Read Jacob's Ladder (String of Fate) for Free Online

silence dragged and that seemed to be answer enough for the big selkie. His lips thinned as he ground his teeth together and a hard look came over his face as he realized what her silence meant.
    “It is the blessing and curse of being the Nyx,” Jake went on, speaking for her as if it were second nature. As if he knew all her secrets.
    Edvard looked sharply at Jake. “Then it is even more important to protect her, whatever the cost.”
    She didn’t like the sound of that. “Too many have already died for me and the secrets I keep,” Ria said softly, drawing the attention of both men. “If I am ever put in a no-win situation, I will take my secrets to my grave and, with any luck, that will be the end of it.”
    “While your dedication is admirable,” Jake said with no humor at all, “if we are very cautious, it won’t come to that.”
    “You’ve foreseen it?” Edvard asked quickly, as if he truly believed in Jake’s claims of clairvoyance.
    “I see many possibilities. Not all end in Ria’s death. And some end in even worse disaster.”
    “What could be worse?” Edvard asked, realization dawning in his eyes even as he finished speaking. “You mean…Elspeth? Here? On earth?”
    “It is one of many possibilities and at this point, I’m relieved to say that most of the divergent lines of fate don’t end that way. The odds are good that we can still avert it. Surely your sister has told you the same?” Jake turned the tables on Edvard, asking a question of his own.
    The ship’s captain cringed and looked away in an unaccustomed show of vulnerability. “She is not speaking to me at the moment.”
    Jake grinned a little, his expression understanding. “I understand. I have a sister too. We don’t always see eye to eye.” Edvard looked back at Jake and nodded, sharing the slight smile. “You should reach out to her. Chances are she’s just waiting for you to make the first move.”
    Edvard nodded once, as if making up his mind. “I will call her tonight. This is too important to let a little family disagreement interfere with the flow of intel.”
    Ria shook her head. She sometimes forgot about Edvard’s military background. He was such a teddy bear most of the time—and especially fatherly with her—that she forgot about his warrior skills and the hard life he had lived prior to the ascension of his nephew to the lion throne. It hadn’t been an easy life for any of the Kinkaid line before then, and tensions still occasionally revved a little too high among the lion Prides even now.
    “For now, we’re safe at sea, but we’ll have to put in to port eventually,” Edvard continued after a moment’s pause. “Have you given any thought to where you want to go?”
    That one she could answer. “I don’t want to bring trouble to any of my friends or allies, but I think now is the time when I need them most. Is it possible to establish secure communications with my cousin, Cade, and maybe Mitch, the new tiger king, too? I’d like to talk to them first before I go any further.”
    “That’s easy enough. We have a full communications suite here and a dedicated war room down below. You should know I also have a platoon of my kind patrolling the waters around our position at all times. You might see some of them coming aboard or going over the side occasionally.”
    “Good to know.” She nodded, trying to hide her surprise that so many selkies were concentrated here. Was that normal or something Edvard, Sam, or even Jake, had arranged just for her?
    “And we have shifters of other kinds manning the ship. Every person you see acting as an employee on this ship—from chambermaid to mechanic—is a highly trained warrior. Most are lions, but we have a few tigers and other assorted species that enjoy the water. If you run into trouble, they can help.”
    Ria nodded again. She was glad that the folks around her were able to protect themselves with the way trouble seemed to dog her steps everywhere