Page 17 of Conflicted Fate
“Ha! I like your spirit, pup. I believe you could have killed one of them. So, you simply wish to be taken to the border and released?”
“Ye—”
“No,” Kiel said, cutting me off as he stepped forward.
We didn’t? I stared at him. Fate had been very clear when she said what would happen, what Lycaonus would do. We had to get back and stop him.
“Then, whatdoyou want?” the prince growled. “Surely, you don’t want to be thrown in our prisons.”
“We want your help,” Kiel said boldly.
I swallowed. We did?
“Help?” the prince asked warily. “Why? What sort of help?”
“Soldiers,” Kiel said.
I frowned slightly, trying to keep up with him. What was he thinking? Why did we need soldiers? How would that help?
“For what purpose?”
“To cross the river and the mountains with us,” Kiel said, spreading his hands wide. “We know how to kill them, but we lack the numbers to do it. Give us some soldiers, and I will give you the head of Teagetes, who, unless I’m mistaken about our location, is the nearest tyrant to you. The one with the most deaths of your people on his hands. Am I wrong?”
The answering growl that shot through the room was all the answer we needed.
Teagetes was the Alpha of Teagan, one of the smallest cities in our empire. Smaller even than the city we were visiting. Though, the standing guard of the Wulfhere would still number several hundred. More than enough to repel most threats outside of an organized army.
But if Kiel could get a strike force close to the city without raising the alarm, then we could most certainly storm the palace and kill the Alpha before enough troops could assemble to oppose us.
And in doing so, we could be rid of a second Alpha. There would be no hiding the loss of two. People would be forced to see, to start asking questions.
“She will kill him?” the prince asked, pointing at me.
“Yes,” I said, thinking quickly when Kiel didn’t respond.
Did he want the prince to think I was some sort of special weapon? Would that help our cause? I wasn’t sure what he had planned, but if he wasn’t willing to share with the prince, then it made sense I should keep my mouth shut as well. Even if it made more sense to me that everyone knew. It might invite others to try their hand at shattering the stones.
“An intriguing proposal,” the prince said. “But we have no proof that you’ve even killed the tyrant you claim. I won’t sacrifice my men on such unsubstantiated claims.”
Damn. It seemed we weren’t going to get their help after all. I’d thought we were close to convincing him.
“Then, get it,” Kiel said. “We shall stay until you do. Send a runner.”
“You presume to tell me what to do?” the prince rumbled ominously, thunderclouds growing above his eyes. Several of his nearby followers flinched.
Kiel just laughed.
“I know what I’m offering you is well worth the effort to verify our claims,” he said. “You’re smarter than you pretend, which means you know it, too. Let’s cut the small talk.”
The prince laughed. “You make good points. Very well!” He snapped his fingers, and several guards stepped forward. “Show them to their room. I will send for them once I’ve found if they speak the truth or not. If they do, we shall discuss thepotentialof my aid. If you lie … I shall eat your flesh while you still wriggle!”
The throne room erupted into cheers as we were escorted out.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” I muttered to Kiel.
“Me, too.”
Chapter Ten
