Chapter 5

The Human Girl Arrives

In the coming weeks. A human girl was brought in that Rhys had claimed was with Tamlin. Holly knew it was a lie and made her wonder what Rhys wasn't telling her, but kept it to herself. She knew he would tell her when he was ready. The poor girl was tortured. And shortly after the woman was brought. Amaratha went and got Tamlin and his court to Under the Mountain. Tamlin was now sitting in the chair next to Amaratha's throne. Rhys put the girl out of her misery after he couldn't stand her being tortured. Holly and Eris were starting to get along, but slowly when he was able to get some Autumn Court to the Summer Court to help plan an attack on the Mountain. Rhys had an idea, but he knew Holly was keeping stuff from him in case Amaratha finds out.

Holly sat on her throne with Eris standing next to her as people gathered for a party. Holly had one of the books that Rhys had rescued for her, sitting on her lap. The parties bored her and she usually buried her nose in a book. She was homesick for the library in Velaris and all her friends.

The Attor pushes through the crowd. A female was pushed to her knees. Holly's eyes widen at reconition. It was the female from the Spring Court. Her eyes flickered to the back of the back of the room where Rhys was. He stood up from his seat.

"What's this?" Amaratha said.

"Just a human thing I found downstairs." The Attor hissed. Holly gripped her throne a little tight.

"Obviously." Amaratha purred. "But why should I bother with her?" The Attor chuckled and a taloned foot jabbed into the human's side. "Tell her Majesty why you were sneaking around the catacombs. Why you came out of the old cave that leads to the Spring Court." The Human girl stayed silent. The Attor kicked her again. "Tell her Majesty, you human filth." The girl looked at Holly and her eyes widen a bit, but looked at Amaratha.

"I came to claim the one I love." The girl said quietly. Holly raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Amaratha leans forward.

"I've come to claim Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court." The girl said. A gasp rippled through the room.

"Is she crazy?" Eris whispered. Holly shushed him as Amaratha tilted her head back and laughed. Amaratha turned to Tamlin.

"You certainly were busy all those years. Developed a taste for human beasts, did you?" Amaratha asked. Tamlin was quiet. Holly felt the shadows move from her arms as if they were listening. Holly wouldn't doubt they be reporting somehow to Azriel. "But. It makes me wonder, if only one human girl could be taken once she killed your sentinel." Holly looked towards Amaratha. She was smirking. "Oh, you are delicious. You let me torture that innocent girl to keep this one safe? You lovely thing! You actually made a human worm love you. Marvelous." She clapped her hands and Tamlin looked away from her.

"Let him go!" The girl said. Amaratha laughed.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't destroy you where you stand, human." Amaratha bared her teeth.

"You tricked him, he is bound unfairly." Tamlin went still. Amaratha clicked her tongue and looked at her hand at the ring that hat Jurian's eye. It always made Holly sick seeing that ring. It moved around and Holly refused to look at it. "You human beasts are so uncreative. We spent years teaching you poetry and fine speech, and that is all you can come up with? I should rip out your tongue for letting it go to waste." Holly pressed her lips together. "But I'm cuirous: What eloquence will pour from your lips when you behold what you should have been." Amaratha points to the body of the young human behind the girl.

'You did that?' Holly slightly glared at Rhys. He was silent. 'What is she to you that you lied on the girls name?'

'Nothing you need to know right now.' Rhys said and Holly knew he was hiding something. The girl looked sicked.

"Perhaps I should have listened when she said she'd never seen Tamlin before. Or when she insisted she'd never killed a faerie, never hunted a day in her life. Though her screaming was delightful. I haven't heard such lovely music in ages. I should thank you for giving Rhysand her name instead of yours." The Attor turned the girl to face Amaratha. Fear was in her eyes. "Come now, Precious. What have you to say to that?" Fire burned in the girls eyes and Holly hid a smile. "Do you still wish to claim someone who would do that to an innocent?" The girl held her head high.

"Yes. Yes, I do." The woman said. Amaratha's lip curled back. She leaned back in the throne and crossed her legs.

"Well, Tamlin." Amaratha puts a hand on Tamlin's arm. "I don't suppose you ever expected this to occur." She waved a hand at the girl. There was laughter in the room. "What do you have to say, High Lord?" Tamlin looked at the girl.

"I've never seen her before. Someone must have glamoured her as a joke. Probably Rhysand or Holly." Tamlin said. Holly rolled her eyes.

"Oh, that's not even a halfway decent lie." Amaratha angled her head. "Could it be... Could it be that you, despite your words so many years ago, return the human's feelings? A girl with hate in her heart for our kind has managed to fall in love with a faerie. And a faerie whose father once slaughtered the human masses by my side has actually fallen in love with her, too?" Amaratha let out a crow's laugh. "Oh, this is too good, this is too fun." She fingered the finger bone hanging from her necklace and looked at the encased eye. "I suppose if anyone can appreciate the moment." She said to the ring. "It would be you, Jurian. A pity your human whore on the side never bothered to save you, though." Holly knew about Miryium and Draken. Azriel had told her the story on one of her nightmare nights. Holly wanted to meet them someday. Tamlin just stared at the human with no recognition. Holly knew he was protecting the girl. Amaratha picked at her nails. "Things have been awfully boring since Clare decided to die on me. Killing you outright, human, would be dull. But Fate stirs the Cauldron in strange ways. Perhaps my darling Clare had to die in order for me to have some true amusement with you." Holly had a bad feeling about this. "You came to claim Tamlin? Well, as it happens, I'm bored to tears of his sullen silence. I was worried when he didn't flinch while I played with darling Clare, when he didn't even show those lovely claws. But I'll make a bargain with you, human. You complete three tasks of my choosing, three tasks to prove how deep that human sense of loyalty and love runs, and Tamlin is yours. Just three little challenges to prove your dedication, to prove to me, to darling Jurian, that your kind can indeed love true, and you can have your High Lord." Amaratha looked at Tamlin. "Consider it a favor, High Lord. These human dogs can make our kind so lust-blind that we lose all common sense. Better for you to see her true nature now."

"I want his curse broken too." Holly's breath caught at those words. Even Eris was holding his breath. "I complete all three of your tasks and his curse is broken, and we and all his court can leave here. And remain free forever." Eris looked at Holly. Holly wondered what would happen if Tamlin was free, but Holly got a feeling Amaratha wouldn't let them leave if she did complete the tasks.

"Of course. I'll throw in another element, if you don't mind, just to see if you're worthy of one of our kind, if you're smart enough to deserve him." Jurian's eye swiveled wildly. Amaratha clicked her tongue and the eye stopped "I'll give you a way out, girl. You'll complete all the tasks, or, when you can't stand it anymore, all you have to do is answer one question. A riddle. You solve the riddle, and his curse will be broken. Instantaneously. I won't even need to lift my finger and he'll be free. Say the right answer, and he's yours. You can answer it at any time, but if you answer incorrectly..." She pointed back at the human body.

"And what if I fail your tasks?" The girl asked. Amaratha smiled as she ran her thumb across the dome of her ring.

"If you fail a task, there won't be anything left of you for me to play with." Amaratha said. A shiver ran down Holly's spine.

"What is the nature of my tasks?" The girl asked.

"Oh, revealing that would take all the fun out of it. But I'll tell you that you'll have one task every month at the full moon." Amaratha said.

'I wonder how this is gonna go over with your father.' Rhys asked as they made the deal and Holly didn't want to hear it.

'Not well. He's still pissed at her for ignoring his calls when she was torturing Jurian. I'm gonna be leaving here soon as I know this deal is done and tell him.' Holly sighed.

'You better go and come back.' Rhys said. Last time she went, Holly came back with bruises. Rhys was not happy.

"Agreed." The girl said.

"Give her a greeting worthy of my hall." Amaratha said. Holly turned to Eris as the Attor and the other faerie started to beat her, but Eris was gone. Holly sighed. Holly stood and turned to Amaratha.

"I'll be reporting this to father." Holly said. Amaratha's eyes flared in anger. "I'm to report stuff your doing. I think he'll be interested to know what your doing with this human girl." Amaratha's eyes harden and Holly winnowed out and to Hybern right into her father's throne room.

The King of Hybern sat lazily in his chair. Draco was sitting at one of the tables with a girl in his lap. Holly knew she'll be in and out in a heartbeat.

"Your here early." The King said.

"I thought you would like to hear about this Human Girl that is trying to free the High Lord of the Spring Court and Amaratha gave her 3 tasks. One a month to win his freedom." A yelp came from the girl that Draco was holding as he dropped her to the floor. Holly hated how he treated girls he would sleep with. Holly ignored him as anger flared in her father's eyes.

"She's wasting another time with a human." The King growled.

"Should I go to help keep an eye on Amaratha." Draco asked. Holly flinched.

"No. I need you here. Holly is doing good reporting. Head back and keep an eye on her." The King said.

"Yes, father." Holly said. She quickly left before Draco decides to hold her back. Holly had a feeling this girl was going to get their freedom.

AN: There we go. Till next time.