Page 47 of Broken Fate
Just when I thought one thing about him, he went and showed me that I still knew nothing at all.
“Please, sit,” he said, gesturing to the chairs arrayed on the other side of his desk, one of the few pieces of real furniture I’d seen in the complex.
It made sense, though, because hauling big, heavy furniture to a secret location wasn’t exactly the best way to keep said secret.
I sat, and Kiel moved behind the desk to do the same. He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, fingers steepled in front of his face while he gave me a long look.
“The better way is one where the Alphas don’t rule,” he said without preamble.
My attention was immediately riveted. I was about to get the answers I’d been seeking.
“That much I’ve gathered,” I said. “Immortality has corrupted them. Twisted them.”
“Powerhas corrupted them,” Kiel corrected gently but firmly.
“Right.” I chewed on my bottom lip, trying not to get lost in his face. It was serious, and I couldn’t afford to daydream about seeing those bright blue eyes peeking up from between my legs. Which meant that was exactly what my brain started to imagine for me.
The silence dragged on between us as Kiel just stared. Could he possibly know what I was thinking? He eventually looked away with a growl as the tension in the room ratcheted up a notch.
Andi needs to get here fast.
“H-how do we stop them?” I asked, my voice catching.
“One at a time,” he rumbled, looking intently at something on his desk, unwilling to look up.
“But they’re immortal. How are we supposed to kill them?”
I shivered, remembering the speed and power of Arcadus. He’d been a literal blur when he’d stopped me from destroying the Fate Stone. Using one hand, he’d casually robbed me of all momentum. His body hadn’t even twitched with any effort, either.
“We don’t.”
I looked up sharply, meeting Kiel’s eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Not at first, at least,” he said. “To kill an Alpha, you have to make him vulnerable.”
“You mean take away his immortality?”
“More than that,” Kiel said, nodding. “You take his strength, his speed. You take all of it away.”
“Right. I assume you know how to do this, then? I’ve never heard of such a thing being possible. Fate gave them that power.”
“They stole it, but yes, it’s born of her,” Kiel agreed. “Which is why we must take her away from them.”
Comprehension dawned. “The Fate Stone,” I said slowly. “That’s why you wanted to recruit me because I tried to do the same thing you want to do. Now, you’re going to destroy it?”
Kiel shook his head.
“No?” I was confused.
“I’m not going to destroy it,” he said. “You are.”
“What?” I yelped, shooting to my feet as Andi poked her head through the curtain, followed by Clive and a tall, slender shifter I didn’t recognize but who had to be Praksis.
“Uh, bad time?” she asked.
“No, no, come in,” Kiel said, waving one of his big meaty paws at her and the others. “Have a seat. Jada and I were just discussing the plan.”
“She’s taking it well, I see,” Andi observed with a smile.
