Chapter Five

He Came By Night

I could tell that Tamlin was still suspicious of me. And from the rumors of how Rhys had stolen Feyre away right in the middle of their wedding ceremony, to be perfectly honest, I could not find fault in his suspicion. But it did not bode well for me in the morning. He stormed my entire quarters that had been gifted to me, and went right to the spot where the Illyrian male had stood before whirling on me with an accusatory onslaught of questions that demanded straight answers.

"He was right here... it wasn't Rhysand but it was one of his own closest members of his personal court. Did you see him?" He was so abrupt, and I could see his fangs protruding from his mouth. Not his fae fangs either. These terrifying fangs that I had seen on a large cat once when I was traveling with my Lady. It was in a cage, but even more intimidating to see so close up. His claws were already half protruded from his fingers as well. I was afraid that the beast he had torn apart within a matter of second from a few days ago would soon be me.

"No. I have seen no one other than you and your house staff since my... arrival." I wanted to say kidnapping, but I was already treading on needles at this point. I could feel my entire body begin to have slight tremors run throughout it. Relying on my skills with deceit had never been more terrifying than this single moment in my life thus far.

A growl ripped from his throat as he stormed right at me. "Look me in the eyes. Swear upon your life that you didn't see an Illyrian male in this room. He was here last night."

I knew that if I even allowed one moment of weakness, he would be upon me. He was heaving now. His eyes practically glowing just as that large cats eyes did. I very slowly, and as calmly as possible looked right up into the eyes of Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court, and held his gaze. It was like looking into the eyes of pure madness and hatred. He was consumed by it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

"I swear upon my mothers soul. I did not see anyone in this room last night." Magically, my voice was somehow able to keep from quivering. Which was the most astounding part of this entire scenario due to the fact that I could feel the black around my vision wanting to take over. I felt faint. It killed me to swear upon my mother, but in the end, she was dead. What would she do about my lying. Come back as a ghost and scold me?

He stared and stared into my eyes to the point in which I swore he could somehow smell my lie. I was prepared for him to feel him wrap his jaw around my throat before ripping it free from my body, but no. Instead, his heaving breaths slowly began to die down. His fangs pulling back. Claws slowly retreating. His green irises were now all I could see.

A new fear arose in me. He was so close to my face at this point, I was afraid he was going to finish off the last inch or so between us and kiss me. The image in my mind was more horrifying than him ripping out my spleen. I quickly took a step back, playing the demure maiden.

He finally broke the silence. "Fine. But you aren't sleeping alone anymore. I will not allow you to be alone in your quarters until I feel you are safe to be by yourself."

I felt as if he had punched me in the gut so hard that I couldn't breathe.

"What?!" Now I was the one who was snarling.

"Cauldron, No! If you are so worried about me being alone, place guards outside my door. Gods, even have a handmaiden sleep on the floor beside my bed but I will now allow a male to -"

"This isn't a discussion. It's an order. You may find my ways callous and a bit forward, but it isn't for the reason you may think. I have had..." He paused, eyes suddenly downcast before pulling himself back together. "I have dealt with things like this before. This is the only way I can ensure that you will not be taken from me as someone else once was."

My fear had bubbled down into anger and bitterness. Still refusing to accept the fact that he thought it was his 'duty' to sleep beside me in my own bed.

"You mean Feyre Oathbreaker?" Her name struck him, almost as if it was a slap to the face. He looked at me, with astonishment and slowly rising malice.

"Everyone knows about what happened between you and her. And High Lord Rhysand. Everyone knows the deal you struck with the King. What you did to her sisters. You tried to force her into submission to you by promising -" Before I knew it, I was pressed against the wall, his hands pinning me by my upper arms, his fangs once again in my face, his entire body was trembling.

"Don't you EVER speak of what happened. You were not in this household. You were not of this court. You have no idea the pain and suffering I went through to get her back... and then to lose her again. Her lies. Her tricks. Don't you ever act as if you are worthy enough to know..." And suddenly, his head was bowed, and he had let me go, hands dropping just as suddenly as they had held me.

"...I didn't want this to begin this way. I have dreamed for so long of how I would meet my mate. How happy it would be... but... this is all wrong. You don't share the same feeling somehow... and I can see in your eyes, when you look at me, all you see is a monster. I terrify you... don't I?" He looked back up at me. I did everything in my power to pull up some sort of remorse for him... but... there was something in his eyes. A desperation. Not a selfless kind either. Nor a hopeless sort. It was... he wanted me to see something in him. And I could not see it because it was not there. What it was, I cannot ever say.

I stared right back, my heartbeat reverberating through my entire body as I tried to calm myself once more.

"You took me from my home. You did not listen to me when I pleaded with you. You won't let me outside. You have me watched at all times. The only solace I have is in this room... this prison you say is my bedroom. Then you come to me, accusing me of things, and to end it all. You then claim that I will be sharing a bed with you every night for... however long you deem necessary. I have told you; over and over and OVER that I feel no connection to you. No longing, no wanting, no kind of attraction, much less love... and here you stand before me. Threatening and dangerous. And now you seem to want some kind of pity?" My voice had gotten so soft that the only way I knew he could hear me was by the way he was watching me as I spoke.

"How dare I? No. How dare YOU, High Lord. My life may not have been perfect before meeting you. I might not even miss the palace of Autumn and those terrible brothers and the stifling rules and regulations, but even there, I could run. I always could run. How dare you try to bind me and entrap me in this place." I was standing up straighter now. He had even taken a step back.

"You are correct. I don't exactly know what happened in this walls of this place between you and the now High Lady of Night. But I do know this: If she dealt with even the smallest amount of what I have seen from you upon my first impression, to this very moment... you deserved it. You deserved her treachery. And I think you know that... don't you?"

…...

"There. You have the bed all to yourself now. Happy?" Tamlin was only in a pair of britches as he climbed into the cot looking bed beside mine. And I wasn't happy. He was going to come tonight.. he said he would. And it will be as if I had set a trap for him. The Illyrian. Azriel. Rhysand's friend and member of his court. I could not shake the fear of his death being upon my hands if he were to keep his promise and appear in the room as he had last night.

I stayed upright in the bed, glancing off to the side of the moonlight shining through the cracks of the curtains of the only window in the room. I could hear Tamlin moving around under his blankets, with a final huff. I stared and stared at that moonlight. Just as I had stared at the sunshine, and the green grass, and the trees off in the distance calling my name. I could not help but wonder if Feyre had done the same thing in this manor. If she had had different quarters, or maybe if at one given time, she had been in this same room, in this same bed, staring out the same window longingly, wishing for someone to save her. And she did. How lucky she ought to know she was in having that.

I could not even force myself to lay down and lie still to even pretend to sleep. There was a dread building in the pit of my stomach that was beginning to turn into such an ache I could feel tears threatening from behind the corners of my eyes. But I couldn't cry. I had to think of something. I couldn't just lie here in wait with Tamlin and allow my only chance at freedom to be caught and killed. It was still rather early in the night. When Azriel arrived it was not for at least a few more hours.

I finally laid down as I allowed a plan to unfold in the labyrinth of my mind. I could not pretend to need to leave. Everything I could possibly need that wouldn't be ridiculous was already in these quarters. Even if I did leave, he would still show up in this room most likely. How could I get Tamlin... out, then. Think Eren.

I was squeezing my eyes shut when there was a sudden sharp knock at the door. I shot up in my bed just as Tamling did in his cot. He was already on his feet and to the door before I could even inhale. Please don't let it be...

But it wasn't. It was one of his personal guards whose name I did not yet know. He was bowing before Tamlin could even fully open the door with a snarl. "What." It was a demand, not a question.

"My Lord Tamlin... I apologize, sir, but we have had a breach in the perimeter of the manor. There is something skulking around near the gardens. But it's too fast. We believe it might be one of the Night Court's ilk. It looks as if it's made from shadows..." He then glanced past Tamlin as he stood straight again and made eye contact with me before looking away quickly.

Tamlin didn't even speak. Within a single instance he was changing into the skin and hide of the beast I had first witnessed him in. The guard barely managed to stagger out of the way as Tamlin tore down the halls with a roar of pure loathing. The guard quickly followed suit, not even bothering to look back.

I was in shock. Why... would he appear in the garden? What...-

"My lady..."

A whisper that sounded like a frozen wind from winter floated across the room from the window I was just staring at moments ago. But now it was slightly ajar, and a figure loomed outside; someone was crouching in the windowsill.

"Please. Hurry. He will be back within moments. He will know it's a trick." My heart leaped at the realization of what had just occurred. That clever winged thing, him. I got out of bed and ran towards the window as quickly as possible, but knew not to open it further than necessary so as to not draw suspicion.

"You came back..." A sob ripped from the back of my throat, and I had to cover my mouth with my hand so as to not allow another to escape. I couldn't cry. I couldn't allow a trace to be tracked.

"Yes..." The voice sounded softer now, almost comforting before continuing. "I need you to listen closely for I only have a few seconds to spare." Another roar sounded off to what must have been the opposite side of the house.

"We cannot take you from inside the manor. It is too risky. Too many barriers. And would be a clear signal to war between the Night and Spring Courts. My High Lady and Lord... we all wish to help you. But this cannot be done so simply. You need to meet us at the border of the summer court. In one week. At this exact time of night. Head straight for the summer court. We will send you details of the location and how to get there in three days time." His voice was going faster and faster as he spoke. But I could feel my heart beginning to shatter.

"I... I can't. He won't even let me leave the manor let alone the grounds. And even if I could, I wouldn't be able to get there on foot by myself..." I wanted to scream. I wanted to fling open the window and beg him to just take me then. But the more logical side of me knew that would be begging for open war. For putting them all in more jeopardy than they already have done and will do for me.

There was a brief pause, and I could have sworn I heard a soft yet deadly anger in his voice as he spoke again.

"He won't let you leave the manor at all?"

"No..." I said it so softly. I clutched at my sides.

"Cauldron..." he swore to himself as I heard a crashing from downstairs.

"Three days. We will find a way. Wait for the message. I swear upon my life. I will get you out of this hell." And suddenly the window snapped closed and I practically flew back under my covers just as Tamlin, now in half beast, half fae form, tore into the room. The door flew off of the hinges and hit the wall opposite of the bedroom.

I was frozen in fear as he stormed towards me, ripping the blankets off of me before grabbing me by my chin and examining me in a way that had a slight whimper escape from my mouth.

"Where. Is. He." His lips were almost brushing against mine as he snarled in my face. I let out a sob of fear as I could feel his fingers gripping my jaw so tightly there was almost certainly going to be bruises by morning.

"W—what are you talking about? Wasn't he in the garden?" I somehow managed to stammer. He tossed me away from him in disgust before letting out a cry of anger unlike anything I had heard before. At this point I was just bawling. I clambered off the opposite side of the bed and crawled into the corner furthest from him, curling up in a bawl and sobbing. I didn't want to see him. I didn't want to hear him. I had nowhere to go and nowhere to run. I was trapped in a room with the most terrifying monster I could never have imagined to possibly exist. And I was his mate.