A Court of Night and Shadows

Chapter 10

All the bitch said was, "Oh?"

I swallowed the bile in my throat before my next words came from my lips. "I've come to claim Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court."

A gasp rippled through the assembled court. Amarantha tipped her head back and laughed like a dirty old crow.

The High Queen turned to Tamlin, and her lips pulled back in a wicked smile. It was difficult not to look at the two of them and sneer. The bond pulled in me, and feeling Rhysand brought my face back onto the plan - sending my features into crumpled place, ready to snarl for my mate.

"Let him go," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Amarantha laughed again. "Give me one reason I shouldn't destroy you where you stand, human." Her teeth were so straight and white - almost glowing.

My blood pounded in my veins, but I kept my chin high as I said, "You tricked him - he is bound unfairly." The words Rhysand and I decided on - that I'd rehearsed in my head a hundred times in the carriage with Azriel. Tamlin had gone very, very still.

Amarantha clicked her tongue and looked at one of her slender white hands - at the ring on her index finger. A ring, I noticed as she lowered her hand again, set with what looked like... like a human eye encased in crystal. I could have sworn it swiveled inside. "You human beasts are so uncreative. We spent years teaching you poetry and fine speech, and that is all you can come up with? I should rip out your tongue for letting it go to waste."

I clamped my teeth together. I knew we should have gone with Rhysand's more colorful ideas.

"But I'm curious: What eloquence will pour from your lips while my Attor peels you apart to show you your bones?"

My insides twisted; it was a concentrated effort not to empty my stomach onto the stones.

The Attor took a step toward me, but halted at my shoulder grunting toward the guard on my opposite side. The sentry got the message and reached for my arms, pulling them behind my back to leave me exposed while the Attor stepped in front of me. I squirmed, unready to give in to the idea that I might have only walked into a trap where I'd spend the rest of my living days tortured by this wretched creature. I felt a hum in my bones and a burning at my hip before I ripped my arms free from the faerie guard's grasp. My hands flew to my daggers as I stepped back from the henchmen only to knock into another body of muscle.

Muscle I'd felt at my back before. Rhysand, my breath whispered as it whooshed from my body.

Mine, he said back and I steadied against him before stepping away, keeping a distance between us.

Amarantha hummed at the scene. I wasn't sure what she thought of me slipping away from the guard or Rhysand's approach, but she made no mention of it. Instead she leaned back in her throne and crossed her legs. "Well, Tamlin," she said, putting a proprietary hand on his arm, "I don't suppose you ever expected this to occur." She waved a hand in my general direction. A murmur of laughter from those assembled echoed around me, hitting me like stones. "What do you have to say, High Lord?"

I looked at the face I'd only been able to bring my eyes to once since our last encounter the day Rhysand had stripped me from his possession. I could have laughed when he said, "I've never seen her before. Someone must have glamoured her as a joke. Probably Rhysand." He must be an idiot if he thought denying me would do me any good at this point. I was already in her clutches, his words only decided how fast I would die.

"Oh that's not even a halfway decent lie." Amarantha angled her head. "Could it be - could it be that you, despite your words so many years ago, return the human's feelings? A girl with hate in her heart for out kind has managed to fall in love with a faerie. Amd a faerie whose father once slaughtered the human masses by my side has actually fallen in love with her, too?" She let out that crow's laugh again. "Oh, this is too good - this is too fun." She fingered the bone hanging from her necklace and looked at the encased eye upon her hand. "I suppose if anyone can appreciate the moment," she said to the ring, "it would be you, Jurian." She smiled prettily. "A pity your human whore on the side never bothered to save you, though."