500 years later…

I looked up at the mountain before me, trying to steel myself for what I was about to do. By the end of tonight Amarantha would be dead, and I couldn't wait a second longer. For the past fifty years, Amarantha had tried to woo me and the other High Lords into trusting her, but I didn't believe her. Her 'transformation' wasn't real. It couldn't be. I had seen her true self. I saw the way she killed my men, saw the way she ripped into Jurian.

Even though I didn't regret not bringing my inner circle here, I knew it was stupid of me. How many fae would wonder why I came alone when they knew I had a powerful circle? Hopefully Amarantha would be too charming for them to realize.

Azriel scoped out the area a couple of weeks ago, but found nothing. "I'll look again when we go," he'd said. At the time I hadn't told him he wouldn't be coming with me; I just nodded and read over his notes again, planning to only invite a portion of the Court of Nightmares.

I repositioned the simple black mask I wore and began to walk inside, grasping the facade I more than ever needed to maintain tonight, the cruel disinterested High Lord.

vVv

Tamlin sat across from me, and for once he was so focused on shooting Amarantha looks that he didn't bother to pay attention to me at all. It was as if he and I had never had a falling out. As I readied my mind for what I was about to do, I looked at my surroundings. This place was miserable, awful, full of tall arches with sinister faces etched into them and shadows looming in every corner… it seemed a lot like-

"Rhysand," Amarantha drawled, "how do you like the decor? I modeled after your own court."

I looked at her for a moment before letting my eyes drift around the room, pretending to look at the 'decor.' "'It's wonderful. Enough to rival the Court of Nightmares itself."

She smiled at me, flashing her teeth, and turned to face someone else. Now. If I wanted to get her to spill her crimes to the world it had to be now, before I lose my nerve.

I didn't let my face change as I snuck black claws towards her mental shields… only to hit a solid wall. I pressed against them again- solid walls, well crafted. She was shielded against daementi. I knew if I wished I could keep tunneling through, slowly unravel those shields until her mind was exposed to me, but I didn't know if I had the time. The concentration alone would make me look as if I've checked out of the meal.

After a moment, I decided to keep tunneling. I had not come all of these miles just to return home earning nothing.

A half hour passed, and then an hour, and still I wasn't able to get through. I wasn't even sure how far I made it at all. I could have barely gone through or been near the end, and there would be no way for me to know, her shields were too extensive. Whenever someone addressed me I was able to respond as a cool collected High Lord, but in reality I was starting to freak out a little. I wanted revenge on her tonight.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I blinked, returning to reality. Helion was passing me a drink. I took it, momentarily pausing my pilgrimage, and looked towards Amarantha. She didn't seem to realize that I was drilling through her shields, or if she did, she didn't seem to care much. Amarantha smiled and started speaking as I began to work on the shields again.

She was reciting some kind of speech; I heard it, but I couldn't process it, not as I tunneled deeper and deeper… "For the past fifty years we have been unifying Prythian and the Continent in order to be a more powerful force. I regret what happened all those centuries ago between me and Jurian," she said, her thumb caressing the side of her ring, the ring with Jurian's eye. "I have been working on myself and my home in the hopes of helping my nation prosper, as well as yours. Soon we-"

There! I could feel it, the edge of her shields. It was close, so close that I could already imagine the words I would make her spew, the words that would make her little speech crumble.

Amarantha lifted her glass, a wicked smile on her lips, "Finally, I salute to us, our kin, and to the future. May prosperity last for years to come!"

There was a chorus of cheers, and everyone started drinking. I followed suit, draining my drink to dregs. So close, I was so close…

Suddenly, cries of outrage surrounded me, and I blinked as her shields abruptly seemed impossible to get through. My daementi powers seemed to weaken. Why were they weakening? Why?

"What have you done!" one of the High Lord's bellowed.

Amarantha looked at all of us, her gaze straying on me, before she triumphantly lifted her chin and declared, "Your powers are all mine, and there is nothing you could do about it. I rule now."

She was taking away my powers. How in the mother had I let that happen? Dread coiled in my gut; it was because I had insisted my brothers to stay home, they would've known.

Pain erupted deep inside me, and it took everything in me to restrain a roar. She was taking my power, I could feel it. She was going to take over the whole of Prythian, and nobody would be able to stop it. Velaris…

I flung my arm out, needing it to channel my powers as if I were a child, and erased Velaris from the minds of my Court of Nightmares. Then, I placed strong wards around Velaris that would only stay in place as long as my family stayed there. If I didn't, they would come the second they found out and put themselves in danger.

I was sweating and shaking badly; my power seemed to be draining faster and faster by the second. I knew I had only a few seconds left. As quickly as I could, I linked Cassian's, Mor's, Amren's, and Azriel's minds to mine.

'Amarantha tricked me. You are binded to Velaris, protect it. Leave and you risk it. Do not come for me. …I love you all.'

I blinked, and whatever power I had left was gone. Amarantha immediately stood and slaughtered every citizen of the Court of Nightmares I had brought, smiling gleefully. For Tamlin's father- her friend, I knew.

Half of my Court, dead. I balled my fists, feeling powerless for the first time in centuries. My court, I had to protect it. There was nothing I wouldn't do to protect it. She laughed, bending over slightly and clutching her stomach. "This is delightful! Truly the most fun I've had in decades!"

She was interested in hurting me… If I could keep her attention on me, would I be able to keep my Court from being a target?

Would I be able to maintain my mask for as long as I needed?

A/N- This is pretty much it. I might do the final part (his first night with her and Tamlin being cursed) but it won't be for at least a week. I have a lot going on. I will try though, comment if you want it Ig. I hope you've enjoyed it up till now though!