“I know you’re worried about me, and that means the realm to me, but I swear to you, Seismet, this will be one of the last endeavors I take on without you by my side. I will do any and everything in my power to get you out of that contraption.”
He sighs.“I know you will. I just want you to be safe.”
“I will be.”
“Good luck, Thayla. Bring them home to us,”Verlet says.
“I’m going to.”
I swear.
With a nod to Yemi, we carry on to the front door, and everyone’s attention swivels to us.
Sevryn, Iric, Nero, Doren, Gladian, and Mara are armored and weaponed up. Ready to go. Lambrit, Rose, Havar, and Ellian wear matching, concerned smiles.
I give them one full of as much confidence as I can.
“We’re cutting it a little close, don’t you think?” Sevryn asks.
“No. It’s going to be tight in timing, but they can’t leave that house until exactly forty-eight hours. Not a minute before. We can’t risk just standing there waiting for the minutes to tick down. That leaves too much time for the Goddess of Creation to figure out what’s happening.”
He tightens his lips and nods.
“Sevryn’s filled us in on everything except how we’re getting there. He said that was for you to share,” Gladian says and I focus on him.
“I don’t trust you,” I state, holding my hand up to shut him up before carrying on. “But I’m going to, today.”
“V.”
With a hoot that shakes the very ground, he appears on my shoulder in a bright flash of white light. Gladian and Mara stumble back, staring at him in disbelief.
“This is V. My Vedarya. He’s going to take us to Valveilious.”
The two of them stand frozen. I’m not even sure if they’re breathing. I give them another moment to stay lost in their stupor before I snap my fingers to get their attention.
“Iric is aware of where the Goddess of Creation’s house is, so he’s going to share that location with V.”
My attention turns to Iric, but Nero cuts in before he can speak.
“There are two weak spots in the barrier to Valveilious. One is where we left through from the Sanctum the day of the trial and the other is in the center of the Court. It’ll be easier for us to move through one of them than leave from this lawn.”
“Of course,” I grumble.
“Leaving from the Court would be the smartest move. You don’t need every eye in the Sanctum to see you leaving like this,” Lambrit says.
I nod and turn my focus back to Gladian. “Can you go clear the Court?”
“Yeah,” he grunts, then disappears through his starshoot.
I meet Mara’s arched brow. “What?”
“You’re always full of surprises. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad.”
“Same.” I huff a small laugh. “You sure you want to do this?”
She shrugs. “No others can say they went to Valveilious, killed a bunch of Dark Gods, broke the sons of Obliteration out of entrapment, and then lived to tell the tale.”
I roll my eyes at her, then turn back to Iric.
