Page 25 of Ruling Destiny

Killian waits.

“Do you, by any chance, happen to know Freya? She has red hair and—”

Killian’s already nodding long before I can finish. “Saved her, too,” he says. “They were about to put her to the swimming test.”

I narrow my eyes and shake my head. I don’t know the first thing about witchcraft or magick, but maybe it’s time that I learn. I take another bite of shepherd’s pie and settle in.

“It goes like this,” Killian says. “First, they convict you of witchery. Then they haul you to the nearest, deepest body of water, where they strip you down to your undergarments, bind your arms and legs, and toss you right in to see if you sink or swim. If you’re unlucky enough to float back to the top, you are confirmed a witch, in which case they pull you from the water and burn you at the stake.”

“And if you sink?” I ask.

Killian shrugs. “Most likely they leave you to drown. But you and your loved ones have the honor of knowing you died with your reputation intact. Turns out you were not a witch after all. But, better safe than sorry, or so the logic goes.”

“It’s barbaric,” I say, marveling at how easy it’s always been to manipulate large crowds of people into supporting inhumane acts by appealing to their prejudice and fear.

“Misogyny in the ancient day.” Killian shakes his head, causing that one stray curl to swoop over his forehead again. “Weak men have always been terrified by the innate power of strong women—of all women, really. And women who fear their own power have always supported those same weak men. Vicious cycle.” He shrugs. “It’s also a concept I can’t wrap my head around. I love a woman who knows her own worth.” His eyes spark on mine and his lips tick up at the sides, but I’m not falling for that, and I’m quick to look away. After a few silent beats, he says, “What made you ask about Freya? You two friendly?”

I shake my head, try to steer the subject in another direction. “So, this is where all the support staff live?”

“This is where theychooseto live,” Killian says. “And it’s an important distinction worth noting. Of course, there are those who’ve tried it on your side, but no one stays very long. For them,thisis the luxury version of the life they were living. Also, none of them actually wanted to leave their timeline, but it was their only way to survive.”

“Like refugees from history,” I say.

“Exactly.” Killian nods.

I sigh.Why has it always been so difficult for humans to just stop harming one another?

“Okay,” I say. “But what happens if someone comes to Gray Wolf only to decide they don’t like it? Can they go back to where they came from?”

“Theoretically.” He shrugs. “But why would they?”

I watch as he tilts his head back, drains what’s left of his coffee, then, setting his mug aside, laces his fingers together.

“At first, it’s a shock to the system. The sort of comforts we take for granted, like electricity, running water, and toilets that flush, seem like sorcery to them. And while there are those who remain convinced that Arthur’s some sort of fallen angel, if not Lucifer himself—and who knows, maybe he is”—Killian laughs—“most prefer to take their chances with a potential dark overlord than return to a society that clearly has it out for them.”

I take a moment to process. It’s a lot to digest.

“Tell me, Shiv,” Killian says. “And please be truthful, because I’m interested in hearing your answer. What would you do if you were like Arthur—if you had the same sort of unlimited access to money and technology? Would you do whatever you could to make the world a better place for as many people as possible? Or would you leave it to the hand of fate?”

I hesitate to answer. Mainly because the question is slanted in a way that portrays Arthur as the ultimate benefactor, and if I were to choose otherwise, what would that say about me?

Though it does make me wonder just how much Killian might know about Arthur’s ultimate goal.

Has he seen the Antikythera Mechanism Arthur stores in its own locked room at the back of the Vault?

Does he have any idea what Arthur plans to do with that priceless antiquity once I’ve collected all the missing pieces and he restores it back to its original glory?

I remember the dreamy look on Arthur’s face when I asked him what he planned to do once I’d completed my task:Why, I’m going to remake the world, he’d said, as though stating something glaringly obvious.

And then another memory rushes in on its tail. It’s what Killian said just moments before we left Versailles and jumped two and a half centuries forward in time—something about there being more to Gray Wolf than collecting trinkets and art.Everyone in that place has a plan, darlin’. Especially Arthur. And it ain’t about that.

At the time, I got so sidetracked by him calling medarlin’, I missed the most important part. But now it’s so clear, I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.

Killian knows.

Not only did he basically tell me as much, but he even sat back and watched as I reclaimed the Sun from the same Timekeeper he’d just put his blade through.

The thought alone leaves me with chills.

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