Free Freya's Freedom (The Tower and the Eye Book 3) by Kira Morgana Page A

I think your companion may be right, my sweet prisoner,” the Mistress said, running a nail along Freya’s body. “But I have more than one trick up my tight leather sleeves.”
    “You won’t get a...” Freya started. Her voice disappeared as the mistress held a black dagger to her throat, pressing hard enough for a dribble of blood to run from the blade and drip into the water, sending the fish into a second frenzy, jumping up, their fins splashing Freya’s face with water, and tugging on her hair.
    “Chance? Oh, my dear, I know more about your brother than you think I do. He’d never put you in danger,” the mistress whispered to her.
    How did she know Grald is my brother? Freya stared up at the woman.
    Vrenstalliren threw his naked body at the bars.
    “No! You will not harm my holy charge!”
    “And what are you going to do about it?” the mistress sneered, her attention taken away from Freya for a moment.
    The dancing girl summoned up her strength and bit into the arm that passed across her face. Freya clenched her teeth as hard as she could and was rewarded with blood as she managed to penetrate the leather.
    The Mistress shrieked and snatched her arm away, dropping the dagger into the water below Freya.
    Blood spurted out over Freya’s face and she spat out the piece of leather and flesh left behind, into the trough. The fish swarmed on it gratefully.
    “Bravo Freya!” Vrenstalliren cheered. “See that Grald? Your sister is…” his voice trailed away as the mistress laughed, even as she staunched the flow of blood from her arm with a spell.
    Freya shook the blood out of her eyes and looked up as she realised that the noise of the fight had stopped. The fish finished with the lump of flesh and resumed jumping and snapping at her face.
    Grald sheathed his blade and strode across to the mistress, the dragon spawn making way for him.
    “Are you okay?”
    “Oh, Grald my Love. This is nothing,” the mistress giggled. “You’ve given me worse wounds making love!”
    Freya stared up at her brother, who had taken the mistress into his arms. What’s going on?
    “I know, but I don’t like it when you get hurt in a battle. That was why you had the Dragon Spawn, remember?” Grald kissed the woman passionately.
    “I’ll be fine. Don’t fuss,” the dark mistress said breathlessly when he released her lips.
    “What in Espilieth’s name is going on, Grald?” Vrenstalliren shouted. “You were winning! You could have had us free in a few more moments.”
    Grald spun on the Paladin, a broad smile wreathing his face.
    “Oh yes, I’ve defeated much harder enemies than this bunch.” He gestured back at the remains of the Dragon Spawn squad who had gathered at the back of the torture chamber, cleaning their weapons on their tunics. “But free you? Now, that wasn’t part of the plan.”
    Vrenstalliren’s jaw dropped and Freya gasped.
    “What do you mean?”
    Grald turned to her, his arm wrapped around the Dark Mistress’s waist.
    “This was supposed to be a surprise for you, Little Sister. How else was I going to introduce my wife to you?”
    The Dark Mistress smiled and took off her mask.
    “The idea was that I was to almost torture you and Grald would burst in, destroy the Dragon Spawn protecting me and rescue you. Then the three of us would have gone to Grald’s quarters and celebrated.” The face under the mask was of a stunning dark elf, her deep ebony skin making her pale gold eyes and silver hair stand out in the torchlight. She snapped her fingers and a gremlin appeared and turned the wheel so Freya was upright. “I wouldn’t have hurt my sister-in-law.”
    Freya looked at Grald who was beaming at his wife.
    “Grald. Please, explain what’s going on. Why are you married to a dark elf?”
    “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I thought you were more intelligent than that,” Vrenstalliren snorted. “He’s one of them.”
    “Don’t insult my Sister, Elf,” Grald snapped and flung one