When I didn’t respond, he stepped back. “The
others will be waiting.”
With a promise to continue practice in the
morning, we made our way to Anvil’s study. Asher had always met
with his guard in the throne room, keeping it a formal matter, but
I didn’t care for the echo of the high ceilings or sitting elevated
among those who protected me. And it wasn’t as if Anvil ever used
his library.
It was a small room compared to the other
meeting places in the castle. A long oval table was centered at one
end, a few plush chairs sat at the other. High windows cast odd
shadows in the corners, but the natural light seemed to feature the
flat of the table. Scattered about the room were my guard.
They came together then, each taking their
place around the oval, Chevelle at my right. It was then, as I
stood before them, that I realized this was my first meeting of the
guard as Elfreda, Lord of the North. I resisted the urge to run a
hand over my face. This was something I had never wanted. I forced
myself to stand tall and met the eyes of each of the seven before
me. The seven who would enforce my rule, the seven who would give
their lives to defend me.
I spoke their names as my gaze connected with
each, a tradition that outdated this castle. “Chevelle Vattier.” He
was no stranger to the formalities and he stood at his post with
confidence. I could almost see the promise in his eyes.
Grey waited to Chevelle’s right. I was lucky
to have him. “Grey of Camber.” He gave a small nod in answer.
My eyes followed to Rhys and Rider. I knew
little of them, but as I spoke their names they pledged themselves
as well.
“
Steed Summit.” Steed had
gotten involved by chance, or so Ruby would have us believe. But he
had proven himself.
“
Ruby Summit.” I nearly
smiled at the heat radiating from her. I would never know if it was
pride at her new station or the idea of all the trouble she could
get into here, in the thick of things.
“
Reed of Keithar Peak.”
Anvil inclined his head, shoulders straight. He, like Chevelle,
understood his place at this table and held above all else his
duty.
I took a slow, steadying breath and then
began as if this were not a monstrous undertaking. “Chevelle tells
me he and Steed were successful. However, it seems we have some
convincing left to do.” I stopped. Only two of my guard were
familiar with castle politics. I had a feeling Ruby would fit right
in, but she presented a whole new problem. We were going to have to
play this out as Asher would have, and that left a bitter taste in
my mouth. “Chevelle has suggested a banquet.” Anvil nodded. The
rest of the table sat silent. “A show of power,” I explained.
I deferred to Chevelle then, who outlined the
details and responsibilities of each of them. Who should watch
which clan leader, who should cover which areas, which signals
meant what or who. Everyone had something to imply or a task to do,
everyone had their role. Except Ruby.
When Chevelle finished, he glanced at me, a
question in his eyes. I nodded grimly, giving him permission.
“
Frey has an issue with
control.” A snigger escaped from Ruby’s side of the table but my
glare cut it short. Chevelle continued. “We will meet each morning
to assist in her recovery.”
“
Why do we not simply cast–”
Anvil’s words were cut short as an intensified version of the glare
narrowed on him.
“
Again,” I stated as clear
and loud as possible without leaving the range of civil, “there
will be no use of spells on or near me without absolute
necessity.”
Steed raised his hand. It wouldn’t have been
funny if I hadn’t spent time in the village, but I had, and it was
a struggle not to laugh. Ruby smacked him.
“
If you are planning to
inquire as to why, don’t,” I warned.
He nodded.
So far, this was nothing like Asher’s meeting
of the guards.
I moved on. “The banquet is settled. Is there
any news to table?”
Grey spoke up. “There is word of the new
council. Whispers of Juniper’s plans have flooded Camber.”
“
We have heard such as
well,” Rider put in. “It is said she has gathered a following, not
only among the villagers, but some of the rogue southern
clans.”
“
There is no evidence,” I
said.
“
You’ve seen her cloak,”
Anvil said in a decidedly non-confrontational tone.
“
She is no longer of Grand
Council, what else would she wear?”
They were silent for a moment. I couldn’t
help but defend her. Junnie was all the family I had left. She’d
given up leadership in Grand Council to protect me, stayed near me
in the village. Sure, she had disagreed with what they were doing.
They had killed my mother when, by right, she was owed their
protection. Junnie took umbrage with their attack on the North, she
had suspicions about their plans, but she’d given up everything.
Besides, the villages and forests were none of my business. I
wasn’t Asher.
I dismissed the subject and the meeting, with
a reminder of practice at dawn. As the others left the room, Ruby
stopped to examine a book on the wall shelves. I sat at the head of
the table, thinking of all to come. My showing at the banquet would
have to be severe. Not only did my mere existence as a half-human
cause issue, but now rumors of a new council were running rampant.
A stronger council to replace that which nearly destroyed the
North. Even I had seen Junnie’s sigil. I could not deny the
possibility. I would have to assert my rule without doubt tomorrow,
despite my differences.
I felt the corner of my mouth pull up.
“
Ruby,” I asked, “how would
you like to start some trouble?”
Chapter Four
Practice
We met in the largest practice room. The
sight of the others there reminded me so much of the group practice
session when I’d been bound, I had to laugh. I had been so certain
then that one wrong move could have destroyed me. But that wasn’t
the way of it.
Chevelle had chosen these men. I understood
now that he’d trusted them all with my life. He’d had to, when an
errant thought or moment of temper could cost you your sparring
partner. I knew they could not hurt me now, but I had not realized
then that their magic would never have actually touched me in more
than the annoyingly painful way they had used it to teach me.
I tried to keep in mind they’d been doing it
to protect me.
“
Me first,” came from Ruby
right away. Apparently, my promise of trouble for this evening had
not sated her.
I smiled. “Ready when you are.”
I could feel a tingle running up my back and
knew she’d attempted a sneak attack. I squelched her flame but
raised my hands to the side and ran my own flame down my arms to
light in my palms, as if I’d stolen hers. If she wanted to play
dirty, I had my own bag of tricks. The floor lit behind her as she
readied her next attack. I flung my outstretched arms forward and
released the fire. Ruby didn’t even flinch. Until it turned to icy
blue mist that showered against her.
She cursed and pulled the
whip from her side.
Oh
yes
, I thought,
I
do owe her
.
The tongue lit as it curled around and she
began to rock, priming herself for another attempt. She cracked the
whip at the right side of my face, missing it by a hair’s breadth,
while simultaneously throwing a fireball at my left thigh from the
side. A burst of white stopped the flame from touching me and
another headed toward her stomach. She leapt quickly out of the way
and then set the room ablaze.
Flames surrounded us, engulfing our section
of the practice room. It was impressive.
I had planned to smother the fire, but
something went wrong and the floor beneath Ruby fell. She caught
herself and the conflagration immediately died.
“
Not okay, Frey,” Ruby
chided.
I stepped forward to help her. “It wasn’t my
intention.”
When she was on her feet, we stared into the
hole in the floor.
“
Where are the stones?” Ruby
asked.
I shrugged.
“
Are you sure this is safe?”
Grey asked.
No one laughed.
When I looked up, I caught the concern in
Chevelle’s eyes. “Maybe I’ll just practice on my own from now on,”
I suggested.
Rhys spoke up. “I believe it will be safest
if we assist you.”
All eyes fell on the two tall, slender
elves.
Rider explained. “Though we are not twins, we
are brothers and share a connection. We have the ability to combine
our powers.”
Stunned silence followed. Finally, Steed
spoke up. “How does that work?”
“
Usually, only one of us has
control. Clearly, we cannot both command it. We essentially borrow
the other’s power while directing our own,” Rhys
explained.
A quick glance at Chevelle confirmed he had
not been aware of their rare talent. Certainly the wolves had
been.
“
Is it possible then,” Grey
asked, “that the same technique could be used to direct Frey’s
power?”
“
You mean to displace it?”
Ruby asked.
“
No, I was thinking of it
not being entirely of her and therefore it could possibly be split
from her own. But displacement may be a better option.”
“
Would I be able to do
that?” I asked Rider. “Can you send one another your power, or
would I have to allow someone to borrow from me?”
“
It is impossible to guess.”
Rider contemplated the idea for a moment. “When we borrow, it is
with a shared will. I am unsure whether it can be done otherwise,
without that connection.”
I thought again of the wolves. This was no
coincidence.
Rhys spoke up. “There is a danger in trying
without the connection.” No one wanted to ask how he knew, but he
could see our interest. “We discovered the link as children, quite
by accident. I was under attack and would undoubtedly fall. My
assailant was toying with me, enjoying the torment as he forced my
brother to watch.”
My stomach turned as his words recalled the
memory of Chevelle’s prone form writhing in agony.
“
As I lay on the floor,
listening to Rider’s shouts of protest over the sound of my own
terrified screams, all I could think was that if I were as strong
as him, if I had his power, I would crush this black demon standing
over me. And he could think of nothing but saving me, giving me his
own life in order to keep me alive, to defeat the elves attacking
us.”
Anvil was generally not the meddlesome type,
so his question surprised me. “Why were you attacked?”
Rider nodded. “It was some time before we
understood that ourselves. At that point, we were very young, too
inexperienced to grasp the extent of the situation. We were unaware
that the entire kingdom was fearful of us. Some spoke of prophecy,
others dared not speak of us at all. The pair of us were blamed for
each calamity that came upon the realm, each misfortune of the
king, though we were merely boys. The mob that came for us had no
definable reason behind their actions but fear and superstition.
And possibly clandestine orders from their ruler.”
I started to speak but faltered. Their tale
was too reminiscent of raw memories.
Rhys finished out Rider’s explanation. “The
irony is their attack gave us the ability they feared. Forced it
upon us. Our response to that action not only revealed to us our
full strength, but turned it against them.”
The room was silent for a long moment.
“
The danger?” Chevelle
finally asked.
“
Yes,” Rhys answered, coming
back to himself. It was clearly an emotional memory for him as
well. “I doubt there would be issue with an attempt to borrow from
Frey. But we have found it is impossible to give the power without
injuring the non-connected receiving party.”
“
They take it as a strike,”
Rider explained. With a hint of chagrin, he added, “We also learned
such by accident. As children.”
“
Didn’t help our cause
either,” Rhys said.
I had my doubts, but I was positive the
wolves had not brought these men from the ice lands without good
reason. “I will try.” Several of the others immediately bristled at
the idea, but before they had a chance to voice their arguments I
held up a hand. “Not today. I have a few things to check on
first.”
“
I will research the
archives of the twins,” Ruby said.
“
Thank you,” I replied,
though I was fairly certain she’d have no luck there. When I had a
free moment, I would have to find the wolves, and hope they would
give me some indication if we were on the right track.
“
I think we should break for
now,” I suggested. “I don’t feel I can overcome this in one day and
I’m confident you all have other tasks before this evening’s
event.”
The group split into small sets, obviously
agitated by the new plan. I glanced at Chevelle, unable to remove
the painful image Rhys’ story brought to mind. His eyes met mine
and I could see that he understood, knew that it had affected me.
As he stood speaking with Anvil, his hand rose to his collar and he
slid the material between his thumb and forefinger. I smiled and
did the same. Funny how the small gesture meant more now, with
Asher gone, than when we’d conceived it to subvert him.
Ruby grabbed my elbow and pulled me from the
room, chattering about her ideas on the new theory. I let her.