Page 223 of The Gods Order

I wait until I know she’s made it to her hallway before I speak.

“Anything we should know to prepare ourselves?” I ask, holding Derivius’s gaze.

“There’s no preparing yourself for something like this, Amick. She’s about to come face-to-face with her mother for the first time in twenty years. Prepare for tears, probably some cussing. Hell, who knows. She may see her, then turn around and say never mind, I’m not ready. You just prepare to comfort her through any reaction she may have.”

Not incredibly enlightening, but most certainly achievable.

We will be here for her no matter what.

“Very well,” I say as I stand. “Let’s go get our armor on and prepare to leave.”

Time to meet our mother-in-law.

Thayla

27

For twenty years, I’ve wanted to know what was behind this barrier.

Ten-year-old me feared getting too close to it.

Twenty-year-old me craved to go beyond it.

Thirty-year-old me will finally step through.

No one rushes me as I hover my hand an inch away from the shimmering surface. Now that I know better, I feel him. The pulse of my father’s power hums beneath my skin.

In the few minutes we’ve been here, he hasn’t pushed or pressured me to talk to him. He thanked Derivius for bringing us, asked Creed how he was feeling, and has just…waited me out.

I’m not exactly sure if I have anything to say yet. Maybe after I see my mother and speak with her, that’ll change, but for now, I’ve simply accepted the things he explained. That doesn’t mean my hurt has suddenly vanished. It’ll take me some time.

Time I do truly hope we have.

“It is Elementrian power mingled with yours. It isn’t greater like we assumed. We just couldn’t sense you,” I mumble, glancing over at my father. “Did Willow do this?”

He shakes his head.

“When I created the barrier, I connected the power of Elementra that was thrumming through the realm and mixed it with my own. This is the most fortified barrier I’ve ever created. There are permissions weaved in it. Once you pass through, there’s no passing back out. If there’s a hint of intentions to harm in your essence, you can’t pass through, and then some …such as yourself, can’t pass through at all without my permission.”

I nod. That confirms what we already assumed.

“So Willow and her men had no problems when they came recently?” I ask.

“No. They had no trouble at all.” He chuckles low and lays his hand against the barrier. That small sound fades as he holds my gaze. “Are you ready?”

I peer over my shoulder at my men. They’re strong, silent supporters who are ready and waiting for me to do whatever I want to do.

I not only want to do this. I need to.

“Yeah,” I breathe. “I’m ready.”

With a dip of his head, his power flares in his eyes. I study how the circles of colors flare, never mixing or merging.

Slowly, as though he’s opening a door, a small passage splits in the barrier, and he releases a deep breath.

“Go ahead. I’m right behind all of you,” he says.

My men, of course, aren’t about to let me walk into unknown territory first. Creed instantly stalks in front of me and pulls his shoulders back. The other three fall in line behind me.