I shake my head at him and continue cleaning up my mess. Part of me does feel bad for taking my anger out on these books that did nothing wrong. I should focus my anger on the assholes who wrote and kept all these secrets to themselves.
“Thayla. I need you to come take a look at this.”
I whirl around toward Yemi’s voice, although she’s nowhere in sight.
Amick steps up beside me, holding out his hand for me to take while giving me a tight, apologetic smile. He has nothing to be sorry for, though. He was just the bearer of bad news.
“I’m sorry for losing my cool and slinging the text around.”
“That did hurt my heart quite a bit.”
I’d smirk or snort if I thought he was being funny.
He’s not.
“I’m really sorry, Amick.”
He brings my knuckles to his lips and smiles behind them.
“It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”
I let his words comfort me as he guides us through rows of books until we spot Yemi and Doren standing shoulder to shoulder, staring at the back wall.
“Is there something special about the painting you’re both staring at?” I ask, and they spin around.
“Yeah, actually there is. Come feel this,” Yemi says as she reaches out and grips my forearm.
She tugs me forward and holds her other palm up, hovering it an inch or so from the painting. My eyes damn near bug out of my head when I mimic her and an intense tingle runs down the entire length of my spine.
“Yeah, you feel that, right? That’s original power.”
“What are you talking about?” Amick asks from behind us.
“There’s a barrier blocking this picture,” I mutter and suck down a sharp breath once I lay my hand completely against it. “This is the God of Boundaries’ power.”
“What?” he asks, but Yemi and I don’t let him bombard us.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” she asks me.
“That we’re going to push our asses right through this? Absolutely.”
“I don’t believe that’s a—”
“One, two, three.” We count down, ignoring Doren completely.
Our powers alight beside one another, and our hands glow against the invisible barrier blocking us. Both of our foreheads wrinkle in concentration.
There is no empty space to fill like there was when she blocked out the Goddess of Seduction’s power or when I did it to the Goddess of Creation. This boundary is as solid as a wall. Pure, unfillable power.
“It isn’t spreading,” I grit out.
“We’re just going to have to go straight through,” she murmurs.
“Maybe this isn’t the best—”
We both grunt as we push harder, and the pressure building in my chest refuses to let air in or out of my lungs.
I can’t even sigh in relief when the tips of our fingers slip past the first layer. Something behind this damn fortress brushes against my fingernail, but it’s still too far for me to grip.
