A Court of Trickery and Salvation

Chapter Ten

The guards throw me to the floor and I cry out in pain when I land on my arm. The two men chuckle at my pain so I cast them a glare as I scramble up onto my cot. Soon the pain fades away to blinding rage as I remember Ha- I mean Casteel's purring at Amarantha at my expense. I cling to the rage, I can't lose myself to the pain, to the betrayal. Even though seeing Hawke again was my lifeline, the only thing that was keeping me from letting myself die once this was over. But now...

"You look like shit." Rhysand's silky voice breaks my self destructive thoughts, my entire focus going straight to him. One second he's staring at me from one side of the bars and the next... he becomes the shadows then reforms inside my cell.

"Oh sorry I didn't have a chance to make myself presentable for you. Caked in blood is just what you get." I snap, holding my broken arm close to my body as I watch him carefully while his violet eyes roam my body.

"Still breathtaking." He purrs making my eyes widen slightly in surprise at the comment to which he only chuckles. "I can see no one has ever told you that before." He stalks closer to me, those eyes pinning me to the spot. My chest tightens as he stops directly in front of me, gently brushing his fingertips against my cut up cheek.

"Rhys-" I start to talk but the cell door being thrown open startles me but that rage quickly over takes me again when I see who stands there.

"Get your filthy hands off her whore." Ha.. damn it. Casteel growls dangerously at Rhysand who doesn't look even remotely bothered by the threatening tone.

"Get out!" I hiss at him, clenching my fist tightly at my side as I glare at him and try not to flinch from the intense gaze he turns to me.

"Kayla please listen to me." Casteel begs, taking slow steps closer to me but Rhysand blocks his path.

"Tell me, how does the Prince of Atlantia know a peasant human girl? Does Amarantha know of your relationship with her?" Rhys muses with a small smirk on his face as he tilts his head at Casteel. I stay behind Rhysand, torn between which of the males I should correct in this little pissing match.

"Do not talk about her like that and do not threaten her." Casteel snaps, baring his teeth at Rhysand and revealing the undeniable proof of what he is. His fangs. Shadows curl around Rhysand, his violet eyes darkening as he simply smirks.

"Enough! What are either of you doing here?" I hiss through my teeth, glaring at both of them while keeping my injured arm close to my body. Both males gazes fly to me then to the bone protruding from my skin as well as the scratches then finally to the large gash on my leg.

"I came to offer you a bargain. My assistance in your healing and trials in exchange for you living with me in the Night Court." He says smoothly which earns a growl from Casteel as he steps up beside Rhysand.

"Don't accept. Let me heal you and get you out of here. She won't be able to touch you in Atlantia." Casteel croons, his amber eyes silently pleading with me but it only triggers that burning rage inside me.

"Why should I trust you? You lied to me. For years you lied to me about who you were. I trusted you, you.. you were my friend. You were Jaye's friend." I choke on his name, that rage starting to get drowned out by overwhelming grief. No! I can't lose myself, not yet.

"Kayla..." Casteel reaches for me and for a second, all I want is for him to hug me tight and tell me it's all a lie. He's playing a part just like I am but Rhysand stepping in front of me pulls me back into reality.

"Don't touch her. Amarantha will smell her on you and you'll make things worse for her." Rhysand snaps then turns back to me. "Take my bargain and I promise you'll be safe once we get out of here."  I know taking his deal out of spite is low and petty but right now it's all I have to cling to in order to cancel out the grief.

"I..I accept. It's a deal." I grab Rhysand's hand with my other hand that's not connected to my broken arm. He smirks at Casteel before black swirls appear on my arm and in the center of my palm an eye appears.

"Kayla no!" Casteel growls, storming past Rhysand and grabbing my arm as he studies the new tattoo. Rage burns in those amber eyes of his as they flick up to mine, my treacherous heart aching at the sight. "What have you done." He snarls before turning back to Rhysand. "Undo it!"

"You know that's not how that works Casteel." Rhysand is still unbothered by Casteel's tone as he moves to my side, trailing his finger over one of the swirls of my tattoo. Casteel only bares his teeth at Rhysand who snaps his fingers and my entire body is healed in a second. "Isn't what matters is that she's healed? Or you just wanted to give her your blood? Have her in a sex crazed haze fixated on you?" Rhys smirks at him, his words break Casteel of his rage filled trance.

"That's not... I-I wouldn't." He growls in frustration before turning towards the cell door. "I may have lied about who I am but I would never use her like that." He says before leaving the cell, once he's gone my rage dies which leaves me with nothing but grief. The tears fall before I can stop them as I fall to my knees, taking shaky breaths as I sob. Rhys kneels in front of me, taking my face between his hands and studying me for a second. He licks the tears away before I know what's happening.

"What are you..." He cuts me off by doing it again, smirking softly at me when I gape at him.

"It's better to have my scent on you then his. Besides I didn't like seeing you cry over him." He says soothingly, wiping away the rest of my tears with the back of his hand. "I have to go, no more crying."