A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil #2) - Sawyer Bennett Page 0,15

to, I won’t.”

“Please don’t,” I blurt out.

She inclines her head. “As you wish.”

Her gaze moves out over the water, across to Mount Rainier, which is starting to fade with dusk, and then back to me. “I’m sorry you’re feeling so lonely and isolated.”

“You said you wouldn’t read my mind,” I accuse.

“I won’t from here on out,” she says with a reassuring smile. “But I peeked in before I revealed myself to you.”

Damn… that’s exactly what I’d been thinking before she appeared.

And there’s no doubt in my mind that’s what she did… just appeared out of thin air. But I imagine there’s not anything a god can’t do.

Or so I assume.

“Why exactly are you here?” I ask, ignoring the sympathy she just extended me. “Because if Carrick asked you—”

“He didn’t. I’m here of my own accord.”

“Why?” I demand. “He said the gods aren’t going to help in the prophecy.”

“And I won’t,” she says demurely. “I’m here to help you personally.”

I’m immediately suspicious. While this god seems nice and all, I put her in the same category as Carrick.

Untrustworthy.

If what Carrick says is true, she had a hand in creating this prophecy, and put me on a path of doom.

“I’m going to give you some advice,” Veda says, leaning an elbow on the armrest of her chair, which puts her slightly closer. I note she smells of jasmine and wood smoke, which is actually very pleasant. I brace, because I’m sure her advice is to talk me back into my place to help thwart the prophecy, but I have my denial on the tip of my tongue, ready to unleash.

Instead, I about fall out of my chair when she says, “You should tell Myles and Rainey what is going on. You need support and friendship right now as you are going through the hardest thing you’ve ever endured.”

I gape.

“Harder than even when your dad died,” she continues softly. “Last night, you lost a sister, and now you’ve been told the fate of the world could rest partially on your shoulders. It’s a lot to ask any young woman to carry alone.”

“You want me to tell Myles and Rainey?” I practically hiss, keeping my voice low just in case the sound carries. “They’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Yes,” she intones with empathy. “Given your mental history, that’s a probability.”

Well, of course she knows about my mental history, I think drolly. She’s a god after all.

“Then you know,” I reply sarcastically. “That’s just not a good option.”

Veda gives me an understanding smile and holds her hand up slightly, turning her palm up toward the sky. Before my eyes, a small bottle materializes, and I can’t help but gasp.

It’s nondescript, plain glass about three inches high and thin. It’s capped with what looks like an eyedropper. Inside is a bright pink liquid.

Veda places it on the table before me. “These are special eye drops. They will temporarily allow humans to see daemons and fae. It doesn’t last long, maybe an hour, but if you want your friends to see the truth, you can use that. Just a drop in each eye will do.”

My gaze moves from the bottle to her. I was sure my expression reflects not only the incredulity I feel, but also the distrust. “How do I know you’re not giving me something that will blind them permanently? Or kill them?”

“You don’t,” she admits softly. “But it’s there if you want it. A tool that can help them see what you can see, so they will know you’re not crazy. From what I gather about them, they are both strong of character and can be great allies to you in these tough times.”

I ignore the bottle a moment, as well as her suggestion to bring Rainey and Myles into my drama. “Why aren’t you trying to talk me into helping with the prophecy?”

Veda shrugs. “That’s Carrick’s job.”

Of course it is. He gets rewarded if I help stop it. There’s no avoiding the bitterness welling within me, followed by another wave of grief over what I’ve lost. Not only my sister, but also my normality.

Tears start to prick at my eyes, but I don’t even bother to try to blink them back as I stare at the bottle on the table. In a small voice, I admit, “I don’t want to be a part of this. I’m scared.”

I’m stunned when Veda’s hand reaches out to take mine and she squeezes it. Immediately, my grief evaporates. While I don’t feel euphoric, I feel more in charge of