Page 16 of A Promise so Bold and Broken (Compelling Fates Saga #2)

Chapter Sixteen

T hey walked the twisting path deep into the island mainly in silence.

Ardow had asked her a few questions about today’s training as they left the house. Still, both his questions and her answers became shorter and farther apart with every jerk of Venko’s head and every deep sigh that wove its way through the tension surrounding the group whenever Ardow broke the silence.

The air became so thick from the strain between Ardow and Venko that it was almost a relief when they finally reached the edge of a small stone town and the sounds of people washed over them, even as apprehension thrummed over her skin at meeting a group of unfamiliar Fae.

She hadn’t really spent any time with Fae outside her own family and the half-Fae children back in Vastala, and later Ellow.

A knot tightened in her stomach.

Apart from King Rioner’s guards, of course.

Steps, singing, and the clattering of dishes echoed between the low gray buildings, and the farther into the village they walked, the more Lessia’s pulse heightened, her ears perking and body tensing with each step.

Merrick cast a glance over his shoulder, and when he met her eyes, he slowed his strides until she caught up with him, ignoring that he pushed Venko out of the way.

“These Fae aren’t loyal to Rioner,” Merrick said under his breath. “You have nothing to fear from them.”

Nodding, she glanced down at the worn boots she’d had to pair the dress with, since Solana had had larger feet, and none of the ones Raine had offered her fit.

They might not be loyal to Rioner, but she was still half-Fae.

And she’d seen how the Fae in Vastala treated those like herself.

Even if they hadn’t outright bullied and threatened them, like Rioner’s guards liked to do, the look in their eyes when they accidentally met the gaze of any of the half-Fae was enough.

They’d purposely walk to the other side of the street, as if being half-Fae was somehow contagious, and the scrunch of their noses when they couldn’t escape getting close was burned into her memories.

She huffed a breath when Raine stopped before a gray stone building with a thick straw roof. Lampposts towered behind it, shining their soft light on the yellow roof from what seemed like a large outdoor terrace.

Merrick’s hand landed on her shoulder, and she met his eyes when he squeezed it quickly before dropping it to open one of the wooden doors.

Bright light, loud voices, and the clinking of glass spilled onto the gravelly path, and Lessia realized she wasn’t alone in the urge to turn around and run away when she met Ardow’s rounded eyes where he hovered beside her.

But when Merrick waved for them to follow, she blew up her cheeks before slowly letting out the air and following him over the high doorstep.

If she was to face Rioner and Loche… she could face a group of Fae.

It was like being met with a wall of warmth, the small room filled with Fae, most standing around a worn counter, yelling their drink orders at the two barkeeps behind it.

Others, all with cups and glasses in their hands, filed out of the room onto the terrace she’d spotted upon walking in, where a large fire burned in the middle and benches were placed in a circle around it.

Lessia kept her gaze down as she followed Merrick and Raine to the bar, but blocking out the hushed conversations around them was impossible as they pushed through the crowd.

“Is that the Death Whisperer?”

“Yes, look at his eyes! I heard they’re a window to the sky of the otherworld.”

“Two of the lethal brotherhood together? This can’t be good.”

“Are those two human ? They’re a long way from home.”

“Half-Fae… I didn’t think there were many of them left.”

An elbow slammed into her side, and she was about to flash her teeth at whoever had done it when Ardow’s face popped into view.

“They don’t seem that friendly,” he whispered, shoulders raised high and eyes darting to the sides as they squeezed through groups of more Fae to keep up with Raine and Merrick.

Lessia bowed her head as more stares burned into the side of it. “No, they don’t.”

“It doesn’t help that they’re all so damn tall either,” Venko hissed as he slipped up on her other side.

Lessia’s eyes widened, and when she met Ardow’s guarded ones, a giggle burst out of her.

Ardow’s lips lifted as well, and soon, they had to hold on to each other as they shook from quiet laughter.

“Stop it,” Venko grumbled, but the stern tone she assumed he’d tried for gave way to a choked sound, and when he stormed ahead of them, she could swear he bit down a smile himself.

“He seems to have warmed a bit. A tiny, tiny bit.” Lessia hugged Ardow’s arm, the smile from the laughter remaining when Ardow’s eyes softened as he watched Venko take up a spot next to Merrick by the counter.

“What do you want?” Raine asked gruffly as he shoved a gawking Fae out of the way to allow Lessia and Ardow some space, then leaned over the sticky surface.

She observed Merrick pointing toward a golden liquor filling a carafe to the brim and suspected it was the same one he’d drunk that night in Ellow when he told her Rioner was coming soon.

Catching her eye, Merrick raised a brow, and when she nodded, he waved for the barkeep to fill another glass.

“Merrick!” a melodic voice called out.

Lessia stumbled when she was pushed to the side, and only because of Ardow’s tight grip on her arm did she not slam face-first into the wooden floor when a Fae with fiery orange tresses barged past them.

“I can’t believe it! I thought I’d never see you again.” The female wrapped her arms around Merrick’s neck, and Lessia dug her fingers into Ardow’s arm when a surge of rage roiled in her gut as she steadied herself.

“Are you all right?” Ardow mumbled.

“I’m fine,” Lessia grumbled as she straightened the dress, her gaze tracking the female as she stepped back and turned her bright blue eyes in their direction.

“Oh! I’m sorry.” The woman’s hand flew to her chest when her eyes found Lessia’s. “I didn’t mean to push you. I just couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Merrick.”

She moved her gaze to Merrick’s again. “I do hope you’re staying for a while. We haven’t caught up in… what is it, a few centuries?”

“I’m sure you didn’t, Iviry,” Raine scoffed before patting Merrick’s back. “Merrick is only passing through. Unless someone can convince him to stay, that is…”

Rolling his eyes, Merrick pressed a glass of liquor into Lessia’s hands. “This is Iviry. She was a captain in the Rantzier fleet. Iviry, this is Lessia, and the humans are Ardow and Venko.”

Iviry tossed her flaming hair to the side, a smile brightening her beautiful face as she reached out a hand toward Lessia, the other wrapping around Merrick’s waist. “It’s lovely to meet you, Lessia. We don’t get many half-Fae here.” She threw a wink Ardow’s way. “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a human on these isles. You must be not only handsome but brave as well.”

“I’m part-Fae,” Ardow murmured.

He was rewarded with another blinding smile from Iviry. “I knew your looks were too good to only be human! Although your man there is quite mesmerizing.”

Ardow grinned beside her, and Lessia pinched his arm harder until the stupid simper slipped from his face.

She wasn’t sure what it was about this Fae, but even though the smile on her face seemed sincere, there was something off about her eyes, a slight twitch telling her she was sizing up Lessia the way Lessia was her.

When Lessia only glared at Iviry’s outstretched hand, Raine chuckled. “It’s their first Zehmkell. I did tell them the people here would be friendly, but alas…”

Dropping her hand, her smile never wavering, Iviry nodded. “You’ll enjoy it! There is food and music, and they’re just beginning to tell the tales of the Old World out there.” She gestured toward the terrace where Fae filled almost every single bench, the flames from the fire flickering on their faces. “I’ve heard them a thousand times by now, so I intend to dance.”

As if she’d conjured it, a few Fae in the corner behind them unpacked instruments they must have brought with them, and soon, the soft beat from a drum hummed across the room, joined by a deep voice beginning to sing a song of war and love and loss.

Fae all around them paired up, brushing past Lessia as they took to the makeshift dance floor forming before the musicians and singer and started swaying from side to side, some spinning slowly in rhythm with the song.

Watching them, Lessia jerked when the memory of her and Loche dancing on that final night of the election ambushed her.

She slammed her eyes shut, trying to push away the feeling of his arms around her, the sound of his strong heartbeat thumping when she leaned her cheek against his chest, the fingers that caressed her neck tingling over her skin.

She couldn’t think of this.

Not now.

Lessia swallowed a whimper fighting to leave her.

She wouldn’t have that again—have what the people in this room so easily found.

What had taken her twenty-five years to stumble across.

And only days to destroy.

“Lessia.” A hand brushed her cheek, and she opened her eyes to Merrick’s dark ones—to his tense jaw and drawn-down brows.

As she looked into his darkness, following the sparkles swirling in the shadows, some of the turmoil inside her eased, and when she finally tore her eyes from his and glanced around, her cheeks heated upon realizing everyone was staring at her.

Ardow with a worried expression.

Venko with sorrow.

But it was Raine’s glossed hazel eyes, which flitted between her and Merrick, that had her nearly shut her own again.

Agony.

It was pure agony flickering across his face.

“Are you all right?” Ardow whispered.

Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to say yes, but no words came out.

“She will be,” Merrick said quietly, and she shot him a grateful look. “Let’s join the storytellers.” He cast a pointed look at Ardow and Venko. “I am sure you haven’t heard all of our history.”

Iviry, who’d been openly staring, her eyes narrowing as they locked with Lessia’s, turned toward Merrick and placed a hand on his chest. “You owe me at least one dance after being gone for so long.”

Merrick began shaking his head, but Iviry only stepped up closer to him. “Please. Raine won’t ever do me the honor, and we never get any fun guests. It’s Zehmkell, Merrick.”

When Iviry gripped the hand Merrick had just used to cup her cheek and began to drag him toward the other dancing couples, Lessia didn’t think.

“Leave him alone,” she snarled, boring her eyes into Iviry’s. “He doesn’t dance.”

Iviry spun around, and whatever she saw in Lessia’s face made her brows pull. “Everybody dances during Zehmkell, young one.”

Young one…

Lessia’s vision darkened when Raine stepped in between them. “Iviry, you know Merrick never dances—we barely used to get him to join us on these celebrations. Leave the poor male alone. Besides”—he gestured toward Lessia—“he’s on babysitting duty.”

Iviry’s eyes flew to Raine’s, and Lessia could see she wanted to argue, but after a second of silence she finally shook her head. “Fine. But then you owe me one, Raine.”

After he nodded, Iviry waved to them, then elegantly shifted between couples, finding a blond Fae leaning against the wall and offering him a broad smile as he bowed.

“Why are you so angry?” Venko’s brows knitted as he stared at Lessia, but she didn’t respond; she was busy watching Raine battle one of Merrick’s icy glares, the latter having stepped forward, right into Raine’s space.

Nausea welled within her as she watched Merrick hiss something into Raine’s ear, and she wondered if she’d gone too far with all her snarling and being rude to their friend.

Somehow Iviry had really gotten under her skin.

It had been clear Merrick didn’t want to go with her, and she hadn’t missed him shifting to get away from the arm she’d decided to wrap around his waist.

But the furious expression currently twisting Merrick’s face made her wonder if she’d imagined it.

Perhaps she’d just stopped him from enjoying Zehmkell with an old friend.

Or… an old lover?

“Fuck!” She whipped her head around when Ardow slapped her hand off, his own wrapping around his arm where small dark stains appeared on the white tunic he wore.

Right where her fingers had just been.

Glaring at her, he whispered, “You drew blood. What is wrong with you?”

“I—” she started.

But she didn’t have time to finish before Merrick forcefully gripped her arm, dragging her after him as he growled at all of them, “Let’s just get this night over with.”