Pieces of Eight (The Frey Saga, #2)(24)

But no one knew I didn't. My guard had kept it a secret. For my protection.





Dawn came unexpectedly early. Not that it was any earlier than usual, just that I was surprised at it. I was wrapped in a blanket on the same tree, Ruby urging me awake with her foot. "Come on, Frey. Time for practice before we move on."

I groaned. But practice was brief because it was only a short time before they were mounted, ready to set off.

We rode too fast, in and out of patches of hot sun and dense forest. The plots of forest were becoming longer though and by the evening of the second day, I began to complain about being smacked in the head by so many limbs.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to walk?"

"We are conserving energy," Grey answered in a low voice. I looked back at him and he could see he would have to explain more thoroughly. Don't know why they haven't caught on to that yet. "The horses spare us the energy we would have used running. We are taking every precaution."

My horse ran into the back of Anvil's as we stopped unexpectedly. I gave him a sheepish grin. He didn't seem surprised that I hadn't been paying attention.

As we stepped down off the horses, Ruby caught a glance of all the scrapes and scratches I'd gained from the day's ride. It felt like every branch had hit my face. "You look like shit, Frey."

It seemed to make her day.

Several hours later, she tired of making repairs and gave up on me, admitting defeat. "I shouldn't have let it go so long," she sighed.

Grey had been watching her toil and laughed lightly as she sauntered off on some other venture.

I took the opportunity while we were alone. "So, how long have you known about Fannie?" I asked, indicating the group. He just looked back at me. "I mean, how long has she been stalking me?"

"Not so long," he answered in a hushed tone.

He was glancing around, placing the others I thought, so I lowered my voice as well. "Is she only using cats?"

"I wouldn't know, Frey. We are just being... over-cautious."

My brow knitted.

"Is there something else?"

"It just bothers me. The cats, I mean."

He laughed. "They didn't seem to bother you so much at the castle. They are practically sleeping in our beds as we speak."

"That's different," I protested. He raised an eyebrow at me and I was shocked at his inference. "No."

"Yes," he said, unruffled. "Does it seem so far off that she could have gotten the idea from you?"

"Ugh!" I was disgusted at the thought. Surely he was only trying to aggravate me.

"I'm certain your cats are the tale of the North by now."

My eyes narrowed but I had no defense so I shrugged it off. Except it did bother me. Tremendously.

And then, suddenly, the atmosphere completely changed. Grey stiffened and before I could process the difference, he was gone. In his place, Ruby stood, ready in her protective stance. Her fight stance.

I tried to stay calm, remember to breathe. Was this it, what we'd been waiting for, looking for? Grand Council, or was this Fannie, the new threat? I realized I was hoping it was her. I was standing now, ready to face her. I wanted to tear her apart.

It was shocking.

Ruby straightened slightly, relaxing her shoulders and adjusting her belt. But she was still watching. I followed her eyes. Junnie.

I relaxed then. I didn't know what to do with Junnie, where to categorize her, but I didn't think she intended to hurt me. Not kill me as Fannie planned, not burn me as council. But then I hesitated, because now Junnie was council. My ears were ringing slightly but I tried to concentrate. Not on the memory of her chasing Asher, not of the endless days we'd spent in her study, not of her story in my mother's diary, not the limp body of the human girl. I tried to focus on what she was saying to Chevelle.

As they came closer, the ringing got louder. It was only a moment before I understood why. I didn't waste time being angry with him, I just closed my eyes and moved straight to the mind of my horse.

No ringing.

"No, he is helping her... She's forgotten everything, or maybe she's just using him as well."

I could hear Junnie clearly but Chevelle was harder to understand; he was speaking so low the conversation sounded one-sided.

"Well apparently she's decided this was the better path. I doubt she trusts him completely, but for now, they are assisting each other."

Chevelle's face was furious. For a moment, I thought he must have realized what I'd done, found me out, but he turned away, facing Junnie as he answered, fury bringing out a growl in his muffled voice.

"I don't think he sees it that way. He may not even know that she's found a side occupation. But, regardless, he's not to be trusted." Chevelle's hand was clenched in a fist at his side, but I still could not hear him as they spoke, merely Junnie. "He's just using her to eliminate as many of us as possible without risk to him."

Us. I was back in my own head, spots swirling in blackness. Junnie was Grand Council, and not only was she after Asher, he was after her. And Fannie... Fannie was after everyone. I tried to stop it, fought to stay afloat, but I was drowning.





When I woke, it was daylight and Junnie was gone. Ruby sat ever faithful at my side, offering me water as soon as I stirred. I was quiet, though, unsure what to say. My dreams had been so disturbing. I was flying overhead, in the mind of a great hawk, peering through the trees, and I'd seen the human girl. Not her dead, limp body, but her previous self, the happy, laughing girl they had called Molly. And her puppy, large and fluffy, frolicked in the grass beside her. And then there were the dreams of Asher's voice again, as he plotted the use of the humans. The sense of betrayal as he compared them to animals. But there was more this time, something that hadn't been in the previous dreams. I was running to my mother, because I knew then, she had been right. They were attempting to stop me from entering her room, they had the nerve to command me to leave. My eyes narrowed and, my jaw clenched tight, I pulled a deep breath through my nose as I drew my sword and...