𝐄𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 ━━━ ✧ ⋆ （ acotar ）

✧ ˚ 𝐢𝐢. 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭

✧ ˚ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄ㅡlarger than even the wolf Asteria had watched die the night before. Its body was almost feline despite the head of a wolf it had, and large elk antlers protruded from the top of its head. Daggerlike claws scraped against their cottage's rotting wooden floors, and long yellow fangs glinted dangerously in the moonlight as the beast bared its maw at them.

There was a small part of her that was almost fascinated by the creature, but the greater instinct far overpowered that thought as a single word flashed through her mind: faerie.

Asteria looked at Feyre with wide eyes as her feet shuffled backward, away from the thing that promised certain death should she near it. Her elder sister was scared, she knew that by the way her free hand was trembling behind her thigh, but she still stood tall with a knife pointed in the faerie's direction, casting the illusion of a self-assured warrior. Asteria had always admired her courage, and wished she was more like her. 

"MURDERERS!" The beast roared, so loud that it caused the foundation to quake.

Somewhere behind her, their eldest sisters were screaming, huddled among the hearth with their father crouched in front of them. Asteria saw Feyre's eyes shift briefly towards her bow and quiver, just past where the beast was standing, but her shoulders immediately slackened. 

The ash arrow, Asteria realized. It was her fault that it was gone, her insistence on leaving the wolf to a proper burial forcing them to sell it instead.

"MURDERERS!" He roared again, hackles raised.

"P-please," their father babbled. "Whatever we have done, we did so unknowingly, andㅡ"

"We didn't kill anyone," Nesta added through her sobs.

Feyre stepped forward daringly, snatching a second knife from the table and brandishing both in front of her. "Get out. Get out, and begone."

The faerie bellowed in response, and the cottage shook once more. Cups and plates rattled against each other in the cupboards, and Asteria flinched as frightened tears began to fall down her cheeks.

She didn't register that Feyre had thrown one of her knives at him until it was clattering to the floor and the beast snapped at her with his teeth. Feyre leaped backwards, nearly stumbling into Asteria who had instinctively raised her hands to steady her.

"WHO KILLED HIM?" The faerie stalked closer. He placed a single paw on their table, claws leaving marks upon the oak.

Feyre stepped forward again, her voice hardly trembling as she asked, "Killed who?"

"The wolf," he growled, green eyes boring into her.

Asteria unwillingly released a shuddered breath, causing the beasts gaze to narrow on her. Her fault that the ash arrow was gone, and her fault that the wolf was killed. Her fault that they would likely be killed tonight.