Page 4 of A Promise so Bold and Broken (Compelling Fates Saga #2)

Chapter Four

S he’d barely gotten any sleep last night, not even when Ardow and Merrick quieted and the former began snoring softly.

She’d been awake for hours, trying to understand Merrick’s words.

Was she truly that angry?

The constant red cast clouding her vision certainly implied so.

Too many emotions swirled inside her… and none of them were good.

Bleary eyed, she dragged herself off the cot when the captain entered and put the usual unappetizing bowls on the rattling table.

He informed them that they were getting close to the eastern border of Havlands, that they’d recently passed Korina’s waters and would be near Fae territory within a day or so.

Merrick followed him up to the helm to give him instructions for where they needed to go to get to wherever Raine lived.

Her eyes lingered on his back as he stalked up the stairs, and she wondered if her own shoulders looked as taut as his did, if her gait was as high strung.

Avoiding Venko’s and Ardow’s gazes, she slumped down onto a chair and lifted the bowl to drink directly from it.

Perhaps if she ate quickly enough, it wouldn’t taste as foul.

“How are you feeling?” Ardow asked hesitantly.

Setting down the bowl, Lessia lifted her eyes and wiped at a stray drop that escaped her mouth.

Ardow’s eyes were guarded as he studied her, and another urge to punch him crossed her mind.

But she pushed it down.

You are in control.

She repeated the words to herself until the red hue tinting her vision dimmed.

Ignoring Ardow’s question, as she wasn’t sure how to respond, she turned to Venko. “What did the rebels promise you to get you on board with this… plan?”

Venko’s face turned crimson, and his eyes lingered on Ardow briefly before moving to the grayish substance in his bowl. “They promised me monopoly over the trade.”

The trade…

A bitter laugh escaped her. “Greed… is that what drives all males?”

“No, Lessia.” Ardow sought her eyes. “Venko might have initially had dubious intentions, but after we got to know each other, he understood—”

Venko’s hand slammed onto the table. “Stop! You didn’t tell me there would be bloodshed, Ardow! I thought you were on the good side. That the rebels were fighting for something better for everyone ! It’s the only reason I stayed when I realized what was happening. But you didn’t tell me you planned to kill Loche. Or innocent people, for that matter. It sounds to me like the rebels are as bad as those Oakgards’ Fae Merrick talked of. They want to take our lands by force, and so do your damned rebels.”

Ardow tried to reach out for him, but Venko sprang from his chair, taking the one beside Lessia instead.

Dragging his hands down his face, Ardow sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt both of you. But it was the only way. Please, you have to believe me. We are the good side.”

Lessia’s eyes locked with Venko’s uninjured one, and they shook their heads.

“You killed Stellia and her company,” she snarled quietly.

“We would never,” Ardow snapped. “Yes, we wanted to make it seem like she had some part in it—create mistrust within Ellow. But we didn’t kill her or her guards.”

“How can we trust that?” Venko still had his eyes glued on Lessia’s as he spoke. “Some of her own guards betrayed her. They tried to kill Craven before he left!”

Ardow remained silent for a moment, and Lessia’s eyes widened when guilt tugged at his face, pulling his dark brows down and emptying his gaze.

“Ardow?” she whispered, not certain if she wanted to know what thoughts swirled in his mind.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” Venko’s voice jarred her, and she sliced her gaze to the side, finding him clenching the table so hard his knuckles drained of blood.

When Ardow dipped his chin, she sucked in a breath.

“Was it you?” Lessia got out.

His jaw flexed, but he raised his downcast eyes to hers. “He hurt you, Lessia! He would have killed you, from what Venko told me. He was a danger to the Ellow we want to build!”

When she started shaking her head, Ardow let out a choked sound before he urged, “Lessia, you know how it’s been for us! What the children we rescue have to face! Do you not want to give them a chance of a better life?”

Ardow’s eyes glossed, and she let out a huff when guilt constricted her throat.

Forcing it away, she growled, “Of course I do!”

She wanted nothing more than for them to live like humans and full Fae.

But not at the expense of thousands perishing.

Not even at the expense of someone as vile as Craven.

She’d made herself a promise when she thought she killed Frelina: that no more souls would taint her conscience.

And that included innocent people, whatever heritage they might bear.

“We are on the same side,” Ardow said quietly. “Perhaps the way I’ve gone about it is wrong, but if we work with them, we can figure out another way. I know Merrick seems to think we need to go to his gods-damned friend, but we should find the rebels. They will listen to me. I’m sure of it.”

“Like they listened to you when you told them Lessia was off limits?” Merrick prowled down the stairs, a thunderous look on his face. “We’re not going anywhere near them! Not until we have a plan. And my gods-damned friend is one of the most powerful Fae in our realm. You should count yourself lucky if we can get him to help.”

“And when will we get the honor of meeting this almighty Fae?” Ardow sneered.

“Right now,” Merrick snarled back. “And rein in that attitude of yours if you care for your life. I’m much more forgiving than Raine, and I’m already this close to ripping your damned head off.”

Lessia couldn’t stop the small snort that left her, and when Merrick turned to her and his dark eyes twinkled, the anger that had clawed so sharply at her lessened.

“Is he here?” she asked as she pulled at her tunic—a habit she’d probably carry for the rest of her life, even though only angry scars now covered her left arm.

Merrick shook his head, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “The captain of this ship doesn’t have a brave bone in him. He will not take us farther… not where we need to go. We’ll have to take a rowing boat from here.”

“To where?” Ardow broke in, the loathing in his voice so palpable she could taste it.

Lessia tensed when Merrick’s furious gaze focused on Ardow, and she rose to her feet when the Fae took a step toward her friend. “Let’s just go.”

She might be angry at Ardow.

Livid, actually.

But she couldn’t let Merrick kill him.

And based on the whirring sounds building in the cabin, that was exactly what Merrick had planned, but as she brushed past him toward the roaring wind above, she felt him fall into step with her.

Fixing her eyes on the gray sky as she ascended the stairs, she watched as raging clouds revolved around the ship, but when she took the first step onto the deck, the wind was warm and the air tinged with the humidity she’d known from Vastala.

To the east, an impenetrable mist hovered, not a single island or part of land in sight.

And to the west there was only water stretched out as far as her sharp Fae eyes could see.

She almost opened her mouth to ask Merrick the same question Ardow had, albeit she would have done so less rudely, but when he stormed past her, barking at the crew to hurry up, she pinched her lips.

Merrick seemed on edge, and with the strange kind of friendship they’d formed the past months, she knew now was not the time to push him.

Behind his rigid stature, the crew fought against the wind to hoist a small boat over the railing, all the while screaming orders at each other not to fall overboard.

A shudder went through her when she looked out over the sea, over the choppy waves crashing against the stern, and Lessia pulled her cloak tighter.

Wherever they were going would be wet, and while the temperatures here had picked up from the freezing winter in Ellow, the wind would ensure they weren’t comfortable.

“Venko, please.”

Lessia spun around when Ardow’s pleading voice floated toward her, and she found him pulling at Venko’s hand, tears streaming down his face.

“No.” Venko pulled his hand from her friend’s. “I’m staying.”

“Please,” Ardow begged, and a small piece of her heart cracked at hearing his voice waver.

She clenched her hands, unwilling to let the feeling fester.

She couldn’t go down that road, because if she did…

Hot breath hit her ear as Merrick leaned in behind her to whisper “He knows too much, Lessia.”

Her forehead creased as she turned her head to look at him, and Merrick continued. “He knows where we’re going… and he knows who you are. We can’t leave him here.”

She slowly turned back toward the two arguing men, realizing Merrick was right.

Venko couldn’t stay behind.

Looking up at Merrick again, she swallowed.

He kept her gaze for a moment before nodding once, then bridged the distance to Ardow and Venko with a few long strides.

“You’re coming.” Merrick’s demand rumbled through her, and her eyes widened when Venko dared glare at the Fae and shake his head.

He must be braver than she’d thought.

But Venko didn’t stand a chance as Merrick let out a low growl, his hand clamping down on his arm, nearly lifting the man off his feet as he started dragging him toward the small boat.

“Let me go!” Venko looked like a child, his fist whirling in the air around Merrick—who only appeared bored as he dodged it—and dug his feet into the wooden planks of the deck. “I said, let me go!”

The crew stormed forward, but after a glance at Merrick’s face, the men froze.

One by one, they backed away, keeping a safe distance as Merrick determinedly set Venko down in the small wooden boat.

Ardow’s eyes were cast down as he passed her and quietly gripped the railing to haul himself into the vessel.

She fidgeted with the daggers in her waistband as she shot a final glance at the ship, and she nodded when the captain who had kept them fed lifted his hand.

“Lessia?” Merrick’s voice was soft as he called to her, and when he reached out a hand, she took a shaking step toward him.

As she reached him, she didn’t let herself look down into the wild sea, instead keeping her eyes on the small bench Merrick guided her to.

The rushing of water filled her ears as the crew lowered them, and she didn’t move as drops of saltwater kissed her face once they cut the ropes, and the waves immediately took them away from the trade ship.