Lord of the Night Fae, Tieran, has been trapped in a mountain for 70,000 years, until one day, fate brings a curious and innocent faerie, Lily, to set him free.... accidentally.
**WARNING**
Mentions of torture and blood
The entrance to Kha'vera had a foreboding and ominous presence. Its entrance was a black abyss that seemed to swallow the light around it. The air emanating from within was damp and musty with the scent of death and decay.
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Tieran stepped into the cave with Ivelle close behind. The short dark passageway opened to reveal carved structures, like cells of stone and metal. The sound of dripping water echoed off the cold stone walls, creating an eerie and unsettling melody. The ground was rough and uneven, making every step a challenge.
He had been here once before. To visit a liar. Someone who had gotten close to him and betrayed him. Their name was etched in his memory like a scar that would never heal.
Ivelle led him deeper into the mountain. She stopped at an open gate and waited. Tieran looked into the small cave, his personal torture chamber. He entered the cave and the gate banged shut behind him. He heard Ivelle's receding footsteps. The silence was almost deafening, when suddenly, cries and voices echoed throughout the small cave. A searing pain shot through Tieran's head as the wails grew louder. His Spirit Root shirked causing him to drop and clench his teeth. His muscles began to tense and quiver. His body spasmed as the wails grew louder and louder, expanding the folds of his mind causing his back to arch as he screamed.
~~~
Lily paced her room, it had been five days since she saw Tieran. Had he forgotten about her? Was he waiting to hear whether she had read the book or not? Somehow, she felt hollow inside and her skin crawled, as though something was wrong.
Noises outside her room caused her to run and open the door. Servants were running back and forth. Lily caught one by the arm,
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Lord Tieran has returned from Kha'vera, and he's not looking good," the servant replied.
"What do you mean? Is he hurt?" her breathing picked up and her chest tightened.
"Lily," Eiden suddenly appeared. The servant quickly left, "You should be in your room,"
"Eiden, where's Tieran?"
"He's fine. Please go back in your room," She would have believed him if he didn't have a panicked look in his eyes. Her lips trembled and she ran past him down the hall. He called after her, chasing her, but she kept going, following after the servants until she arrived at the room where they had gathered. She looked down at the floor at the splatters of a bloody trail that led to the bed where she saw Tieran, bloody and pale.
"Bear!" she yelled and ran to his side. Scratches ran down the lengths of his torso and arms. His hands were bloody with broken and bleeding fingernails, as though from clawing at the hard stone. Sweat condensed on his entire body as he shivered slightly. "Willow Bark," she said.
