Frey

Chapter 1

(days earlier)

That morning, I was out of the house early. I'd wanted to avoid my aunt, who was determined not to let me forget what a burden it had been to take me in, even if it used every spare ounce of her energy to do it.

The thought annoyed me as I rushed up the path and through the village gate, keeping my head down. No one generally went out of their way to speak to me, but I wasn't one for taking chances. The other elves didn't have much use for one who wasn't able to contribute, and my lack of magic and skill usually put me far from their minds, except for Evelyn of Rothegarr, with whom I'd nearly tussled the day before. She'd gone into a bit of a coughing fit right before it had descended too far into unpleasantness, and I'd been saved from my own dark thoughts about how to deal with her.

When she'd gotten to the village, though, she'd progressed from coughing to choking and, according to my aunt, had blamed the whole thing on me, as if I could work magic.

I slipped around the village and through the tangle of brush behind Junnie's house, darting past a trellis and toward the door. As I ducked under the hanging ivy, my foot caught on a vine and I stumbled forward, cursing as I nearly ran into a boulder—a boulder wearing a shirt.

Gradually, I tilted my head back and blew my too-long bangs aside to peer up first at a strong chin, a stern mouth, and then the darkest sapphire-colored eyes I'd ever seen. A lot of elves had blue eyes, but always bright and shimmery. These were of the deepest blue. They must appear black in the shadows.

The thought made me flush.

He turned from me without a word and disappeared in a few long strides. I watched him go. With his short dark hair, dark eyes, and a large, strong build, he certainly wasn't from this clan.

Behind me, Junnie cleared her throat. "Freya?"

I hadn't realized she was watching me from the open door. "Who...?" I trailed off.

"You needn't bother yourself with him." She could see that I would. "Chevelle Vattier. He's from a northern clan. He'll be here only a short while. Council business."

That brought me back to my mission. "Fannie said there was some trouble with Evelyn?"

"Yes." There was something in her tone I didn't recognize. "She's fine now."

"Yesterday, I saw her."

"Yes." She half-smiled. "Don't worry yourself, Freya. Come, now. Let's study."

I hesitated. Evelyn had mentioned me, but not accusingly, and surely, there was more Junnie could have said. But she only placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and led me inside.

Junnie was older than I but remained striking with the blond hair, blue eyes, and thin features that seemed to be standard-issue among the village elves. The Council had assigned her as my tutor, citing my advanced age as the reason I couldn't learn with the others, but I suspected it was my stunning lack of ability that had landed me there.

"So," I said, forcing a smile, "what's on the agenda for today?"

She avoided my gaze, straightening the deep-blue sash that tied her tunic. "How do you feel about studying the lineages?" She knew I hated trying to memorize endless pages of names and dates, and she didn't seem surprised by my groan of complaint. "Well, let's get to it, then," she said, leading me toward the back room through the tiny living area.

She didn't have or need a great deal of space. Much as I was, Junnie was practically alone. Her family had all received the calling to serve elfkind. I didn't know exactly what that meant, only that the elf usually left with fanfare and seldom returned in fewer than a hundred years. It was apparently a very honorable thing, though she never seemed proud.