one will be the wiser as Finnie carries on as princess then king mother. This news, I would suspect, will likely halt her desperate attempts to return and make amends for her treacherous actions.”
“I agree,” Agnes said softly, her eyes again surveying him, “but do you not think your wife should have some say in issues of such great import?”
“No,” Frey answered shortly.
She surveyed him again closely and he sensed she did not agree.
He did not care.
Then, wisely moving on, she declared, “There is more you need to know.”
Frey waited.
She took in breath.
Then she stated, “Valentine is a powerful witch.”
“You’ve explained that,” Frey replied and she had, as did the elves.
Agnes went on. “She is witch not seer.” She paused then announced, “But I am both.”
At the look on her face, the fire died and the ice returned.
“Speak,” he ordered.
She pulled in breath then let it out on a whispered, “Drakkar, I see fire and blood and I see it around your Finnie.”
Frey’s body locked so he wouldn’t go back on a foot at this news.
“Fire and blood?” he asked softly.
“Dragon fire,” she whispered, “the heat so intense, buildings melt. And blood, so much, her boots stand in rivers of it. I dream of it, I dream of it every night, I can’t stop dreaming of it.”
“I control the dragons,” Frey reminded her quietly.
“And in ancient times, when The Drakkar called the dragons to duty, it is told it was not unknown for an innocent to perish in the line of their fire.”
Frey was silent as that ice again stole through his veins.
Agnes spoke on. “It is an awful thought, worse to speak of and worse still for you to make the decision, but I believe you should relent to the return of Sjofn and let it be her that faces this future, not your Finnie.”
“You’re speaking of murder,” Frey replied, his gut twisting with disgust.
“You yourself said if she returned she’d face certain execution,” Agnes retorted.
“Execution, witch, is not murder,” Frey clipped.
She lifted her chin to grant his point then said, “I see the vision, I dream the dream, I do not know if it is Sjofn or Finnie who stands in the fire and blood. I also do not know the outcome. The fire surrounds her, the blood flows over her boots. But I do know this will happen, Drakkar. Never, not once since I started dreaming the visions as a wee girl, has one not come true.” She pulled in a visible breath and finished, “I am sorry but this is your choice. If you bar Sjofn’s return to this world, you must pray to Keer who holds Princess Finnie’s and your destinies in his hands or you make the dreadful choice to stand Sjofn in that fire. But the choice is yours.”
Frey studied her.
Then he asked, “You say you do not see the outcome?”
She shook her head and confirmed, “I do not.”
“And how does Finnie or Sjofn come to this pass?”
“I do not see that either, Drakkar.”
“And is she alone or surrounded by men, guards, soldiers?”
She shook her head again and repeated, “I do not see that either.”
Frustration crawled up his throat and he growled, “This vision is not very helpful.”
Her back shot straight. “I’m not a fortune teller as they don’t exist,” she snapped. “I am a seer. I do not control the visions, they come to me. This is what I saw, it was grave and because of that I have travelled far to inform you but this was all I saw.”
At that moment, a loud, feminine cry of delight pierced through the room and Frey turned to the windows.
Finnie was jumping up and down, her arms around Annar’s neck with one hand still holding her bow. Her movements were so excited the arrows in the quiver strapped across her back were cascading to the green grass at her feet. Annar was standing feet planted firm to the ground, his hands at her waist but her exuberance was jolting his body. He was in profile but Frey could see his man’s wide smile.
Finnie detached swiftly from Annar, whirled to face an excited Skylar, threw both her arms up in the air, still holding her bow and shrieked her delight again before she bent and caught Skylar up in a tight embrace, shaking him side to side as Frey heard her laugh.
Skylar’s boyish laughter mingled with hers.
Frey’s eyes moved to Finnie’s target and he saw the arrows had been cleared. Now there were only two.
One in the circle outside the bulls-eye.
One embedded directly in the middle of it.
He felt his lips curve into a smile.
She’d done it.
Fire and blood.
Frey’s smile died.
Then he turned to the witch.
“Have you eaten?”
She blinked then asked, “What?”
His eyes moved over her dusty, travel worn gown. “You’ve travelled far, have you eaten?”
She shook her head and said, “I have made haste, starting on my journey the minute I learned from Finnie’s Jocelyn that you were at the chateau. I have ridden hard, consumed little and slept even less due to my haste and that dream. So no, Drakkar, it has been since yesterday I have eaten.”
He nodded. Then he stated, “I will order a meal for you. You have three hours to eat it, wash and rest. Then you are away with one of my men. You will ride fast to Bellebryn and board the first vessel bound for Lunwyn. You live in Fyngaard?”
“Just outside it, yes.”
Frey nodded again. “You will go home, my man will accompany you and you will prepare to be away for some time. Finnie and I leave on the morrow, headed back to Lunwyn ourselves. We will first go to the Rimee Keep so she can see her parents. My man will take you there. We will stay there a week, perhaps two, then we will be moving on to my lodge in Kellshorn. You will follow us.”
Her brows drew together, “But, I don’t under –”
Frey impatiently anticipated her question and therefore answered it before it was fully asked, “So that I will know immediately, I want you close at all times should you receive more communications from the other world, have any dreams that shed further light on the situation you fear will befall my Finnie or any dreams you have about Finnie at all. And I want you to use your powers to protect my wife.” He paused and added, “For these endeavors, you will be paid.”
“There is no protection against dragon fire, Drakkar, you know that,” Agnes stated quietly.
“Finnie faces a variety of dangers, witch, and there are protections for those,” Frey returned.
The witch nodded.
Then she took a step toward him, her gaze grew cautious but her mouth opened to speak.
“There are no dragons in the other world, Drakkar.”
Frey’s body went solid and it did this because he took her meaning.
Then he whispered, “You speak treason.”
She pressed her lips together, clearly hesitant, but went on, “I do and I do with purpose. There are few matches like yours with Finnie in this world or hers. So few, they are so rare, they are precious and need to be protected at all costs. Valentine may be able to break the binding spell of the elves and she could take your Finnie and you to the other world where she’ll be safe. If Princess Sjofn doesn’t run through it, your princess has the means for you both to live there comfortably for the entirety of your days and –”
Frey leaned toward her and cut her off. “Witch,” he clipped, his tone fierce, “you… talk… treason.” She
