My personal hot spring fills quickly as Creed doesn’t just set me in. He makes his way in and sits me on his lap as the other three take seats around us. I smirk as all four of them sigh and lean their heads back.
“Damn, I did a good job.”
Four laughs reverberate off my bathroom walls and the melody has my heart fluttering in my chest.
“You did,” Creed says and his teeth graze my shoulder, then his lips kiss away the small sting.
I exhale and shimmy myself down until I’m comfortable on his chest. The thud of his heart beats against my ear as all other sounds fade out.
We sit in silence that gradually grows heavier. It isn’t necessarily a bad heavy, but it weighs. My gaze cuts around to Amick, Kyzen, and Riven since their faces are the only ones I can see.
Kyzen and Riven both have their eyes closed and fingers laced on their chest, but Amick…stares at the ceiling, unblinking.
“You okay, Amick?” I ask quietly.
His chest expands with his long inhale, then deflates with his even longer exhale.
“Harriseen killed the High Chancellor before him. I could see when he made that decision, he wasn’t the man that we know now. He was much like me, like us. He didn’t like the things he saw taking place. So he took matters into his own hands, just as I did. Somewhere down the line, the power got to him.”
He squeezes his eyes shut for only a moment.
None of us speak.
“Emmett Darvos was the Attendant he made buy the sleep paralysis drug that he used on you and Yemi. He and another Attendant were the two who he made take you to Hellveilious. I’m not sure about the events that happened on the trip there, what happened in there, or anything like that.
“Once they emerged from Hellveilious, though, Harriseen killed them then and there. Their bodies are somewhere in the forest surrounding Hellveilious. That’s why we haven’t been able to find them since then. We’ll need to locate them, though, for added proof.”
My jaw locks tight.
I hate the fact he had to see that seconds before slicing his palm with the very dagger that committed those murders. At the same time, unfortunately, I’m glad he knows the truth.
“So when I asked for and bitched at you for not telling me where the people involved in her kidnapping were, you were telling the truth. You really didn’t know,” Riven says.
“I really didn’t. As I told you, the Attendants’ ledger had them reassigned, but their new assignments weren’t listed. I figured Harriseen was hiding them from me, yes, but I didn’t suspect he had just killed them.”
“What was your plan, Riven?” Creed asks.
“Oh, don’t play dumb. We all know I was going to kill them for drugging my angel and bestie. Better Harriseen than me, I suppose.”
“So the truth that you were shown drove you to your decision?” I ask.
“I’d love to blame it all on that, but…I can’t. Once it showed me his truths, my first thought was I’m going to hold this over his head. I needed him for the Law of Doppia Disaccord to go through. Then I read my parchment. All my abilities were listed and the two very last lines changed everything.
“The first said Worthy. Just the one word. Then the last line said Amick, God of Knowledge. My power fluttered through my mind and all I could think about was how he was the one who told me after we came out of the Veil that I was no longer worthy of such a title and I’d never earn it back.
“The Power Measuring Test he pushed into law said otherwise. He wasn’t worthy. He may have been at one time, but he lost that when he decided his own wants and needs came before the Godsdawn. My decision was immediate and instant. Impulsive. I didn’t even consider the after. I just thrust my arm forward.”
“Yeah, not so fucking easy to convince yourself otherwise in moments like that, huh?”
“Riven.”
“Don’t Riven me, Kyzen. He gives me more shit than anyone else when I let my power lead me and I make impulsive choices, yet look at what he did.”
“I know and understand that, but—”
“He’s right, Kyzen, and he’s obviously been telling the truth here lately about his decision-making. Once my mind agreed that’s what I was going to do, I did it. No consideration or anything followed. Just action.”
We all turn to Riven’s pleased hum and smirk. I curl my nose up at him.
