𝔸 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔽𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕖 (ACOTAR FANFIC)

Sixty

Weeks.

    It had been weeks.

The full moon had passed long ago, meaning Feyres' trial had come and gone and I had no idea. I didn't know what it was, if she survived, if she was okay. I knew nothing as I was forced to stay in my cell. I'd only known that Feyre had her second trial when Rhysand had made a snide remark about it at one of the many balls he'd forced me to attend in the time since our bargain was struck.

    I'd counted the parties since then—the nights the High Lord had stolen me from my sleep and forced me to pretend to be his escort as he called it when I knew everyone there thought I was his whore. I had been warned that my second task would be in two days.

    It had been two days.

    I stayed awake that night. Not daring to go to sleep knowing that I would just be woken up to play Amarantha's games anyway.

    I heard the guards' scuffling footsteps in the hallway as they walked. No one down in the dungeons needed as many guards as they brought fr me. I knew I was their reason for being here. I stood on my feet as my hand reflexively reached for the dagger I had at my side—the other still hidden in my boot. My hand fell away from my dagger as my door creaked open, revealing the stone-faced guards who immediately beckoned me to start walking.

    I listened.

I went where they bid me to. I turned when I was told until I came face to face with the large stone doors of the throne room. Two guards stepped away from the small group they'd brought for me to push open the heavy doors. Faeries of all kinds awaited me as I walked in, my head held high even though I felt so small inside.

I spotted Amarantha's red hair through the crowd, her dead eyes already on me. There was no pit, no indication I would be fighting at all in this trial. Rhysand stood at her side, his body rigged.

    "Danika," Amarantha purred as she cocked her head to the side, "The new moon has come for you." the same serpentine smile crossed her features.

    My face was the pinnacle of neutrality. "And what of my task?" I questioned the Queen as I folded my arms behind my back.

    Her expression could only be described as venomous as she said, "I realized that I know nothing about you, pet." she adjusted herself on her throne, "I know much about your sister and yet you are a blank canvas." she chuckled and my heart skipped a beat as my eyes wandered to Rhysand at her side. His face held absolute blankness, but his skin was unnaturally ashen. "But then I wondered; why be so vague when you already know you are doomed in my Court?" my eyes wandered to her again, "What are you hiding from us, Danika?" She lifted her chin, "Your second trial will consist of Rhysand entering your mind at my command and forcing you to relive your past until you either die...or worse." her lips curled upwards as she leaned forward in her chair.

    My stomach dropped, "That's not a trial." I countered, "it would be foolish of you to waste your time on something that I would survive through only to make it to the third task; a step closer to taking Prythian."

    "I can." she said, "You see as much as you try to hide, pet, your resistance in this is the exact reason I believe you won't be able to handle it." Amarantha left no further room for arguments before she turned her head slightly, "Rhysand," she called him almost eagerly as if she was dying to know what was in my head. She didn't say whether RHysand was going to tell her what he saw, and held hope that he wouldn't.

    The High Lord's eyes sought out mine and in them, I found absolute hesitance. In the corner of my eye, I saw Amarantha's eager eyes as she watched my reaction.

    Talons caressed my mental barriers, poking and prodding for weakness. Each blow felt like being struck with lightning and I couldn't help the whimper that escaped me as a talon scraped at my mental barriers of starlight.

He began to dig through my walls as if he were creating a hole. I had re-inforced my barriers after the last time and I hoped it would be rough to hold him off for only a little longer—long enough to collapse and hopefully fool Amarantha into thinking my memories had been too much to bear. Rhysand was the only liability, and I truly hoped he would play along—or think I passed out from the pain of his talons against my mind.

    My legs buckled as pain radiated in waves through my body. The High Lord was pulling off pieces of my walls as if it were bread, each time it felt like my mind was being torn apart.

His talons stopped for a moment as if they didn't want to do this before they clawed deeper and I whimpered again, refusing to scream and cry. I wouldn't give Amarantha the satisfaction.

Only a few more minutes, Danika, I told myself.

A few more minutes.

    I would have looked up at the High lord had the pain not returned full force as he dug and dug through my extensive barriers.

    I felt myself tense as Rhysand entered my mind in full and my plans flew out the window.

    I was doomed. Doomed.

I tried my best to hide the things I never wished to see again. My darkest secrets would die as I did. The things that were so hideous and awful that even someone who was immortal would have fainted at.

    Rhysand began his work.

    At first, showing me small bits and pieces of my hurt and my pain. Some off the things I wished I could live again. Things I longed for before he ripped them from my grasp.

    My mind was a whirlpool of pain and memories as he went through the pages of my mind like a book that he would discard after.

    Rhysand squeezed my mind with a tight fist as he rifled through my life. My life flashed before my eyes.

    He laughed too then, "I'm the coward? I'm the coward?" He repeated stepping even closer as he whispered, "you can go to hell, Danika, you spoiled little bitch."

    He turned around his cloak raising in a phantom wind as he went, "Wait, please." I begged one last time. But he did not listen as he left through those doors and into the stormy night.

And he did not come back.

    I vaguely felt the stream of tears that flowed from my eyes and dropped to the stone floors of the throne room. But I was somewhere else, somewhere dark.

    I hesitated before shaking Stijn's hand, "And what will I be doing during my stay here?"

          The male's smile widened into something of nightmares as he replied, "You'll learn to kill, little Archeron."

    Snippets. Pieces. Shambles. My mind was shattering and I could do nothing to stop it as Rhysand continued to torment me with memories and guilt and sadness.

My thoughts had scrabbled and all I could think about was the fact that the only two people who understood me were going to die. They were going to be gone, and then I would be alone. Always alone.

I fought.

And I fought.

And I fought.

But my attempts were futile.

And as two guards stepped up to each of my friends they knew better than to protest as their throats were slit.

   Darkness claimed me and the last thing I heard was the leering sound of Amarantha's laugh.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A/N: I despise this chapter more than anything on Earth, but I wanted to get on with the story so here it is😘

i would also like to state that there are only eight or nine more chapters of this book after this🥲