Page 178 of The Gods Order

This thing feels like its opposite.

A towering wall of charcoal turns in slow, sluggish circles. The essence is so thick it resembles ash suspended in water. With every pulse of corrupt power that rolls from it, the room seems to grow colder.

My skin prickles. Every instinct I possess screams to put as much distance between myself and that thing as possible.

“He doesn’t strip the ability to starshoot out of here to protect the Binding or the Veil,” Amick says, tearing his gaze away from the wall first. “He does it so you can’t leave before he’s seen what his blessing has done for you once you step out of it.”

My eyes flick to him.

“If he likes what he sees…”

“You’re free to keep that power and go.”

“If he doesn’t?” I ask.

“You go back in or”—he glances back over his shoulder for a fleeting second—“you don’t leave this room.”

You don’t leave this room. If he catches us here…

“Did he ever bring you here?” Kyzen asks, staring at Sevryn.

He shakes his head, glaring at the Veil with pure hatred.

“No. My father would bring me to him, and he’d release power to me from his Binding.”

A slow breath flows through my nose as I spare the Veil one last lingering look.

The Beginning Gods created the original to release power and dissolve corruption. Obliteration has twisted this creation into doing things the opposite way.

A muscle jumps in my jaw.

It doesn’t matter right now. This doesn’t change why we’re here.

“We need to get the Binding and go,” I declare.

No one objects as I stomp toward the pedestal.

Every step closer makes the Veil feel…aware. As if it’s watching and waiting.

My fingers close around the cool globe and for the briefest heartbeat, I lose the ability to breathe. The absolute power that pulses off this thing is wrong on so many levels. It slithers down my skin, and I want more than anything to drop the damn thing.

Fuck, this thing is going to be a bitch to cleanse.

“Let’s—”

A wave of power rolls through the room and my hand reaches out, gripping the pedestal for balance. My wide gaze scans over everyone and how they right themselves. Then an ear-splitting alarm erupts through the chamber.

“Shit,” I whisper.

I frantically set the Binding back on the pedestal, but that doesn’t do a damn thing. The piercing shrill continues to blare. My heart rate spikes as shouts echo down the corridor and boots thunder against stone.

Fuck.

“Get to the hall and try to starshoot out,” I bark.

Prath crosses the threshold first, and every stride farther he takes without disappearing crushes any hope I had.

“Not working,” he bellows as he sprints back into the room with the rest of us.