A Court of Tears and Starlight

Violet stains

I was broken from my distressed musings as I heard the quiet patter of bare feet padding across the room towards me.

"Rhysand?" 

My head snapped up and my nostrils flared in anger as something so un-feyre filled my vision. 

Elliana.

I snarled and and looked at her with uncontrollable fury. 

How dare she be here?

How dare she approach me after I had lost my mate?

That thought pierced me deeper than any other. My mate. The mate who I had been forced to deny and ignore because of politics. Regret burned through me. If I could go back and do it again I would refuse to return her to Spring for even a second. I would parade her around boldly on my arm and kill anyone who even looked at her with desire. I hated every wasted moment. 

I hated that the breath taking women in front of me had cost me an entire evening with Feyre because she had let herself into my rooms that day. 

I was consumed with anger and hatred as I strode towards her. I couldn't think of anything except the precious time she had stolen from Feyre and I with her scheming. 

I watched as her eyes grew wider and wider at my approach. They were filled with guilt and shame and adoration. I loathed her for that. How dare she look at me like that? Only Feyre could do that. As I took the final step towards her I could feel my blood boiling with rage. I was going to kill her. Despite that she never took her eyes from my face. She never took a step in retreat. She stood stunned and hungry, as though her eyes were now feasting upon me. I felt my hands rise to grip her and tear her to pieces but as my hands came us around her arms she crumpled forward and fainted on me. 

My hands came up instinctively and caught her as she hung limp in my arms. Looking down on her soft unconscious features I felt a flush of shame. 

Feyre had begged that no one else would die. 

She would have spared Elliana. 

She would have spared them all. 

I owed her more than this.

She had seen something in me that was beyond a creature of darkness and hate. I owed it to her to be better, because she was better. 

I scooped Elliana up in my arms and I went to carry her back to her rooms. She couldn't stay here. This room was off limits to everyone but myself. I loved Feyre selfishly enough in life that I had hated every look and touch that she shared with anyone other than myself. This room would be no different. 

As I strode towards the door I felt Elliana stir in my arms. Her hand clutched my shirt and I looked down to see that she had completely botched her nail polish job. I was still bastard enough to feel smug about that imperfection. Yet as I looked again I realised it wasn't nail polish. Lifting one hand towards my face for closer inspection I saw the very last thing that I ever expected to see. 

Paint. 

Violet paint.

He nails were caked in a violet paint that had been scrubbed away. 

Anger, doubt, confusion and fear surged through me. What was she doing in this room and why was she touching Feyre's art works? 

I get sick with confusion. I needed answers. Answers that I didn't want anyone else to hear. So instead of walking towards Elliana's room I made a beeline straight for my own.