Frey Saga Book II: Pieces of Eight Page 15

  "We have removed those threats," Rider added. "No others remain within the walls."

  I floated away from the terrible exchange, mindlessly scanning the patterns on the edge of a wall hanging. From there, I traced the lines of stone as they spoke, their words merely background noise as I found an interesting design on the floor and followed it through the room. I tracked it until it ran under someone's boot and I trailed up the boot to pants, unthinkingly upward, over a shirt, slowly reaching a strong chin, lingering on lips that I knew, upward still, finally reaching his eyes, sapphire.

  Sapphire. Suddenly, it was right there, the name I'd tried so hard to recall, Chevelle's mother. All that struggle and there it was, so simply. I laughed out loud.

  And they all turned to stare at me warily. I attempted a sheepish grin but that only seemed to make it worse. A minute gesture from Chevelle and I could feel Ruby pulling me from the room. I hadn't realized how heavily I'd been leaning on her.

  When we were nearly to my room, she asked, "Are you going to pieces, Freya?"

  "No," I answered, but I didn't recognize my own voice.

  We turned through the door and she led me to the bed, sliding a chair to sit beside me. "No need to worry, you are in good hands."

  Ugh, hands again. I forced myself to concentrate on something else, but my mind didn't get far from the scene before my mouth opened. "Ruby, why would Fannie do such a terrible thing?"

  She knew what I meant somehow, but her reply surprised me. "Is it so terrible?" I stared at her, stunned. "I cannot say that I'm not satisfied that it is done." She could see that I was lost so she clarified, "Fannie is merely removing the... foul," she was struggling, hesitating as she searched for useable terms, "... things that Asher is... producing."

  I considered that. I couldn't argue that it didn't make some sense, to Ruby at least, but it was so hard to think of without seeing the bloody mess in the hidden chamber and knowing what had been before. I felt my eyes flutter so I moved forward with the conversation, or at least sideways. "Why did Fannie go to council when she discovered my mother's plans?" I asked.

  Ruby looked puzzled. "I thought that was explained to you?"

  I nodded. "But why council?" I thought of how much I loathed them now, how they had hunted me down, though it was apparently only part of them. I noticed Ruby was waiting as I reflected so I continued, "Why would she think they would help her?"

  I could tell she was deliberating whether or not to tell me. Finally, she answered in a careful tone, "You don't understand that Grand Council is a birthright." I stared blankly at her. "Oh, you are missing so much," she sighed. "Fannie didn't trust that council would help her, she knew that by rule they must defend her." My vacant expression only slowed her words. "The laws of council have been in place for centuries, there was no foretelling of such a problem arising, no one could have imagined. But your Vita was a member of Grand Council, as was her family before her. Therefore, by default, Fannie, and your mother, were also components."

  She let the information sink in. It took longer than she expected and I could see her getting irritated by the time comprehension came.

  "So, Fannie was a member of Grand Council?" I asked.

  She was exasperated. "Yes." I stared at her incredulously. "Well, she didn't attend meetings or anything," Ruby explained sarcastically, "but she had the right to request protection."

  "I don't understand," I said, "if they had to protect Fannie, why didn't they protect my mother?"

  Ruby nodded. "You see why Junnie took issue with the outcome."

  It was all getting too complicated to grasp. I decided on a new direction. "So, Junnie is starting a new council?"

  "Yes, quite skillfully, as a matter of fact."

  I wasn't sure about her tone. I'd started to ask when Chevelle came in.

  He motioned to Ruby and she leapt from her seat and out of the room, probably to meet with the others to be informed of what she missed. I sat up as Chevelle took her chair beside me.

  "Are you well?" he asked.

  A moment passed before I realized what he'd meant, having completely forgotten I'd been escorted from the conference. "Oh, yes." I answered. And then I remembered. "Where's Junnie?"

  "She's just departing."

  "No," I complained.

  He didn't comment but I saw him glance at the window. I was on my feet and to it in a heartbeat. I scanned the grounds below and finally found her, already too far from the castle. I squinted to see her better, she was being escorted by someone, Grey I thought. And what was that dark mass beside her? A large black dog...

  Snickers. My chest tightened as I watched her carry on, the animal running contentedly beside her as Grey started to slow and then, finally, turned to head back toward the castle.

  I slumped as I slid away from the window and found a seat on the edge of the bed. Snickers.

  "Freya?" Chevelle asked, leaning close to me.

  I looked up, into his eyes, and didn't think before speaking. "I remembered your mother's name. Sapphire." His expression was unreadable, until I added, "Like Ruby."

  And then his face changed, as did his entire posture, and he answered me with a voice that was harsh, defensive. "No, not like Ruby."

  I pulled back slightly, caught off guard by his response and surprised that I'd even spoken it aloud. He purposefully settled and smoothed his expression. Damn it, why didn't I faint when it was convenient?

  "I can't remember," I defended in a voice near a whisper.

  His hand lifted to reach out to me but he caught himself.

  "I should tell you," he started.

  Oh, great, I'd asked for it. I waited for the heavy, feeling my chest constrict as my wide eyes gazed back into his. He took a deep breath of his own.

  "You said that you recalled Rune, my father." I nodded, not missing the strain at his last words. "And you know that Asher was lord of the North," he continued, slowly. "So, you understand that, as such, I... we were under his rule."

  The tension in my chest sharpened, as if a blade were forced there, and I felt my hand clutch it automatically as his words were absorbed by my ragged mind. I understood that I was backing away from him but couldn't stop myself. My suspicions had been right, he was working for them, they all were. He reached out and, though I flinched away, caught my wrist to hold me in place. For one terrible moment, I felt as if he would hurt me, but I caught myself, because he'd saved me for Asher. My frayed thoughts ran a thousand directions, wrenching me to pieces.

  But he did hurt me. Not how I'd expected, not physically, he hurt me with his final words. "Not us, Freya, not my father and myself. We," his other hand gestured between us, "me and you."

  Everyone.

  Chapter Twelve

  Bonds

  It had been my last thought before the relief of blackness washed through me. Everyone. When I woke again, it was a painful, all-consuming knowledge. I had no idea how I'd missed it; once the truth was there, I could not understand how I could have been so blind to it. Of course we would have all been under his rule. Everyone, especially me. I mentally shook my head at my lack of insight. Asher had acted as my father, and had been the lord of the North. I was his second.

  And Chevelle. His father had been Rune, led to train myself and my mother before me, ordered by my father. Though I had more blank spots than memories, I knew that Rune was a close ally to Asher. Of course, Chevelle would have to have been loyal to Asher.

  But no, not loyal. I couldn't be sure where the thought had came from, but I knew it was true. Chevelle had been under his rule, yes, but not loyally. Why couldn't I remember the same of myself? How could I be sure of his allegiance but not my own? And then I remembered the dreams, memories of his tormented body on the ground as his own father tortured him, wearing that malevolent smile. Was that why?

  Ruby cleared her throat.

  I groaned at her, still raw. She leaned closer and my eyes flinched open automatically.

  "Good, you're awake," she
cooed.

  I glared at her. "What, Ruby?"

  "Tell me what you did to Chevelle."

  I was startled for a moment and then I shook my head to show my confusion at the accusation.

  She grimaced. "Well, he has pushed back our plans and refuses quite sourly to explain why."

  I thought back past the raw ache of his closing words and recalled that he had been upset. "Something about his mother," I muttered, deciding not to include the "like Ruby" portion of our conversation.

  She eyed me suspiciously. "What did you do, Frey?"

  "I don't know," I said honestly and groaned again.

  She must have felt sorry for me and my memory loss. "Yes, well, he is likely sensitive about that, if all the stories are true. And they generally are."

  I sat up. "What stories?"

  She smiled wickedly, relishing the opportunity to yarn one of her fairy tales to an uninformed audience. But as she spoke, her face transformed into utter seriousness and her tone was so low I had to strain to hear. "These stories, though widespread, are not told boldly. It is said that the lord Asher was somehow involved, so to flaunt them would assure death." I felt the slackness of astonishment on my face and she leaned closer. "Sapphire, Chevelle's mother, was much endeared by him, though she was not acknowledged by leadership. She was forced to live outside the kingdom, just as he was required to reside inside the castle, with his father. Rune was a hard man, and Chevelle equally stubborn. Reports of strife began even at a youthful age and the discord only increased with time. Their distaste for each other did not arrive from one particular incident, but it was merely one that achieved the breaking point." My hand rested on my throat as I listened anxiously. "From that moment, Chevelle declared his division from his father by claiming his mother. He intended to go to her and leave the life that had been set before him."

  I gasped, shocked by her revelation, but she wasn't finished. "Asher was informed and did not interfere, which was, in itself, highly suspect. But on the day that Chevelle was to depart, he was summoned to the gates." Her expression went cold as she continued, "What he found there was the body of his mother, draped in a royal gown, a lifeless beauty, intact but for her eyes. Those striking, deep blue eyes that so mirrored his own," her voice dropped lower, almost a growl, "cleaved from their sockets."

  I could feel the horror and disgust distort my features and Ruby nodded in silent agreement. I considered the awfulness of it for a long, terrible moment before questions flooded in. I chose a random, less appalling one. "Why would Asher be involved in something so horrible?"

  I saw in her expression, I'd hit the heart of it. She wanted to find a way not to explain, but she'd gone this far already and when she finally spoke, it was with her practiced "careful" tone. "Freya," she said, "in all fairness, it is not known that Asher was to blame."

  "But-" I started.

  She cut me off, holding up a hand. "It is thought so because of several factors, among them, the strong reaction of Rune. He was openly devastated by the loss, something that would have been an embarrassment to one of his position. But, furthermore, he was angered by the display."

  "Rune didn't do it, he didn't even know?" I asked, baffled.

  "It appeared he did not," she answered.

  "So, what did he do?"

  She shook her head. "Not as he should have. He held Chevelle responsible, entirely and for the remainder of his days."

  I was mystified. "Ruby, I don't understand. Why would Asher care if Chevelle left?"

  Her jaw clenched and she looked as if she would refuse to answer. I waited and she decided. "It was not Chevelle's leaving that he took issue with, Freya." She leaned forward and placed her hands on my shoulders. To steady me. "It was that his second intended to join in the departure."

  It took longer than it should have to connect her words with their meanings. When they finally did, I was only able to whisper, "Then we ran?" My mind was racing in so many directions I could not pin one down but, for a moment, I couldn't help but remember my first real memories of Chevelle, how I'd ran from Fannie, from the village, how council had come after us...

  Ruby was shaking her head. "No," she said, "you chose to stay."

  "He left me?" I asked, with an unfair hint of resentment.

  "No, Freya," she breathed, "he stayed for you."

  I saw his crumpled body again, a mass of pain on the floor, felt the agony of Ruby's story, his mother's lifeless body brought to him as a threat or punishment by those that he must claim allegiance to. He stayed through that. For me.

  It was quiet for a long while as we both sat, motionless. The torrent of emotion washed through me while my mind tried to re-sort itself once more. When Ruby finally moved, it was to glance up at Chevelle, who'd been standing near the doorway, watching us. I couldn't say how long he'd been there but I was sure by his expression he'd not been aware of our conversation. And as soon as my thoughts went back to Ruby's words, I found myself standing and walking to him. Maybe it was simply that my mind was overwhelmed, maybe it was that I'd been wanting to for so long now, but when I reached him, my arms slid beneath his and around his chest in an embrace that shocked him. He was probably wondering if I had regained her, the old Elfreda, but I didn't speak a word, only held him as his arms finally relaxed around me in return.

  My eyes were closed but I heard Ruby slip by us and close the door behind her.

  Chevelle's arms lowered to my waist as he asked in a uneven voice, "What is it, Freya?"

  I raised my head from his chest to look into his eyes and had to stop myself from thinking of how blue. I leaned forward and pressed my lips lightly to his throat. He pulled me closer and I automatically lifted to my toes to find his lips for a soft, slow kiss. And though our kiss deepened, he was reserved, unsure. But I could feel that he wanted me, so I pressed harder against him, urging him to respond.

  I knew the moment his restraint broke. My body was overcome with such force that I lost track of my surroundings, aware of only him. Tremors washed through me and I could not seem to get close enough to him, a deep, compelling need and pleasure at each touch, each thought, each breath besieged me.

  The coupling was indescribable, so intense and consuming I'd no idea if it had been moments or hours or days.

  I lay sleepily in his arms as he placed gentle kisses on my cheek, my neck, my ear...

  It must have been the kiss, which brought my full and complete concentration to the place his lips were touching, that caused my dreams to slip back to the deepest depths of my memories. My ears, rounded as those of my father's, figured prominently as several of my childhood memories played out in my dreams. They were not unpleasant, though that, too, could have been influenced by my mood as I'd drifted to sleep. Even those of Asher were calm and lacked any form of fear. I recalled him at the battle, his mouth moving silently as he stood passively by, watching. And he was other places, too, whispering chants, focused on the fallen, focused on me. He seemed to grow bigger in each new setting and I nearly laughed at the vision. And then the dreams progressed to include Chevelle and, even in my unconscious state, I was interested in seeing the "new" details that had been previously unknown to me.

  So, I was irritated when Ruby's sharp voice woke me, stealing the images away. "Wake up, Freya," she urged as she jerked the blankets down.

  I sat up suddenly, mortified at what she'd see. But I was dressed. I looked beside me, Chevelle was gone.

  Ruby was oblivious to my horror. "The boys are meeting downstairs," she said casually, "with any luck, we'll be leaving shortly after."

  She smiled, delighted. She had no idea. I relaxed and released my breath. Chevelle must have prepared things before his meeting, thank decency.

  I watched Ruby choose clothes from my wardrobe, cheerily packing in the case that we would finally depart as she'd been hoping. I was still overwhelmed with contented satisfaction from the previous night and couldn't help but feel grateful that she'd shared the story of our past with me. I didn
't exactly owe her, but I wanted to help her somehow, help her reach the joy I had.

  "Ruby?" I asked, tentatively.

  She turned to me smiling. I hesitated and she stepped closer, stopping near the edge of the bed.

  I started to flush but steeled myself. "Don't you want to... be with Grey?"

  She looked startled for one moment and then laughed a loud, barking laugh at me. I didn't see what was funny. "You were so serious, Frey. I thought you had some significant dilemma."

  "Is it not significant?" I replied, defensive.

  She was still smiling as she sat lithely on the bed. "Do you mean is Grey significant? Of course."

  I waited.

  "Frey," she explained in a light, carefree tone, "we have been together for ages."

  "But not together," I remarked.

  She nodded. "There are many reasons for that, none of which are so solemn as you imply." She could see that I intended to ask so she stopped me. "I do enjoy his company, and have nearly always. But I do not enter into a union lightly."

  "But Ruby, what happened to you before..." I was still uneasy talking of her poisoning her own mother. "It won't happen now. You know how to prevent it."

  She shook her head. "Silly Freya. I know that. He is as safe from my venom as my whip."

  I didn't think anyone was entirely safe from Ruby's whip, but I ignored the urge to argue that point. "Then why, Ruby?" I pleaded.

  "The bond is not so simple among us, Frey. If I were wholly fay, a union would be uncomplicated." I stared at her vacantly and she explained further. "The fairy joining is easy, unattached, nonpermanent. Many find themselves with more partners than adversaries at the end of the day." She laughed. "They are a lusty, uncommitted people and are therefore free with such actions." I still didn't get it. She gave me an admonishing smile. "You'll make me spell it out then." She sighed. "It is different with the elf blood, Frey. Coupling among us would be a strong, enduring bond."

  "So?" I asked plainly.

  "It is not something taken into casually, Frey. A tie is formed that can take a hard toll," she said seriously. "It is an attachment, a responsibility, that could persist a lifetime. Even if you wanted it broken."