A Court of Blood and Glory

Fun and Games

Feyre

I spent the next week at the Spring Court in the library or my painting studio, using the silence and quietness to fix the mating bond. Day by day it grew stronger, but day by day Tamlin grew more and more impatient with me.
It was subtle at first. He would give me a light kiss on the cheek whenever I saw him, but that soon went to my mouth. He began to hold my arse as we walked to breakfast, and kept staring at my breasts when he saw me, but he never forced himself on me. At least, not in the first week. But when he was finished with the borders he began to push me to spend more time with him, meaning that I was unable to work on the bond as much.
He took me out on picnic lunches in the forest and rides through the grounds. He had me paint him, sans clothing, and kissed all the paint off my hands when I finished. I had to bite my tongue every time he held me, when he kissed me and touched me, try to pretend that I loved him more than anything, that I would die all over again for him.
It was torture. Everything about being in that place was torture. I would have welcomed a physical beating if I could, as the mental torture I was going through was too much. My nightmares had returned in full force, my memories twisted to show Tamlin in Rhys's place, and Rhys in Tamlin's. Showing my mate dead at my hands, and my family, both fae and mortal, turned against me, trying to kill me. I always awoke each morning with acid in my mouth, making me rush to the toilet and vomit everything up, leaving me curled in on myself until the pain resided.
Every touch from him, every kiss and quick glance made my stomach turn and my vision go red. I kept the façade up, but he kept pushing and pushing, until one night when I found him in bed, naked, and a hungry look in his eyes.
"Feyre, my love, I think it's time we moved forward with your... recovery." He said, eyes gleaming.
"What do you mean?" I asked, but I already knew what he meant, and I dreaded his answer.
"You've had nearly two weeks to recover, and our physical love has always been much stronger than our verbal one. I want you, Feyre, and I can't hold this off any longer."
I couldn't. I wouldn't. Not with anyone other than Rhys. Never with anyone other than Rhys.
But I had to. If I wanted to protect myself, protect my family, I had to play the part.
I took one step towards him.
Think! What could I do to get out of this?
Another step.
I couldn't outright refuse him. He'd know something was really wrong.
Another step.
I had nothing.
Another. And another.
Until I climbed into the bed, Tamlin's hands undressing me, his mouth pressed firmly against mine.
I had one idea, one way to stop him.
He gave me a chance to breathe as he moved his mouth lower down my body, kissing my shoulders, chest, breasts. I involuntarily arched my back.
"I love you, Feyre."
"I love you too, Rhysand."
He was off me in a second, his power building up under his skin, itching to be left out. And he did let it out. He shifted into a full beast, ripping the room to pieces. The fear on my face was not faked, not in the slightest. I'd gone too far, pushed him too far.
"Tamlin!" I yelled, needing him to calm down, but it only turned him on me, his eyes showing no sign of the male there moments ago. He'd become an animal, and animals attack.
He leapt towards me, intent on ripping out my throat, but a wall of hardened air kept him away from me, kept him cadged into a corner.
He finally shifted back to fae, guilt lining every part of him, and I was reluctant to release him as he pushed against the wall separating us.
I could have killed him then and there, using any method I wanted. I could have clawed his eyes out, melted his bones and burned his flesh, frozen his insides, but I didn't. I couldn't. Not yet. Not before I squeezed every last drop of information about Hybern from him.
I let him come to me, let him kiss me and hug me, hold me close as he murmured in my ear, "I'm sorry," over and over again. Nothing was said about his actions by the time dawn broke. It was as if nothing had happened. I was supposed to just forgive and forget, get on with loving him, being his doll.
But I'd had enough, so I spent the next day alone, forcing Tamlin to leave me be, telling him that I needed to be alone after the events the night before, making him believe that Rhys had done similar things to me, and that it had ripped open a healing wound, and that I wanted to spend time away from everyone to recover from the horrid memories. It was a load of bullshit, but Tamlin bought it.
But before I could leave him he gave me a piece of surprising news.
"I'm supposed to attend a meeting with all the other High Lords in Prythian a week from now, but I've had it pushed back by three weeks, as I want you to attend it with me." I was taken aback by this, having forgotten both the meeting and Tamlin's words to me when I arrived here.
I want to be better than last time and include you more. I was too protective of you, and I think you need to see more of this court and how it works if you are to be my lady.
"Will, will he be there?" I asked, and he knew I was referring to Rhys.
"Every High Lord will be there."
I left the room before he said anything else. If Rhys showed up to that meeting I would be able to go to him and escape this festering place. But I wanted to get out of here before then if possible. I just needed the mating bond to work again.
I spent that day in my painting studio, needing a room that I could lock myself in so that I needn't worry about any more intrusions.
Brick by brick I built the bridge, and I could feel Rhys on the other side, building the bond from his end. I could feel his emotions, and I knew he could feel mine. I tried to push certain emotions through to him, unsure at first if he received them, but soon felt him sending me emotions back. It worked. I felt love, hope, and relief, but also his concern for me, for my wellbeing. Just this small connection made me feel so much closer to home, to Velaris and my family.
So close. I was so, so close, but night had fallen outside and Tamlin would be looking for me. I lowered the glamour on my arm, needing to see the tattoo that bound me to my mate, and I felt an overwhelming surge of love as I took in the dark swirls covering my skin.
I placed the glamour back on my arm and left the painting studio, walking down to the dining room only to stop dead in my tracks at the sight I beheld.
The King of Hybern sat at the head of the table.
And my sisters were bound and gagged behind him.

Xxx

"I have a bit of an issue here, Feyre." The King said to me, making my blood boil in my veins. "Tamlin here promised your services in exchange for your return, but from what I hear you have shown no sign of doing as commanded. Tried to get out of it, even." I looked to Tamlin, but his gaze didn't meet my eyes. I was on my own then.
"I wasn't aware that I had promised you anything." I tried to keep the rage from my voice, tried to stop looking to the terrified faces of my sisters. I had to keep my voice calm, had to ensure that the King didn't see anything other than a girl head over heels in love with the man besides him, a girl willing to die for that love, who would do anything to stay with the one she loved. And I was willing to die for that sort of love, but not for Tamlin. For my mate, for Rhys.
"You didn't personally, but your lover here did on your behalf. You were to collapse the wall and help me to destroy the human lands." My sisters stared at me in horror, but I also saw cool calculation in Nesta's eyes, who knew that I did not love any of the males in this court.
"And why are my sisters here?" I asked him.
"They are here to ensure that you do as you are asked." And before I could react the King had snapped Elain's neck, and I only had time to scream as her body fell to the ground.
Dead.
My sister, my sweet sister that saw the good in everything dead on the floor, Nesta crying over her body, screaming at everyone to stay back. I rushed over to her, determined to do something to try and bring Elain back, but Nesta turned her rage and sorrow on me.
"You did this." She growled. "You and your kind are all monsters! I wish you were dead!" She screamed, and I felt tears flow thick and fast down my cheeks.
Tamlin came up behind me, his strong arms pulling me from my sisters and out the room.
"Remember this moment, Feyre dear, for if you try to deny me anything again I will kill everyone you ever loved, starting with the lovely Nesta Archeon."
I let Tamlin pull me from the room and upstairs, but as I passed the Illyrian wings in the hall I realised that my time here was up. I had to gather as much information as possible and leave not a moment later.
It was time to show Tamlin what the High Lady of the Night Court could do.
It was time to play a new game.
A game of lies and deceit, and I would write the rules this time.