Page 177 of The Gods Order

No one is starshooting out of here.Bottom of Form

Thayla

21

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The sensation that brushes across my senses has a mound of unease spreading through my veins. The familiar feeling of being stuck presses in around me and I loathe this reminder.

The entire group of us whirl back around and face the doors, waiting and watching for something or someone to show up.

Nothing happens for a solid minute.

My power stirs beneath my skin, and that has a calm breath pouring from my lips.

That means I still have everyone covered.

“This is just like in Hell. The strange barrier around the Judgment Rings. We can access our power but not starshoot,” I say, glancing at Creed for confirmation.

He grunts.

“It’s not a barrier like what you can create with your power. It’s more like infusing the space with your essence and giving it permission to do something. Like you can give your permission for us to enter your door, our father has embedded this place so you can’t use your power to leave. There’s an entire barrier around Hellveilious preventing anyone from starshooting out, but I also embedded another one around the lower level of Hell so they can’t starshoot to any of the other levels.”

Damn it.

“So just a slight change in plans. We get the Binding, exit the room, then starshoot out,” I say.

“Not going to be that easy,” Prath says. He steps back and forth through the threshold countless times. “I’m not sure what we triggered, but it’s stretched into the hall as well.”

Of course it did.

“Well, then we get the damn Binding, run back down the hall, then starshoot out. If we still can’t starshoot out after we leave the hall, I call V,” I say, running my hand through my hair. “I mean, I’m not complaining, but it makes no damn sense why he only blocked the ability to starshoot out rather than all power that comes through the door.”

“It makes perfect sense,” Amick says low.

The astonishment in his voice has me spinning toward him. He isn’t looking at us, though.

He’s staring beyond the center of the room.

Holy shit.

While the rest of us fixated on the inability to leave this room, he was doing what he always does. Observing, cataloging, and understanding what’s going on around us.

The God of Obliteration’s Binding rests atop a polished marble pedestal near the center of the chamber. The essence trapped within the globe churns as black as a moonless sky. But that isn’t what steals the breath from my lungs. It’s what stands behind it.

“No…” Kyzen breathes.

The word sends a chill racing down my spine.

The Gods Veil.

Obliteration’s Veil.

Silence blankets the room.

The first time I’d stood before the original within the Godsdawn, its brilliant white essence called to me. Warmth radiated from it, wrapping around my soul with an invitation I didn’t understand.

This…