A Court of Trickery and Salvation

Chapter Seven

The wall looms above me and I sigh at the sight of it, walking along it until I feel the least amount of magic blocking me out. I push through it, wiping the blood that drips from my nose due to the overwhelming pressure of it. Lush trees shade me from the heat of the spring day but I push out of its shelter and down the dirt pathway. A huge mansion stands at the end of the pathway, an enormous metal gate nearly ripped off its hinges. "What the hell happened here?" I pick around the gate, moving closer to the house to see a set of wooden double doors smashed apart. The inside of the house looks the a battle happened right in the center, pools of blood, smashed furniture, walls smeared with blood of those who tried to escape. "Feyre lived here for four months?" I ask to myself then pull my sword from its sheath on my back when a noise startles me. A rolling pin arces through the air but luckily I'm a little faster as I cut right through it.

"Where's Feyre!? What did you do to her?!" A faerie that resembles a bird snarls in my face. I push her away from me and tighten my grip on my sword, rage almost blinding me at the accusation.

"Safe! With our sisters!" I snarl right back but the bird looking female straightens up, her eyes roaming my face before recognition lights up her face.

"Y-you must be Kayla. She talked about you, a lot. You were her greatest regret. Letting you..."

"Feyre didn't let me do anything! I chose to go." I growl, that rage refusing to lessen its hold on me as I stare at this... this thing. "I came to free the High Lord that Feyre fell in love with. Show me where I need to go so I can do it."

"Don't be so quick to rush towards your death child." She chides softly before another look crosses her weird features, understanding. "You cannot go in there wishing for death, that witch will detect it. Or that monster will rip it from your mind. Your end will not be swift if that happens."

"I do not want your pity! Tell me where to go!" I snap again, my sword becoming heavy with the effort not to kill this thing. The female only sighs and pulls a piece of paper out before drawing a makeshift map.

"Walking through the territories will take too long. There are tunnels that will lead you to her quicker." I take the map and turn to leave when she wraps her talon like fingers around my wrist, effectively stopping me. "Heed my warning child, do not let them see how desperately you wish for death. You cannot go in there as yourself, you must pretend to be your sister. Must fool them into thinking you love Tamlin." I nod deafly at her before following her to the tunnels. "I am only asking this because of my affections towards your sister but why do you wish for death?"

"None of your business." I say firmly as we walk up a steep hill that seemed to never end.

"Listen, your sister cares deeply for you, if you were to die here it would slowly eat away at her." She studies me carefully over her shoulder. "As something does to you. This rage you harbor will not bring back what you lost."

"You have no idea what I lost! You don't know me!" I snap, storming past her to the tunnel entrance before looking back at her once. "When I rescue your High Lord and Feyre returns to you, take care of her." My voice gentles at my plea, knowing that this outcome will end in my favor but not Feyre's. She's going to lose a sister but hopefully gaining an amazing love will help minimize the impact.

"She will always be safe with Tamlin." She says firmly and I nod before fully entering the tunnel, my vision now slammed in darkness but luckily we had training against this. My fingertips brush the walls and my ears strain to hear any changes in the wind whistling by my ear. Soon even the wind dies but the tunnel lights up with cracks barely big enough for me to squeeze into and that's just what I do. My heart nearly stops at all the Faeries gathered in the huge main room. In the middle sits a massive stone throne with a crimson haired Faerie female sitting atop of it. A long haired blonde Faerie male sits beside her, stone faced and tense as he surveys the crowd. Suddenly a pair of boney fingers wrap around my upper arm yanking me out of the crack, scratching my cheek on the stones. He shoves me to the ground in the middle of the gathered crowd, looking up at the self made queen.

"I caught this human snooping." An eerie hissing voice slithers from the mouth of this bat like Faerie. I sit up on my knees, looking up at the unwavering black eyes of the woman who threatened my sister. That's right, I have to act like Feyre. Play my part. I drop my eyes to the ground.

"Rhysand!" Her voice cuts across the now silent crowd followed by the slow clicking of someone's shoes. I look up to see an extremely beautiful man before me, his eyes a calming violet color if he was not here to kill me maybe. "Is this the woman you saw in Tamlin's estate?" My heart roars in my ears at the question. He saw Feyre? He knows what she looks like? I thought I'd have a little more time before I was found out. Thought I'd be able to at least get him out but.. but. I look up into those beautiful violet eyes. This must be the monster that lady was talking about.

"Yes"