starfall. [ Rhysand ]

XII

alone.

Cool, dampness, and pain—those were her initial sensations upon awakening. As her eyes fluttered open, a hiss escaped her lips, and she immediately rested a hand on her stomach, the ache a sharp reminder of Tamlin's actions. Struggling to contain sobs, her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. Her surroundings didn't offer solace either. Enclosed within a stone cage, she glimpsed the outside world only through a doorway, yet it revealed more darkness and stone. Without a window, she couldn't discern day from night or how long she had been unconscious for. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she hugged her knees, feeling the chill of isolation.

Her gaze turned to her stomach, and she gingerly lifted her once-floral and white dress, now tattered and soiled. Beneath it, a bandage had been carefully applied. Frowning, she wondered who had tended to her. Amarantha, she was certain, had not been the caregiver. Rising to her feet, she winced as a wave of pain struck, her back aching. The hard stone beneath her was the likely culprit, in this barren space void of bed, cushion, sink, or mirror—just cold stone and darkness.

Footsteps echoed, approaching with an almost orchestrated rhythm. It wasn't just one person, but at least four. Panic clutched her, and she sought refuge in a corner of the cage, curling herself into a smaller shape. Her apprehension was justified; Amarantha emerged, accompanied by several more High Fae. Two faces were familiar—those present when Tamlin, Lucien, and she had been captured.

"Delighted to see you awake, my dear. Did you rest well?" Kiara's silence elicited a smile from Amarantha, relishing the terror she inspired.
The Star finally beheld her captor properly. A tall, lean woman with fiery red hair stood before her. Her pallid complexion hinted at a life spent away from the sun, while her sharp cheekbones lent her a skeletal appearance.

"Marvelous!" Amarantha clapped her hands, gesturing for her Daematis to open the cage and step in. Kiara's instinct was to make herself even smaller, but escape was impossible — there was no way out.

"Allow me to make introductions. Kiara, meet my most trusted Daematis. They will attempt to unlock your powers." Kiara's brows knitted, confusion evident, yet fear kept her silent. She thought she was the only one who would be able to find her real name and take possess of her magical abilities.

"Oh, they haven't told you?" Amarantha's laughter was sinister, her tongue darting out as if savoring the words to come. "Well, dear Lucien and Tamlin have withheld quite a bit from you. You are probably aware that the key to unleashing a Star's power is discovering your name. My Daematis will be the ones to infiltrate your mind and find it for me. Once I reveal your name, you'll be mine. Your will shall align with mine, your powers shall be mine to command. Isn't it exquisite?" A wicked smile graced her lips before she exited the cage, leaving Kiara with the quartet of faeries.

"Enjoy yourselves" she purred.
The weight of Amarantha's words hadn't fully settled when Kiara sensed not one, but several presences within her mind.
A scream tore from her throat as Daematis sought to breach her mental labyrinth through pulls and jabs. Her mind felt ready to explode, their cruel laughter echoing as they reveled in her torment.

Time blurred as they departed, leaving her immobile. Tear tracks stained her cheeks, her gaze vacant as she stared at the ceiling, devoid of thought. A hollowness settled within her. Thankfully, their intrusion had failed to fully breach her mind. Not yet did they command her or her powers.

***
Rhysand was in a state of disarray. Upon discovering that not only had she been taken, but Tamlin had attempted to kill her, he had an overwhelming urge to confront the flower boy prick and take his life with his own hands. Though witnessing Tamlin's suffering at the hands of Amarantha offered a bit of satisfaction.
When he learned of her prison's location, he promptly dispatched his handmaids, none other than his trusted spies Nuala and Cerridwen, to attend to her injuries, ensuring proper healing and prevention of infection. Rhysand silently thanked the Cauldron for his servants' half-Shadow Wraith nature, which allowed them to aid Kiara in the shadows, evading Amarantha's sentinels.