Chapter 6

Weeks passed, Tamlin and I grew closer the more time we spent. He was not all bad, he was sweet at times, and caring. Why did he change in the book? Was the mountain that troubling for him and Feyre? Later questions.

I would read everywhere I found suitable, and Tamlin would follow like a puppy. I would sometimes read to him the funny things I found, or something that seemed interesting. Mostly ranting at the characters for being dumb or not realizing their love.

I strolled in the night, Tamlin by my side. His jaw clinched, and his hands opened and closed. Something was wrong, I knew that look. That look of annoyance. He would get it with Lucian, and sometimes me. Red flags but I had to endure them.

"Stay hidden, and no matter what you overhear, don't come out."

Then he was gone.

I blinked twice before I realized what was happening, and what night this was. I ducked into a bush. Tamlin's snarl ripped through the air, and my heart froze. My whole-body shook.

"I know what day it is," Tamlin was speaking to someone. The Attor, it had to be that thing.

I waited for that disembodied voice. "Your continued behavior is garnering a lot of interest at court," I hated how the voice sounded. It was terrifying to know this thing was real, just like they were. "She has begun wondering- wondering why you haven't given up yet."

"Tamlin's not like the other fools," Lucian snapped, his shoulders pushed back to use his full height. "If she expected bowed heads, then she's more of an idiot than I thought."

The voice hissed, my body cold. "Speak you so ill of she who holds your fate in her hands? With one word, she could destroy this pathetic estate. She wasn't please when she heard you dispatching your warriors." The voice had turned toward Tamlin. "But, as nothing come of it, she has chosen to ignore it."

There was a deep-throated growl from the high lord, but his words came out calm. "Tell her I am sick of cleaning up her trash she dumps on my borders."

The voice chuckled. "She sets them loose as gifts- reminders of what will happen if she catches you trying to break the terms of-"

"He's not," Lucian snapped. "Now, get out. We have enough of your ilk swarming our boarders—we don't need you defiling our home too. For that, stay out of the cave. It's not some common road for filth like you to travel though as they please."

Tamlin growled in agreement.

The invisible thing laughed again, a horrible and vicious sound. "Though you have a heart of stone, Tamlin. You certainly keep a host of fear inside it. Don't worry High Lord." It spat. "All will be right as rain soon enough."

"Burn in hell." Lucian replied. Wings boomed off the ground and I felt at ease. The power it emitted going with it.

"It's gone." Tamlin spoke, but I wasn't moving. My body refused.

Tamlin held my arm, pulling me up.

"What did you hear." Lucian asked.

"I heard everything. Be specific."

"What did you understand?"

I looked too Tamlin; his face contorted in anger. I placed a hand over his heart, his hand came up to hold it there. His face softening.

"Say it Feyre, what do you think you understand?"

"Heart of stone, that's why your power is weakened, isn't it. It's made of real stone. She is the Blight. She did this to you. There is some terms of a deal you made, but I don't know the context of what and why."

My peaceful world came crashing back to reality, the days I spent escaping all caught up to me in this moment. It was almost over. I wasn't in love with him, but I loved his company and the time we spent together, and I wasn't ready for it to end. To go to that place, to die.

He was doomed the moment I landed here. I was doomed because of the real Feyre too. My gaze down cast, I turned. "I'm going to bed, I'm not hungry. I- I need time to think."

I shut myself in, putting that corset on as I lay there half expecting to be plucked from my bed for it all to start.

The night of Calanmai came, this would be the night he finds the girl he likes and fucks her brains out to create the magic for the land. A dumb ritual but it was interesting in the book.

I was curious myself, listening to the drums beat and the chattering cheers of many fairies. It was fascinating to see so many of them. I had not seen to many of them in my time here besides the few servants I could see.

I made it known I could sense them, and I wished I could see them. I figured if they knew I knew, they would do something about it. I was getting bored of these four walls and all the other walls in this place for that matter.

I changed from my night gown into something different. Sneaking out of the house and to the party. The drums grew louder with each approaching step. Drinking and merriment everywhere. Just a few minutes, drink in the scene, then leave.

No wine, absolutely no wine.

I skimmed over the tables, no food, but the drinks were heavy. Bonfires lit all around the open area. People were lining up down a road, all of them women and a few males behind them. Everyone looked like they were in some kind of trance as the swayed back and forth to the beat.

The drums pace quickened, and it was time for my exit, he should not see me, and I stayed far away. So, smelling me might not happen. I turned, flanked by three men. The worst thought ran through my head, I had stayed and wondered too much, too long

One grasped my arm, smiling. "Human woman," He murmured; breath smelling like mead. "We've not seen one of you in a while."

I tried pulling away. "Not interested, let me go."

Another grabbed my arm. "Oh, but we are. Relax, just some fire night fun."

"No, I just came to spectate, someone will come looking for me. They will know I went missing."

"Just what will they be able to do?" I struggled against them, trying to find my open spot to run. They were fairies, I was a weak human. I made a grave mistake; I almost wonder if they had been following me for a while.

I kicked, and bucked as I was dragged away. Managed to hit one in the face and he held his nose. "You will pay for that."

"STOP! Leave me alone."

"That's a bold statement from a human on Calanmia"

With those words I knew I was done. They were going to take me into the woods and have their way. They surrounded me, touching me with their boney fingers. All up and down my body.

I swatted what hands I could, kicked at the others trying to get up my skirt. "Stop, touching me." Fingers through my hair made me flinch. I kept the struggle as they neared the forest. Not again. I had been through something similar, when I could not remember.

Tears were forming, I kept shoving them down, but the thoughts raced from one scenario to another. Faces changing, remembering little slices. I had to get away, have to keep fighting.

Far from the crowd, I was pushed down. I did not land as hard as I had expected, the ground pitch black. Run, I have… I froze as warm hands gently picked me up. Strong, warm, broad hands being gentle, not like the fairies that had touched me.

He spoke as he set me up right. "There you are, I've been looking for you." He sounded so glad to see me, like a friend who had been gone for a while and was worried for them.

I hugged him around his waist, his arm came around me, and I let out a breath of relief. He could be the Naga for all I cared, and I would hug them too if they stopped these fairies. Although I'll take a nice man, over a Naga any day.

"Thank you for finding her for me." So smooth and polished. "Enjoy the Rite." His last biting words. The three fairies stiffened, running back to the bonfires.

I looked up, and I melted. This beautiful, sensual man eluded grace and ease. His hair was colored like shadows and eyes made of lavender and starlight. They twinkled with amusement as he held me. Realization to who this one was clicked in my mind. I had held on for far too long and let him go.

He half smiled as he looked into my eyes, not my body. He put his hands in the pockets of his fine clothing. Obsidian and shadow like, all made finely. "What's a mortal woman doing here on fire night."

"My friends brought me, I wondered off. Thank you. I know it's not a lot, but I really appreciate what you did."

"Who are you friends?" I stepped back, my back hit a tree.

Animal crackers in my soup, monkeys and rabbits loop de loop.

He smirked, leaning in. "How interesting." He chuckled. "You're welcome, for saving you."

"I should go." I let that tune play over in my head. Keeping my focus on it as I looked around him.

His hand pressed against the tree. "You know, it is strange for a mortal to be friends with two fairies. Aren't you supposed to be terrified of us? And aren't you, for that matter, supposed to stay on your side of the wall."

If I look any longer, I might suggest terrible things. I pushed his face up, looking down. "I'm not terrified of the good fairies. Stop looking at me, you make me nerves."

He moved my hands, holding them. "I should, humans should not be here. Go back to your side of the wall and never look back."

I met his gaze. He was warning me, telling me to run with everything I had. There was this fleck of sadness just behind that warning. "May I... May I know your name?"

He looked back and forth into my eyes, and I knew this could be trouble, but... damn the consciences just once.

"Rhysand." I felt something wash into my mind, holding me there. "You will tell no one you saw me or speak my name to anyone. Got it?" I nodded and he let my hands go and stepped back. "Go."

I headed that command running as far as I could away from him. He was much prettier than I expected.

In fact, everything was much prettier than I anticipated. Tamlin, Rhysand, hell, Lucian and all his red headed beauty. I would rail all three, and at the same time if given the opportunity.

I stayed up countless nights thinking about the dirtiest thoughts and how easy it might be to have some of them satisfied. That library was not helping to the fantasies I had.

I shut and locked the door, then hid under my covers. At some point in the night, I heard my door handle giggle. He was back, but he left it alone.

The next morning after breakfast, Tamlin looked angrier than his usual brood when he hunted the things in the forest.

"Say whatever is on your mind, because your brood is taking up all the space in here."

"You didn't listen."

"I checked it out for fifteen minutes and came right back here. I am fine, I played it safe the whole time."

"Staying inside would have been playing it safe."

"Yes, you're right. I won't do it again. Sometimes, even in my introverted state, I like to see beyond these walls."

"I smelled you, I looked for you." Lucian got up and left the table. "I had to take some other woman in that cave when I wanted to take you." His animal side was coming out, claws protruding. The side I knew was most dangerous, the one only relying on instincts rather than his heart.

But he wanted to take me, I wanted release. I might not make it out of here alive, I should delight myself with what I had, which was not much. Concerning it was him and it would only lead to him thinking that I might be in love.

"Tam, I'm sorry. Out of all the time I have spent here, how often have I left the premises? I knew when there was danger, when to alert someone when something wasn't right. I listen constantly. I ask you, do not be so hard for the one time I have not."

His claws retracted; this was the time to make a new move. I stood putting myself in his lap and I cupped his face. "Can we forget this? Can we move past this?"

"You're putting yourself in a dangerous position right now."

"If it's with you, then I know I'm safe." I feed that side of him, because what I could obtain was right here.

He rested his head on my shoulder, and I laid a hand gently on the back of his head.

He had a heart, regardless of if it were of stone or not. He had his own worries, and sorrows.

I hugged his head to my chest, he was broken. So hurt and devastated at what his land had become. To his power, to Prythian. Now he was playing house with me, attempting to get me to love him. Something he would fail at.

We moved to the garden, I sat up against a tree in the shade, his head in my lap. I twirled his hair with one hand and held my book in the other. Only stopping to turn the page.

What kind of life would I have if I did make it. Laze about as his wife. Read to my heart's content like I do now. How content would I be in that life? It would really depend on how he treated me.

I set the book down, looked up to the sun though the leaves. There would be so many things I did not have to do if I stayed here. There would also be so many places I would not see. That was one thing I did enjoy, seeing the beauty the world offered.

If I make it out of here, I might have to set it straight with him. Tell him my intentions. For now, I must continue to eat well, work out, and practice. When the time is right, if I don't love him, I must put it straight.