A Court of Starfall & Deception - An ACOMAF Rewrite

Chapter 6

Rhysand had mocked me about it once – had asked me while we were Under the Mountain if forcing me to learn how to read would be my personal idea of torture.

I wanted to read their language, more than anything, but not from him. "No, thank you," I said, gripping my fork.

"You're going to be a High Lord's wife," Rhys snarked. "You'll be expected to maintain your own correspondences, perhaps even give a speech or two. And the Cauldron knows what else he and Ianthe will deem appropriate for you. Make menus for dinner parties, write thank-you letters for all those wedding gifts, embroider sweet phrases on pillows... It's a necessary skill. And, you know what? Why don't we throw in shielding while we're at it? Reading and shielding – fortunately, you can practice them together."

My embarrassment turned to anger at his words, the digs. "They are both necessary skills," I said through clenched teeth, "but you are not going to teach me." And I'm not going to be a High Lord's wife; I never wanted to be. Or could he not hear all of those thoughts being screamed at him through the ridiculous faerie bond? 

I could feel the ice in my eyes as my hands began to shake.

Something sharp poked into my hand.

I'd folded the fork into a tangle of metal.

When I set it down on the table, Rhys chuckled. "Interesting."

"You said that last night." I snapped.

"Am I not allowed to say it twice?"

"That's not what I was implying and you know it."

His gaze raked over me again, as if he could see beneath the plum fabric, through the skin - to the shredded, fractured soul beneath. Then it drifted to the mangled fork. "Has anyone ever told you that you're rather strong for a High Fae?"

"Am I?" I took a steadying sip of tea.

"I'll take that as a no." He popped a piece of melon into his mouth. "Have you tested yourself against anyone?"

"Do you think any of them would even let me try?" A flat stare directly at those violet and star-flecked eyes. "Besides, why would I?" I was enough of a wreck as it was, and it would be bad for the people to see me taking up arms, again, that voice that sounded like Ianthe and Tamlin whispered.

I took another sip of tea, chasing the thoughts and the rest of the headache away, when he said, "Because you were resurrected and reborn by the combined powers of the seven High Lords. If I were you, I'd be curious to see if anything else transferred to me during that process."

My blood chilled, I hadn't even thought of that. "Nothing else transferred to me."

"It'd just be rather... interesting," he smirked at the word, "if it did."

"It didn't, and I'm not going to learn to read or shield from you."

"Why? From spite? I thought you and I got past that Under the Mountain."

"Don't get me started on what you did to me Under the Mountain."

Rhys went still.

As still as I'd ever seen him, as still as the death now beckoning in those eyes. Then his chest began to move, faster and faster.

Across the pillars towering behind him, I could have sworn the shadow of great wings spread.

He opened his mouth, leaning forward, and then stopped. Instantly, the shadows, the ragged breathing, the intensity were gone, the lazy grin returning. "We have company. We'll discuss this later."