A Court of Lies and Secrets | ACOTAR fanfic [Girl x Girl]

Trap

~Alirra~

"I'm not playing your pathetic games, Ginerva." She mocks a pout, sticking her bottom lip far out and tilting her head at an angle.

"Oh come on! Just one guess." She does a lap of the room, far enough out that I can't reach her but her shoulder scrapes against the walls. The tight space giving her just enough room to back away if I were to advance towards her. If the chains would let me move at all.

I don't respond. I don't even bother giving her a sarcastic comment. I stand as straight-backed as I can, with my arms hunched from the weight of the chains, and stare into the deep blacks of her eyes. In return I receive a look telling me just where I can shove my boring attitude and with a blink of an eye her face is up against mine.

"You can spend the rest of you wasteful little existence trying to figure out where you are and how to get out, but you won't even get close." I lower my head but never remove eye contact, looking up at her through my eyelashes.

Her intimidating exterior and words are just an attempt for me to lose hope, I just need to gain strength and do the very things she says I won't be able to- I need to escape.

The only problem with that plan is I don't know where I am exactly or how to get out. I guess there are multiple problems with this plan. I refuse to spend the rest of my existence (as she put it) doing absolutely nothing and waiting around for Renae or someone to find me first.

I realise, suddenly, a strength I have against Ginerva, a power I can use without her knowing. Something tying myself to place away from here, to a person away from here.

Renae! I mumble down the halls of the mating bond and with each call of her name I scream it louder and louder whilst ensuring I give Ginerva no signs. She would probably knock me unconscious once again if she found out I was communicating with Ren without her knowing, telling her where to find me. However, she hasn't anything to worry about yet because I still haven't figured out where this windowless and doorless room is.

I wander down the bond as far as I can go into her mind constantly shouting her name and gathering her attention. But whether it's the distance of Ginerva's powers, I can't seem to reach her- there is no sign of her on the other end. For a second my heart skips a beat at the thought of Renae- dead- but my instincts reassure me not to worry about such things and I've trusted them a lot lately.

~Renae~

I ended up inviting Jurian and his human friend inside, we sat at the dining room table and I didn't need to shout through the halls for the others to join as they appeared within minutes after Jurian's consistent knocking.

"I found her stumbling through the camps shouting things about Rhys and Feyre and Montesere and some healer." Ali-

Through all my pacing and worrying about something we had forgotten in Montesere I didn't think about Alirra, or checking on her. I realise now that that was the very thing missing, the piece of me that had gone quiet- empty- and my hands trembled in my lap as the young girl spoke of all she knew.

Ginerva had followed Alirra around the camp, waiting for the right moment to strike and when she did, Ali was smart enough to tell the girl, Vanora, to find us and let us know. The whole illusion of the queen on Montesere's lands was suspicious considering that after she had vanished and never returned, her soldiers retreated and we had found what was stolen, completely unharmed. It was as if they didn't care for the humans, had no need for them. As if they wanted something else.

It was all a trap. Iagan and Ginerva set this all up so they could distract everyone who'd protect Ali and take her at the easiest time. While we were battling their people and rescuing humans, the queen had been waiting in the shadows beside Ali, readying to take her.

My blood boiled at the image of the vile monster hiding in the darkness, in her darkness, wanting to steal Ali away. Out of spite? Revenge? To teach me a lesson? What could they possibly want her for?

I release a scream, a snarl, in response to the girl's message and stormed to the front door. Only for a muscled Illyrian hand to stop me. I didn't care who it was.

"I need to find her! We need to get her back now!" I pull my arm away from their grasp and turn to face each of them, either of them with enough energy for this task. Ginerva. Smart move. Tire everybody out so that we wouldn't be strong enough to get her back.

I won't force them to join me in the rescue, but it'd be selfish not to. They each give me an apologetic look and I know full-well they wouldn't hesitate to help her if they were well enough to do so. Their eyes can barely stay open and I glance at the small and un-healing cuts laced with Faebane along their arms and faces.

"She stayed behind while we all went off to fight in a battle that was all a ruse- a lie. She stayed to help the humans in the camps, to heal, to build up their strength whilst she drained every inch of her own. Rhys- she did everything you asked, spent more time than any of us rebuilding the village, healed more humans than any of our healers and let us- her family and protectors- go rescue some humans that we don't even know and you draw the line at rescuing her?" I'm shouting a lot louder than I need to but I don't care. I will do this on my own.

Nobody grabs my arm and nobody shouts after me or joins me as I leap into the skies and land on a familiar bandstand in the city.

Despite the starry skies the streets are still full. These are the people who sleep during the day to spend the nights under the court's stars. If I were one of them, I would choose that life too. Waking up to the beautiful and peaceful nights.

I lean against the barrier, the very one I had Alirra pressed up against when we kissed. Our first kiss.

Where are you? I mumble down the bond- knowing full well Ginerva will have used her powers the block me talking to her through the bond. I'll need to get close to her before even trying to use the bond.

To hear her voice- her laugh- anything right now. I need something to let me know she's at least alive. Making sure she's alive comes first, killing and getting revenge on Ginerva comes right afterward.

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