“Everyone out,” Creed orders without turning around.
With a nod to Sevryn, he ushers his Valtrue out the door and the sound of stone sliding against stone echoes around us.
“All of you as well.”
Thayla takes measured steps until she’s standing at Creed’s side. The other three of us do the same, but we give him a little space.
“Not happening, my sweetling.”
“Don’t, Thayla. Not right now. Go and let me do what I need to do so we can get the fuck home.”
“You can do what you need to do with us here. Let us be here for you.”
“I don’t want you all here.”
“Why?”
He spins on her and throws his hands in the air before gripping his roots.
“Because I don’t want you all to see me like this. What I’m about to have to do…my power…” He closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath.
“You’ve seen all of us at our worst and you didn’t bat an eye. We’re not going to either,” I say as I sense his anger growing by the second.
“Would it help if you walked us through what’s about to happen first?”
“No. No, it would not.”
Amick nods. “Well, then get on with it so we may observe.”
We all crane our necks to glare at him and he shrugs.
“You all may see water, but this is the pool of souls. Whatever you notice happening, don’t interfere. Do not get in.”
Thayla’s face goes pale as she bounces her attention from him to the dark pool. I don’t know what’s running through Riven’s and Amick’s minds, but mine is racing a mile a minute.
“Keep your soul in check. Don’t let it stroke mine.”
His fingers tremble as he caresses Thayla’s cheek. She nods, but she worries her bottom lip between her teeth.
He spares us minuscule glances.
The shame written in his eyes guts me. I’ve always understood that his power makes him feel a certain way about himself, but this seems like so much more.
We cradle Thayla in the middle of us as she gives him some room. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it sure as fuck wasn’t for him to step into the verywaterhe just told us not to get into.
My fingers twitch around Thayla’s bicep as the water ripples around his legs. His power prowls down his arms in black ropes, and the dark pool rises to meet his call.
My pulse roars in my ears as he lets out a gruff groan as his fingers flex into fists.
I swear the seconds that pass feel like eons as his body becomes covered. His small grunts morph into shouts that stab me in the heart.
“Creed,” Thayla mumbles, jerking in our grasp.
“Don’t, little burden. You heard what he said.”
Riven’s eyes swirl blue, and his deep frown highlights the genuine worry he’s feeling right now.
“Fuck what he said. Is he about to drown? Are the souls hurting him? What the fuck is happening?”
