It Was ONE Building

Chapter 9

She stayed true to her word up until her first trial. She was dragged out of the cell, and I had to sit in the dark waiting to see if she would return.

When she did, she was barely conscious.

I cradled her in my lap as I looked at the bone jutting out of her arm. I got her to talk to me as I washed the wound out, and the mud off her body with my bucket, knowing this was more important. My powers helped, as weak as they were.

She told me about the trial, how my father was the only one who bet with her, not against her. I smiled to myself at that.

I knew I couldn't heal her arm fully, I was too weak, so I reached out with my mind.

'If you don't get your ass down here and heal her, she will die, I've done what I can but I'm not as strong as I once was.' I said to my father.

'Nice to talk to you too, and I know that, I'm coming up with a plan to get her to agree,' he replied, amusement in his tone.

'Well hurry the hell up,' I snapped before dropping the connection.

He waited a whole day to come, I knew why, but I was still mad.

She was losing strength hour by hour, it was taking everything in my power to keep her awake.

When he did finally show up, I was holding her close to me on her bed, he crouched down in front of her.

"What would Tamlin say if he knew his beloved was rotting away down here, burning up with a fever," he murmured, maybe more to himself than to us, I shot him a disapproving look.

"Get away," she rasped.

She was slightly shaking against me, she wouldn't last much longer.

My father took her arm in his hands, and she hissed through her teeth.

"Oh, that's wonderfully gruesome." He said, a small smile appearing.

Feyre swore at him, a long stream of curses, each one more foul than the last, he did deserve it though.

"Such words from a lady," he chuckled.

I glared at him again, he wasn't helping himself.

"Don't you want me to heal your arm?" His fingers tightened on her wrist and elbow, I felt her wince.

"At what cost?" She half growled at him, good, she still had her fire.

"Ah, that. Living among faeries has taught you some of our ways." He was enjoying this way too much.

'Stop being a prick,' I hissed into his mind.

"I'll make a trade with you," he said casually, ignoring my words.

He set her arm down on the floor and she winced again, she must be in agony.

"I'll heal your arm in exchange for you. For two weeks every month, two weeks of my choosing, you'll live with me at the Night Court. Starting after this messy three-trials business." He looked smug and I rolled my eyes.

"No," she replied, instantaneously.

"Really?" His brow lifted.

"Get out," she wheezed, her strength dimming.

'Stop playing with her dad, she won't stay awake for much longer,' I warned, his gaze flicked to me for little more than a second before fixing back on her.

"I know you're wondering if that fever of yours is the first sign of infection. Perhaps they're unconnected, perhaps not. Maybe it's fine. Maybe that worm's mud isn't full of festering filth. And maybe Amarantha will send a healer, and by that time, you'll either be dead, or they'll find your arm so infected that you'll be lucky to keep anything above the elbow." He drawled, cutting to the chase.

"Go. To. Hell," she snarled.

"Poor Selene here can't heal you, she can barely heal herself, think carefully Feyre." He warned.

She bared her teeth at him, and I held her closer.

"This is the last time I'll extend my assistance, once I leave this cell, my offer is dead." He told not only her, but me as well.

'Please Feyre, please do it, bargain for how long, but just accept his help, I can't watch you die' I whispered into her mind, I had told her about that particular ability early on when I was too weak to talk one evening, we spoke mind to mind.

"Wait," she breathed, and he stopped walking.

"Yes?" He asked, already looking triumphant.

"Five days," she whispered, he looked amused.

"You're going to bargain?" Dad laughed under his breath.

"Ten days." He countered.

"A week," she told him, I knew she wasn't going to budge.

"A week it is." He murmured.

"Then it's a deal," she replied.

He stalked over and grabbed her arm. She screamed and thrashed against my now tight grip before she fell limp in my arms.

"You could have been less of a prick," I muttered to him.

"I need her to hate me love, because feeling hate is better than her feeling nothing," he whispered back.

Once her wound was healed, I saw the tattoo appear on her skin.

"And now she will hate you even more," I sighed.

"A worthy price to pay, besides, she just looks so good with Night Court ink," he said with a smirk.

"You are insufferable sometimes, you know that right?" I asked, he grinned before pointing at her.

She stirred in my arms and opened her eyes.

Her gaze landed on her arm, and I could taste her terror.

"I suggest you leave," I snarled at him.

"I'm sure darling Selene here will explain all about that, see you in a month," and with those parting words he winnowed out.

"What has he done to me?" She breathed, tears forming in her eyes.

"In the Night Court it is a custom to have bargains permanently inked upon flesh, I'm surprise you never noticed mine," I said, letting her go and sitting next to her.

"What did you bargain?" She asked.

"I can't tell you, my side of the bargain was that I would never tell anyone what the bargain is, and I don't particularly feel like dying a painful death." I told her, she frowned.

"Who in the Night Court made you a bargain?" She asked.

"Rhysand did, he isn't what he seems Feyre," I whispered.

"I can't believe that," she whispered back before falling asleep once more.