Page 36 of Fated

“There is one place.” Ash’s eyes met mine. “It could be just as dangerous as walking right into the castle, though.”

“Where?”

“One of the first things we were taught was to never, ever go near the Lake of the Damned.”

“That sounds promising,” I muttered under my breath, uneasiness settling in my gut.

“We were told the creatures in that lake came from hell itself. If we ever encountered one, we were to kill it before it could speak. It’s said they lure their prey under the water, using the power of their voices.”

“Like a siren?”

He tilted his head, confusion flicking across his face.

“In my world, a siren is a mythical creature that lures people into the water with its song before killing them … Wait, why do you think going there is a good idea?”

“Because we were told over and over again not to,” he replied, his voice calm. “And it’s the last place anyone would think to go looking for us.”

Oh, God. The idea of walking up to something called the Lake of the Damned was as appealing as offering myself to Agidius with a fancy bow on my head.

“We both need answers, Areya,” he said, his eyes locking on mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. Sitting so close to him, his gaze was magnetic and overwhelming, likestaring into a storm. I couldn’t hold it for long before glancing away, my heart racing.

“By morning, we’ll both be at the top of the king’s kill list,” he said.

I swallowed hard, then glanced back up at him.

“I can keep you safe while we search for answers.”

“You want to help me?” I whispered.

He just stared. “I’m your only chance at staying alive.”

I nodded. It was true. Ashwasmy sole hope for survival, and after listening to him in this cave, I realized I wanted answers—not just for myself, but for him too.

“Ok.” My voice was steady this time. “Then we’ll work together.”

Chapter 10

So, it had been decided. Ash and I were going to the Lake of the Damned. To say I wasn’t thrilled would’ve been an understatement, but it was the only place Ash could think of that might hold the answers we both desperately needed. He wanted to leave right away before Agidius had time to realize we were missing and to send his army after us.

The flight was longer than our last, and no less terrifying.

But this time, instead of looking at the ground beneath us or squeezing my eyes shut in fear, I focused on the stars above, desperate to distract myself from the warmth of Ash’s breath dancing across my face or the way my body practically melted into his arms. When we finally landed, about twenty feet from the lake, the scenery had completely transformed.

The barren desert was long behind us. Now, we were surrounded by towering trees and thick brush. The area around the lake was wild and untamed, overgrown with tall grass and weeds.

But it was the lake itself that made my skin crawl. The water was murky brown, its surface swarming with flies. An odor, stagnant and foul, hung in the air.

Ash set me down on a squishy patch of ground, and only wearing socks, I cringed at the way my feet sank into the earth.

“This looks exactly like the kind of place where you’d find an evil lake monster,” I muttered.

Ash ignored me as he approached the water’s edge.

I stayed back, wrapping my arms tightly around myself forcomfort, rubbing them for warmth as the cold breeze off the lake prickled my skin with an icy chill.

Ash crouched down, dipping his fingers into the murky water, swirling them around. He stayed like that for a moment, waiting. Then, picking up a nearby rock, he tossed it into the lake. I couldn’t decide whether I was more relieved or disappointed that nothing was happening.

Ash turned to say something to me, but I didn’t catch his words. My eyes were glued to something behind him, something dreadful. Ash snapped his head back toward the lake, instantly alert. A few feet in front of him, peeking just above the surface, was the top of a woman’s head. Her beady eyes stared at us through a curtain of slick, black hair. Ash didn’t move a muscle as the creature observed him, hovering a long moment before vanishing beneath the water again.

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