Page 242 of The Gods Order

Creed, Amick, Riven, and I all share a look with one another.

We are always going to be together.

It was always going to be the five of us.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. I cherish the fact that my soul knew that truth first before I even developed conscious thought.

I’m shocked we have a soul family. I truly do wonder if their souls knew what they were getting into when they decided to shoot through the sky beside us.

“Neither the Valories nor the Gods Binding truly pick the Valtrues. That’s why we’ve never been able to figure out how it picks proper Pairings,” Amick says. Maybe to himself, maybe to us. “I also think the reason we get marks is because the gods have used the practice for so long that the Gods Binding adapted it into its system. The only flaw is that there are Starwoven across the realm and ungodly beings can’t be marked. The gods who are having babies with ungodly beings…that’s their Starwoven and that bond obviously protects against the dangers we’ve always been taught.”

“Holy shit,” Thayla breathes. “But what about people like Lambrit and Rose who are Starwoven? They don’t get marks because there aren’t five of them?”

“Possibly. The system has always been rigged for five beings. Who’s to say they won’t get a mark one day when the Gods Binding is back, right?”

We sit here, pondering his question. It’s clear he wasn’t really expecting an answer, but it definitely has us thinking.

“So anywhos,” Riven cheers, clapping his hands and breaking the silence as he gives Thayla a flirty smirk. “Your sweet little soul was mine long before ol’ Big DD split it and gave it to me. Told you it belonged to me.”

I chuckle alongside him until I notice how Thayla’s face has fallen.

“Hey,” I say, tilting her chin toward me. “What’s wrong?”

Her lip trembles and even running my thumb across it doesn’t stop it.

“Thayla…” I mumble.

“We’ll never feel it,” she whispers. “We’ll never feel the extent of our bond like Yemi and her men, Lambrit and Rose, Mara and hers.”

“What?” My eyebrows scrunch together. “Why not? What do we have to do to feel it?”

“Is it because Derivius split your soul?” Creed asks.

“No. It’s because of him we get to experience what we do.”

A lone tear slides down her chin, and she wipes it away just as fast as it came.

“Remember what I told you all about that night in his temple when he was drunk, and he said he’d be the bearer of bad news one day and tell you how you all were truly conceived?”

We each hum. Kind of hard to forget that.

“Well, I know now why he really didn’t want to be the one to tell all of you. My mom shared the story of your conception.”

The warmth from only moments ago drains from the ridge. It leaves as quickly as the color from Thayla’s face.

Whatever she heard…she doesn’t want to be the one to repeat it.

My fingers curl against my thighs. Riven’s crooked grin slowly disappears. The corners of his mouth flatten until nothing remains of the humor that had been there seconds ago. Creed straightens, his jaw locking so tightly the muscles feather beneath his skin. Amick lowers his gaze to the ground between us, already preparing himself for whatever truth is about to rewrite everything he thought he knew.

I stop breathing.

I’ve learned over the last few months that when Thayla hesitates to say something, it’s for very clear reasons. She’s preparing to protect herself or protect us.

She can’t protect us from this, though. The truth waiting on her tongue is going to hurt no matter what. When she finally speaks, she doesn’t spare any of the story. She lays every crucial detail bare.

The original Gods Binding.

Our mother’s jealousy.