Frey (13 page)

The door opened behind me.

“
Ah, yes,” Ruby purred as
she looked me over. “Lovely.”

I could tell by the way she said it that the
word was not a compliment to me but instead she found it lovely
that I was here or maybe even something else entirely. I could see
Chevelle from the open door behind her; he was standing in the main
room, that annoyed expression on his face.

“
I, of course, am Ruby,” she
said, introducing herself. “I’m pleased you’ll be staying with me
during your visit."

Staying with her? This was
her
house?
I was
sure I was wearing the same irritated look as Chevelle. I was also
certain, by the way she watched me, that she had seen me spying.
Her mouth was twisted in a smile, loaded with false honey. I
noticed her eyes then, looking past the heavy paint they wore, to
dark green jewels… emeralds. They were so like those I had just
examined in the mirror and I had to look away.

“
Frey,” I replied softly.
“Thank you for the room.”

She seemed disappointed I had no further
comment. She flitted her hand in the air in dismissal as she
swirled out of the room and back to Chevelle, the metal bracelets
around her wrists clinking lightly.

“
I’m off to town then. You
know, a handsome hunk of horsemeat was asking about you this
morning.”

My ears perked up.
Someone was asking about him?
And then I realized she had called someone a hunk of horsemeat
and I had to stifle a giggle. Chevelle nodded at her but made no
remark on the inquirer. She winked toward him on her way out and
the gesture lit a burn in my chest. I turned back to my room and
climbed into bed, covering my head with a corner of the
blanket.

I woke later, unsure how long I’d slept. The
house was quiet so I slipped from bed trying not to make a sound. I
peeked into the main room from my door and found Chevelle sitting
against the front wall by a small window. He was leaned over,
working on something with both hands, making a light scratching
noise. I started forward and my boot scuffed the floor, alerting
him to my presence. As he turned, he slid whatever he’d been
working into a pocket at his hip.

It dawned on me then that this room only had
the entrance and two other doors. If we were staying with Ruby then
the other door must lead to her room. I was ready to offer him my
room to sleep but the look on his face was so devastating I could
not stop myself from offering something else. “You don’t… you don’t
have to protect me.” I hoped it was true. “I can turn myself in,
take myself to the village, or…” I was trying to say Grand Council
but the words were stuck in my throat. No part of me wanted to
surrender to my mother’s killers but I could not make him suffer
more than he had. My hands trembled. He was my watcher; he must
have felt he needed to fulfill his duties, to keep his honor. He
would finish our journey and return me to the village.

“
Freya.” He said my name as
if it were tearing at him and my chest ached. “You don’t
understand.” He was searching for words again. “You can’t submit to
Grand Council. You can
never
submit.”

He was right, I didn’t understand. Did he
intend to return me to the village, to High Council?

“
You remembered… what they
did to your mother?”

I felt my face pale. Did he
mean to submit was to accept her fate? The image of flames and a
circle of cloaks surrounding her was there again and I had to force
it away before it turned to an image of me.
Protection
, he’d kept saying as we
worked on magic.
They were going to
burn
me
.

“
They would… kill me…
because of the pendant… the library?”

“
No, Frey. You have broken
some of your bonds. They will not risk trying to bind you
again.”

I struggled with an intake of breath. He
stood and started toward me, about to speak again, just as the door
swung open and then his face flushed with anger.

“
Elfreda!” Steed was through
the door and to me in two long strides. He grabbed me at the waist,
picking me up and spinning me like a child, my cloak swirling
behind me. The shock and exuberance of his greeting was too much
and I couldn’t help but let out a breathless laugh. He put me down
but kept me close, his hands still at my waist.

“
Steed.” I was almost
winded. “What are you doing here?”

He glanced at Chevelle then, who still
plainly wore irritation, and his carefree smile dissolved. “I was
heading to Bray and ran across some trackers.” Chevelle’s eyes
flicked to my face and then back to Steed. Steed dropped his hands
from my waist as he looked back at me. “I saw the horses out front
and couldn’t resist. Knew you’d be missing me.”

I tried to smile but the thought of trackers
had taken the thrill of the unexpected visitor. The vision of
flames was threatening again.

Chevelle threw on his cloak and hooded his
head. “Stay here,” he ordered me, quite directly, as he gestured
toward Steed, who turned and followed him outside.

I wasn’t sure how long they’d be gone. I went
to one of the small windows on the front wall and peered cautiously
out. They were nowhere to be seen but the sights of the village
distracted me in just a few short moments. It was so unlike
home.

Night gave the dark stones
an even darker appearance and the light of the fires hit the
moisture from the snow, making them look glossy. In the mist, it
reminded me of polished onyx. Fires lit each walkway and building I
could see. I wasn’t sure how late it was but several villagers
outside were loud and boisterous. They seemed to all be dressed in
black. A few of the men had large silver breastplates and wrist
cuffs. Most wore leather, laced tight against their muscular
bodies. Few of them were thin or petite as the elves I was used to
seeing. These were strong, like Chevelle and Steed. All had dark
hair as well. And then I saw red hair.
Ruby
.

I cursed. She was approaching the house and I
was alone. Part of me wondered if I was fast enough to get to my
room and close myself in before she came in. I hadn’t made up my
mind before the door opened beside me.

She purred. “Well, well. Alone are we?” She
was smiling wickedly. She came closer, so close I became even more
uncomfortable. “Let’s talk…”

She leaned in as she spoke and I thought I
saw something glisten in the air between us. I was frozen there as
she kept coming. I wasn’t sure she didn’t plan on kissing me but I
couldn’t move away…

“
Stop!”
Chevelle’s voice was angry as she was whisked away from me,
laughing. Her red curls brushed my face on their way
past.

“
Just having a little fun,
Vattier.” Her voice was calm, full of humor.

It sounded as if she were far away. Or as if
I were in a tunnel. Chevelle was still talking to her, an angry
rumble, and then at once they were gone. My head swirled and I felt
off balance. I started to stumble and a strong hand was on my
arm.

“
Easy there, Honeysuckle.”
Steed’s voice beside me cleared my head a bit.

“
What happened?” I asked,
confused. My mouth tingled.

“
A little fairy dust. Breath
of the siren.”

“
Wha?” My tongue was thick.
Steed chuckled.

“
Intoxicating, isn’t it?” I
could hear the smile in his voice. My nose tingled and I scrunched
it up a little then giggled at the feeling.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. “Fairy
breath?” He laughed again.

“
Red. She’s a half breed.” I
was confused but wasn’t sure that was what my face showed. “How do
you feel?”

“
Weird.”

“
Yes, that’s
normal.”

“
Hot,” I said, unclasping my
cloak and tossing it off behind me. I swayed.

“
Maybe you should sit down,”
he warned.

Yes, that was a good idea. “Half breed?” I
asked, unable to form full sentences.

“
Half fairy, half elf.” He
sat in a chair as he started to answer and I kept moving past the
bench where I intended to land and crawled on his lap, curling my
feet up, knees to my chest. His voice seemed mesmerizing as he
continued, “Her mother was a fairy from the West. Fiery one,
her.”

I wrapped my arms around my legs, holding my
knees tight, and placed my chin there to make a headrest. “Tell me
more.” It was all I could do to pay attention to his words, but I
was fascinated.

“
Her father was a dark elf.
When her mother died during childbirth, he left her here in the
village. I suppose it was for the best, really, since she can’t
fly. The fairies would have tormented her. She’s still a bit of an
outcast though…” He was still talking as I struggled to catch up in
my head.

I interrupted him, unable to stop myself. “My
mother died.” I had no idea why I was speaking. I batted my eyes
and tried to shake it off, concentrating on him again.

He seemed to notice I was
back and continued his story. I leaned my head on his chest,
snuggling into his warmth. My face felt numb. I heard the door and
the vibration in Steed’s chest quieted as he stopped talking. I
turned my head toward the door, keeping it steady against Steed.
Chevelle was furious. I noticed his glance flick to my cloak piled
on the floor and then return to us.
Us
. I was curled in Steed’s lap.
Chevelle was storming toward us and I felt the arm Steed had around
my back loosen but his body didn’t seem to tense.
His body.
I giggled a
little for no apparent reason and then tried to straighten myself
so I wasn’t cuddling with him. Chevelle held his arm out and I
wondered foggily if he intended to strike one of us, which made me
laugh again. He shook his head and wore a plainly disapproving
expression. A flagon landed in his open palm and he knelt slightly
in front of us. “Drink.” Yes, I was thirsty. So thirsty. I took a
long pull and then another. I couldn’t seem to quench the thirst.
He took the container from my hand. “Enough.”

My stomach roiled and I realized what I had
drank. “Ugh, cat pee.” I thought I might hurl. How much of that
healing crap had I drunk? I heaved once and Steed shook beneath me
with laughter. I glanced at him then and he was looking at
Chevelle. For some reason it angered me, even though I knew Steed
wasn’t laughing at him. I was talking again. “His mother died, too.
We killed her.” It sounded so matter of fact, my head bobbed with
the words, as if in agreement. I couldn’t seem to stop myself, my
mouth opened to speak again but I was suddenly swept up, off
Steed’s lap and into Chevelle’s arms. I managed fear for half a
second but then lost the feeling to dizziness followed by dull
numbness.

He was laying me on my bed. “Stay here. It
will pass.” His words were gentle now, the anger gone.

“
I’m sorry,” I whispered. He
didn’t respond. He leaned over me to straighten the bedding and his
face was close to mine. I stared at his mouth and wondered what it
would taste like. I felt a sharp pain and then realized I was
biting my lip. The thought made me giggle again, but his eyes shot
to my face and all amusement ceased.

He stroked my cheek lightly. “Sleep.”

My dreams were vivid. Crimson curls brushing
my cheek and bouncing as a tiny fairy danced across the floor,
flitting her painted fingers. Dark stone houses in the night, the
glare of fire glinting off the rock. Massive stones rising high
above. Dark leather, tight against my skin. Menacing cloaks flowing
in the wind, forming a circle and then massing together,
threatening. Black hair glistening with sweat in the moonlight and
rolling in rhythm as the horse ran, its mane rocking hypnotically
with the motion. Its heavy equine smell, so unlike any other. I was
clinging to Chevelle’s strong back as we rode at full speed. The
wind and rain cut at my face, my eyes sore, cheeks streaked with
tears and ash.

I woke to the sound of laughter. It took
several minutes to gather my thoughts enough to know where I was. I
was in bed... at Ruby’s. Ruby, the half breed. I was drenched in
sweat. My head throbbed. Something had happened to me. Fairy dust,
Steed had said. Steed. Yes, he had shown up last night. I heard
talking through the open door. He was in the main room. Chevelle’s
voice was there, too. My mouth tasted sour. I tried to sit up but
my head spun. Before I’d moved an inch I was back down. My pulse
pounded in my head as I struggled to recall what had happened the
night before. I hissed out a low oath when I remembered Ruby
leaning toward me, blowing her breath in my face.

I opened my eyes again and
Chevelle was there, handing me a glass.
Gads
. What had I said to him? I knew
it was bad but had trouble piecing it all together. I glanced up at
him timidly. “Thank you,” I croaked out as I took the glass, my
hand trembling.

“
Shouldn’t have left you
alone,” he said quietly. I heard a light laugh from the front
room.
Ugh
. She was
here, too. The water helped. I was able to sit up with Chevelle’s
assistance.

“
Here, here, a bath will
help.” Ruby swirled into the room, dressed in a red frock of sorts.
The color hurt my eyes. “Come with me, dear.” Her hair was tied
half way back with a light scarf, the tattered end mingling with
crimson curls. I felt dizzy again. She hauled me off the bed,
supporting me as I stood, and I realized she was much smaller than
I had thought, slipping easily under my arm. I kept my head down as
we walked, mostly trying not to get ill, and saw she wore heeled
boots. She led me through the main room and, though I knew Steed
was there, I couldn’t look up to greet him. We were entering the
other door.