The Devil You Know

Part I: Chapter 8

*TW: Physical torture, SA (nothing described in detail)

+++

When Irelia awoke the next morning, she was alone. Still naked and under the covers, the sheets next to her cold. She leaned over to grab some water from the nightstand when she saw the note.

Duty called. I will be back later with dinner.

-Rhys

She frowned...dinner. Had she really slept that long that it was almost time for dinner. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her body still sore and her neck was still throbbing. She reached a hand up, running her fingers over the bite mark on the base of her neck. Rhys must've bitten her pretty hard for it not to have healed yet.

She laid back down, stretching. She'd get up to bathe in a second but she wanted to relax in the comfort of the warm bed for a few more minutes. She stared at the stone wall ahead. Being stuck under a mountain, the lack of sun, the lack of windows. It was already driving her insane. She had no idea how Rhysand had already done this for twenty-five years.

The door opening behind her had her rolling over. "You're back-"

Her breath caught in her throat because standing there in the doorway was Amarantha.

She was frozen, her heart speeding up in her chest as she stared at the redhead before her. She was dressed in an exquisite black gown, her red-gold hair neatly braided with a matching black crown on top of her head. The necklace with three finger bones hung from her neck. The eye ring still on her finger.

"Is that any way to greet your Queen, little pet?" Amarantha purred, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her.

"I-I'm sorry my Queen, I'm not...I don't..." she trailed off, sitting up and hugging the sheet to her naked body.

Amarantha's black eyes roamed over her form before she let out an awful laugh. "Does Rhysand not let you wear clothes, pet?"

Irelia's cheeks burned red. "If you'd just allow me a moment, my Queen, I will make myself presentable-"

"Don't bother," Amarantha ordered, sitting on the edge of the bed.

She was close, too close to her now. She felt her legs begin to shake-the sheet doing very little to cover the movement. Amarantha smiled at her...perhaps smiled was the wrong word to use because nothing about it looked inviting. She looked more like a wolf showing her teeth as it taunted its prey.

Amarantha reached a hand out towards her. Irelia didn't dare move despite her mind screaming at her to get away. She brushed her long nails down her neck and then sank them into the bite mark Rhysand had left.

Irelia whimpered at the pain, but stayed put. The consequences of not letting her do what she wanted seemed far greater than enduring the pain.

"You two put on quite a scene last night, or so I heard." Her hand trailed over her collarbone before dipping lower to the swell of her breasts. She sucked in a breath, her entire body beginning to shake in fear. Amarantha seemed to relish in her fear, finding amusement in it.

She wasn't sure why she was bringing up their "performance" last night. She didn't know a heavy make-out session counted as a scene considering there were fae having sex in nearly every corner of the throne room during the parties.

Amarantha's hand came back up, brushing some of her blonde hair behind her shoulder before fingering a strand. She was staring at it intently-eyes lost in thought. Irelia was entirely still, not daring to even breathe with Amarantha's claws so close to her. She could kill her right now with all the power she held from the High Lords.