Page 23 of Veiled Fate
My teeth ground together, but I couldn’t fault his point either.
“How do you know all this?” I asked, shaking my head. “How do you know things about my mother and her family that she doesn’t know? You’re making this all up.”
Kiel’s face softened, his lips bunching up. “You’re not asking the right question, Jada. And you know it. Don’t avoid the truth just because you don’t like it. I’m not making this up. That’s why you could destroy the Fate Stone. Why it had to be you.”
“The wrong question?”
He nodded. “You’re making one critically incorrect assumption.”
“No,” I half-moaned as his point sank home. “No, that’s not right. You’re trying to trick me.”
“Why would I do that?” he challenged. “What possible reason could I have to do that? What does it gain me besides your hatred?Moreof your hatred.”
“But …” I tried to grapple with what he was telling me. “Why would my momlieto me about who she is? About whoIam?”
“Because she’s one of us,” Kiel said.
“What?” My stomach folded over itself. “She is?”
“Yes. For many years now. It’s why she’s with your father, though that long since blossomed into a real relationship. She loves him very much.”
I stiffened as another thought came to me. A very dark one. “My father’s first mate? Did you have her murdered?”
“No,” Kiel said sharply, his hand slicing the air. “Absolutely not. That accident was completely and totally by chance. All that happened after was a bit of contrivance to push them together. Then you came along.”
“Are you telling me,” I said very quietly, “that you played …matchmakerwith my parents?”
“In a way, yes,” he admitted. “But, Jada—”
“So,” I said, cutting him off without remorse, “the only reason I even exist is because of you? I’m just a tool you created to destroy those stupid stones? Isthatwhat you’re telling me?”
“Of course not,” he scoffed. “Jada, that wasn’t the plan at all. We wanted—”
“Shut up,” I said icily, another realization clicking into place.
Kiel stiffened at the sudden change in my tone.
“So, if it weren’t for you and your rebellion interfering in my father’s life, I wouldn’t be here. Which means Lannawouldbe here. She would still bealivetoday if it weren’t for you. BecauseIwouldn’t be here. But she would.”
“Jada, you have to stop blaming yourself for her death,” Kiel growled.
“No.” I shook my head slowly. “You, of all people, don’t get to tell me anything. Not anymore. You need to leave.”
“Jada …”
“Get out of mylife,” I growled, stabbing a finger at the door. “Now.”
Chapter Twelve
“It’s not the time for this,” Kiel said, staying rooted to the spot, challenging me to make him move.
“You keep saying that,” I hissed, teeth clenching, eyes wide, my blood practically boiling. “Of course now is not the time for this. Twenty-one years ago was the time for you not todo this!”
“Keep it down,” he warned.
“Don’t tell me what to do. You’re done telling me what to do, Kiel,” I said, though I did lower my volume. “You basically made me, but you’re done having any control over me. Itrustedyou. With my life. With my mindandmy body. And now, I find out you basically ensured I was made. Were you there that night, too? Did you supervise that as well? You don’t look old enough for that. How have you been able to do all this? How do you know all this stuff?”
“The rebellion keeps records,” he said stiffly.
