All four of them hold my hair in place as my hand shakes.
“You’ll clean it up for me if I cut it fucked up, right?” I ask Kyzen.
“I’ll do whatever you need me too.”
I nod and raise the dagger before I can change my mind.
My exhale turns into a gasp as the blade slides through clean and effortless. The weight on that side of my head leaves me before all the strands can hit my thigh. I thought it would hurt or feel like something was being taken from me.
Instead, I can breathe.
So much so, a disbelieving laugh bubbles out of me.
I stare at the long strands as Creed gathers them in his hand and holds them out to me. They tickle my nose as I bring them to my face and inhale sharply.
Then…I obliterate them.
“Again,” I say.
Kyzen smiles and gets to work without another word.
After he slices through the other section, he moves behind me and does the same. The four of them murmur among themselves, telling him where to level or touch up. Each cut is lighter than the last.
The lack of weight sitting on me draws tears to my eyes.
My fingers run through the short, soft strands as Kyzen lays them back over my shoulders.
“Oh no,” Riven mutters. “You hate it.”
“No,” I whisper, shaking my head, allowing a reckless tear to fall. “I love it so much. I love all of you so much. I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me.”
They crowd closer to me, wrapping their arms around me and laying their lips wherever they can reach.
“There isn’t a thing in this realm we wouldn’t do for you, Thayla,” Creed whispers in my ear.
I know that. I know that with every piece of my heart and soul.
Riven
38
My brothers and I twiddle our fucking thumbs, waiting for our Binder to emerge from her room.
I’m not sure what’s taking her so long, but I’m going to need her to hurry it up. I want her perched on my lap while I play in her hair and she does fuck all nothing until dinner is ready.
Whenever that’s going to be.
“Creed—”
“Amick, if you tell me one more time to start cooking, I’m going to throw every fucking thing in the icebox away.”
I snicker behind my hand as his grumpy ass finally snaps.
Granted, that is like the third time Amick’s said some shit.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” he asks, pushing his luck.
“What are you in a rush for?”
