Page 159 of The Gods Order

I spare a quick glance over at Yemi and the fierce concentration on her forehead. She too is barely moving her sword enough to call it sparring, but she’s at least participating.

“Gladian.”

The pressure against my Boundaries increases ever so slightly and I suck down a deep breath.

“Nero. Riven.”

Accord, not my own, skirts across my mind, and I force myself to ignore it before my own decides to respond. That becomes so much harder to do when Chaos bursts into existence.

Not enough to warp anything around us, just enough that the air feels…different.

Restless and wild.

I separate the connection between it and exhale slowly through my nose.

Keep holding.

Val continues calling out names. Back and forth between my group and Yemi’s, and pressure builds against the edge of my control. A slight tremor flows down my spine and I swallow, adjusting my hold on the connections. My mind races across everyone’s names as I make sure every new ripple of power stays within our little bubble.

Across the Court, Yemi rolls her shoulders, feeling what I’m feeling as well.

“V.”

My Vedarya lets loose a hoot and a pulse of his own power.

That new wave stacks atop the last and it feels less like I’m separating connections and more like I’m bracing my entire body against a rising tide that’s trying to knock me off my feet.

My breathing turns uneven and my power strains against my skin as if it’s noticing how much force is pressing against the invisible barrier I’ve built around us.

Shit. Hold it. It’s fine. This is fine.

“Everyone, push more,” Val instructs.

Every Domain answers, and the invisible pulse slams into my Boundaries. I bite back a brutal grunt as that ripple spreads across the connections I’m holding onto for dear life.

I know in our very first lesson, Val said that we aren’t building walls, but that’s what this feels like. The connections I have separated are layered together like a wall, and the more everyone keeps pushing their power out, the more fragile that wall becomes.

Why is this getting harder? Nothing changed.

I’m doing exactly what he taught me.

My heartbeat pounds inside my ears, and a sharp ache blooms behind my eyes.

“Thayla, Yemi, use your own power.”

“We are using our power,” I grit out as I hold his gaze.

He shakes his damn head.

“Yemi, create a defensive barrier. Thayla, use your Obliteration.”

Fuck…

Yemi sucks in a strained breath, and I glance at her for a heartbeat. She’s already staring at me.

We got this.

I nod at her. She barely returns the gesture.