Author's Note: Okay guys this one was pretty fun. Things are gonna start getting good. Please let me know what you think of this chapter specifically!
I had a random thought while writing this one to maybe change the name of this story to Amulet of Storms. WHADDYA THINK?
My arm was beginning to heal back in my cell. I felt the power flow from the stone against my chest through my body and into the gaping wound - something I would have eagerly welcomed had the majority of my bone not been sticking straight out, pierced through my skin.
I was leaned against the cave wall, sitting with crossed legs on my sleeping mat. My fingers shook as I traced the white marrow hitting open air. I steeled myself, sucked in the deepest breath of my life, and thrust all my strength into my arm. I felt the scream tear through my lips, but I couldn't feel my lips to stop it. Fresh blood flowed in thin rivers down the length of my arm. Waves roared in my ears and my room started to sway. My hands felt far away when I saw them convulsing in my lap. A fluttering fog filled my ears and then my eyes before the world went black.
I had no way of knowing how long I'd been unconscious. The same cold floor greeted me when I slid my eyes open. They instantly begged me for more sleep, but wisps of movement fell into my peripherals and I shot to my feet, willing away the stars in my vision. Shadows built in the corner of my cell in a way that at first seemed appropriate for the conditions, but slowly they built until they rose to a height beyond my own. The darkness thickened until it found its form - until Rhysand appeared before me.
I lunged for him. The bond lit glorious flame within my chest and the twine that bound us together felt wrapped around me endlessly as I flung my arms out to touch him for the first time since Fire Night all those months ago. I was tired of holding myself back and holding myself in. I had no idea what Rhysand and I were, but I was tired of trying to figure it out. Tired of the planning and the waiting and the biding my time, playing a game like I had with Tamlin.
I would never let myself play a game with my own heart ever again.
Instead, I would chase after my own desires. With Rhysand, and everything else in the rest of my potentially soon-to-be-over life I would just pursue what felt right - damn the consequences. No more schemes. No more plans. No more apologizing. No more excuses.
No more excuses for the people who had taken advantage of me.
His scent of snow and spice hit me like a wall. Before I could hesitate, I wrapped my arms around him and breathed him in deep.
He didn't hesitate to hold me back.
"If you keep this up I won't be able to leave this cell," he whispered.
I stepped back, letting my hands slide down his chest before falling by my sides. "Fine by me."
He chuckled, muffling a deeper laugh. His hands were still touching me, though I hardly noticed with the bond in flames between us. That is, until he brushed my entirely healed arm and froze. "She's going to notice this is healed and it's a bit more obvious than your nose…" he trailed off.
No need to finish that thought - I already knew she would find a way to blame Lucien, maybe even Tamlin for my recovery. I hadn't yet thought of a ruse out of that scenario yet, though I'd wanted to hope she would just blame Tamlin even though I knew it would only come back as a punishment for me.
"How about you make a faerie's bargain with me?" he offered, a teasing silk in his liquid voice.
"Oh?" I said.
"I will heal your arm in exchange for your time."
I smiled at his vague terms. "How much time?"
"Oh not much," he mused. "Just the rest of your life."
I laughed out loud before catching myself from causing a raucous the guards might feel the need to check on. Idly I wondered if they might be sleeping. What time was it outside? How could anyone keep track beneath this mountain?
He waited patiently for an answer.
"I'm not sure I'm prepared to sign my life away to you just yet, Rhysand."
His eyes fell shut. "I love the way you say my name," he purred with a sultry smile.
I was sure I was blushing. "Make a more reasonable offer."
Tentatively, he reached up for my shoulders and wrapped an arm around me, and I let him pull me closer. "Well," he drawled. "How about I heal your arm and you spend one week with me every month?"
"Forever?"
"Maybe."
I let a wicked smile cross my lips. "I'm not sure that's quite long enough."
Rhysand beamed - truly beamed and he was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. His smile lit the room aglow and his quiet laugh filled me with a brazen confidence I'd never felt before. With Rhysand, I could do anything.
"In that case," he said, "I'll add that you spend holidays with me as well - including both our birthdays. And maybe I'll add a clause about more of these lunging hugs."
"Oh please, the Lord of the Night need not stoop so low as a contract for affection," I joked.
Something dark flew through his eyes, but it was gone before I could think to ask him about it. Nevertheless, he would share with me what he wanted when he wanted. Perhaps I would survive this and I'd get to hear of stories like those.
He reached for my healed arm. "Do you accept our bargain, Feyre?"
"I do, Rhysand."
A soft smile lifted his lips and tendrils of night left his fingertips and wove around my wrist leaving endless ink in its wake.
I inspected the swirling tattoo that climaxed with a detailed eye directly in the center of my palm. I looked back to my mate. "Where's yours?"
He grinned for me again. "Do you want me to have a matching one?"
I thought about that for a moment before answering. "Yes."
His eyes never left mine as shadows spun over his skin as they had mine. His tattoo was sharp, brutal - wicked. I could only see from beneath his sleeve, but there on his palm was a matching eye.
I need to go, he spoke through the bond. The guards are coming back, but this bargain should help out our bond - ease some of the strain.
I tried not to think of the lack of strain I felt, but I knew he would know of the feeling anyway. I made a mental note to learn to shield my mind from him for privacy purposes.
Maybe it's a faerie thing, he responded. Your second challenge is coming up, but you still have a few days. I've got something in mind to take your mind off things and maybe have some fun…
I nearly laughed out loud. Fun? In this place? Where I was constantly battling for my life?
Rhysand just smiled at me before fading into shadow.
I fell asleep staring into the eye of my palm.
The blackness was familiar around me. The smell of wet earth fell upon my nostrils from above me and I felt myself lean back against rock. My feet moved beneath me and I was running through the dark, my hand sliding across the jagged walls. Tunnels. I was in a tunnel.
Not just any tunnel. The tunnel that led me Under the Mountain.
The tunnel that led me to Amarantha.
Steps pounded into a musical echo bouncing off the walls into the eternal distance ahead. My breath was shallow, moisture filled my heavy lungs.
Suddenly my hand holding me to the wall was exposed. I'd reached a corner - a turn - and when I looked ahead I saw a figure in the darkness as clearly as I would beneath the bright sun of the Spring Court.
A small, delicate woman stood in the black beyond with one arm raised high near her shoulder. She appeared to be high fae, but her silver eyes were alive - literally alive, swirling with smoke like leashed lightning- sending a deep, raging pulse into my veins begging me to run the other direction. Her slick straight black hair was cut at her chin and her clothes blurred into the night that surrounded her.
She was looking right at me.
"Be careful with it, Feyre."
It was then that I saw the amulet in her hand - the same amulet I now wore around my neck.
"Use it wisely."
I tried to step back, but my legs wouldn't listen. When had I stopped running? When had she gotten so close?
"My High Lord knows of the jewel, but he feels its power enough to know not to speak of it. You'd be wise to do the same."
When had I ever tried to tell anyone of it? Did I deserve such a warning?
"This amulet is cursed. It's been in my possession for longer than Rhysand has been alive. My grandmother had given it to me after she'd stolen it from her father before she killed him."
Cold was growing around me, eating at my fingertips.
"She'd wanted to use it - to feel its power thrum within her - but it only works for the chosen."
Numb, I was growing numb.
"It awoke and called to me many, many years ago, leading me with its pulse to find Rhysand. At first, I'd thought he was the chosen one, but then the Amulet of Storms quieted for many more decades. But I am a patient being. It started to emanate those waves of power for me again a few years ago, weak at first, but slowly growing stronger over the past few months - months in which I was separated from the High Lord. Then he sent word to us - to me. He sent for Azriel to come to you, to guard you before you infiltrated his captor's mountain. Before you did what all of us in the Inner Circle wished we could do. And then the stone begged for me, yearning for you, I learned. I found a way to get it to you, but what it does from here is a mystery."
Shadows were blurring in my vision, her soft face melting into the black. When had I last taken a breath? The cavern dissipated around me. Endless black swallowed us.
"This magic is much older than Amarantha. I do not know what power it will unleash, but it has chosen you, mate of my Lord. So, to you, this is my gift."
Dream… This was a dream…
"Use it wisely."
Author's Note: Ayo, it's me again :D
So what did you think of my first flirty Feysand piece? And my Amren dream?
Also guys, I wrote this at 2-3 AM ish and definitely wrote "Maeve" instead of "Amarantha" at one point and it was hilarious... So holla if you find more typos because it's most likely from my late night writings when I'm too excited to spit out my plot to do much editing.
SO MUCH LOVE TO MY REVIEWERS AND MY FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS! FEYREGIRL AND KATE YOU DA BOMB FOR YOUR REVIEWS ON MY LAST CHAPPIE! XOXOXOXOXOXO
Okie dokie peace out and goodnightttttt.