Thayla
1
My soul rebels against my ribcage with so much force I swear it’s seconds away from cracking my bones.
The fury, devastation, and confusion pounding through me from the guys only add to my own. There’s also a tender caress hiding beneath all the agony. I zero in on it.
He’s stroking my soul back.
“No!”
My bloodcurdling bellow is muffled but strong enough that it vibrates Amick’s palm.
His hands fall still against my trembling body. As do Kyzen’s and Creed’s. My panic grips me in a vice that steals the air from my lungs.
We watch, horrified, as the Goddess of Seduction blows us a kiss.
With a demented, terrifying chuckle I’ll never forget, she drags Riven through the barrier to the Abandon.
Time stands still as we freeze—unable to process what just happened.
My stomach revolts in a way I’ve never experienced. There’s no slow, simmering buildup. It goes straight to a rolling boil that heats me from my toes to my scalp, and a whistle pierces my ears.
“No.”
My head jerks toward that whispered word, and my eyes lock on the glowing baby blue rings around Kyzen’s pupils.
Other than that, there’s no shred of the man I lo—know peering back at me.
“Let Chaos reign, little troublling.”
There’s no mischief to be found on Derivius’s face. Pure and utter rage stares back at me.
He gives me a nod.
It’s full of understanding, just like the one he gave Riven.
The pressure that was building from my fury explodes as a guttural scream with that permission.
There’s no thought. No hesitation.
My strides eat the distance between the barrier and me in a millisecond.
That battle line left behind by the god who abandoned us all welcomes me in. Its warmth surrounds me, pushes me forward, and encourages me on.
As it releases me, a weight forms in my hand, and I glare down at the sharp, shining steel of one of Creed’s swords.
It captures every ounce of my attention until agonizing grunts and shouts infiltrate my single-track mind.
Oblirians and Dark Gods alike attack the stronghold without mercy. The Valtrues that guard it are surrounded, fighting for their lives as the small army closes in on them.
My name tears through the air behind me, but I ignore the call. It didn’t come from one of my men, and they’re the only beings in this entire realm that could stop me now.
No Beginning God, creator, or Messenger could tell me to turn back.
He needs me. And I will fucking find him.
The power pulsing in my veins and fluttering in my stomach begs for release.
