A Court of Fire and Starlight (ACOTAR Fan Fiction)

The Woes of Rejection

ERIS

Trudging through the snow in pursuit of little Lucien and Tamlin's runaway bride was easily the worst thing to happen to Eris since Amarantha landed on Prythian's shores. He hated being cold and despised spending unnecessary time with his brothers, but he'd been unable to persuade his father to let the minor issue of uninvited, temporary refugees go.

The many years Lucien had been away from Autumn must have muddled his keen mind enough to think his presence wouldn't be detected by Beron.

Had Eris been alone when he found his youngest brother with the once-human female in the cave, he might have bashed Lucien's head against the stone wall a few times to knock some sense into him before sending them on their way, but with Kane and Reed on his heels, he had no choice but to hunt the not-so-clever fox. Cormac would have been there too if he weren't preoccupied with sitting in a cell after their father overheard him mention that he didn't blame Lucien and Rhysand's pet for not wanting to stick around in this shithole.

They caught up with the duo near the Winter border, his hounds having tracked them through the night, playing with them a bit by hanging back to let them think they were going to make it.

Lifting his hand wreathed in flame, Eris forced a cruel smile to curl the corners of his lips. He barely held back his groan of annoyance when Lucien and the Cursebreaker took off running. Kane summoned a bow since his axe would be of little use at such a distance and Reed was already trying to get him or Kane to make a wager on which of the two would go down first.

Eris ignored Reed's antics and willed heat to form under the thick sheets of ice, not wanting to get his boots soggy by chasing after them. If they fell in, he'd send his brothers to fish them out. Lucien ran warm enough not to freeze to death and he couldn't care less if the female survived.

His triumph faded when ice shot out of her palms. Fuck. If she had that, then it wasn't a leap to assume she had fire – his father's fire. Magic that should have passed to him when his plans finally fell into place.

The High Lords should have left her broken and dead.

He winnowed with Kane directly in front of her, ready to be done with it already. The moment their feet hit the ice, Kane let an arrow loose that sliced her pointed ear and tan cheek.

Tan? No...

The next arrow went straight through her forearm and brought about the urge for Eris to pluck it out and repeatedly stab his brother with it. The scream she let out when falling on her face was familiar and he fought the impulse to gag.

Seeing Reed close in on Lucien, who he hated second only to Tamlin, pulled his attention away momentarily, but he was having trouble focusing. Nothing made sense.

Snapping his head back, Eris stepped toward Feyre and gave her a grin that would send a wolf running. His mouth was moving, but he couldn't hear his own words over the roaring in his ears. Didn't she have freckles? He'd seen her Under the Mountain and thought he remembered what she looked like. Wasn't she taller and fuller? He couldn't stop the befuddled questions from assaulting his mind.

Blinding, violet light erupted from her. It startled him, but not in the way it should have.

Desperate to understand what was happening, he winnowed in front of her sprinting path and backhanded her before punching her in the gut. It felt wrong. Why did he do that when his muscles were aching to protect her.

Kane and Reed were engaging with Lucien, oblivious to the wrongness of it all. Shaking his head, Eris grabbed her by her golden-brown hair and began dragging her back toward the shore. The sensation of her wild locks in his hand was pleasing. Rather than tug violently, he wanted to untangle and free the disheveled braid. She opened her mouth, and Eris shoved a gag of fire between her lips, but even then, she was trying to say something. He found himself dying to hear her words, even as he bound her wrists, ankles, and throat.