𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ! [ rhysand ]

𝐢𝐢. the spring court ?

Her eyes snapped open as her body shot up from the bed, the right kindjal aimed for the heart. There was a shout of pain as her blade embedded itself in whoever's chest it was that had dared come near her. However, instead of her weapon pushing through the heart, it was stopped by something cold and hard. Her eyes snapped up to meet the eyes of whoever she'd stabbed, her heart nearly stopping.

Immediately, Ana pulled the blade from his chest and jumped back, landing on the other side of the bed. She had to put as much distance between her and him. She promised herself she'd never let him within arms reach of her again, and since she'd obviously just failed to kill him, she had to keep that promise. 

"How the fuck are you alive?" Her voice was cold as ice, eyes set in a steely glare. "I killed you, so how are you here?"

The man⎯if you could even call a monster like him a man⎯blinked at her like she was an idiot. "What are you talking about, girl? You never killed me?"

Ana blinked, and suddenly she was looking at someone completely different.

Before her was a man, maybe a year or so older than herself. His skin was tanned from days in the sun, hair long and golden. Green eyes stuck out from behind the golden mask that covered half of his face, and pointed ears were accented by the sunlight streaming in through the windows. 

"Who the fuck are you?" She looked around, trying to see if he still remained.

The man continued to glare at her, his eyes burning with fury. "Who am I? Who are you and why did you stab me? And why did you say you'd killed me before?"

Ana picked up on his accent in an instant once her confusion cleared a bit. It wasn't one she heard often. Only when she entered the Seelie Courts did she ever hear and accent like that. That only made Ana tighten her grip on her kindjals. After the Wars, she wasn't very trusting of the Seelie. Not after everything they'd done.

"I'm sorry. Was I supposed to ask you kindly why you kidnapped me and brought me here before I stabbed you?" The sarcasm dripped from her lips like honey. Now was not the time, but she couldn't help it. In stressful situations, she reverted to sarcasm. "Tell me where I am, who you are, and why you kidnapped me before I slit your throat."

He squared his shoulders. "How dare you threaten me in my own home? How dare you attempt to kill me after I've given you shelter from the world beyond these walls?"

Ana gaped at him. "Might I point out yet again that you kidnapped me? What? You want me to thank you?"

"I didn't kidnap you! You appeared from out of nowhere in the middle of my dinner and landed on the table, effectively breaking it," he explained. Ana could see what looked like claws trying to rip free of his skin. "So, I will ask you again. Who are you and why did you stab me?"

The blonde didn't answer. Instead, she mulled over his words carefully, trying to detect a lie. If she was with the Seelies, she knew they couldn't lie. Yes, they could dance around the truth, but they could never lie. 

She'd appeared out of nowhere? She'd never done that before. Ana had traveled through portals, but never had she just appeared randomly. Especially not into the Seelie Court. There were runes that kept people from entering the Seelie Courts without permission since the Wars, and Ana was sure she didn't have their permission after her last interaction with them. (More specifically, the Seelie Queen.)

"You say . . . you say I appeared?" He nodded. Ana ran her free hand through her hair. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit! Oh, I am so not gonna be home for Christmas."

The man frowned at her in confusion. "Christ-mas?"

Ana gaped. "You don't know⎯but I thought all Downworlders knew what mundane holidays were."