eclipsed nova (UTM Feysand)

3

"I hate you," I scowled.

He gave me a slow smile, eyes finally returning to mine. "Good," he said, straightening his own ensemble and picking off a few stray pieces of lint that had attached to his black jacket. He straightened and fiddled with his cuffs for a moment before turning to me.

"Shall we?" He asked in a low purr, offering me his arm. I scoffed, ramming my elbow into the side of his ribcage and stomping off ahead of him and down the hallway. It seemed like a good move until I realized I had no idea where I was going. I was too stubborn and prideful to turn and let him know that, so I just kept walking forward and hoped I'd stumble upon whatever nightmare was planned for the night.

Our footsteps echoed off of the barren stone walls. It was deep and damp in the caves we trudged through. The only fire, much like every other room in this endlessly suffocating purgatory, was the flickering sconces along the walls. The fire should have served to warm the air, and yet I could feel the walls stealing the heat from my skin like a leech. The cold made my nipples pebble harder against the thin fabric, and my cheeks heated at the thought of how visible they were.

"You're to remain at my side the entire evening, Feyre. I want to be very clear about that," Rhysand said, voice more serious than I think I'd heard it yet. I spun on my heel, eyes narrowed, and tongue poised to strike when he continued. "As loathe as you are to admit it, I am not the most evil creature in these walls. If you remain with me, no one will dare touch you. If you stray from my side, I'd rather not think about how badly that could end."

"What? Because you're just so scary?" I laughed a humorless laugh. Rhysand really thought highly of himself, didn't he? Arrogant bastard.

"Yes," Rhysand said simply, raising one eyebrow. I rolled my eyes, turning to walk forward and ignore him behind me. He likely just wanted to place some moronic claim on me as his pretty little pet who he could dress up and show like a trophy.

The hallway veered left and opened to a large-mouthed entrance to a Great Hall that registered with a sickening familiarity. This was Amarantha's throne room. My footsteps stumbled and before I could even reach out to grab the wall and steady myself, Rhysand was right back at my side, looping his arm through mine and allowing me to use his body for support. He must have noticed the dizziness affecting my vision as we crossed the threshold.

I couldn't even concern myself with the way it would look for me to enter latched onto Rhysand, because as soon as my eyes found Tamlin's from across the room, nausea roiled so low in my stomach that I was afraid I might really vomit right here in front of everyone. His fingers were laced through Amarantha's where they perched on matching thrones atop the platform at the center of the room.

My vision blurred slightly as I struggled to pull enough air into my lungs, gripping my fingers harshly into Rhysand's arm, attempting to use him as an anchor to reality. Had Tamlin truly thrown me away with such ease? He'd replaced me rather quickly with the evil Queen killing his Court and keeping his magic hostage. Surely, he was acting? He must have some plan to take her down, to get us both out of here. My heart ached with the refusal to think otherwise or to allow my mind to drift to that dark place mentally.

Rhysand looked down at me with a raised brow, something like concern flickering across his handsome features for a mere moment before it disappeared back into his usual cruel indifference. It was likely I'd even imagined its existence, yearning to have anyone to talk to and confide in. Rhysand would not be that person. I wouldn't allow him to be. He pulled me to an ornate tufted seat directly in Tamlin and Amarantha's eye line. He sat down, gesturing for me to sit on his lap, his legs spread wide to accommodate me.