Page 37 of Fateless

The bow of a sand skiff crested a wave, sails flapping wildly in the gale, and moved toward us. A figure stood at the rudder, trying desperately to make the little boat go where he wanted. Blond hair gleamed in the suns and deep blue eyes flashed as they met mine.

My own eyes widened, and I gasped. “Halek?”

The Fatechaser waved at us, then quickly grabbed the rudder again as the sand skiff lurched to the side. “Come on!” he cried, steering the vessel toward the broken remains of the dock. A wave caught the boat, nearly tossing it into the air, and he winced. “I can’t bring it much closer. You’re going to have to jump!”

I glanced at Raithe, and we sprinted over the shattered dock, leaping broken planks and bounding from post to post. Sand swells rose frighteningly high, and waves slapped against my legs, filling the air with grit. Raithe reached the end of the dock and sprang over the roiling sand, landing in the boat with room to spare. Halek’s gaze snapped to him as a swell caught the boat, pushing it farther from the docks just as I reached the end.

“Sparrow!” Raithe lunged to the very edge of the skiff and held out an arm. “Jump!”

I jumped.

The Dust Sea boiled beneath me, hot wind and sand blasting my face. My eyes stung, blurring with tears as I fell, and I reached out blindly with one hand.

Once more, strong fingers closed around my forearm and yanked me forward, and I fell into the skiff. I landed on top of the assassin, feeling his rigid body against mine as I pressed him into the boards.

Panting, trembling, I raised my head and met that pale blue gaze, the face within the hood a breath away from mine. The expression staring back at me wasn’t anger or even unease; it was calm, plus the barest hint of relief peeking through the stoic features.

A muffled roar echoed behind us. I rose and stumbled to the back of the skiff, then watched the docks shrink rapidly from view as we sailed away. I could barely see Kovass through the massive dust storm swirling around it, but the hazy silhouettes against the sky were not familiar.

My legs buckled, and I sank to my knees on the deck. Kovass—my city, the only home I’d ever known—grew smaller and smaller beyond the waves. I thought of the guild and the people I’d known my whole life: Rala, Dahveen, Shadyr, Jeran. All gone. Maybesomeonehad survived, but I had seen the utter chaos in the streets as the city collapsed, and knew they were probably dead. Swallowed in the fall of the city. Or killed at the hands of someone they knew.

And Vahn. The one I’d trusted the most. Who’d taught me everything, raised me to be the best. Who’d been planning the rise of the Deathless King and the fall of Kovass from the beginning.

But Vahn wasn’t responsible. The Circle wasn’t even responsible. There was only one person who could have gotten the soulstone and brought it back to the surface. If I hadn’t gone into the ancient city, if I hadn’t been so determined to prove myself to Vahn, Kovass might still be standing. Everyone I knew might still be alive.

I heard Halek’s voice at my back, asking if I was all right, but I couldn’t answer. Raithe was silent, but I felt his eyes on me, appraising and concerned. I didn’t turn around. The skiff bobbed on the waves, the suns beating down overhead, and I continued to stare at Kovass until it became a smear of dust on the horizon and finally vanished altogether.

Part Two

Fourteen

“Sparrow. Get up.”

I groaned. The mattress beneath me was soft, the blankets warm and comfortable. Sinking farther into the pillow, I pretended not to hear the voice of the Guildmaster, even as I knew he wouldn’t let this go.

An impatient sigh. “Fine. Sleep away the morning, lazy child. I suppose you don’t want the gift in my office, then.”

I opened my eyes. “Gift?”

“Aha. I thought so.” Vahn shook his head in amused exasperation as I sat up, more curious than anything. The times Vahn had gifted me with anything could be counted on one hand. If I wanted something, I was expected to get it myself.

“It’s nothing big,” he went on, “but the client was impressed that you managed to get into Rul Fadel’s bedchambers to acquire the item from his nightstand. She left you a gift from her private collection in thanks.”

“Ooh.” I hopped up, grinning. “I’m awake,” I told Vahn, who raised a brow at me. “I’m ready for my gift. Maybe it will make dodging guards and hiding from a pack of attack dogs worth it.”

A reluctant smile flickered over his features. One hand rose and rested briefly atop my head. “You did well last night,” he said, and a warm glow ignited in my stomach. “That was a difficultjob. I don’t know if anyone else could’ve pulled it off so easily.”

The warm glow spread through my whole body, but I shrugged. “As if there was any doubt. Iamthe best thief in the guild, after all.”

Anyone else, especially Jeran, would’ve rolled their eyes or made some comment about my lack of humility. Vahn, however, simply chuckled.

“Yes,” he muttered, and turned away, leaving me to follow. “Let’s hope that stays true for a while longer.”

I stirred, opening my eyes slowly, the dream fading into a searing white light as consciousness returned. For a moment, I wondered where I was. The surface against my back and legs felt hard yet unstable, bobbing rhythmically beneath me. I raised my head, seeing the edges of a small wooden skiff with two figures sitting against its sides, one dozing with his head on his chest, one gazing out over nothing. And then everything came rushing back.

Kovass had fallen. Jeran was dead. Vahn had betrayed me. And the godlike, immortal Deathless King had returned to the world. Because of me.

My stomach heaved. I turned, dragged myself to the edge of the skiff, and emptied its contents into the churning sands, which swallowed the mess instantly. My eyes burned, my vision going blurry, as I gagged and tried to suck in enough breath not to be sick again.

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