Rise of the Seven

by Melissa Wright

  I waited.

  “Junnie saved your life. She protected you. She fought for you.”

  “But?”

  “We are not certain she meant to keep Asher alive long enough to unbind you.”

  I nodded, forcing myself to ignore the tightness in my chest. “All right.” I took a deep breath. “But she’s still done nothing to warrant my enmity.” There was no way to prove she had intended to keep me bound now. Though it was possible. If nothing else, she might have only been trying to keep her family alive. How many of the council members who were slaughtered had been her blood?

  Fannie had been responsible for many of those deaths. Junnie had saved her, and Fannie, as she escaped her bonds and regained pieces of her old self, had slipped into madness, reaping revenge on those who had trapped her. She had cut down her own family, Junnie’s family. My family. A small voice whispered that council’s resistance to Junnie was now shrunk by half, but I choked it off. Fannie was dead. Asher was dead. Junnie was all that was left.

  I sighed and turned from Chevelle’s embrace to face him, handing his cloak back. “I’d like to meet with the guard in the morning.”

  He stepped back, straight and dignified, and gave a curt, acquiescent nod. I felt like such an ass.

  Chapter Eight

  Excursion

  They were scattered about the study, patiently waiting for me. It still annoyed me I was the only one who needed so much rest. Ruby’s hair was pulled back, exposing the points of her ears. Not entirely fey, but close enough.

  “What news?” I asked before they had a chance to take their places at the table.

  Anvil reported. “Word has already flooded the valleys. There were but a few minor protests south of Camber. No news of the reaction of the rogues.”

  “We will ride out today. Silence the dissidents.” A few eyebrows rose. “Grey, Chevelle, Rhys, with me.” I glanced at Steed. “Ruby will need to lay low for at least three days. Please attend her.” I wasn’t finished, but Ruby was bloodying her lip waiting to respond. I let her.

  “Three days?”

  “One for word to reach the outlying camps. One for them to form a plan. One to implement it. If they do not strike by then, they will not bother. At which point, and only then, will you be allowed free rein.”

  Her eyes narrowed on me and I decided to nip the rest of my fairy problems in the bud.

  I turned to Grey. “Until the fourth day, she will be Steed’s charge.” He looked like I’d slapped him. “You put us all at risk last night, but none more than Ruby. Had you stepped in to protect her, she would have no power under the sign of the guard.

  “When we return,” I continued, “Grey will lead a scouting mission for information on the boy. Someone will have seen him or his silver.” And I would need to find the wolves.

  Mention of the assassin had brought a stillness to the room. I struggled for a way to express my thanks to this group that meant so much to me. They had brought me back from nothing, had risked their lives for this. Everything seemed inadequate, but the silence was growing too loud.

  “You have done us proud.”

  Grey and Rhys were mounted and waiting at the gate when I reached the stable. Chevelle stood outside, holding the reins of both horses. It seemed like people were always waiting on me. I picked up my pace.

  Chevelle handed my reins over with a wry smile. “Your Steed.”

  I bit my cheek and swung up into the saddle as quick as he. Side by side, I replied in a hushed tone, “I am surprised you’ve let me keep him.”

  The smile dropped from his face. “Yes. Well, I considered replacing him. But, in truth, he is one of the nicest mounts in the land.” He winced at his own words and kicked his horse up to gallop.

  I swallowed a giggle and joined him.

  We were quiet as we made our way from the castle. When we’d cleared any foot traffic, Grey and Rhys rode ahead as sentry.

  I still felt guilty about berating Grey so publicly.

  Chevelle saw me watching. “You wounded his honor.”

  “It was right.”

  He eyed me knowingly before returning his gaze to the mountain. “I heard what Dagan said.”

  I flinched. “That doesn’t mean I wasn’t wrong.”

  He didn’t respond.

  Leave it to Chevelle to stand up for him. It was hardly the same thing.

  It was my first outing since our return from Asher’s lair. Any of the guard could have made this showing, but I’d wanted to see the mountain myself. The dark rock had been my home, these pathways my playground. I wanted to see what had changed, what had been lost. I needed to know how I would be received by the all, not just the clan leaders.

  After the massacre, there had been no one in control. It had been known Asher had lived and though he had been in hiding, I supposed fear of his return had been heavy in the minds of those who might take advantage. I, as his second, would have been regent if not in a sort of hiding of my own. As it was, neither of us ruling but neither confirmed dead, the goings-on continued day by day. The staff cared for the castle, the grounds, completed their tasks as usual. It was not as if anyone wanted to lose their positions or honor, let alone their lives if Asher were to reappear.

  He might have been a harsh ruler, leading by fear and control, but he was Lord. He was respected. He was obeyed. Now that he was gone, his half-breed granddaughter who had never wanted to rule didn’t quite strike fear into the hearts of her people. And there was only one thing they hated more than fairies. Humans.

  Over the last few weeks, I’d realized it was fortunate the way things had worked out. We could have died a thousand ways by now, Chevelle and I, as we went for revenge in the grasp of rage. Nothing short of losing every memory I had could have kept me from settling scores. And nothing short of recovering me could have kept him from doing the same. I had taken care of Asher. Chevelle had seen me returned. Now one objective remained. And I would stay alive long enough to see it through if it was the last thing I did.

  “You look like you’re trying to memorize something,” Chevelle said.

  “You look like a member of the royal guard,” I retorted.

  His eyes narrowed on me.

  I shrugged.

  And suddenly, we were flying through the air. For half a second, I thought Chevelle had retaliated, but there was nothing playful about the hit I’d taken. I hadn’t even seen him come off his horse, but he’d slammed into me at full speed. We came to an abrupt stop as we smashed into the rock beside the path. Chevelle rolled smoothly into a crouch as I lay there, staring at the sky. The impact had knocked the wind out of me. A screaming pain in my side accompanied the return of my breath, but instinct kicked in and I was on my feet again, crouched beside Chevelle.

  Our horses were gone, the clatter of their hooves shifting rock fading as I listened. Rhys and Grey were across the path, a few lengths ahead, eyes scanning the mountain. I had a feeling I’d missed something, and it didn’t look good. Beside me, Chevelle was searching as well. I sank to my knees and closed my eyes.

  A falcon nested in the branches of a thorn tree not far from where we hunkered. I set it to flight, ignoring the metallic tinge of blood in my mouth.

  Nothing. Everything looked right, normal. Nothing out of place, no danger. I released the bird and opened my eyes. I glanced over to find Grey and Chevelle in the middle of an exchange of silent gestures across the distance. I’d clearly missed most of it, but they had lost my attacker.

  My head snapped up to Chevelle’s face. His grim expression confirmed what I thought I’d seen pass between them. I’d been attacked. Again.

  In further explanation, his head tilted toward the ground behind us. Several yards away lay what looked to be a shard of glass.

  “No,” I hissed.

  Chevelle nodded. There was only one thing that created weapons like that. Ice fairy.

  We both stepped closer to the offending splinter of ice. It was formed solid, nearly unbreakable, and almo
st impossible to see coming at you. I shook my head. I hadn’t even seen a fairy. I reached to pick up the icicle, disturbed by how much it reminded me of the thin silver dagger that had all but stabbed me, and Chevelle put a hand on my arm to stop me.

  “It’s not right,” he whispered.

  No shit, I thought, and then I realized what he’d meant. It didn’t smell right. There was a nasty, acidic tang to it. Poison.

  Rhys and Grey were behind us now.

  “Are you well?” Rhys asked.

  They all waited while I took stock. “Yes.”

  Chevelle eyed my side; I hadn’t been aware that I was holding pressure against it. I dropped my hand, daring him to question it. He didn’t, instead dealing with the most pressing issue. “We should return to the castle.”

  For a moment, I considered going ahead with our agenda, but that would just be stupid. I nodded.

  He stared at me for a moment. I stared back. He raised his eyebrows. Mine met the challenge. He sighed. “Frey, would you like to ride back?”

  Oh. I bit my lip as I called the horses to us.

  I stood silently watching my guard. Angry words flew through the study. Curses. Violent threats. No one had seen my attacker, a whisper of sound the only warning. No evidence remained but the sliver of ice. It lay on the table in a sealed container, frozen even now, in hopes that Ruby could discern the toxin. I couldn’t breathe. I pulled shallow puffs through my nose, anything deeper was a knife to my side. The ride back had nearly killed me. I was fairly positive something was broken.

  Unexpectedly, they broke up and headed for the door. Chevelle lingered; I guessed he must have dismissed them. As the last noises faded in the corridor, he approached me.

  “You’ve gone pale.”

  I nodded.

  He smiled a little, glad I’d finally given. “Come, then.” He walked me to my room and sat on the bed beside me, pulling my shirt aside to examine the injury. I raised my head to see, but as he pressed the skin, I fell back against the pillow with a gasp.

  “Broken rib, I think.” He restored my shirt and patted my leg. “Hurts like a beast.”

  “The good news,” I wheezed, “is I’ve barely thought about being assaulted again.”

  He looked as if he might be sick.

  Someone cleared their throat at the open door and Chevelle’s hand on my leg tightened. “I’ve asked Ruby to tend to you.”

  I glared at him.

  He smiled and stood, leaving me to a special kind of torture.

  Ruby had talked while she worked, trying to distract me to ease the pain. I’d refused her concoctions and she’d eventually left me to rest. But sleep wasn’t coming. I lay staring at the canopy of the bed, building more and more anger as time passed.

  Council had killed my mother. Murdered her in an attempt to suppress northern rule. Protection had been her blood right. My blood right. They had intended to take me, had only settled for my mind because of their own fear. No other threat would have been strong enough. Junnie had stepped in and used their superstition, their regard for the beast to quell their desire for domination. They had trapped me, held me prisoner, and when I’d finally been returned, I had been attacked again. In my own castle.

  I couldn’t know if that was council as well, but the silver boy’s hair was too light, his eyes too dull. He wasn’t of the north. And if council had never displaced us, none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t have been riding out to control uprisings, and I wouldn’t have been attacked yet again. By fairies. I bit down a growl.

  “I’ve brought you some tea,” Ruby announced from the door. I sighed, and the movement brought pain again.

  She sat the cup on my table and took a chair beside the bed. I continued staring at the ceiling, because it hurt less to lie still. She didn’t ask how I felt.

  “While you were 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 warmth eased my muscles, tired from working to hold myself still again
st the jostling of the ride, and having a purpose improved my mood, regardless of the possible outcome.

  I finally glanced around the camp. Rhys and Rider had taken watch outside. They had informed me the wolves would remain at the castle, though I was unsure whether they’d not wanted to confront Junnie or they’d had some other purpose. The others relaxed around the fire. I was finally able to grasp that peculiar feeling that had been plaguing me all day. It was so like those odd memories from when I was bound. Days of riding, nights by the fire, these same faces watching me warily.

  Chevelle saw the smile playing at the corner of my mouth from where he sat beside me. “Are we amusing?”

  I laughed with a kind of huff. “Just remembering.”

  My eyes met his and he understood, but he didn’t appear to find it humorous.

  Ruby, however, picked up the conversation. “You were so funny, Frey.” She tilted her head, deciding, and then, “But I still like you better now.”

  Grey snorted.

  “I don’t know,” Steed said, “I think she was remarkably entertaining.” He winked and I glanced down to hide my smile. He wasn’t genuinely flirting now, he was only being Steed. But I was fairly positive his mere presence irritated the crap out of Chevelle.

  “That was probably the abundance of fairy dust,” I said pointedly to Ruby.

  Her eyes narrowed on me. “I was trying to help you. I thought it would make it easier to find your memories. Or at least give you some relief.” I felt a little guilty for a second, until she smiled and added, “But it was fun to watch.”

  Grey made a comment about some ruckus she’d created by dusting an imp, but I wasn’t listening. My gaze had fallen on Chevelle. He and Anvil were the only ones who had known me before, who had understood how truly lost I was, who had felt the full impact. Gone, Chevelle had said.

  He saw my expression and met it with a sad sort of smile. “There were so many times we thought you were back.” He shook his head. “I knew it wasn’t possible, but still...” His brows pulled together, as if he were even now trying to work it out. “It was you.”