Free Frey Saga Book II: Pieces of Eight by Melissa Wright

as if to say “no harm,” but it didn’t matter, his face
was beyond calming. And then his eyes scanned the clearing and I
jumped back to my own mind, afraid somehow he’d know I was
there.
    I couldn’t fall back to
sleep after that. I couldn’t understand what they’d meant. Why were
they talking about Fannie now? And what was their “job”? Something
they were doing for Asher? But how could Fannie be doing that? She
wasn’t training me. Something else, then. They had more than one
task?
    “ What is it?” Ruby asked
from the corner. I hadn’t even noticed her. She was watching me
sleep now? I started to answer that it was nothing but decided,
after my previous outburst, I might as well ask.
    “ Fannie.”
    She leaned toward me and I
sat up to face her. “What about Fannie?”
    I wasn’t sure how to
respond. She didn’t know what I did or didn’t remember, what I did
or didn’t know now. I wanted to find a way to lead her into
answers.
    “ Frey, did you see
Fannie?”
    Apparently it was going to
be easier than I thought. I remembered the dream and used that. She
could decide what to do with it. “Destroying the
village.”
    In the dim light, I saw
Ruby’s face and I knew. Knew that it hadn’t been a dream at all. I
gasped.
    She moved to sit beside me
on the bed and in my shock I let her attempt to comfort me. “Freya,
I’m sorry.”
    My skin crawled at the
endearment. “Don’t call me that.”
    She was stunned at my
response. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. It’s just that I
know what it does to you, when you get upset.”
    “ Like you care,” I
spat.
    Her face managed to twist
the surprise to hurt and keep both as clear as water.
“Frey…”
    “ Oh come on, Ruby. You
work for Asher. You read the diary. You know…”
    “ You-" She stopped
herself. “Elfreda, you are the most ridiculous…” I didn’t know what
she intended to call me but she grabbed my arms tight and stared me
straight in the eye before she started again. “I. Do. Not. Work.
For. Anyone.” She released her grip just a fraction. “Is that
clear?”
    I had no idea what my face
gave away but my mind was anything but clear.
    She rumbled out an
irritated growl. “Listen to me, if that is what you’re thinking
then there is no danger of telling you now. I don’t see how it
could possibly make things worse for you.”
    With a frustrated, “Oh!”
she took off on a side rant. “And all this time I thought you were
upset about that stupid girl!”
    I felt the guilt wash
through me again as I remembered the human. Ruby went back to her
explanation, calmer though she remained exasperated. “Frey, Fannie
is after Grand Council.”
    My mouth dropped at her
casual revelation. “What?”
    “ She’s killing them off
piecemeal.”
    I knew I needed to ask why
but I couldn’t get my voice to work.
    Ruby could see my
questions. She continued in a softer tone, “She was bound, the same
as you, Frey.”
    Pain racked my mind but I
tried to stay focused as she recounted the binding. “She was not
considered guilty as your mother was and she was allowed to live,
though bound tightly and under watch. Freya, when we fought them
before, as we tried to release your bonds… we released some of hers
as well.”
    I felt a harsh intake of
breath but I couldn’t convince myself it was real, I couldn’t
believe her. “How do you know?”
    She looked at me like I was
missing something. I didn’t see it. “Junnie.”
    Junnie. I’d never even
wondered why she’d come, what she’d spoken to Chevelle about in
such a rush before… before she’d seen the girl.
    I still couldn’t
speak.
    “ I’ll let you rest for a
bit. Are you going to be okay?”
    “ No," I begged, “please,
Ruby, tell me more.” She didn’t think I could handle it, I could
see that. If I were honest, I probably couldn’t but it didn’t stop
me. “Please, Ruby. I need to know.”
    She hesitated. And then,
“What?”
    I didn’t know what to ask.
My