Page 26 of A Promise so Bold and Broken (Compelling Fates Saga #2)
Chapter Twenty-Six
L essia rubbed her temples, trying to relieve the ache that throbbed through her head from Raine, Kerym, and even her sister probing into her deepest thoughts the past few days.
Slumping down against the mainmast of the ship, she thought she might prefer the training Merrick had her do at dawn—even with the bruises she collected and with him growling at her for not following his stupid orders.
She also didn’t mind practicing defensive magic by blocking Kerym’s magic too much.
At least then she could sleep after.
But with Raine and Frelina…
A shudder wove its way down her spine.
They’d made her relive her worst memories.
Again and again until she figured how to keep them out of her mind.
Lessia didn’t know what was worse—having to remember the torture in Rioner’s cellars, the faces of her parents when she told them to forget about her, Loche losing whatever feelings he had for her…
Or the others’ faces when they lived her memories for the first time.
Her days were now filled with pitying eyes and disagreements whenever Frelina or Raine got choked up from her memories and tried to stop the training.
That was worse, she decided.
She couldn’t stand the pity.
Lessia yawned as she stared at the clouds building over the horizon, then sniffed at the wintery tang that now permeated the wind whistling across the sea, savoring how the breeze peppered her body with goose bumps.
The cold felt good.
Raine and Merrick had made her practice fighting the two of them simultaneously this morning, making her use her magic on one while fighting off the other.
She had to admit it was quite satisfying when she managed to make Raine freeze.
Although she had perhaps taken it a bit far when she flicked his nose…
But Merrick had thankfully stepped between them when she finally let him go.
“You’re getting better.” Merrick ducked under the pole and wrangled into the small alcove she’d squeezed her body into.
Lessia rolled her eyes as he navigated the small space, folding his long legs and lowering down so elegantly beside her that she felt like smacking him.
Did he ever do something clumsy or rash?
“What?” Merrick’s brows narrowed as he turned her way, sitting so close their legs aligned.
Lessia elbowed him. “I was just wondering if you’re good at everything you try?”
“Yes.”
She snorted when his face remained serious, his dark eyes tracking her movements as she shook her head.
“Seriously.” She nudged him again. “There must be something you’re not good at?”
Staring into her eyes for so long that she started to get a little flustered, Merrick seemed to mull it over, his silvery brows pulling and forehead creasing as what seemed like millions of thoughts crossed his mind.
“Being nice?” he finally responded.
Lessia burst out laughing.
Merrick wasn’t the warmest person she’d met.
Not like Ardow, who liked to hug every person he could.
Not like Amalise, who at least pretended to be warm when you first met her.
Not even like Loche, who underneath that cold shell was actually quite sweet.
Her laughter faded when her mind snagged on Loche, and Lessia waited for the stab of pain she’d become accustomed to.
But it didn’t come.
Instead, that warmth that had started to spread within her back on Raine’s island remained, softening the blow by surrounding the memories of gray eyes and hurt features with padding—like a cotton wall protecting her heart against the rejection.
Lessia released a breath.
She’d learned from what happened with Frelina—what happened in the cellars—that the pain from such memories would fade.
But for some reason, she hadn’t expected this one’s to.
Not when that small crack in the wall she’d put up around her heart had disappeared as quickly as it had materialized.
Not when all the memories reminded her of what she’d long suspected…
That she wasn’t worthy of that type of love.
The love that was as pure as a winter night where no boots had yet to mark the newly fallen snow.
But perhaps…
Perhaps… there was a different kind of love out there.
One that wasn’t untouched snow, but that was strange and wild and uncontrollable.
That was tainted and broken and… all the while perfect.
“Where did you go?”
Her gaze focused again when Merrick spoke, and before she could think, she lifted a hand to brush one of his shoulder-length pearly strands off his forehead.
“You are nice,” she whispered. “You’re kind and thoughtful and, yes, truly damned broody sometimes, but… you are nice.”
Merrick stared back at her as he caught the hand she’d dropped from his face.
Bringing it to Lessia’s chest, he placed his own over it, pressing over her heart.
“You about to disarm me?” she joked weakly when he leaned in farther, and it wasn’t the chill air around them that caused more goose bumps to rise across her skin.
Merrick didn’t respond.
Instead, he lifted his other hand and cupped her cheek with it.
“ You are brave and clever and wildly loyal. You have such fight in you—even after everything. And you love so fiercely… so boundlessly. Don’t let your past convince you that you aren’t worthy of it in return.”
Lessia frowned at him before she realized.
“Raine told you, didn’t he?”
The slight twitch of the muscle in his jaw told her she was right.
Today Raine had managed to isolate every moment of her life when she felt unworthy, using it to unsettle her while they fought.
And the final night with Loche wrapped up the journey like a beautiful bow.
“He is an idiot,” Merrick said as his fingers whispered over her cheek, moving slowly down until his thumb brushed her bottom lip. “A fucking idiot to let you go.”
Lessia’s eyes fell to her crossed legs as she whispered, “Who knew the Death Whisperer had a soft side?”
Merrick’s fingers wrapped around her chin, tipping her head up and leveling her eyes with his. “You know. That’s enough.”
She was about to respond, but the words caught in her throat when Merrick’s eyes shifted to the side and widened before he flew to his feet.
“Ship!” he called. “Incoming ship!”
Lessia stumbled into his chest when he forcefully pulled her up beside him, her blood pumping harder when he dragged her out to the port, and she noticed what Merrick had already warned the rest of.
A ship—one that once had belonged to Stellia, Lessia realized with a sinking stomach—was headed their way, its hull pointing right at their own.
The air around her filled with heavy breathing as Ardow and Venko sprinted to her side from where they’d been resting in the cabin, and Lessia pulled Frelina close when she also ascended the rickety stairs, her eyes slightly puffy from just having woken up from the nap she must have taken after her turn training with the Fae warriors.
“Who are they?” Frelina breathed as she wrapped an arm around Lessia’s waist.
“Rebels,” Lessia mumbled. “And given what they did to get that ship, I don’t expect them to treat us kindly.”
“What do you want us to do?” Raine asked from behind them.
Lessia turned around, her stomach churning as all three Fae males looked at her.
They… they wanted her to decide?
“There are about thirty of them on that ship,” Raine continued. “Twelve on deck, and the rest gathering weapons. A few humans, but most are shifters. A couple of half-Fae are with them as well, but two of them could be prisoners… I am not sure of their allegiance.”
Lessia’s eyes flitted between the group and the approaching ship.
The rebels had become bolder if they openly sailed this close to Ellow.
But if there was a chance to speak to them… to convince them of the dangers heading toward Havlands.
Shouldn’t they take it?
Merrick flexed his hands as he walked up to her, not especially gently shoving Ardow to the side. “Do you want me to kill them?”
Lessia pursed her lips when Merrick’s earnest gaze met hers, and she didn’t miss Frelina’s pretend cough, the sharp elbow digging into her side.
“I…”
Lessia hesitated.
Was it better not to risk it?
But they’d need all the people they could spare if the threat of the Oakgards’ Fae from the other realm materialized…
“No,” she got out. “We should try to convince them of the threat that’s coming. Besides, they might have information that we could use.”
Kerym batted his lashes in her direction. “Can I at least make them more agreeable?”
“I can do it from here, Kerym,” Raine interrupted.
“They’re good people!” Ardow barged into the middle, his gaze slicing from Lessia to Raine and Kerym. “We can’t hurt them!”
“He’s right.” Lessia nodded. “We can’t force people to join us.”
“But—” Kerym started.
“She said no,” Merrick snarled.
Raine and Kerym shared a look that had Lessia’s top lip curling back.
Slipping away from the hand she somehow knew Merrick would extend, she stalked up to the Fae, pressing a finger into each of their chests.
“I do not agree with what the rebels are doing. But like us, they are fighting for something they believe is better. We have the same end goal; it’s just our means to get there that is different. You will not hurt them. Not unless they become a threat.”
The snapping of their jaws was so loud that Lessia was surprised none of their canines cracked, but finally, they dipped their chins.
“Good.”
Lessia spun around and grabbed Ardow by the shirt to line him up with Venko.
She cast a quick glance to the side, where the ship was closing in.
They only had minutes now.
“And you two.” Lessia wagged her finger at them, mainly toward Ardow, but she also kept a watchful eye on Venko’s reaction. “You will not try to sneak away with those rebels. Do you hear me? You have a mission.”
“We won’t,” Venko said quietly, but when his hand squeezed Ardow’s, a hiss tore from her throat.
“Don’t lie to me. Or”—she pointed to the Fae—“I’ll have them practice their magic on you.”
“You have our word, Lessia.” Ardow placed his free hand on her shoulder. “I promise.”
She wasn’t so sure of that, but when she looked out toward the sea again, the crew on the ship had opened the gate on their side and were preparing the brow—a huge one with spikes that would seal their two vessels together until they decided to pull it up again.
She met Merrick’s eyes, and they glittered when she stated, “Time to burn.”