Page 11 of The Gods Order

I continue to backpedal.

“Beneath her,” Amick states as he takes Riven’s other side. “Beginning Gods or not, none come before her and her wants.”

“After all this time,” Kyzen drawls, aligning himself with the other two. “You don’t get to show back up and control this conversation. The one in control is our Binder. The daughter you two left behind.”

Creed grunts, cracking his neck as he moves to Kyzen’s left. “You can sure try, though.”

Power surrounds the four of them, and my body vibrates from the intensity in the air.

It’s too much.

It’s…

I jump when a set of hands grips my shoulders and whirls me around.

“Thay,” Lambrit mumbles. The concern in his gaze is overwhelming. “What do you need?”

“I-I…”

I can’t get the words out. My gaze bounces to his right when Yemi steps beside him, but I still can’t speak. All I can do is thrash my head from side to side. My chest is rising and falling too fast, and I can’t draw in enough air. Each labored breath is painful.

“Look at me, Thayla,” Iric commands as he steps in front of Lambrit. “Take a deep breath and go.”

Go.

I can’t take a deep breath, but I don’t need to.

My powers alight beneath my skin. With nothing more than a jumbled thought, they wrap around me and whisk me away.

Thayla

2

The second my starshoot releases me, I pace.

Back and forth, I flatten the dewy grass beneath my shoes and take so many deep breaths that I add to my lightheadedness rather than alleviate it.

I sling my hands back and forth, attempting to shake the tremors away, but it doesn’t work.

Steam drifts across the water of the hot spring, calm and steady. Normally, the sight of it would settle me, invite me closer. It doesn’t tonight…this morning.

Still, I stumble two steps toward it. Then I stop and stare. My hands curl into fists. I unclench them. Then curl them again.

Over and over.

Deep breath after deep breath.

The wind blows gently. Small critters are waking up in the forest. The sun is getting ready to kiss the moon good night. The realm keeps moving.

As if mine hasn’t just been shattered.

The memories in my mind scream, yet the silence surrounding me is unbearable.

“No, no, no.”

The words rip from my throat and I grip my roots, willing the sting in my scalp to distract me from my thoughts. It doesn’t work.

My chest is too tight, too full, and it burns as though someone reached between my ribs and wedged something sharp inside my heart.