CARDIGAN, acotar ¹

chapter six

₊˚ˑ༄ؘ͏͏͏͏͏͏ ͏͏͏͏͏͏

CHAPTER SIX

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DEATH DANCED UPON her cerulean eyes rung gold, which were narrowed as she glared dangerously at the beast. she should have lunged for that damned axe — should have used it to behead the wretched creature before he shredded their lives. carson clenched her hands into fists, hard enough that her nails punctured skin.

silently glaring, she watched as the beast approached two unbound mares, patiently waiting beside a tree. one had a coat of white, like the fresh snow falling upon them, and the other, a coat of ebony, a reflection of the dark skies.

"carson," feyre whispered beside her, but trailed off.

she offered her sister a firm nod as the beast motioned for them to mount. it wasn't until feyre had climbed onto the saddle that she moved, accepting her fate. without light to guide them, they both trailed after the beast.

as the warmth of the mare kept her from shaking, she bathed in the truth of what she had done. the death of a faerie — the murder. carson couldn't feel remorse for that, but what she did feel was guilt for feyre. her sister could have been so much — perhaps if she had stayed at that cottage, their lives would be different.

the wish left a bitter mark on her mind, which she clawed away as she refocused on the beast's elk horns spiraled toward the night sky.

"what manner of faerie are you?" she flinched as feyre broke the silence with heavy words nearly drowned by the snow, trees, and star-heavy sky. but he didn't bother to turn around, or to say anything at all.

feyre tried again. "do you have a name?"

the faerie released a huff of air that sounded like a bitter laugh. carson clenched her teeth, fighting the urge to attack. "does it even matter to you, human?" he snapped back, yellow fangs gleaming as he shot feyre a glance.

"watch it," carson growled, though she was in no position for threats. after all, he could change his mind about sparing her — or more importantly, feyre. so she kept quiet, biting on the top of her tongue until she tasted blood.

at the edge of her vision, she could make out feyre opening her mouth to say something more, but was silenced by a growl of annoyance. her eyes went wide and she went to reach for the blade she'd snuck in her pocket, thinking he would attack feyre once and for all. she would kill him if he tried — gods be damned, she would make it happen.

 however, before she could grip the hilt of her blade, a gold, blazing blanket engulfed her mind, twisting her control as she was once again locked in time itself. all she remembered was whispering feyre's name once more before she fell asleep under a restless ocean of mist and fury.

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she jolted awake, thrashing, but invisible bonds secured her.

immediately searching for feyre, her eyes trailed her surroundings, squinting at the sun that was already high. beside her, feyre let out a light groan, blinking blurrily. carson exhaled a relieved breath, only for horror to slam into her.

as chirping birds flitted past them, and a mild breeze kissed her face, she spied a hedge-bordered metal gate in the distance.

her eyes narrowed. magic — it had been magic that had kept still, preventing her from reaching for the knife tucked in her pocket. wonderous, aureate magic that held her in an enchanted sleep for the two days it took them from the cottage to reach the wall, then travel further to the southernmost border of prythian.

carson's heart sunk in her chest, overcome with a mix of emotions.

 there was no going back now.

without a porter or sentry, the gate swung open, revealing an estate sprawled across a rolling green land. the manor was veiled in roses and ivy, topped with patios, balconies, and staircases sprouting from its sides. the view was breathtaking, but so was the beast as he strode down the gravel path.

you do not yield — she told herself, burying her mind in her strength, pride, and vanity. carson steadied her breathing, while the mare continued on through, bringing her to her prison or salvation evermore.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

( word count. 1059 ) i didn't plan on publishing chapters as short as this, but i made an exception for this one as it has a lot of foreshadowing and i wanted that to be the main focus on before i begin the spring court chapters. also letting you all know that planning ahead, i think i've decided on who carson will end up with, but it's all still fifty-fifty, but throughout the book keep me updated on who you think it should be! i hope you all enjoyed, please drop votes and comments! < 3