Page 1 of Veiled Fate
Chapter One
“We have a problem.”
Kiel’s eyes met mine as his expression hardened, lines forming and taking his gaze from a gentle swell of blue seas to a harsh, icy glacier. Implacable, unmovable, and with strength beyond understanding. Just like my Kiel.
“What is it?” he asked, standing up as the fishing boat slowly rolled from side to side, occasionally bumping up against the pier where we were docked. The water of Lake Arcadia was never completely calm, even as deep as we were in the harbor.
“Soldiers,” the boat captain said stiffly, glancing from Kiel to me and back again. What was going on in his mind? Was he having second thoughts? “They’re locking down every boat. Looks like they’re checking each one before they let anyone go.”
Kiel hissed in frustration. I gritted my teeth, but more against the slow pulse emanating from my left arm, where I’d been stabbed through the forearm with a dagger. There was no pain, not anymore, but the sensation was anything but normal. The newfound tension as we contemplated our options had it pulsing faster, only a few hairs behind my heartbeat, though very clearly not in sync.
“We were so close,” he growled, venting his frustration.
I shared his sentiment. We’d nearly done it all. Infiltrate the Alpha’s palace in Arcadia. Staving off the Alpha himself and destroying his Fate Stone. The only thing left to do was to flee the wrath of Arcadus. The Arcadian Alpha was, unfortunately, showing unusual foresight in closing down the harbor, preventing our escape.
“Can we cast off and get going before they reach us?” I asked.
“No,” the captain said. “They would see us preparing to set sail and be on us before we could get away from the pier.”
I glanced at Kiel, the unspoken question passing between us. Perhaps it was cowardly of me to hope he would be the one to bring it up, but he knew the captain, not me.
“Can we fight them off?” Kiel asked quietly. “It’s imperative that we get out of the city.”
“My men are not equipped for that,” the captain said stiffly. “I will not ask them to sacrifice their lives without having a chance to fight back. The Wulfhere would cut them down in seconds.”
My lips flattened. I wanted to protest, to tell him that others had done just that. That the Alphas used the Wulfhere as their personal troops, having them cut down anyone who spoke against their immortal rule.
Though hopefully no longer immortal in Arcadus’ case. But we don’t know that yet.
“No, he’s right,” I said quietly, waving off Kiel, who looked ready to say more. “The Wulfhere are trained soldiers, Kiel. These men don’t even have swords. We can’t ask them to sacrifice themselves just for us.”
“My men aren’t cowards,” the captain said. “If we had arms and armor, we would fight back. But that wasn’t part of the plan. I have a sword in my cabin, but I’m fairly certain, aside from a couple of daggers, that it’s the only weapon on board.”
“We’re not calling you or your men’s courage into question, Captain,” I assured him, trying to think frantically about our other options.
“He learned fast,” Kiel growled. “Word about our escape from Helisson must have spread.”
“Or Arcadus is just faster off the mark,” I added. “Either way, it doesn’t matter how or why, just that it’s happening. We need to go. Get off the boat so they aren’t blamed for our presence.”
“But what will you do then?” the captain asked, looking back and forth. “What would you have us do? Turn you in?”
It was obvious he didn’t like kicking us off his boat. He had honor, and that honor was telling him he was being a coward by getting rid of us. Unfortunately, it was also the right thing to do. There was simply no reason for themandus to get swept up into the arms of the Wulfhere.
“That’s exactly what you’re going to do,” Kiel answered.
The captain’s jaw dropped as my head came up.
“Do you want to run that past us one more time?” I asked, exchanging confused looks with the captain. “I don’t think we’re quite following. Just what does that achieve?”
“Takes suspicion off him,” Kiel said.
“You’re right, it does,” I drawled. “Takes it off him and puts it smack on us. Which I thought we wanted to avoid.”
“Trust me,” Kiel said. “It’ll work.”
“Whatwill work? You haven’t told us your plan,” I reminded him.
“You and I, we go over the side. Swim to shore. The captain will wait five minutes, then turn us in. Say we tried to bribe him into letting us aboard or something.”
