Page 48 of Broken Fate
“That’s putting it mildly,” I said, still trying to understand.
Why did they wantmeto kill Fate, to be the one who broke the Arcadian shard of her? Kiel was the leader. He had been there for longer. Andi was a certified badass and as hard as they came.
What possible reason could they have for needingmeto do it?
The others settled into their seats, and eyes turned to me expectantly.
“I’m not ready for a mission like that,” I said, feeling ashamed of myself.
To infiltrate Arcadia and the Alpha’s palace and then destroy the stone? I’d attempted so in a spur-of-the-moment decision on my Fate Night. Driven by desperation, and even then, I’d barely been able to do so. Would Fate herself not recognize me if I touched the stone a second time? Would she not try to stop me? How could I hope to defy a goddess?
Kiel had given me the ultimate answer, but now, I hadmorequestions than answers.
“I know,” the leader of the rebellion replied softly. “But you will be. What I need to know from you now, however, is if you’re in or out? This is my plan, this istheplan, and we must know if you can handle it.”
The stream of wounded entering the cave complex was front and center on my mind as I pondered my answer. The injured, carrying the dead. Empty looks in their eyes, features gaunt, stomachs shrunk. All because they wanted a better life. A new life, done differently.
And Helix, the Alpha of Helisson, had tried to kill them for it.
If I threw myself in fully, joined the rebellion and struck back, the odds were that I would be signing my own death warrant. Arcadus and his Beta, Andracis, would hunt me down with a vengeance. But at least I might be able to do some good first.
Besides, it’s not like I have anything left outside of these people anyway now, is there? Where would I go? What would I do?
My blood family was gone. Clive, Andi, even Kiel, they were the closest thing I had left to kin.
“I’m in,” I said with a soft snarl. “But if we’re not going back to Arcadia yet, what are we doing? Why are we all in here?”
Kiel took my answer, nodding. I think he was happy about it, but I couldn’t be certain. The man was too guarded to be able to read him properly.
“This is Praksis,” he said instead, gesturing at the slim shifter.
I glanced over, noting the weathered look of his skin and the tightly corded muscle around his frame. He might not be bulky, but assuming Praksis was weak would be a mistake.
“Until recently, Praksis was the skipper of one of the great sail-ships,” Kiel explained. “He plied his trade from Helisson to other nations far away and even occasionally up the river to Lycaon.”
The former captain nodded to me in greeting. I dipped my head a little bit lower. I’d only ever heard of the mighty sail-ships, giant constructs that floated on the water, built to withstand the ocean and the denizens within it. Anyone willing to sail across such madness for trade was a man worthy of my respect. It was no easy feat.
“As it happens, Praksis is still in contact with his friends, both on sail-ships and the galleys that head upriver to Lycaon and beyond.”
I nodded. That was easy to follow. What I couldn’t yet fathom was what that had to do withme?
“Does this mean what I think it does?” Andi asked.
She understood what it meant? How?
Kiel nodded. “We’re going back to Helisson,” he said solemnly.
“What?” I looked around, alarmed. Everyone else was calm, unbothered by his announcement. “But Helix and his men just about annihilated your,our, cell there. They’ll be on high alert. Why would we goback?”
“Because not everyone escaped,” Kiel said softly. “Normally, you’re right. We wouldn’t risk a rescue attempt for a few souls. As callous as that is, we must be cognizant of reality. However, in this case, we must make an exception.”
“Shit,” Andi muttered. “They have him, don’t they?”
“One of our members who escaped and made it here confirmed that they saw him get captured,” Kiel said.
“Him? Who?” I asked, looking around.
“Gralk,” Andi supplied.
