𝙰 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚜: 𝚂𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚌 𝙴𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔰𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫(𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 40/42)

    My second task arrived.

    Its teeth gleaming, the Attor grinned at me as I stood before Amaros. Another cavern--smaller than the throne room, but large enough to perhaps be some sort of old entertaining space.

    It had no decorations, save for its gilded walls, and no furniture; the king himself only sat on a carved wooden chair, Tamlin standing behind him.

    I didn't gaze too long at the Attor, who lingered on the other side of the king's chair, its long, slender tail slashing across the floor. It only smiled to unnerve me.

    It was working. Not even gazing at Tamlin could calm me. I clenched my hands at my sides as Amaros smiled.

"Well, Feyre, your second trial has come."

      He sounded so smug—so certain that my death hovered nearby. I'd been a fool to refuse death in the teeth of the worm. He crossed his arms and propped his chin on a hand. Within the ring, Jurian's eye turned—turned to face me, its pupil dilating in the dim light.

"Have you solved my riddle yet?"

      I didn't deign to make a response.

"Too bad," he said. "But I'm feeling generous tonight."

      The Attor chuckled, and several faeries behind me gave hissing laughs that snaked their way up my spine.

"How about a little practice?" Amaros said, and I forced my face into neutrality. If Tamlin was playing indifferent to keep us both safe, so would I.

      But I dared a glance at my High Lord, and found his eyes hard upon me. If I could just hold him, feel his skin for just a moment—smell him, hear him say my name

"Begin," Amaros snapped.

      Before I could brace myself, the floor shuddered.

      My knees wobbled, and I swung my arms to keep upright as the stones beneath me began sinking, lowering me into a large, rectangular pit. Some faeries cackled, but I found Tamlin's stare again and held it until I was lowered so far down that his face disappeared beyond the edge.

      I scanned the four walls around me, looking for a door, for any sign of what was to come. Three of the walls were made of a single sheet of smooth, shining stone--too polished and flat to climb. The other wall wasn't a wall at all, but an iron grate splitting the chamber in two, and through it--

      My breath caught in my throat. "Lucien."

      Lucien lay chained to the center of the floor on the other side of the chamber, his remaining russet eye so wide that it was surrounded with white. The metal one spun as if set wild; his brutal scar was stark against his pale skin. Again he was to be Amaros's toy to torment.

       There were no doors, no way for me to get to his side except to climb over the gate between us. It had such thick, wide holes that I could probably climb it to jump onto his side. I didn't dare.

       The faeries began murmuring, and gold clinked. Had Rhysand bet on me again? In the crowd, red hair gleamed--four heads of red hair--and I stiffened my spine.

       I knew his brothers would be smiling at Lucien's predicament--but where was his mother? His father? Surely the High Lord of the Autumn Court would be present. I scanned the crowd. No sign of them.

       Only Amaros, standing with Tamlin at the edge of the pit, peering in. Amaros bowed his head to me and gestured with a rough hand to the wall beneath his feet.

"Here, Feyre, you shall find your task. Simply answer the question by selecting the correct lever, and you'll win. Select the wrong one to your doom. As there are only three options, I think I gave you an unfair advantage." He snapped his fingers, and something metallic groaned.