A Court of Truth and Deceit

Chapter One - Feyre

Tamlin wanted me to have at least a week of rest before I joined him in the meetings. For the past two days, I'd been pampered and coddled with eyes watching me from every corner as if that would keep me from disappearing. Even though I desperately wanted to. As lovely as the Spring Court was, I no longer felt the comfort I once did a year ago.

Fortunately, there were no guards trailing me anymore, but I was sick of getting all the attention and being left out from all the affairs. I would have none of it.

On day three, I burst into the meeting room to find Tamlin and Lucien alone, discussing over Hybern. The sight of the High Lord of the Spring Court had me, once again, longing for a different High Lord. A glimmer of love shot down our bond and I responded in kind before stepping inside the room and announcing my presence to the two fae males with a light tap of my foot.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Tamlin demanded, rising from his seat. I wanted to snarl at him, tell him he had no right to demand what I do, unleash those talons of night on him, but I held back. Instead, I softened my voice so he may think that I was weak, broken, in need of mending. From the Night Court. My family, my home.

I cleared my mind of the beautiful city and willed myself to meet Tamlin's stare. "I- I'm here to help. I want to destroy the Night Court."

"You can help from bed. Just give a call, and I would've come to you." I didn't want him coming to my bedroom. The idea of making love to Tamlin when my entire heart belonged to Rhysand... a whisper of a voice entered through the sliver of my mind that I left open only for my mate. I hate the idea of you with him, but I'll never hold it against you if you needed to.

But I won't. The idea of being with Tamlin now... it was utterly painful.

"I'm fine out of bed. Let me join in your discussion." Lucien gave me a look of suspicion that didn't go unnoticed by Tamlin. He snarled softly at his emissary. The two had been at odd-ends of late, not to mention Lucien's mate, Elain, my older sister. Another pang of sadness. Less than a week ago, the King of Hybern had captured my sisters, Elain and Nesta, and turned them into high fae.

And it was Tamlin's fault. If he had just let me go, let me be my own person, maybe this wouldn't have been such a mess. But perhaps Ianthe was just as much to be blamed, maybe even more.

I didn't hide the sound of sadness that I choked out. Tamlin deserves to hear it. Deserved my wrath. He was the root of the mess that we were now all in.

"Have you spoken to Ianthe yet?" I asked instead. Tamlin growled, the beast that was inside him just under his skin.

"She's gone. Left before I could interrogate her." I raised an eyebrow, letting some of my High Lady chill seep through me.

"Like you interrogated Alis?" I asked coldly. Tamlin sighed. This would be our fourth discussion about her.

"That," he said, "was necessary. She let Rhysand take you away! She deserved to be punished." Mor had been the one to take me away, but that wasn't the point of our conversation. But continuing this would also reveal more secrets than I cared to.

"When is Hybern marching through our court?" Our court. Spring Court. Not Night Court. A reminder of what I had given up.

Tamlin hesitated; he was still reluctant to let me help, still believing that I needed protecting. I softened my voice, acting like the damsel in distress he believed me to be. "Tamlin, I want to help. The Night Court..." my voice cracked as memories flowed through me, friends, Velaris, freedom. . . Rhys. Luckily, Tamlin took the voice crack to be sadness and fear. Again, Lucien looked at me as if he knew I was lying.

"Tell me everything you remember from the Night Court, everything Rhysand told you and did to you," he ordered, his eyes desperate, and yet furious.

So I did.

❋ ❋ ❋

I told them about everything—everything, except Velaris, the mating bond, and my undying loyalty to the Court of Dreams. Of course, I'd been vague about a few events. I didn't mention my breakdown during my training with Cassian, the dancing at Starfall, or any of the other times I felt happy and at ease, like I was finally living a life.

Instead, I told them the stories that would let them think I'd felt scared and used. I told them about the Court of Nightmares, the Bone Carver, and the Weaver. I laced my words with poison and fear, tales of loneliness, and homesickness.

"And yet, he never hurt you and even taught you how to read and write?" Lucien questioned. His gaze lowered to my left arm, where my tattoo marking my bargain with Rhysand had once been.

He met my eyes again as I just gave a vague nod.

"Rhysand probably thought she'd be capable of reading the Book. I bet he would've hurt her after she finished her duty and fed her to the demons lying in his Court," Tamlin said through gritted teeth.

I hid my clenched fists behind my back as I forced myself to appear frightened.

"But they were ma—" Lucien stopped midsentence as a hand ending in claws swiped mere inches away from his face.

"Never. Finish. That. Sentence." Tamlin's face went lupine as he rose from his seat.

Despite sitting in a chair, I subconsciously leaned out of his way, and that wrong scent, as he stalked out of the room and peered at Lucien. He was taking deep breaths, clenching and unclenching his fists before he finally acknowledged my stare.

"We need to talk."

❋ ❋ ❋

"Tell me the truth. And don't give me any shit like you did with Tamlin," Lucien snarled once Tamlin's footsteps faded beyond hearing distance. I bit my lip, quietly assessing him, and then, like a shadow, a caress, I slipped into his mind. The view shifted, just like that first time I did it, and then later, with Tarquin. Across the table was me, a passive face, a predator with the skin of prey. And then I stroked Lucien's mind, beckoning his thoughts to come to me. Once again, the torrent of sadness, guilt, and pain washed over me. But this time, there was loneliness—loneliness, I realized, for Elain, his mate, and fury, because she was gone and he couldn't get her back. Not without my help.

But not yet. Not yet. I did not trust Lucien, not after he allowed Tamlin to lock me up in this accursed manor.

"Why would I ever shit around with Tamlin? I love him." I gave Lucien a saccharine smile before swiftly exiting the meeting room.

As I went through the door, uproarious laughter shot down the bond hidden deep inside me. My mate. I allowed myself a genuine smile.