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someone. If I understand correctly, those beasts were thought to have gone extinct ages ago.”

“Yes,” Raithe agreed. “The Deathless Kings brought them to life in the war that destroyed the world, and they disappeared

when the kings faded away.”

“Yes, yes, yes, if you believe those old legends,” the other man said, waving a hand. Raithe didn’t reply, but I could almost

feel the air around him grow colder. “The point remains,” the man went on, “that they are extremely rare creatures. And the

rarer the creature, the more valuable it is. There is a fortune to be made if we can track another one down and kill it.”

“Once we reach Damassi, we’re planning to put together an expedition of hunters and beast killers,” his companion broke in.

“We would be honored to have you at the head. You and the girl, since you have successfully killed one already. The insect

rider would have been helpful, but she has rather foolishly turned down the offer. We will pay you, and of course, we are

willing to share a percentage of the profits—”

“You are both fools.”

Both merchants stiffened, but Raithe’s stare remained cold and flat. “Fools, and shortsighted ones,” the iylvahn continued. “The abomination is a sign that a Deathless King has returned. You will have much larger things to worry about when the king starts his conquest of the kingdoms.”

“Deathless King?” The merchant princes exchanged glances. “The boy did not mention that,” one muttered, making me stiffen.

“Abominations, Fateless, and now Deathless Kings? How are we to separate the truth from rumor and faery tales?”

Raithe went very still. “How do you know of the Fateless?” he asked, in a voice that made my skin prickle with fear. I wondered

if the merchants knew how very close they were to death at that moment.

One of the men seemed to realize the danger, for his face paled and he clamped his jaw shut. The other did not. “The boy,”

he muttered, waving a hand. “The one who was with you. Who calls himself a Fatechaser. We approached him first, to see if

he wanted to be part of our expedition, but he was so drunk he could barely see straight. He was sobbing about ‘Fateless’

and ‘missed destiny.’ Obviously we had no idea what he was rambling on about. He told us to find the iylvahn and the girl

if we wanted to talk business.”

“Halek...” Raithe clenched a fist. He sounded furious, and worry for the Fatechaser twisted my insides. It was hard to

imagine the smiling, aggressively cheerful Halek sobbing and drunk in the strider’s tavern. Something had to be wrong.

“So are we to assume you are not interested in joining the expedition?” the first, somewhat oblivious merchant asked Raithe.

“I urge you to consider the offer carefully—imagine the profit you could make! Girl,” he added, peering past Raithe into the room, “you came from Kovass, yes? If the city is truly gone, think of the potential. You could make enough coin to start a new life somewhere else—”

Raithe shut the door.

Indignant sputters came from the other side, and I almost smiled. Raithe shook his head and turned back to me. “I am correct in assuming that you did not want to be a part of their expedition?” he asked.

I gave an emphatic nod. If I never saw one of those spider-scorpion-demon things again, it would be too soon.

After a final shout that we were making a grave mistake, and that if we changed our minds, we could find them in Damassi,

the voices at the door faded. I listened to the merchants’ footsteps shuffling away and was pretty certain everyone on that

expedition was going to die.

When they were truly gone, Raithe sighed. “Fatechaser,” he muttered, reaching for the door handle. “We’re going to have to

have a talk.”

I sat up quickly. I didn’t think the assassin would track down Halek and kill him, but I didn’t want to take any chances.

“Raithe, wait. I’m coming, too.”

The strider’s tavern was located on one of the lower decks.

A dimly lit, dingy room with a low ceiling, grated metal floors, and no windows, it smelled strongly of grease and working-class citizens packed too close together.

Nobles and merchant princes didn’t venture this low into the strider, not for drinks, anyway; the tavern was obviously built for the d’wevryn who lived and worked on the vessel.

Raithe and I stepped inside, scanning the booths and beat-up tables scattered throughout. The iylvahn nearly had to duck his

head to avoid scraping it on the ceiling, which barely cleared the top of his skull. A few patrons were seated at the bar,

while two d’wevryn sailors and a human sat at a central table, throwing a familiar set of dice. It seemed Triple Fang was

popular no matter where you went.

A familiar bright-haired figure was seated in a corner booth, elbows on the table and head in his hands. Mugs were scattered

around him, and the entire corner smelled of cheap ale. He wasn’t alone. Kysa sat across from him, arms crossed, a look of

sympathetic confusion on her face. She glanced up, raising a slender brow as we approached, then gave a resigned shrug.

“I admit, I cannot understand most of what he is saying,” she told us as we stepped to the edge of the table. “The ways of

the Fatechasers are foreign to me. But as we fought a great evil together, I figured I would lend a listening ear. Perhaps

you can better comprehend his dilemma—he has said both your names multiple times.” Her dark gaze flickered to Raithe and narrowed

slightly. “He also kept saying that you were going to kill him, iylvahn.”

Raithe sighed. “Halek,” he said, staring down at the still motionless Fatechaser.

Halek’s shoulders flinched. “I know,” he groaned, burying his head deeper in his hands.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t mean to tell those men about the Fateless.

” He looked up, his eyes red and bloodshot, and my stomach twisted.

It was obvious he had been sobbing, hard, and for a long time.

“If you’re here to kill me, go ahead,” he told Raithe.

“I have no idea what Fate or destiny are anymore.”

“I am not going to kill you,” Raithe said in a low voice, glancing at the patrons milling around the tavern. “Life is sacred.

I take it only when I must. Accidentally revealing a secret while in the throes of drink and grief is not cause for death.”

He paused, glancing at Kysa, who gave a solemn nod of respect, then turned back to Halek. “The three of us survived the fall

of Kovass, the Dust Sea, and an abomination that was possibly sent to kill us all. I am not about to slay one of my allies.

I am just curious as to where this sudden lapse of judgment came from.”

“Lapse of judgment,” Halek repeated, and groped for a half-full mug of ale beside him. “I guess you can call it that. If a

life-altering, belief-shattering realization is a lapse of judgment.”

“Halek, what is going on?” I asked, sliding into the seat beside him. “This isn’t like you. What happened in the fight with

the abomination?”

He gave me a mournful, blue-eyed stare, then let out a heavy sigh. “I guess it’s not your fault,” he murmured, staring into

his drink. “You’re the Fateless, whatever that means. I don’t know much about it.”

“I don’t know anything about being Fateless,” I told him in a whisper. I could feel Raithe’s eyes on me and deliberately did

not look at him. “I don’t even know what a Fateless is, much less if I am one or not. But what does that have to do with whatever is happening here?”

Halek continued to stare into his mug. “I think... no, I’m pretty certain that monster was supposed to kill me,” he finally

confessed. “I could feel it. While the three of us were fighting, before you came back, I suddenly knew. And for just a second, I was relieved. I

thought I had cheated it, back in the ancient city.”

Kysa frowned. “Cheated what?” she asked. “Death?”

“My fate,” Halek said, looking up at the insect rider. “Fatechasers know when their destiny has come,” he explained. “Like

I told Sparrow earlier, we can’t predict how it happens, but we do know it when it arrives. I was ready this time. I was prepared.

I had already cheated it once—this was just Fate catching up with me.”

Kysa shook her head. “I apologize,” she murmured, looking both bewildered and incredulous. “The ways of the Fatechasers make

little sense to me.”

“It’s all right. You’re in good company.” Halek gazed at me again, and his eyes were haunted. “I was ready to meet my fate.

But then... you came back. And just like that, it was gone. I’m still here and...” He swallowed. “My fate is still out

there, waiting for me.”

I frowned at the implied accusation. “I’m not sorry that you’re alive, Halek,” I said. “I would help you again, if it came

to that.”

“I know. And I don’t want you to apologize.

This isn’t your fault, Sparrow. I just.

..” Halek paused, and the mug between his fingers shook as he stared at it.

“I’m afraid now,” he whispered. “I’ve never feared my own death before, but I have this terrible feeling that I have somehow cheated Fate and thrown off the balance of the world.

And the longer I’m alive, the worse my fate will be when it finally catches up. ”

I put a hand on his arm, making him flinch, though he didn’t look at me. “How close is it now?” he whispered. “Am I going

to step out of this room and be impaled by a guard chasing down a thief? Or will the shelf above my cot snap and crush my

skull in my sleep? Maybe I’ll just get tossed overboard by a random gust of wind. Anything could happen.”

“Anything could happen,” Raithe agreed. “To any of us. At any time. Every step, no matter which direction we go, brings us

closer to meeting our fate. How you take those steps is what matters.”

“Yes,” Kysa broke in. “The iylvahn understands. A warrior steps proudly, unafraid of what Fate puts in their path. Will you

let this so-called destiny paralyze you into not moving at all?”

“I...” Halek scrubbed a hand through his shock of blond hair. “You don’t understand,” he muttered. “I have never been afraid

of death. I’ve never shied away from what could be the end for me. But now I feel that I’ve somehow... missed what I was

supposed to do. I’ve cheated Fate, and the repercussions are coming. They could be lurking around any corner, and the uncertainty

is driving me mad. How can I keep going, knowing that? If it didn’t go against the entire Fatechaser creed, I’d throw myself

overboard right now and save Fate the trouble.”

“Or...” I bumped his shoulder with mine. “You could keep living, keep defying Fate, for as long as you can. You know it’s coming. You’ll be ready when it arrives. But until then, each day is a blessing you didn’t have before. You can do things Fate or destiny never expected.”

Halek blinked, staring at me for a long moment. “That’s an... interesting thought,” he finally mused. “A Fatechaser who

defies their fate? Who dodges when it comes for them?” A shadow of his old grin crept across his face. “It’s almost blasphemous.”

I shrugged. “It’s what I would do.”

“Of course you would. You’re Sparrow. The Fateless. You don’t—” Halek suddenly sat straight up, his eyes going wide. “Oh,”

he breathed. “I get it. I understand now.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“ You’re the reason.” He turned, his face so close I could see myself in the deep blue of his gaze. The hint of alcohol lingered on

his breath as he smiled. “Every time I was about to meet my fate, you appeared, and it vanished. You’re my lucky charm, my

protection amulet. As long as you’re here, Fate can’t get me.”

I leaned back. He was obviously drunk and not thinking straight. “I don’t know if it works that way, Halek.”

“It doesn’t,” Raithe muttered beside us.

“No, it makes perfect sense!” Halek threw an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. Strangely enough, I didn’t mind. “You

and me, Sparrow,” he slurred, lifting his mug in a drunken toast. “Nothing can stop us. We’ll laugh in Fate’s fate... face

Fate... Fate’s...” He coughed. “We’ll laugh at Fate together. You’re stuck with me now.”

I met Kysa’s gaze across the table, and she shook her head. “The ways of outsiders are strange indeed,” she mused.