His words tasted far too much like Veil’s warning and the fury of my attack, as I lay helpless in my own bed, went through me. “No,” I hissed. “I will not be controlled.”
I had meant by the fey. I had meant as Asher had commanded us by fear and pain. But it hadn’t come across as such.
“Damn you, Frey.” Chevelle’s voice was pure rage and I almost stepped back from him. As if he sensed it, he stepped forward, daring me.
We stood inches apart, both of us furious, both struggling to retain control, when suddenly Ruby was beside us, frantic.
“Are you hurt? What happened? What did he do to you?”
I shook myself, mind catching up with events. I’d heard a light slapping sound when she’d come in and unconsciously stared down at our bare feet on the stone floor.
“Ruby,” I said levelly, “you have webbed toes.”
She shoved me back into a chair with unnecessary force. “She’s been dusted,” she announced with more than a little irritation, and I laughed. It might have been dust or madness, but it didn’t much matter.
At the exchange, Chevelle seemed to deflate a bit. And then, realizing he had work to do, he walked from the room, leaving me with Rhys and Ruby. That only left Rider to help him search the grounds, so I leaned back in the chair as Ruby fluttered about me making what I hoped was a remedy, and found my hawk. I doubted we’d see anything. Veil had likely come alone, and he had a talent for hiding.
It was no accident he’d come when the others were gone. He’d taken his best chance, and he’d done it. He’d beaten my guard, bested all of us by sneaking into my bed chamber.
The hawk dove through the castle window and rose above the yard, searching. I had an irrational thought that it hated fairies too and wished the dust would let go already.
Ruby was mumbling as she worked, complaining about the fey and their gifts, and I came back, opening my eyes to stare at her. Her gaze was narrowed on the pendant atop the side table. The gift.
“That’s it,” I said.
She jerked, curls bouncing, and then shrugged my outburst off as an effect of the dust.
“No,” I defended. “The gift. She kept saying ‘gift,’ not offering. It isn’t about the pendant. It’s about the boy. The silver boy.”
Ruby stared blankly at me while she decided whether the dust was babbling or if she should be attempting to decipher my words.
I pointed to the pendant. “Four strands. They fey call them ‘gifts’, not talents or abilities. Silver and ice. That leaves two more. Blood and bone. He’s got four children remaining.” I shook my head. “No, three now. We killed the boy.”
Understanding washed over her. Her mouth came open, brows raised, then her face fell. She was speechless.
“Ruby,” I snapped, “give me that tea and go figure out what the devil blood and bone means.”
She barked a laugh. “It isn’t tea.” She shrugged at the question in my expression. “Veil doesn’t work that way. It’s more of a... skin rinse.”
I opened my mouth to reply just as Ruby closed one eye in a wince and turned her cheek to me. Warm, cloudy liquid splashed into my face. Instantly, the effects of the drug cleared, but were replaced with utter shock at her action. She dropped the cup, putting both hands up in surrender as she backed from the room.
“It had to be done,” she promised.
I was still staring at the open door when Rhys finally laughed.
Chapter Seventeen
Breaking
Finn and Keaton had still not returned. Ruby and I sat in the study with Rhys and Rider poring over fey scrolls and books. I’d been able to find a few notes hidden in Asher’s private study, but it didn’t look as if we were going to find anything useful. Anvil was due back by evening, as were Steed and Grey, so we held a sliver of hope they would be able to offer some help. I hadn’t seen Chevelle all day.
Ruby slammed a book shut in frustration. “Even if we find the answer, even if we know this kid’s ‘gift,’ it still doesn’t solve the problem.”
We all stopped working to give her our full attention, though I had a feeling we were just looking for a break.
“If we don’t know who’s pushing them to attack Frey, then we don’t know how to find them. If we find one, or even two, we still have to find the others. We still have to discover who’s plotting against us.”
I had to fight a smile at her use of “us.”
Rider held up a finger. “I believe it is a mistake to consider them children. I understand Asher may have been fostering this strategy before even Francine or Eliza were born. Simply because the one who created silver was a boy does not mean we should expect the same of the others.”
Rhys nodded. “If I were the influencer of these ‘heirs,’ I would send the weakest first.”
Ruby’s eyes went wide. Apparently, she’d underestimated the cunning of the Strong brothers.
“You are right, though.” Rider twirled a quill in his hand as he thought. “We do need to find the source.”
“I feel like we’re beating our heads against the same rock,” I complained.