Page 56 of Fateless

Your thread is not present in the Weave.

TheFatelesshave no souls.

You are an agent of chaos. Entire kingdoms could fall just because you exist.

I bit my lip, hoping the pain would clear my thoughts, but they still tangled hopelessly in my head. I had no reason to believe Vahn; he had lied to me—for my whole life, in fact. But doubts still crept into my mind, casting a shadow over my thoughts. Fateless. Soulless. Able to unravel the destiny of everyone I touched, for good or ill. I thought of Halek, and how twice now he’d thought he had missed his destiny, his fate. Because of me.

And Raithe. What was he really doing? I was starting to rely on him more and more, but really, everything he did was to get us to the iylvahn city to meet the queen. He knew what being Fateless meant. How could anyone want anything to do with me after that?

I pulled back from him, and he let go immediately, dropping his arms as I drew away. His eyes, however, were still concerned as he watched me. “Better?”

“Yeah.” I stared at the thin covers of the cot, tangling my fingers in the fabric. “It was just another nightmare.”

“Is that all?” His steady gaze never wavered. I could still feel it on me, but couldn’t meet his eyes. “Sparrow?”

I clenched my jaw and didn’t answer. He paused, and then brought one hand up to gently brush my cheek. I felt the tingle all the way down my spine, making my breath catch and my stomach squirm like crazy.

“Tell me,” Raithe murmured, his voice softer than petals. “Was it the ma’jhet? If they are using magic again, I need to know to keep you safe.”

My heart pounded. For a moment, I considered leaning into him once more, wanting to feel his arms around me, a shelter from the rest of the world. I wanted to tell him everything, about myself, and Vahn, and the Deathless King’s invitation. I was tired of running and being scared. I longed to curl into Raithe, close my eyes, and let myself believe, if just for a moment, that I was safe.

I jerked up, shocked and terrified with myself. What was happening? I couldn’t keep doing this. I trusted Raithe to protect usand get us to the iylvahn city, but as I had discovered with Jeran and Vahn, the more you actually cared for someone, the more devastating it was when they betrayed you. Raithe was a talented assassin, loyal to his queen, and I was—according to everyone—Fateless. Wanted by the Circle and the Deathless King. What if the iylvahn queen ordered him to kill me? Or, worse, used me as a bargaining chip to protect her own people?

I turned from Raithe, then stood and stepped away to put distance between us. He stayed on the cot, watching me, though I probably imagined the ripple of hurt and confusion that crossed his face. Folding my arms, I gazed out the narrow slit of a window at the navy blue of the sky over Damassi. Hearing the crackle of flames and the voice of the Guildmaster echoing in my head.

“I saw Vahn,” I muttered. “Just now, in my... in my dream.”

His expression sharpened. “The Guildmaster?”

I nodded once. Finally meeting his gaze, I narrowed my eyes. “When were you going to tell me the Fateless doesn’t have a soul?”

He didn’t ask how I knew. He was intelligent enough to put two and two together. Sighing, he closed his eyes, then looked up at me again. “I don’t believe that piece of lore,” he said. “I have seen soulless creatures. Demons. The summoned dead. You are not like that. You care for the people around you. You have compassion. It’s buried, and a little hard to find...” The faintest of smiles crossed his face before vanishing in the next breath. “But I’ve seen it. You are not soulless.”

My eyes stung. I turned my head away and took a quick breath so he wouldn’t see. “You still should’ve told me, Raithe.”

“Why?” He seemed genuinely puzzled, tilting his head at me. “Would it have made any difference on our journey?” he asked in a quiet voice. “What purpose would it have served? That kind of question can eat at you, keep you up at night, drive you mad, if you let it. I thought it better to save you that uncertainty. At least until we reached Irrikah.”

“What about the rest?” I asked. “The parts about having no thread in the Weave, no part in the story of the world? Vahn said I could unravel destinies with just a touch, that anyone I encounter is at risk of having their fate vanish completely.”

“That is all true.” Raithe stood, rising elegantly to his feet. “And quite terrifying to some. Especially those who can see a bit of the future.”

“Like the Deathless Kings?”

He nodded. “And the ma’jhet. And the seers. And the prophets of Fate who wander the empire. There are very few legends of the Fateless, but one tells the story of a great and respected fortune teller who tried to glimpse the destiny of one who was Fateless. He went mad, babbling about a great unraveling in the Weave, and threw himself into the Dust Sea soon after.”

“Oh good,” I said, hiding behind sarcasm once again. “So I drive people mad and cause them to kill themselves. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Raithe stepped closer. I held my breath, torn between wanting him to come close and taking a step back. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier,” he murmured. “I didn’t want to put that burden on you. Once we reach Irrikah, the queen will be able to explain everything. But I think it’s crucial now that we pay a visit tothe Scarab Clan and see what we can do to shield you from the Circle’s magic.”

I nodded. That sounded like a good idea to me. I really could do without Vahn popping into my dreams and tormenting me whenever he felt like it. Briefly, I wondered if I should tell Raithe that the Deathless King wanted me to return to Kovass, but that might make my companions even more paranoid. Besides... I had to think about it. I had no intention of returning to the city now, but there might come a time when going home might be preferable to letting everyone be killed. Even if it was to face Vahn, the ma’jhet, and the Deathless King himself.

“Yeah.” I sighed, leaning against the wall. “Agreed. I’ll just have to find a way not to sleep until we get there.”

Raithe frowned. I could tell he didn’t like that idea, but he didn’t protest, either. “It’s still a couple hours till sunrise,” he said, glancing at the tiny slitted window in the wall. “I take it you’re not going back to sleep?”

“No.” I shook my head. Even if Vahn wasn’t waiting for me to go back to sleep, the dreams were. “No more sleeping for me tonight,” I went on. “One heart-stopping nightmare an evening is enough, I think.”

Raithe nodded. “Walk with me, then,” he said, turning to the door. “It’s a beautiful night, and the moon is full. Maybe it’ll clear your head.”

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