Rise of the Seven

The Frey Saga Book III:

Rise of The Seven

Melissa Wright

Copyright 2012 by Melissa Wright

Smashwords Edition

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Contents

Chapter 1 Frey

Chapter 2 Chevelle

Chapter 3 Meeting

Chapter 4 Practice

Chapter 5 Pretender

Chapter 6 Banquet

Chapter 7 Inferno

Chapter 8 Excursion

Chapter 9 Journey

Chapter 10 Betrayal

Chapter 11 Decision

Chapter 12 Second

Chapter 13 Veil

Chapter 14 Prisoner

Chapter 15 Gift

Chapter 16 Threat

Chapter 17 Breaking

Chapter 18 First Light

Chapter 19 Myst

Chapter 20 Messengers

Chapter 21 Reckoning

Chapter 22 Summoning

Chapter 23 Unexpected

Chapter 24 Blood and Bone

Chapter 25 New Beginnings

Chapter One

Frey

I couldn’t say I wasn’t slightly disappointed
when I got my memory back. Somehow, I’d expected to be smarter. I
mean, I wasn’t an idiot, I’d just thought the old me was
exceptionally clever, knew everything, sharp. She had been in line
for the throne, after all. And, aside from that, I was certain I’d
be less clumsy. I mean, come on, surely that was because of the
bonds, because they’d messed with my brain. But I wasn’t. And not
only had I retained most of my awkwardness, it seemed worse,
because everyone was watching me now.

I held back a sigh as my gaze again traveled
the room full of elves. Yep, all watching me. I automatically
straightened my shoulders, which were heavy with thick armored
plates, my new decoration for formal gatherings. A lean,
raven-haired elf who I’d recognized as once being a leader in the
eastern range seemed to make the decision to approach but, before
he’d moved more than three steps, Rider was in front of him,
matching his height and distracting his attention from me. I
glanced at Rhys, who appeared to be scanning the room for others
who would attempt approach. I’d had enough. I stood, hand sliding
to rest on the hilt of the sword at my waist, and addressed the
crowd.

“
Your attendance is greatly
appreciated. Please enjoy the feast and the wine. Good
evening.”

As I stepped down, the room
was silent. I could see the smirk on Anvil’s broad face but I
didn’t care, I turned from the gathering and slipped out of the
room. I knew why I was there, knew I needed to make appearances, a
showing of my position, but I really hated castle politics. My
guard had been doing what they could, keeping the most troublesome
leaders from a private conference. And they had handled the stream
of subjects who’d lined up at the season change for audience with
me.
Me, Lord of the
North
.

I snorted, shaking my head, and someone
laughed. I looked up to find Grey, leaning against a corridor wall,
watching me. His smile held a thousand secrets. “What?” I demanded,
defensive.

He simply shook his head and straightened to
join me. “And where are we headed?” he asked.

I didn’t have the slightest idea. “The
library,” I answered confidently, having no other option for the
direction I’d been going.

He laughed again, seeing through me with
ease. “To see Ruby, I presume?”

Agh, I hadn’t known she was there. Ruby,
though I considered her invaluable in my guard, had felt the need
to hide during our “showings” because before I’d been bound,
northern rule hadn’t tolerated fairies. It was something I’d have
to work on changing, slowly.

“
I’d like to see if she’s
made any progress,” I lied. I knew the moment I saw her she’d spill
whatever she’d been researching, so it was a relatively safe
lie.

Grey only smiled. His devotion to Ruby was
boundless, but he knew her character as well as I did and better.
She was going to be pissed.

Her head popped up the moment we entered the
room, red curls bouncing with the movement. “Well, that was fast,”
she chided. She glanced out the window as if she were checking the
height of the sun, though it was dark with night. “You’ll not set
yourself by running out on guests after a matter of minutes.”

We all knew I’d made it at least an hour but
I didn’t argue the point. “Ah,” I said, “I mean to make a
reputation as a mysterious captain.”

“
Mysterious and
all-powerful,” she replied thoughtfully, and then changed the
subject as she saw my jaw tighten. It was no secret I was
uncomfortable with my new strength. It would have been enough to
have regained my own power, but I’d been inundated with that of
Asher, and all those before him. I could still see his lips move, a
silent stream of the words that would release me, the recital that
would drive the forces of so many he had taken into my very
soul.

“
So, I found several stories
regarding the wolves,” she announced, smoothly pulling me from my
trance.

I smiled. She’d been obsessed with Finn and
Keaton since the moment she’d found I’d known them before, and I’d
not been willing to give up their secrets. Truth be told, I didn’t
entirely know the whole story, but it was fun to mess with
Ruby.

She grimaced when she saw my mood change. It
annoyed the crap out of her. Occasionally, I felt a little guilty
about it because, after all, she had helped deliver me from the
evils of Grand Council, but it was too entertaining not to keep up
and it wasn’t like she didn’t have it coming after what she’d put
me through when I was bound.

She snapped the book she’d been reading shut.
My cheeks tightened, fighting to pull back the smile, and her face
nearly caused laughter to boil up.

Grey intervened. “Well, since Freya has left
us without the benefit of the feast, I say we head to the
kitchen.”

Ruby took a deep breath, straightened her
shoulders, and walked right past us.

“
I think she preferred the
old me.” I laughed as Grey and I followed.

Her head poked back through the door as we
were nearly to it, and she started to speak, thought better of it,
and turned to continue on her way. I saw Grey’s smile out of the
corner of my eye.

When we reached the kitchen, Ruby’s posture
changed the instant she stepped through the door. As I entered
behind her, I saw the reason why.

“
Steed!” she exclaimed,
bouncing forward to greet her brother.

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of
me. I glanced nervously around the room. My eye caught Steed’s and
he grinned, sly and sexy. “He wasn’t hungry.”

I forced my expression to confused, though I
knew exactly who he meant. Every one of us did. Steed ignored my
attempted bluff and stepped toward me. “You look well,
Sunshine.”

I laughed. He’d been such a charmer when I
was bound, but now his banter was only for play. There was someone
else for me. My stomach turned, and I had to bite down before I
asked where he was.

It had been an underhanded thing to do, I
knew that. But as we stood among the remains of battle, after all
was settled and my memories returned, I had panicked. I had been
overwhelmed with the power I held, the emotions that threatened to
run feral, the realization of all that had happened and what would
follow. And I’d been chicken. Plain and simple.

I’d been aware of his eyes
on me the entire time, and, as we finalized affairs, I ordered him
and Steed away. Ordered. I could still see the look on his face,
the set of his jaw, the strain of muscle at his neck and shoulder.
I’d directed them to finish off Asher’s guard, his supporters. To
find and eliminate them.
Make a show of
it
, I’d said.
The
kingdom will know I’ve returned
.

It was the last thing I’d
said to him. I had been certain, at the time, I would figure out
what to do, how to deal with it, get a handle on my emotions. That
had been nearly two weeks ago. My palms felt swollen and clammy but
I couldn’t decide whether the anxiousness was because I
wanted,
needed
to
see him, or because I was coward still.

“
No,” Ruby said, “I didn’t
like the old you better.”

My gaze snapped to her, genuinely confused
this time.

“
You were fun, yes,” she
explained, “but you got that vacant stare.” She narrowed her eyes
on me. “And I could never tell where you were.” Ruby smiled, making
it clear she knew
exactly
where my mind was now.

I brushed past her to where Grey and Steed
leaned against the table. They’d apparently been watching my daze
as well. Grey offered me something to eat but I had absolutely no
interest.

I needed to get out of there, badly.

“
I’m glad you’re back,” I
said as I turned to Steed.

He looked doubtful, but he gave me a smile
anyway. “I am, too. Can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the
place.”

I nodded absently and excused myself.

When I’d hit the hall, I’d had to force
myself to remain standing, not to bend over, brace myself on my
knees, and hyperventilate. I had myself fully under control now,
the fear firmly back in check. I was ashamed of it, and I’d been
determined to overcome it. I’d just not been able to do that yet.
And the realization scared me even worse.

It felt out of control, the
wave of need that accompanied any thought of him. And I had a lot
of thoughts about him. A lot. Most of them centered around the one
night I’d spent in his arms. But that wasn’t what scared me, that
had been incredible. What scared me was what that night stood for,
what I had, or had nearly, sacrificed for it. I had, no, we
all
had, gone through so
much to restore myself from the bonds forced upon me by council,
only to fall into a new set, just as dangerous.

The problem was, I couldn’t
decide whether these bonds had taken. I felt the need, yes. I felt
the yearning, the pull. I knew the connection was in place, but I
couldn’t know if it was a full bond. It didn’t feel secure enough,
not as I’d been taught,
warned
it would happen. I couldn’t be sure whether that
was due to the fact that I’d been bound already, my magic not fully
in place, or because I was not wholly elf. Because I was half
human. There was no way to know how that type of bond would affect
me. But when his eyes were on me, I knew I would run right back
into his arms. If the bond wasn’t set already, it would be, the
instant I got close enough to touch him.

It was why I’d sent him away, though I could
never admit it. There was too much at stake.

I reached out and traced the cool stone of
the wall as I walked. It had long been a habit of mine, reminding
me of my childhood years, running carefree through these corridors,
arms outstretched as if in flight. My laughter had echoed through
the halls, whether alone or being chased by Chevelle. The touch
centered me now. My fingers trailed lazily around the corner as I
walked through the door to my room.

And froze as I found Chevelle.

Chapter Two

Chevelle

Chevelle leaned casually back in the chair,
though the set of his mouth proved he was anything but. I forced
myself to move, walking my fingers the last few inches of door
frame before lowering them to my side in artificial
nonchalance.

He didn’t speak.

I felt the hand I’d lowered slide up my leg
and, before I had a chance to fiddle nervously with it, raised it
to tuck the hair behind my ear. The gesture seemed to unnerve him.
I almost smiled.

I watched him watch me for a
moment. But that wasn’t going anywhere good.
Right, then
.

“
Were you able to locate the
remainder of the guard?” I asked, forcing any emotion from my
tone.

“
Mostly. Axe, Frost, Steele,
and Waters proved difficult. It appears they were warned,” he
answered smoothly.

“
Anyone of note
unfound?”

“
Only Rowan, but he has a
knack for such.”

I nodded. Knowing Rowan, he might not
resurface for a century. “And the show?”