gone, I
arranged some of your things,” she said.
I didn’t take time to speculate whether she’d
been trying to annoy me, teach me a lesson for shutting her in the
castle with a babysitter, or if she was simply attempting to
distract me.
“ I’ve been wondering about
something I found. The scroll.”
I could see the words as
plain as if they were before me now. Fellon
Strago Dreg .
“ I’ve looked everywhere,”
she explained, “they are in no book that I have
discovered.”
My mother’s script. A warning.
“ I thought that
maybe–”
Her words cut off as I stood, holding my
breath to control the pain.
She stared at me.
“ Ruby, gather the guard. We
are going on a trip.”
Her face was blank for a moment, but as I
moved toward the closet, she walked swiftly from the room. I bit
down hard as I pulled the shirt over my head and then replaced it
with another, lacing a vest tight against my ribcage. I struggled
into my boots and grabbed a cloak before heading to the study.
Ruby was fast, they were all there waiting
for me. By the way they watched me, I thought she might have told
them I’d lost it, but they were there.
“ Prepare the
horses.”
They stared at me.
“ We ride out for
Junnie.”
The stillness of the room erupted into
disorder. I raised a hand and they settled again.
“ This is no
coincidence.”
“ You think she would employ
the fey?” Chevelle asked incredulously.
I shook my head. “I cannot be certain any of
this is her doing. But we will find out.”
“ She has the most to gain,”
Ruby said.
“ Junnie has done nothing but
assist in Frey’s return,” Grey replied.
“ As such, she would have
aided herself,” Rhys said.
“ She wouldn’t be able to
raise a new council with a lord who stood against her,” Rider
agreed.
I couldn’t dispute that. Junnie might have
merely seen me as the lesser of two evils. But I couldn’t say I
didn’t feel the same way about her and this supposed new council
compared with the old.
“ Did she not risk all when
she saved Frey from the massacre?” Steed asked. “Was she not
honoring her family? Defending their birthright? Why else would she
have rescued Francine from the same fate?”
“ Fannie could never have
been truly saved,” Chevelle answered.
It was true. She had approached council for
protection, the only place left for her to turn. It started
something that she could not have anticipated, but none of that
would have changed her outcome.
She had reaped her revenge on council. But
she had gone back to Asher, and she had paid for that with her
life.
They continued the exchange, but it was
nothing but useless speculation. The only one who hadn’t voiced an
opinion was Anvil. When the conversation died down, I looked to
him.
He sighed, his large chest rising before
falling in a kind of defeated gesture. Anvil had been around for as
long as I could remember, strong and solid. But as I watched him
now, I could see the first signs of age on his face, the smallest
creases around his eyes and mouth. He didn’t want to tell me the
last of my family could be my greatest adversary. But he was loyal.
“Power can turn any.”
It was the only answer I needed. “Mount
up.”
Chapter Nine
Journey
We rode through Camber on our way, making no
secret of our travels. The guard took formation, which would have
been intimidation enough, but as we came through the southern
encampments, we took the time to enforce our rule, make a show of
our presence.
By nightfall, the ache in my side had become
unrelenting. When the vague outline of a structure came into view,
I realized I’d stopped paying attention to my surroundings, simply
riding along with the others. I was grateful to see the fort,
downright rapturous when the horses came to rest. Chevelle was at
my side, gingerly lifting me down, and the sense of relief was
overwhelming.
We settled inside the walls, under an open
sky, where Ruby had lit a nice fire. The
arranged some of your things,” she said.
I didn’t take time to speculate whether she’d
been trying to annoy me, teach me a lesson for shutting her in the
castle with a babysitter, or if she was simply attempting to
distract me.
“ I’ve been wondering about
something I found. The scroll.”
I could see the words as
plain as if they were before me now. Fellon
Strago Dreg .
“ I’ve looked everywhere,”
she explained, “they are in no book that I have
discovered.”
My mother’s script. A warning.
“ I thought that
maybe–”
Her words cut off as I stood, holding my
breath to control the pain.
She stared at me.
“ Ruby, gather the guard. We
are going on a trip.”
Her face was blank for a moment, but as I
moved toward the closet, she walked swiftly from the room. I bit
down hard as I pulled the shirt over my head and then replaced it
with another, lacing a vest tight against my ribcage. I struggled
into my boots and grabbed a cloak before heading to the study.
Ruby was fast, they were all there waiting
for me. By the way they watched me, I thought she might have told
them I’d lost it, but they were there.
“ Prepare the
horses.”
They stared at me.
“ We ride out for
Junnie.”
The stillness of the room erupted into
disorder. I raised a hand and they settled again.
“ This is no
coincidence.”
“ You think she would employ
the fey?” Chevelle asked incredulously.
I shook my head. “I cannot be certain any of
this is her doing. But we will find out.”
“ She has the most to gain,”
Ruby said.
“ Junnie has done nothing but
assist in Frey’s return,” Grey replied.
“ As such, she would have
aided herself,” Rhys said.
“ She wouldn’t be able to
raise a new council with a lord who stood against her,” Rider
agreed.
I couldn’t dispute that. Junnie might have
merely seen me as the lesser of two evils. But I couldn’t say I
didn’t feel the same way about her and this supposed new council
compared with the old.
“ Did she not risk all when
she saved Frey from the massacre?” Steed asked. “Was she not
honoring her family? Defending their birthright? Why else would she
have rescued Francine from the same fate?”
“ Fannie could never have
been truly saved,” Chevelle answered.
It was true. She had approached council for
protection, the only place left for her to turn. It started
something that she could not have anticipated, but none of that
would have changed her outcome.
She had reaped her revenge on council. But
she had gone back to Asher, and she had paid for that with her
life.
They continued the exchange, but it was
nothing but useless speculation. The only one who hadn’t voiced an
opinion was Anvil. When the conversation died down, I looked to
him.
He sighed, his large chest rising before
falling in a kind of defeated gesture. Anvil had been around for as
long as I could remember, strong and solid. But as I watched him
now, I could see the first signs of age on his face, the smallest
creases around his eyes and mouth. He didn’t want to tell me the
last of my family could be my greatest adversary. But he was loyal.
“Power can turn any.”
It was the only answer I needed. “Mount
up.”
Chapter Nine
Journey
We rode through Camber on our way, making no
secret of our travels. The guard took formation, which would have
been intimidation enough, but as we came through the southern
encampments, we took the time to enforce our rule, make a show of
our presence.
By nightfall, the ache in my side had become
unrelenting. When the vague outline of a structure came into view,
I realized I’d stopped paying attention to my surroundings, simply
riding along with the others. I was grateful to see the fort,
downright rapturous when the horses came to rest. Chevelle was at
my side, gingerly lifting me down, and the sense of relief was
overwhelming.
We settled inside the walls, under an open
sky, where Ruby had lit a nice fire. The
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