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

Blood

~Alirra~

I don't remember passing out from the lack of air– but once I wake up I beg for the sweet relief once again. Exhaustion pulls at my eyelids and hangs thick on my limbs. I contemplate keeping my eyes closed and body still to just fall into a deep sleep but Ginerva's eyes meet my gaze the second I flutter mine open. Once again, she's crouched- looking down at me like a child.

My vision slightly blurred compared to before and I pray it's from passing out and not because I'm so exhausted.

I'm honestly surprised I'm not still out– is it even possible to wake up when you're this tired?

"Good, you're up. I was starting to worry." She forces a smile– a little half-hearted. Her smile immediately falls as her hand readjusts my head– making me look straight at her. I sag back against the cold stone once she releases me.

I want to close my eyes. I want to sleep away every ache in every limb. I want to lay there in a pathetic pile and fall deep into sleep, letting my eyes rest just for once.

This draining pull is becoming more and more hard to ignore. I need to stay awake. My instincts are burning at the thought of falling to sleep– that's just what Ginerva wants. I don't know why but I do know I can only be of benefit when I'm out, with no hope of waking for days.

What do you want Ginerva?

~Renae~

"We can do this all day Iagan.." Rhys leans closer to the king, pressing each finger into his neck. Iagan's veins bulging against Rhysand's fingertips.

We're all huddled around Iagan who is slouched in his sizeable chair- staring me down with an assertive glare. I'm not as strong-willed as I was a few moments ago. This entire encounter is becoming extremely draining. I'd prefer to let the others handle this beast instead. I have little to say to him anyways.

"I'm sure you have plenty of spare healers Rhys." He smirks and finally removes his eyes from my face- the disgust-tinted expression now aimed at Rhysand.

"You know that isn't why we're here, so how about making this easier and just telling us where we can find your daughter's mate?" His lip curls and knuckles turning white from the grip on the chair.

"Then you'll have to kill me."

"Trust me, I will."

"Without the information you so desperately wish to seek?" He meets the eyes of Azriel and Cassian who show no struggle in holding him down now that he's calmed a little. He has too much power. He knows exactly what we want and whether he'd genuinely die to prevent us from getting what we want... Mother knows.

"We'll find her. Your daughter will be reunited with her. Beautiful ending, don't you think?" He taunts with Iagan. If he lashes out once again, I don't know whether these tiring Illyrians will be able to hold him back. It took almost all of them to actually get him off of me last time and we're all draining more and more by the second.

Iagan's eyes bulge more than the veins running along his arms and Cassian and Azriel's grip loosens slightly as he tries to push away from them both- failing to do so. Rhys never falters, he want his extreme reaction. He wants Iagan to get frustrated. I don't know why. This secret plan of his- I don't know what good it'll do- but I know how to help. If he really wants to annoy Iagan...

"Iagan," I gain everybody's attention- considering I haven't spoken for a few moments, "do you remember when I first told you and mother about the female I'd kissed?" I earn a few grunts and snarls from the king and once again the Illyrians struggle to hold him down. I stare into his eyes, the hollow pits glistening with hate. Not enough...

"You filthy-" He begins but I take a stride towards him and press my hands against the armrests- inches away from his. My face close enough I can smell the anger.

"She wasn't the only one I'd fucked."

For a moment, everything went black as his head collided with mine and I collapsed to the floor. Scrambling away from the towering male who finally managed to rise from his forced position. Rhysand and Lucien don't hesitate to help the two Illyrians who fail to hold him down as he marches toward my squirming figure. I push farther and farther away from him until my back hits the stone wall at the other end of the room- the door inches away. I want to leap from the floor and run, but what good would that do.

He doesn't get to lay a hand on me another time as an Illyrian blade slices the backs of his knees, deep enough to reach the bone. Iagan collapses in a large heap inches away from me but just out of reach. He tries. He extends a muscled arm to grab ahold of any part of me and hopefully rip it right off.

Blood pools below him, creeping closer to me than his hand. He muffles screams and growls but doesn't hesitate to curl his lip further into a sneer- never removing his eyes from mine. I scrunch my eyes shut as his fingertips graze my neck, readying to take ahold once again.

I finally open them as I feel the weight of his hand fall to my lap after the echoing crack of his throne-like pine chair thrown at his skull with force— courtesy of Azriel. The powerful blow knocks him completely unconscious and shatters the chair in splinters. Blood trickles down the back of his head , joining pieces of coal-coloured hair and falling to the pool already marked on his stone floor.

We all stare in silence- the only noise are heaving breaths of Illyrians and a quiet whimper from Elain as Lucien huddles the two of them in the corner.

"Soldiers are heading this way." The shadowsinger mumbles- unsure of whether now was a good time to speak. Nobody hesitates to exit in a run, but my eyes never leave the king's still body– arm extended as the blood finally reaches his fingertip.

I wouldn't help him. Whether it's equally as evil to say that, it's true. I've had his hands around my throat and fists against my cheek for decades and yet I've never seen him in this state. He deserves everything. Witnessing it all was a rush- a relief and yet still I feel pity. The teeniest bit of pity for this male, that he had to live his life with such hatred, and still will. Chose to kill and torture those he couldn't change (but still attempted to) instead of choosing to try and understand. The amount of lives that could've been saved if he had been more accepting the first chance he got. I understand now— nothing can help him.

They leap from the cliff as I collapse into the grass, fingers gripping the edge. Tears have pooled in my eyes and run like the Sidra down my cheeks- cooling the burn of bruises and anger. What now? That was all we had- the only chance to figure out where Alirra is. Without Iagan- we have no way of getting the information.

The high lord spots that I'm not with the group and turns to crouch at my side. The others haven't realised and are more focused on racing home to their warm beds and treating their injuries than giving a thought to what we're to do next.

"She's gone." I gasp for breath through the sobs. I want to say more but my throat is closing in and breathing is too hard- forget about speaking.

"I know where she is- I know everything." He mumbles and as my eyes shoot to his face, the flow of tears stop- he looks up from my shaking body to the Montesere steps with thousands of Montesere soldiers running after us- as if they could leap off the cliff and chase us. Their loyalty to the King clear in every stride– in every heartbeat.

However, we aren't in flight, we're still on the cliff- on their land. Rhys struggles to pull me from the ground- fear laced with his eyes as he thinks about battling these soldiers with just him and I. Neither of us capable enough to handle the strength of that many warriors.

Not on my watch.

I run and leap from the edge along with Rhys- no hesitation. Montesere close enough to reach for us but never do.

I finally release a sigh once we're far enough out for the island to blend behind the mist. Only then do I let myself question what Rhysand said.

"You know where she is?"

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