A Court of Fire and Lies

Night and Day

　My only wish for earlier this morning is that I could have slowed time down just so that Rhys and I could have exchanged letters just a few hours more. 

Being miles apart from each other must be killing him. 

And though I got no sleep last night and look like I was just run over by something, I don't regret it when Tamlin says "Are you alright, you look kind of.... of." 

His voice trails off as I shift my face into a sickly sweet grin and reply with, "I suppose it's still the mind control wearing me down and struggling with it so I have a headache and couldn't sleep." The lie rolled right off my lips just as easily as the last ones. I almost couldn't stop myself, it was sort of funny how gullible Tamlin is or how dumb he still thinks I am. I was so below him before, I couldn't read or write, the thick wall in my mind saved me countless times. And it was all because of Rhys. He once said I was his salvation but now, now I think he was mine. He took me from this wretched place and let me heal, he saw how broken I was and, and he saved my life, Tamlin on the other hand was going to let me shatter, shatter into a million pieces just like the room he exploded only this time I have better leverage. I'm the one with the keys, the power, the truth. It's his turn to be broken, to feel the way I felt whenever he locked me in, not caring to notice how thin I was. I was near death and all he cared about was putting on a good front. And little did they know of the revolting manipulative man he truly is. A beast in disguise. And I'll be sure to bring him down and his court. The piece of shit it really is. 

　Breakfast had long ago ended. The Spring Court clothes itched along my skin as I strolled throughout the mansion looking back through my old art that I could barely recognize, it was nothing like the luminescent and glittering work of beauty that I had painted across the walls of the cottage like it had been my very own sky, and this.

 I wanted to tear it to shreds. 

　The claws come to my fingers in a second without me evening giving it a second thought. The will to slash through the thick canvas lurks upon me like a second skin. My index finger slightly poised above it. Just one rip and and. 

　A slight tap on the door behind me sends the claws back into the shadow upon which reminds me of Azriel and Rhys, they were the shadows of the night. And so am I. Whipping my head around I see Tamlin poking his head in. As far as he can tell I'm only flipping back through my work. Harmless and stupid just how he was wants me to be. Well screw him.

I give him a small innocent smile and he strolls in taking a seat upon a chair across from me. The sight of him disgusts me. 

"I came in here to ask you to come to my study. There are just a few things we need to discuss before, before we get married. And this time without disruption." As he says those words my heart begins to race. No, no, no, no, no, shit shit shit. I was not expecting those words to come out of his mouth. Now what am I going to do? I need to speak to Rhys. Damn where is that paper when I need it. Not that I could use it in front of him anyways. 

"Umm." I decide to move the subject away from marriage and say, "what do you want to discuss?" I ask.

"I don't know, why don't we start off with what happened to you when you were under  the control of Rhys. Because I would really like to know if." He stops himself  quickly and I lock eyes with him.

　"You didn't finish." I say a bite to the words as they hang in the air for a moment. He waves a hand at me like I'm crazy and says,"Never mind. You don't need to worry about it. Why don't you just relax and we'll talk after dinner." He leaves the room quickly. If what? If he's going to kill Rhys?  Like he'd even have a standing chance. All Rhys would have to do is shatter his mind, but I won't let him have that on his conscience. He doesn't deserve any of this after all he's been through the last lifetimes with Tamlin. I wish he'd kill himself instead. At least I would have one less problem besides the fact that I'm going crazy being away from Rhys, or the fact that I just know that Cassian is in love with Nesta even if she is blind to his lingering looks or the fact of what happened when we met with the queens. Oh, and I almost forgot Elain is the mate to Lucien who I am on the brink of hating and loathing though I do plan to put his loyalty to the test, it was after all the one thing that stopped him from saving me from devastation. So know it's payback time.

　Dinner was quiet again and not only that but the food tastes wrong here, the spices and delectable food that lay behind  the cloaking spell of Velaris held a sort of starlight taste in every bite. This food felt bland though the flavor pleasant it was like eating something from a foreign land. I chew my food slow, at least slower than usual. Anything to keep me from speaking to Tamlin about what happened while I was awe. I'll lie of course but marriage? I'll never be the mate of Tamlin, never and somehow that brings a smile to my face. 

"Why are you smiling?" Lucien says, something lingering under the smirk resting upon his scarred face. I feel something hot upon my hand and look down to see a small flame rising slightly upon the palm of my hand. Quickly clenching my hand together it disappears and I reply with, "I'm just so happy to be here again." My eyes travel to Lucien whose face falls, he sees through every lie. But Tamlin doesn't.  When my eyes meet with his he smiles and says, "I'm glad you think so Feyre, I can't imagine the terror that you must have seen in the Court of Nightmares, no one ever makes it out of the place alive, you must be a fortunate one." 

"Ever?" I say my eyes slightly narrowing

"Ever." His voice deep and smooth cunning just like how I know he is.

Lucien clears his throat and excuses himself leaving too soon. For now Tamlin is walking towards me in a strong stance that I just know. He means business. 

        "Meet me in my study." He raises his eyebrows slightly tilting his head towards the hallway. I nod and get up slowly, maybe if I move slow enough it won't happen. God damn't what did I get myself into to. 

　I follow him, feeling awkward with each step and wishing I was in the House of Wind and not heading towards a place where horrors happened and where I might have to come clean. I know I can't sleep with Tamlin. I just couldn't, not for me not for anyone. Plus Rhys probably would understand he did once tell me I could do what ever it takes, I am his spy, but that was before I became the High Lady of the Night Court and didn't already have a mate. I'm surprised he can't smell the scent of Rhys all over me. I had refused to bathe since I came here which has actually only been two days but I don't want to wash it away. It feels as if I'm still close to him though he is so far away. Tamlin stops abruptly at a large door and opens it with a set of keys. That's new, he never had those before. And then it clicks.

　 He doesn't trust me. 

That's why so many of the doors are locked in the manor that I used to be able to roam free in. I stagger back, the urge to run run far away from this place races through me. If only I could winnow myself as good as Rhys or Cassian. But the only time I actually had the power to go very far was when Rhys was dying and the adrenaline kicked in but now the same sinking feeling hits me hard in the chest and I want to vomit up my food. Immediately, it turns to stone in my stomach. Clenching my jaw I regain composure. For the Court of Dreams. For Rhys and for revenge. I chant to myself repeating it over and over in my head as Tamlin opens the door and gestures for me to sit. I take a seat in away her chair as he takes one behind his desk, like he's above me and I'm his prose. What he got for, for being a coward and succumbing to the King of Hybern and not fighting. He couldn't even get me himself, instead he had to send Lucien his pet to try and goad me into coming back. To bad this time he led me here unwittingly, right under his stares a docked doors I know he's hiding something. And I will find out. Nothing will stop me.  

　I'm jerked from my thoughts when Tamlin abruptly says, "So why don't we begin with what you know of the Night Court. I want to know everything." His voice is a lethal calm that sends me shivering. This is not the same Tamlin that I used to know. And just like that I feel a twinge of something in the back of my mind, a sort of amused laugh that can only mean one thing. Rhys. 

　The bond was not broken.