𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚎(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖔**

I laughed alongside Lucien as we stood next to the bonfire. I was likely the only female here who was not interested in Tamlin. I only came because I was absolutely sure that he was not interested in me, either.

Calanmai was not something that intrigued me. In fact, I found it quite disgusting. But the Spring Court had always leaned more into their animalistic side than the rest of us. No, I would not have sex tonight. I would just drink myself numb.

Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw a tendril of violet magic swirl by. I did a double take, my brows furrowing. And I would've blamed it on the wine, had it not been for that Illyrian scent.

I squinted, trying to see past all the drunk Fae as I twirled around, desperately seeking him out. And in the distance, farther into the woods, I saw him.

The drink in my hand crashed to the floor, and I stormed over to the figure, not caring who I hit with my wings.

I smacked Rhysand hard across the face before I could stop myself, and he stared at me in surprise, his violet eyes wide.

He stood just as tall as I remembered, but he had lost a lot of weight--most of it in muscle. His blue-black hair was combed nicely, not a hair out of place, just as he had always liked it.

But his eyes had changed the most. No longer filled with light like they were when he was a little boy. No, there was a deep and broken sadness in them.

"This is how you greet your brother after forty-nine years?" Rhys crooned once he had masked the shock on his features. He always was so good at masking. I envied that.

"For someone I consider a brother, you haven't bothered to contact me, or even let me know you were okay," I snarled at him, the pent up anger of 49 years spilling out of me. "Where is our family?"

I had no idea where Cassian, Evelina, Azriel, Morrigan, or Amren were. I heard rumors of Rhys being Under the Mountain, but I hadn't been sure what his state was. I worried myself sick over them. Especially Azriel.

Azriel was five years younger than me, and I had spent my entire life protecting him from the moment we were thrown into that cell. Even though he was more powerful than I was now, I would continue to be overprotective.

Rhysand glanced at our surroundings, then threw up some sort of barrier--one to keep the sounds of our voices from traveling.

"They're fine," he promised me. "They're all out of sight and safe."

"Oh," I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "Okay, then I'm sorry I slapped you." He smiled, but it wasn't genuine. It didn't reach his eyes. "Do you think you can get me out of here?"

"I've tried," he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm using so much of my strength to keep Velaris out of sight."

"Make it a condition. Amarantha will do anything to keep you in her bed."

It was his turn to strike me across the face, and he took it, though it wasn't as hard as I had smacked him. Not that I didn't deserve it. I'd regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.

"I don't enjoy being in her bed any more than you enjoyed being Demetri's personal whore."

The words hit me like a ton of bricks, but when I blinked away my surprise, I realized he was right. We'd both been through the same thing and it would be cruel to turn it against each other.

"You're right," I said quietly, shame heating my cheeks. "I'm sorry. But I wasn't his whore, Rhys. I was a child. I did what I had to do to protect my brother."