Frey (The Frey Saga, #1)(54)

“Succeeded,” I complained.

He nodded. “It seems it may have taken your magic completely this time.”

This time. I concentrated on keeping my head straight, to look like I was listening properly. My attempt at concentration must have come across as anxiety.

“You found a way to break them before. You will again.”

I nodded sloppily.

“Slowly.”

My nose was itchy. I wiggled it.

“Rest now. We have time.”

I started to ask him not to go but he wasn’t leaving. He settled in, both he and Ruby were staying with me. I was happy… downright blissful. Stupid dust.





I watched Chevelle’s face as my eyes fluttered shut, exhausted. My dreams brought him close, a much too vivid kiss on the cheek that burned like fire. My skin was blistering, I could feel the color. It swirled around me and shocked me awake again. I lay on the floor, eyes wide, body unmoving. I was weak, tired, still under the influence, but I heard voices. I didn’t move as I listened to discern if they were real.

They seemed to be close but muffled, maybe in the next room or down a corridor, as they echoed off the stones. I thought I’d picked out Anvil’s deep voice. “Trapped here like rats... cowards...” He was outraged.

Someone else, Grey maybe, worry coloring his tone. “We can’t just leave them out there.”

I knew Chevelle’s voice, interlaced between the other comments. “She’s not ready... we can’t... too soon.”

And a voice I couldn't place. “… another setback…”

They seemed to be in disagreement but I couldn’t find the interest to stay with them. I faded back into sleep. These dreams took me farther. My sight was off, not as clear, distorted. But as I lingered there, I knew the cause, I was seeing from a horse. We were outside the stone walls of the fortress finding sparse greens to eat, which bored me even in a dream. I encouraged the horse to run and he responded immediately, taking flight down the mountainside. The rocks streaked past us as we ran faster and faster, the wind whipped his mane. A great bird perched on the dead limb of a tree and I jumped to it just as it dropped from the branch and flipped its wings out to catch the wind. We flew still further as I watched the mountain pass below us. There was a small patch of trees ahead and I could see movement there, inside. I tried to focus on it... familiar silver and white.





Commotion brought me back. I sat up, startled, and my head spun. Ruby caught my arm to steady me. Her smile was strained as she handed me a drink of water.

I looked around, Chevelle was near the entrance of the stone room with Anvil and Grey. They appeared to be preparing to leave. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“Nothing to worry about,” Ruby assured me. “Just a hunting trip.”

I was still fuzzy but I knew it wouldn’t take three of them to hunt. And then I remembered the bits of conversation I’d heard when I woke. “Someone’s missing?” I took stock, I’d seen everyone but Rhys and Rider now. And the wolves. The silver and white wolves. “The wolves are out there.”

Each person in the room turned to me in synchronization, matching astonishment on their faces as they silently stared at me.

Ruby finally spoke. “What do you know about the wolves, Frey?”

“Are they hurt?”

“We don’t know. They did not return.”

“Rhys and Rider?”

“They are attempting to locate them. They will not rejoin us until they do.”

I started to draw a map for them and then cursed when I realized I was no longer able. Bound from magic. Ruby had been right to drug me; I didn’t think I could have handled it otherwise. They were watching me, unsure what I was doing as I sat helpless and cursing. “I need something to draw with.”

Ruby pulled a piece of charcoal and scrap of paper from her bags. I rushed to draw the path I remembered from my dream, focusing on the ring of trees with the most detail. “They are there.”

The men stood, motionless and staring until Anvil crossed the room to retrieve the sketch. He bowed a little as he took the paper from my hands and then hurried out, Grey following. Chevelle stayed.

Ruby turned to him and breathed a deep sigh but he didn’t respond.

My head throbbed and I groaned as I reached up to rub my temples. He was beside me in a flash, unspeaking. Ruby handed me another drink. It helped.

But I was still irritated about the binding. “Does this mean we’ll have to train again?”

Ruby snickered a little.

Chevelle answered slowly, “There has to be a way. You broke them before.”

I tried to remember how. The first magic I could recall was the thistle in the back room at Junnie’s. It seemed so far away now.

Ruby was speaking to him. “Maybe it was just the length of time…”

What did she know about how long I was bound?

“If we can find a way to test without endangering–” He stopped. “Don’t worry about it, Frey.” I wondered if I'd looked frightened. “We will figure it out.”

Great, that’s reassuring, figure it out. I meant to smile at him but only succeeded in a nod.

“Rest now. There is plenty of time for tr–” He’d started to say training but thought better of it. “… to test the bindings.” He smiled at me and, once again, I thought for just a moment he would reach out to me. But he did not. He simply stood and walked from the room.