A Court of Trickery and Salvation

Chapter Eleven

I sit on the cot with my knees pulled to my chest as I stare absentmindedly at the floor. After Rhysand left my cell I decided he was right, no more tears, no more emotions besides that unbridled rage. Until this whole mess is over that is the only emotion I'll let myself feel and afterwards.. nothing. I'll shut off every emotion I have and live in the Night Court until I find a way to permanently shut it off. Although it'll probably be hard under Rhysand's watchful eye. I look down at the eye on my palm and shake my head. How did everything get so messed up?

'It's going to be alright.' A male voice purrs in my mind, making me jump up from the cot.

"Who's there?!" I yell, looking around the cell to find the source of the voice but to no avail. Two shapes appear from the shadows and beckon me to them. I don't know why but I follow them as we disappear into the shadows then reappear on the other side of the cell door. They lead me past the guards and to a room where they scrub me clean. The two shadowy figures brush out my knotted hair before braiding it and leaving it down my back. Still naked, they start painting my entire body with more of the black swirls and whorls. I recoil at the 'dress' they bring towards me and I'm using dress in a loose term. Two sheer panels of gossamer connected at the shoulders hangs between their dark hands. "Oh no. I am not wearing that." I snarl but they have no intention of accepting no as they slip it over my body, now on full display for everyone to see. My mind immediately races to Crighton and his 'activites.'

"The paint is for me." Rhysand says, pulling me away from an impending panic attack. His eyes roam my body, lingering on my chest for a few moments. "In case anyone tries to touch you. It'll smudge whenever someone does."

"Even you?" I challenge which earns me a small smirk as he moves closer to me, his breath fanning my face.

"Trust me Kayla darling, I'll remember exactly where my hands have been." The way he purrs at me sends a shiver down my spine, just the way it does when Casteel growls. Casteel.. they seem to know each other.

"How do you know the Prince?" I ask innocently, still appearing to play my part. I can't lose sight of why I'm here, Casteel's appearance can't distract me from it.

"Awfully interested in a man who isn't your boyfriend. Have you listened to anything Amarantha said? The riddle she gave you?" He quirks an eyebrow at me then sighs when my face gives me away. "Kayla, I will help you anyway I can but you have to help your self as well." His eyes roam my face then the room gets heavy with magic. I shove him away and glare at him.

"Don't go searching around in my mind Rhysand!" I snap at him, clenching my fist at my side. "Your kind hates mine! Everyone cheers every time I almost get killed!" I pant heavily from the yelling but Rhys isn't even slightly bothered by it, he just stares at me.

"You and your sister are so much alike it's uncanny." He says softly, stepping closer to me again to brush his fingers across my cheek like he did in my cell.

"You actually met Feyre?" I ask, curling in on myself again. Damn it Kayla, you're a highly trained solider! Get over your inferiority complex. "Then why are you lying to help me?"

"Funny how you're attitude drops when I mention her." He smirks but it quickly falls as his fingers wrap around the back of my neck softly. "I'm helping you because I understand the feeling of wanting to keep my family safe at all costs." Whore. That words clangs through my mind and my heart aches when the meaning behind his words click.

"Rhys.." I breathe as I stare into those intense violet eyes of his, his warmth seeping into my almost entirely exposed body. Reality crashes through me as I remember the outfit Rhys picked out for me to parade around in. I pull away from him. "Shouldn't we get going to this stupid party? Don't want to miss a single second of using me to piss off Casteel." I snarl but that infuriating smirk of his returns.

"My goal was to piss off Tamlin. You're supposed to be the love of his life remember?" He says evenly as he takes my hand in his. Right, Tamlin. "Why do you believe you being with me will piss off the Prince?" He pries and I close my eyes, silently berating myself for letting so much information pour from me.

"You saw how he was in my cell. Haw... Casteel and I are... were friends but he lied and now we're not. So piss him off or don't I don't care. Just leave me out of it." I snap, that rage rising to the surface again after I so stupidly stamped it out in a moment of weakness. 'Rhysand is only playing you Kayla. He's helping you to piss off his rival.' I remind myself as Rhys leads us to the open throne room, Tamlin once again sitting next to Amarantha but to my horror so is Casteel. Tamlin sits to her right, his throne slightly shorter than hers making him seem more like a glorified pet than anything whereas Casteel's is level with hers. Her equal in every right.

"Stop staring at him." Rhys whispers in my ear, his hot breath making me shiver slightly in surprise. "Tamlin, focus on Tamlin." He continues his slow steps over to the buffet table i just now notice while tearing my gaze from Casteel's burning amber eyes to Tamlin's calm green ones. Okay, I can see why Feyre finds him attractive. His eyes are beautiful, not as beautiful as Rhysand's but still beautiful, and his muscular frame visible even through his clothes. "There you go." Rhys's voice sounds more strained with those words as if he hates that I've gotten better at searching out Tamlin.

"Jealous?" I tease but when Rhysand's hand tightens ever so slightly on mine my heart skips in my chest. 'Rage, anger, fury. Focus on that. The fury of Casteel's betrayal, the rage of this woman threatening Feyre's life and the anger these people have towards you. That's how you accomplish your mission.' I tell myself again.

"That's how you get yourself killed." Once again there's that male voice and I now recognize it as Rhysand's. My eyes fly to his but he acts like he doesn't notice while he fills up a glass full of Faerie wine. I was warned against this my whole life, it turns humans into the Faeries puppets making them unaware of their surroundings or actions. "Drink." He says aloud, startling me slightly since I was so focused on his voice in my mind. I lift the cup to my lips when a voice behind me freezes my hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"