A Court of Shadows and Pain

Eight

Rhys invited her inside, telling her that he would like to talk to her in private. She agreed to come in, wanting to talk about everything that had happened. Even though it wasn't going to be easy.

Valery couldn't stop thinking about the way the Spymaster had looked at her hands. With pity and shock. She knew the story behind the horrible scars on his hands. Rhys had told her a long time ago.

It was a weird thing to think about. She knew more about Rhys's family than they knew about her.

Valery had finally offcially met Feyre, even though she had already seen her Under the Mountain. Amarantha hadn't let her near the girl, but she had seen the trials.

Rhys had told her when he found her. It was a risky thing to do, but he did it anyway. She had never seen him so happy and shocked. He had found his mate.

They sat down by the fire place. Valery could see that the Spymaster had followed them inside. He stood in one of the corners of the room, watching her. His shadows almost completely covered him.

Valery met his eyes and immediately looked away as she realized she had been staring at him. Even though she tore her eyes away from him, he kept looking at her. She could feel his eyes burning into her.

"Would you like anything to eat or to drink?" the High Lady asked with a kind smile.

"Just some water please." Valery answered.

"No wine?" Rhys asked her with a small grin on his face.

Valery grinned back, "No. I haven't drank wine in years." she answered. She had to be on guard every second of the day. But Rhys didn't have to know that.

"So now that we are here, how have you been?" Rhys asked her.

"Good." Lie. "I've just been living life. Mostly reading books and training to keep myself entertained." she said.

He didn't look satisfied with her answer. "That's good."

"How have you been? You've obviously been busy." Valery said with a glance to Nyx.

Rhys laughed. "If you want to call it that."

Feyre walked into the room with a glass of water and some food. "For if you get hungry anyway."

Valery thanked her. She was too kind. A perfect match for Rhys.

"I've been good. Everything has settled down since the last war. It's been quiet." he said. "I think we all deserve some peace." he gave her a half smile.

Valery returned the smile before looking away a bit too soon. She knew that Rhys would immediately know something was wrong. If there was anyone who could read her, it would be him.

He gave her a questioned look, but she just shook her head. She and Rhys had some practice with communicating that way. There were times Under the Mountain that they had no way of communicating any other way than like this.

Valery found the High Lady looking at her with curiousity. A shadow curled around her ear, whispering, she wants to know. The Spymaster as well.

The other Shadowsinger still lingered in the corner of the room. She could feel his presence at any time.

Valery sighed. "You can ask me anything, Feyre." she said with a kind smile towards the female.

Rhys looked up in surprise. "You don't have to tell us anything if you're not ready." he said.

She shook her head. "No, it's okay." she had to.

Feyre shifted in her seat, Nyx in her lap. This would be hard for her too. "Why didn't I see you Under the Mountain?"

"Because Amarantha kept me well hidden most of the time." she answered. "I did see you though. And Rhys told me about you." Valery said with a quick glance towards Rhys.

"Why did Amarantha keep you away?" Feyre then asked.

Valery swallowed before speaking. "Because I was for entertainment purposes only." she repeated the sentence Amarantha had told her countless of times.

Valery's shadows immediately covered her hands. She didn't mean for them to do it, but they did it anyway.

She was happy that it was cold outside and she could wear long clothes. Otherwise they might've had to cover her entire body.

"Did she do that to you?" Feyre asked with such softness in her voice.

Valery nodded. She refused to look at Rhys. If she did, she was going to break down. "Amarantha had to keep her people entertained. She knew about my fighting abilities, so she put them to use." she started. "Every week she hosted a fighting night. A fighting pit, as she liked to call it. She had people fight to the dead."

"She threw me in it more times than I could count. The people started liking me, because I always won. And because of that, she started to throw in more horrible creatures and things at once. I somehow survived them all" she said. "I have killed thousands of people and creatures in that pit. More than I would like to admit."

It made her feel sick to her stomach saying that, but it was the truth. It wasn't something she was proud of.

"Most of the people I killed I don't regret killing. And the creatures I never regretted once. They were horrible anyway." she said with a cold voice. "But there are still a few that haunt me. Some good people who she threw in there because she knew it would serve as a punishment for me."

The room had turned silent. Feyre looked speechless. Valery still didn't look at Rhys.

"So you're a good fighter?"

Everyone's attention shifted to the Shadowsinger in the corner of the room. He didn't move. He just stood there leaning against the wall.

"Yes." Valery answered with confidence. "Even before all of that I would win from Rhys." she said.

She could feel the High Lord glaring at her. But it was true.

"I would like to see that sometime." the Shadowsinger said.

The room went dead silent.

"It would be my pleasure." Valery said.