The Heirs of Dark and Light

Chapter 41

When I woke my eyes snapped open but they may of well remained closed. It was pitch black; If I'd been able to extend my arm I didn't think I would be able to see my hand in front of my face. It was so warm I could feel the fabric of my dress sticking to my skin. My wrists and ankles were bound, I tried to test my restraints but was met with blinding pain shooting up my arms. I bit down so hard on my tongue I could taste the coppery tang of my own blood. I needed to get out. I needed to get out more than I needed to breathe.

I held my breath as I yanked my wrists down in a swift relentless motion that would broken through steel. I waited but nothing happened. No clinking of broken metal hitting the floor. All I was left with was the excruciating pain biting at my wrists and the smell of my own burning flesh. I tried again and again but whatever was binding my wrists together held true. The blood was now coating the back of my throat, it was all I could do to stop myself crying out. From screaming in frustration. I started to kick my legs, trying to free them from the restraints bonding them to the chair. An ideas struck me as soon as the first set of lights flickered on.

One by one yellow light started to coat the space. I started to blink, trying to readjust my eyes. The room was massive, and full of-
my mouth went dry.

Ashweed.

The room was full of ashweed. The lights filling the room were hanging low over the nurseries in efforts to help them grow. I had an urge to laugh. I could feel the bubble of it rising up my throat. An insane kind of laughter. One only brought by the sheer disbelief of a situation. If I had any doubts before this just solidified it.

Footsteps snapped me out of my delirium. They sounded distant but were echoing, like walking down a staircase.
We were well underground.
My skin tightened.

I could tell by his scent it was Tamlin approaching and that he was alone. I retook my original position. Eyes closed, slumped over.

He was closer now, over the buzzing of the lights I could just hear his presence. It seemed to bounce off the walls.

"You're a spy."

He wasn't falling for my act. My eyes opened and the fixed onto his. I looked him up and down, sizing him up. All of my training would've told me to keep quiet to try and conceal my identity but by the look in his eyes he already knew.

Feyre had told me he was once a kind man but by the look of it that had long faded. His softer edges worn down into something that would cut you if you touched it. There was not even a memory of kindness on this mans face.

"You're in charge of the rebellion."

He huffed out a laugh,

"See, that is where you're wrong. I'm not. Sure I'm involved in some ways or another but I'm not the one in charge, that would be a death wish."
He smiled at me like he was sharing some wisdom with me or maybe sharing an inside joke,
"The ones in charge always pay the price.
And i'm in the business of being paid not the latter."
I looked around the room full of poison, I wander how much he was selling it for. By the grandure of last nights party, a lot.

Had a day passed? How long ago was the party?

"After the night court, your court, destroyed me, tore down my court, I thought I was done.
Penniless, powerless, done.
But then someone came to me. Told me what they saw for my future.
Greatness.
So I set upon that journey. I am still on that journey. And you, you can help me with that."

I didn't break eye contact. I couldn't dare look away first. He saw the challenge in my eyes and smiled again.

"You think I don't know who you are, what they plan to use you for. But luckily for me you fell right into my lap and I'm not going to waste that opportunity.
See I've been planning to pair my oldest with a lady of high power. Someone of nobility. And who better than a future queen"