was on your side until you said that shit. I’m going to release everyone’s power now, except yours.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me. I’ll start making my list of favorsyoucan perform.”
“Wait, you’re really willing to try, little goddess?” Kyzen asks.
She gives him a tender smile at the hope in his tone. “I didn’t ask that because I’m not willing to try. I’m afraid of failing all of you. I was trying to prepare myself for how you’d all react if I can’t do this.”
“Oh, well, in that case, I won’t be mad. I thought you meant you weren’t going to try. If you fail, it’s fine. You just do it again. It’s taken me many years to figure out how to blow shit up. I still haven’t figured out how to do it to my father’s temple, but you know, try, try again.”
“So you went on a whole dickish spiel for nothing.”
“Well, you didn’t use your words clearly.”
“I understood her question just fine,” Amick says, earning himself a blown kiss.
“So step one. Get comfortable and accept my powers.”
“Yes, but I believe we should work on them one at a time. I believe you trying to harness all of them at once will be more difficult and discouraging for you. Especially our father’s power.”
A shiver races through her that I feel through the skin on her legs. Sadly, it wasn’t from me running my fingers above her knees.
“Yeah, I’ll admit, it’s going to take me a minute with his.”
“If I may, it’s my advice you start with the Goddess of Seduction’s. Given the fact this is her Binding, it’s more tuned to her power. Also, her power, in its original nature, is quite welcoming.”
“Is she like…as evil as the God of Obliteration?”
“Yes. She’s an evil fucking bitch who deserves a long and slow, agonizing death. I hope to give it to her one day.”
