Pieces of Eight (The Frey Saga, #2)(46)

He nodded once.

And just as my mind formed the notion because he knows, the blackness overtook me. But even in my dreams, my mind refused to accept the idea that Asher knew I could reach inside the mind of a human. So my dreams focused on other things, small details that seemed insignificant.





When I finally opened my eyes, I was staring into Chevelle's deep blue eyes and I smiled sleepily at him as I spoke my first thought aloud. "... like your mother's."

The expression on his face clued me in that my dreams had not been insignificant at all. How had I remembered his mother's eyes? I tried to recall more of her but couldn't bring her face through the haze to see it clearly.

"Frey?" Chevelle's words brought me back. He was so close, and he was asking if it was me... or her, the old me.

I didn't speak, I merely leaned forward, knowing what would happen if he thought it was her. But I'd been wrong, I'd underestimated him. He grabbed me roughly and pulled me onto his lap while his face was only inches from mine. I could feel his breath on me, coming faster as his eyes came up to meet mine again. My name slipped through his lips in a low moan as they joined my own, his hands tightened on me and somehow we had gotten even closer, my legs straddling his as he sat on the bed. His touch was overwhelming, consuming. When I finally recognized the sound of the others approaching the door, my breath caught and I was surprised to find that I was lying on my back, Chevelle over me, his dark eyes nearly black. He didn't take them off me as his hand flew back toward the door, barring them from entry before his mouth returned to my lips and then urgently traced the line of my jaw, past my ear, down, his kiss opening on the skin of my neck and...

"Frey!" the demanding voice at the door called, but I couldn't find enough interest to take in whose it was. They were insistent, trying to enter the room while my hands frantically searched for the skin beneath Chevelle's shirt. And then, suddenly, he was pulling me from the bed. It was not the touch he had been using and I protested, but something they'd said must have convinced him, must have been important enough. I stared at him, breathless, as he composed himself and released the hold on the door. It flew open instantly.

Ruby and Grey rushed in, and then stopped short. They must have thought something had been wrong, though I couldn't bring myself imagine what at that precise moment. Their eyes went from Chevelle to me and lingered just a moment before Chevelle interjected, "What is it?"

Ruby was apparently speechless, as Grey was the one who started to explain. "We have word that Brahn has been located."

Chevelle released a long breath and then nodded. "We leave at dawn."

"How do we split?" Ruby asked, evidently recovered.

Chevelle turned to me, expectant, and I stared back at him blankly. "Frey?" he demanded.

"What?" I asked, baffled.

And then, the look of sheer disbelief on his face clued me in. He had thought I was her, thought my memories returned, because I had led him to believe so. And I'd just revealed my deception with one word. My face flushed and he remained watching me only a moment before turning back to Ruby and Grey.

"We should meet with the others," Chevelle said briskly as he walked from the room without glancing back at me.

I crumpled onto the bed as if I'd deflated when the breath I'd been holding finally let go. And then I heard Ruby approaching and I sat back up just in time to see Grey stop her. "Go ahead, I'll walk with Frey," he said and her eyes met his in a silent challenge.

I was on my feet, stepping between them with the intention of speaking up, but when I'd gotten close enough to Ruby I could almost feel the heat radiating off her and I found myself stepping right past them and through the door in no less than a hurry. Grey laughed quietly as he followed pace behind me. I didn't look back to see Ruby.





I fell behind Grey as we walked into the room, not especially eager to meet Chevelle again so soon. I was staring at Grey's feet, keeping as close to him as possible so that Ruby could not grab me for an inquiry, but my head jerked up when I heard Junnie's voice.

She'd been in the midst of a conversation with Chevelle when we entered and they broke off, turning to greet us. She gave a slight nod and then nearly smiled. "Freya, you look well." She glanced at Chevelle and asked, "Have her faculties returned?"

His eyes met mine as he answered, "Her memories are fractured but her powers are much improved." I flushed and found my feet again.

I could feel the questions linger so I swallowed hard and raised my head as if I were not mortified. It was harder to pull off than I'd expected and I found myself talking without cause. "Have you found Fannie?"

Junnie seemed surprised at the directness of my question but only hesitated a moment before shaking her head. "Merely signs of her."

Signs. "Animal attacks?" I asked.

She nodded and I could see Chevelle become uneasy beside her. "I understand you have seen such evidence yourself," she said.

A vision of the human carcass returned to me and I had to look away from Junnie. I scanned the room for something else to focus on, finding Anvil and Rider were staring at me with concern. I was still nodding.

Ruby wound an arm around my waist and I forced myself to focus on that while their conversation from earlier resumed.