Page 62 of The Gods Order

“There are those choice words again,” Sevryn snorts.

The corner of my mouth twitches despite myself. Then the lawn stills.

The conversations and quiet chattering die mid-breath. The air sharpens, and my power tightens so suddenly down my spine that every nerve snaps to attention.

There’s no bright flash of white light like with starshoots. Instead, the space splits open a few feet away. Val and Meridamus emerge like reality simply made room for them.

“Wow,” Lambrit mumbles. “Did you just step out of a boundary?”

I want to tell him don’t be silly, that’s impossible, but Val nods.

“My boundary barricaded my starshoot,” he says. “Lambrit Armend. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

He holds his hand out, and Lambrit eyes it, then him, before finally reaching his out.

“I wish I could say the same. You’ve put me in a predicament I don’t care for at all. I’m very disappointed about that.”

My lips curl between my teeth as I hide my smirk.

Best friend first. Intrigued genius second. I’m flattered.

“I completely understand,” Val says, steady in a way that makes me feel off-balance.

“Well,” Meridamus says, glancing around the lawn. “You all look tense.”

“Your faces are unsettling. We’ll grow used to them eventually, I suppose,” Riven says, and Kyzen elbows him.

I sigh.

“I assume the two of you know who everyone is, so you don’t really need proper introductions, right?” I ask.

“If you’d like to give proper introductions, that’s fine with us,” Val says.

I shake my head. “Everyone has somewhere they need to be.”

“Okay then.”

He holds my gaze with undivided attention. It makes me feel like he can see ten layers deeper than anyone else. That’s…uncomfortable.

Amick tugs my hand, pulling my focus.

“We’ll see you soon. If you need me before then…”

“I know,” I say, then stiffen as he leans in.

Normally, I wouldn’t think twice about kissing him—or any of my men—goodbye. Unfortunately, “normally” has never accounted for doing it in front of them.

Affection suddenly feels aggressively visible. I hate this feeling.

I force myself to relax and return his soft kiss. He sees right through me but doesn’t call me out. With a gentle rub to my earlobe, he steps aside for Creed. Creed’s narrowed eyes travel from my heart to my face, and he grunts—very pissy—as he cups my cheek and presses his lips to my forehead.

Riven catches my wrist, and my body twirls around the second Creed, Amick, all of Yemi’s men, Lambrit, and Rose starshoot away.

Oh no.

The slow grin spreading across his face tells me he knows exactly what’s happening in my head.

“I am literally begging you not to make this worse,” I whisper.