I give her a small smile as I reach out and cup her cheek.
“Their souls went up together, and I prayed for the Valories to welcome them home.”
Her breath fans through her lips as she closes her eyes and leans into my hand.
“Thank you, Creed.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” She kisses the inside of my palm, despite the fact I know she wants to argue. “Let’s go find Laney.”
She nods as my brothers lift her to her feet, and she rolls her neck out.
My body shivers when she lets out a long exhale and her power flows out of her. It coats Mrs. and Mr. Armend first, then the entire house.
“No one will be able to get in here, and I’ve got to—” She squeezes her eyes shut and curls her fingers at her sides. “I’ve got to see what Lambrit and Laney want to do.”
My soul shrivels in my chest from the pain that hers is in.
“We’ll find that out as soon as we find her and go home, little goddess,” Kyzen says as she laces his fingers through hers and gives them a squeeze.
“Okay.”
At her clipped, but confident nod, we file back out of the house, and her head pivots once again to the neighboring house. With a few clenches of her fist, she stomps in that direction, and we follow behind her.
Her fingers slowly trace down the white door, and as if she doesn’t want to talk herself out of her decision, she breathes, turns the knob, and slings the door open.
She doesn’t step in, though.
Her head scans the quiet home from the threshold.
“No one’s moved our stuff.”
“Wait. This was where you lived?” Riven asks.
“Yeah.”
She doesn’t bother shutting the door. She turns on her heels and races down the path. The shouts and screams have grown more distant, but each one that pierces the air a little louder than the rest grabs her attention.
Her feet skid to a stop and she withdraws her sword without a second thought as a Dark God runs out on the path in front of her.
In three strides, we catch up to her side, and his body hits the ground.
“Thayla? What are you doing here?”
Our heads whip to the left at that voice. Mara charges between two houses, sword raised as if she were chasing that god Thayla just cut down.
“What does it look like?”
“Well, obviously, I see what you’re doing, but when did you get here? You weren’t at the Court with all of us?”
“Ellian came and got us after. I don’t have time to explain. I’m looking for someone.”
She gives her a small nod, then leaps over the Dark God’s body and once again runs forward. We follow her. So does Mara.
“Godrun, wait!” Gladian shouts, and my brothers and I spin around. I quickly glance over my shoulder to make sure Thayla waited for us.
She did, but impatiently. Her foot is tapping a mile a minute as Mara leans into her, saying something we can’t hear. Thayla’s shoulders drop.
“What do you want, Gladian? We don’t have time for this,” I say.
