A Court of Fear and Hope-ACOTAR

The Great Rite

The giggle that rippled through the stone halls lit up the House with joy. The little girl with dark onyx hair and violet eyes spread her leathery wings and when her older brother stroked the edge, it tickled, and it resulted in another giggle. Rhys let out a smile at her laugh and tickled her again. This time she let out a squeal along with her laugh. At this point, the small girl was nearly out of breath from her laughing, but the older brother had to have a final jab and wrapped his arms around his baby sister. He tickled the point of her wings and she pulled in gasps before she wiggled from his grasp with large, deep breaths.

Artemis pushed her hair from her face with a smile. "Do it again! Do it again!"

Rhys sat back on the floor and laughed himself. "If I do it again, you will run out of tickles."

Artemis let her eyes widen. "Run out of tickles? Forever?"

Rhys nodded his head. "Forever."

Artemis looked down at her small body with curious eyes. "But, how will I know if I am going to run out?"

A woman with equally as dark hair walked into the room with a shawl covering her shoulders. "You won't know. One day you will just run out."

The mother smiled down at her son as she played along.

Artemis pulled her wings in tight. "I don't want to run out!"

Rhys let out a laugh. "You won't for a long time. I still have mine."

Artemis bit her lip and suddenly appeared behind her brother and touched the tip of his own leathery wings. The action didn't tickle him, but he wiggled his body.

"Wait! You said no more tickles! You can't tickle me now!" Rhys went to grab her, but the girl disappeared in a wave of black before she appeared behind her mother's legs.

Artemis stuck her tongue out at her brother and in return Rhys snarled at her playfully.

"All right you two. It's nearly dinner time. Why don't you go wash up?"

Artemis smoothed out her black curls and looked up at her mother with big eyes. "Mama, have you lost your tickles?"

The mother let out a smile but shook her head. "Not yet." She let out her hand and Artemis clutched on with her small fingers.

She looked back at her brother with such an innocent and beautiful grin. "I'm gonna beat ya!"

Rhys stayed sitting on the floor. "Not if I get to my room first!"

Artemis let go of her mother's hand and started to run out of the room. "No cheating!"

And with one last huff of a laugh, Rhys watched his baby sister run around the corner.

***

Artemis adjusted the strap of her dress before she fully opened the door to what had been her room for the last forty-nine years. It was about as big as a broom closet and only housed a rugged feather duvet that sat on the dirty floor. The duvet was meant to be a mattress and the tattered, grey fabric that barely covered her was her blanket. She was lucky enough to have somewhere semi-private to sleep. Although, she hardly woke up in the room at all. When she looked up from the stone ground, she saw a familiar shadow along the dark hallway.

"I'm going out."

Artemis had barely looked up at the shadow before her face blanched. "You're what?"