Abide: An Awakened Fate Novella by Skye Malone Read Free Book Online Page A

more.
    “Fine,” I agreed bitingly.
    I spun in the water, heading for my apartment.
    The guards trailed us as we returned to my room, and practically radiated formality as they took up their positions beside the door. I shoved past the leaves, ignoring them. Niall followed me in and sealed the fejeria behind him.
    “So?” I demanded. “What is this? One minute Ren’s trying to protect the royal family and the next he’s putting out a warrant for our grandfather? What the hell is going on?”
    Niall hesitated, the weird seriousness that had been on his face this entire time finally cracking into something more embarrassed. “I was going to tell you.”
    “Tell me what , Niall?”
    “Some of the stuff that happened out there… some of the things that girl said…” He grimaced. “It was part of what made me question her in the first place, before she went nuts.”
    “Get to the point.”
    He glared at my harsh tone, though the expression didn’t last. “It sounded like Granddad was involved,” he sighed. “Like he was a part of what happened to Dad.”
    I stared at him. “ What ?”
    “He was out in the wastes for ten years, Ina. Ren even told me he admitted to spending time with the Vetorians and the tribes in the Zone. And now he disappears just on the tail of finding out things went wrong with that girl?” Niall made an incredulous noise. “Is it so hard to believe he sided with them?”
    I put a hand to my face, just trying to make sure I was still awake. This was insane. “Against Dad ? His own son ? Niall, he would never–”
    “How do you know? Have you seen him? Have any of us seen him all these years?” Niall shook his head desperately. “They fought all the time. Granddad never thought Dad was doing a good job as king. Even before Driecara, he was always giving him ‘advice’, telling him how to rule. You don’t remember, but I do. Ren does. It wasn’t good, Ina, and now…”
    Niall looked away.
    “But he wrote me,” I said, my voice weak. “These past few years, we wrote each other and he said he wanted to–”
    “People lie.”
    His expression was pained. I turned away, my arms wrapping around my middle to stop the way my stomach churned.
    I couldn’t believe it. Not Granddad. It didn’t make sense. I mean, no, I hadn’t seen him in years. I had no idea where he’d been in all that time or what he’d done.
    But still…
    “No,” I said. “No, he wouldn’t–”
    “Are you sure?”
    I looked back at Niall. Hovering by the door, he watched me, his brow rising.
    And the words hurt. No, of course I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore, from what I’d seen of Chloe to what I’d seen in that message from Zeke. My whole life had been turned upside down in the space of only a few days, and every other minute it seemed like one of my family members was accusing the other of being responsible.
    I just wanted things back to the way they were before that girl had ever shown up.
    Niall swam over to me and put a hand on my arm, about the closest he ever came to being affectionate. “Hey, it’ll be okay, alright? We’ll–”
    “Ren’s going to arrest him, Niall. How is it alright? He’s going to lock him up and there’s no way he could have–”
    Niall shook his head. “Ren’s not crazy. He won’t hurt him. He’ll probably just put Granddad under house arrest somewhere. I mean, it might even be good for him, right? Keep him safe, rather than out there on his own.”
    I gave a choked scoff. Yeah, right. Trapped in one place for the rest of his life? Granddad would be miserable.
    And stigmatized as the man who conspired to murder his own son, the king of Yvaria.
    A ragged breath left me. It wasn’t possible. Granddad wasn’t a traitor, Niall wasn’t a cultist and Zeke wasn’t an idiot. Of everything, those three facts were all I was certain of anymore.
    “Granddad is a good person, Niall. I know that. He’s loyal to the king – Ren and Dad – even if