A Court of Dreams and Promise

Chapter Forty-Five

Velaria

"Hello, Velaria darling."

Velaria immediately whipped around, making sure that her shift was in place.

Her heart froze.

"No," she whispered. "No."

"Velaria, darling, why are you sorting through my drawers?" Tamlin asked, smirking coldly. He set down the glass of wine in his hand and removed the green mask affixed to his face. "Could you be looking for this?"

Velaria's heart stopped beating as Tamlin pulled the black stone out of his pocket, the black stone.

Words utterly failed her as Tamlin threw it in the air and twirled it around in his fingers. "You can't believe that I'd just leave it laying around my bedroom, dear Velaria. Or can I call you Vel?"

"You cannot call me that," Velaria growled. She removed her shifted disguise and put her wings away.

"I think I can," Tamlin said, moving towards her.

Velaria went to step back, but when she tried, she was frozen in place. She whipped her gaze to Tamlin, who was grinning once again.

"I've been toying with the powers of this beauty," Tamlin said, staring at the stone in wonder. "Turns out it can freeze people in their tracks. Including you."

"What are you going to do?" Velaria croaked.

Tamlin grinned, a wolf's grin. "You'll see, Velaria darling."

✿ ↬ - - - ↫ ✿

Lucien

Lucien swirled the whiskey around in his glass. "Tell me, when is our dear host coming back?" he drawled. "It's terribly boring here."

Eris smirked. "I would think the pretty doe on the arm of your chair would be entertaining enough."

Anger pulsed through Lucien at the comment, but he shoved it down. He was about to respond when the doors slammed open.

Tamlin walked in, expression triumphant.

Lucien's stomach dropped as he snapped his fingers and two sentries dragged his mother in, bruised and bloodied. It took all of his strength not to run to her.

Eris's face was pale. "Mother?"

Tamlin didn't say anything. He just snapped his fingers again.

Lucien was nauseous as five sentries dragged in a kicking and screaming Velaria, gagged and bound.

✿ ↬ - - - ↫ ✿

Rhysand

He barely remembered who he was, what he stood for anymore. He had barely recognized the female at the Autumn Court as she stood before him, blinking and frightened. The only thing that had triggered him was her scent, mixed with his own. His mate. He had said what Tamlin wanted him to say, even though it hurt him to do so.

But he recognized her. He recognized the female who was thrown onto the carpet, blood as red as the rage in the High Lord of Autumn's eyes spilling onto the pristine shag rug.

Eris's gaze was pure fury as he stared at his mother. "Why is she here, High King?"

Tamlin raised an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same, Eris," he said. "Somehow, your dear mother knew we were meeting today and demanded an audience with her son, but she wouldn't tell us which one. So I had my sentries...rough her up, and still she won't confess."