“As for a fight, I’m hoping not, but that’s going to depend on what part of Hellveilious we’re going to. If Yemi’s fourth is in a lower level, or an area like the Judgment Rings, then possibly. When we came after you, we didn’t face any problems until we hit that point. Hellveilious is confusing to explain. Creed would obviously be the best at talking about it, if he ever would.”
“Key word is if.”
“Yeah,” he muses. “He’s coming around slowly but surely, though.”
“I know.”
He pulls me into his chest as I sigh. I suck up all I can of his affection and let it ground me in the moment.
“Come on, they’re waiting for us.”
He leads me out of my room and we find the house already empty aside from V, who’s pacing on the back of the couch. Creed’s going to bitch about the claw marks he’s leaving as he waddles across the leather again.
I laugh a little at that.
“The others are waiting for you two outside.”
“Thanks, V,” I say as I approach him and run my fingers down his side. “No ancient creature mischief-making while we’re gone.”
He hoots and ruffles his wings.
“It is me who should give you instructions, not the other way around. I cannot believe I’m being told I must stay behind once again. You all realize I’m a fierce creature of prey, yes?”
Kyzen and I chuckle, and my smile swings toward the one taking over his face. Fuck, I’ve missed that breathtaking sight.
“We’re aware, V, but I refuse for you to be in any situation that could take you from me. That’s reckless. If Seismet weren’t strapped and could come, I’d still tell him the same thing. I’m all ears if you’ve got some grand guidance for me, though.”
“I wouldn’t call this grand, but something for you to keep in mind. It’ll also probably get the ol’ God of Death mad at me.”
His hum vibrates through my mind and my eyebrows rise. Kyzen doesn’t indicate that he heard that.
“Well, I definitely want to know then.”
“He’s not responsible for a lot of what you’re about to learn about Hellveilious. He carries the brunt of it on his shoulders, but he didn’t always carry the torch.”
My grip tightens on Kyzen’s fingers by accident. He takes that as his cue to head to the door, but I want to dig my feet in the floor and tell V to explain what he just alluded to.
“Wait, are you saying there was another God of Death before him?”
I peer over my shoulder just as he stretches his wings out.
“I’ll see you when you return.”
The bright flash of white light has a noise akin to a growl coming out of me and Kyzen chuckles as we pass through the front door.
“Did he say something not to your liking?”
“Oh, you know V. Just him dropping some of his damn secretive lore.”
“That’s kind of his purpose, little goddess.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I roll my eyes teasingly, but the smirk fades from my face as we approach the rest of our serious group in the front lawn.
Yemi’s red-rimmed eyes gut me, and Sevryn can try all he wants to hide the worry behind his stoic mask, but I see right through it.
“Ready?” Creed asks no one in particular.
