Page 59 of Broken Fate
It was my turn to frown in confusion. “It was? But I thought we were going to infiltrate the city?”
“We are.” He bent and slung the pack over his shoulder, walking away from me.
I grabbed mine and followed, noting the forest thinning around us.
“After what happened to our cell in the city,” Kiel explained, the others trailing behind us, “and in Arcadia before that, the entire city will be on high alert. Helix will have patrols roving the hills, watching all entrances into the city. Everyone will be under extra scrutiny. Doubled guards. You name it, he’ll have done it. So, our normal ways in and out will be unavailable. Thus, we’re going to do something different.”
I grimaced. “I don’t know if I can do that,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Well, I can swim, but Kiel, that’s alongway. We can’t even see Helisson from here,” I pointed out.
Kiel cocked his head, then chuckled, a warm, bubbling sound that made me feel allsortsof things I hadn’t been prepared for. I resolutely ignored the slight shakiness in my knees, along with the sudden increase in body temperature. It was a laugh, I told myself firmly, nothing more.
Sure, it was. Then, why did it make you feel all giddy inside, hmm?
“We’re not going to be swimming, Jada,” he said, pointing down the slope as the trees ended. In the distance was the ocean as far as the eye could see.
As magnificent as the sight was, however, it paled in comparison to what awaited us at the base of the foothills. There, nestled in an inlet, one of the giant sailing ships of Helisson awaited us, bobbing gently at anchor, its magnificent sails furled but no less impressive.
“Wow, it’s … bigger than I thought,” I heard myself say, staring.
“Have you never seen one before?” Kiel asked.
I shook my head. “Oh, the fishing boats on Lake Arcadia have sails, but this dwarfs them.”
The sailing ship truly was huge. The mainmast was cut from afilmoretree, though not one of the mature ones. Those were used for the main beams that ran through the ship. I knew that much. It was what allowed the vessels to be so big, the extremely strong but flexible wood giving the ship a solid base.
Ropes ran like a crazed spiderweb between the three masts, the main being taller than the fore and aft. From where we stood, the men climbing them looked like ants.
As we came closer, I took in the details of the ship, from the intricately carved shape of a mermaid dashing up from the bow to the varied hue of the sails. They must look quite the sight when full of the wind, I decided, more than eager to get on board and see for myself.
“We’re pretending to be sailors, then?” I asked, unable to contain my excitement.
Andi grunted at the idea, not sounding overly happy.
“Do you think you’d be able to act like one?” Kiel asked. “Would you know how to brace the sheets, trim the halyard, or …”
He trailed off as I stared blankly, my eyes likely taking on a glass-eyed look as he started speaking a foreign language to me.
“I thought not,” he grunted, patting me on the back.
His touch sparked a shock down my spine that was swiftly followed by a line of goosebumps. I stiffened, and Kiel quickly pulled back, either noticing my own reaction or perhaps realizing what he’d done. I wasn’t sure, but between his earlier laugh, the nautical terms, and that, my brain was thoroughly scrambled.
As we approached, a boat was lowered to the water, and several men rowed to meet us on shore. Kiel motioned to Praksis, who stepped forward and conversed with someone, talking in low tones. There was a nod, and then the tall, slender shifter waved us forward.
“We’re good,” he said to Kiel as I passed on his other side. “But you should probably talk to the captain. Apparently, he’s a bit … nervous.”
Kiel acknowledged the comment as we settled in the boat, and the crew rowed us back to the ship. There were shouted commands to “get ready to make way” as we approached, and mere moments after I climbed the rope ladder and set foot on the main deck, we were heading for the exit to the inlet and the open sea beyond.
Above me, sails were unfurling, men bawling cries to tighten this, stow that, belay this, and other things I couldn’t make out. Whatever it was, however, the men knew what they were doing. The sailors smoothly swung us around, and we began to gain speed, even in the very light midnight breeze.
“So, whatisthe plan?” I asked Kiel before he could seek out the captain, who was busy ensuring his ship was operating to his standards. “You’re right. Pretending to be a sailor would be a dead giveaway. Whatarewe going to pretend to be?”
“I know,” he said. “We’re not going to pretend to be anything. We’re going to hide and let them smuggle us into the city like cargo.”
“Won’t they inspect cargo?”
