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

that she had
no idea why I had been reading it again. I’d not mentioned my
dream, not my new knowledge. She must have thought I had been upset
about Junnie or the human. They must have all thought that. They
had no idea that I had remembered.
    I realized I was smiling.
Some part of me, buried deep inside, was happy about this. It
relished the secret knowledge and wanted to protect it. I spoke
without thinking. “No, really, it was just a shock is all. I’m
fine.”
    Her eyebrows
knit.
    “ I’d been meaning to read
it. You know, closure.” I almost scoffed at my own words. She was
staring at me hard so I changed the subject. “So, where exactly are
we going?”
    Her face was concerned but
she looked forward and nodded ahead to some structure I couldn’t
quite make out in the distance. I hadn’t even noticed it before, so
tied up in my thoughts.
    We rode closer and the
shapes became more defined. I kicked up my horse to fall in beside
the others for a better view. In the bow of a large ring of trees,
pillars of stone rose up in patterns around a massive
amphitheater.
    I gulped, cringing at the
thought of what this place could be. “Grand Council?” I
whispered.
    “ No,” Anvil answered,
smiling.
    I relaxed a little, letting
out the breath I’d been holding.
    Chevelle spoke from the
front. “The temple of Loelle.”
    I could see it more clearly
now. It looked like it must have been abandoned long ago. The
sandstone pillars were crumbling in places, weeds grew up between
the stones. The others stopped and dismounted, leaving the horses
as they entered the central building. I followed behind, still
cautious. I remembered now my plan to sweep the sky each day, I’d
forgotten that during the time spent fretting over Asher, and then
I caught myself and focused on the present.
    The floors of the temple
were covered in a light dusting of the sand from the stones, which
made me feel a bit more secure in my abandonment theory. Regardless
of my concerns about the group’s relationship with Asher, I was
glad they were here now. I knew I would be unable to stand alone to
face Grand Council when the time came. Soon.
    I shivered and Chevelle
stepped beside me, wrapping his arm around my back to place a hand
on my opposite shoulder. I forced myself not to look at him, not to
betray my emotions.
    “ We will stay here until
Rhys and Rider can locate council.”
    I expected to stiffen at
his words but realized I already was; I had when he’d first touched
me. He must have noticed too, because he dropped his arm as he
continued. “You will need to train.”
    He turned and walked off
without another word but, as if on command, Anvil approached with
two large metal rods. Ugh .
    We trained through the
evening as the others gathered in small groups, planning or
watching or checking perimeters. I was exhausted when we finally
stopped for dinner and then, almost before I’d finished my last
bite, Grey was urging me to train again, practice trying to stop
his disappearing acts. It was dark when I finally gave up. I had
thought I’d fallen asleep by the fire but when I woke, I was inside
my own small hut, complete with soft bedding. I pulled myself out
of bed and found immediately that the day’s training had already
been planned out. I forced myself not to groan aloud but,
internally, I was doing more than my share of
complaining.
    By the third day,
exhaustion was winning out. They pushed me harder and harder,
relentless. I was too tired to even be miserable. It reminded me of
something that I couldn’t quite place, forced to train, exhausted,
paranoid. I cried out as Ruby’s whip cracked at my shoulder and it
was a cry of defeat. I fell to my knees, spent.
    “ Up!” she
commanded.
    I huffed out a breath,
having no intention of following her order.
    She stepped forward, her
face trained on mine. “Up.”
    I forced a look of defiance
and her face became heated.
    “ You will burn,
Frey.”
    I knew she didn’t mean at
her hand,