𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚎(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝖔𝖓𝖊

     Thesan rose, his captain remaining seated beside him—albeit with a hand on his sword. "We were not expecting you, Tamlin." Thesan gestured with a slender hand toward his cringing attendants. "Fetch the High Lord a chair."

    Tamlin did not tear his gaze from the High Lord and Lady of Night. His smile turned subdued—yet somehow more unnerving. More vicious.

"I will admit, Tamlin, that I am surprised to see you here," Beron spoke up. Tamlin didn't alter his focus from Feyre. From every breath she took. "Rumor claims your allegiance now lies elsewhere."

     Tamlin sat, not saying a word.

"Lets get on with it, then," Helion sighed.

"It would seem congratulations are in order," Tamlin spoke up.

"We can discuss the matter at hand later," Rhys said.

"Dont stop on my account," Tamlin insisted.

"I'm not in the business of discussing our plans with enemies," Rhys declined.

"No," Tamlin said with equal ease, "you're just in the business of fucking them."

    I could've killed him for that. Eve, Cassian, Azriel, and Mor were still as death—their fury rippling off them in silent waves. Rhys shrugged, smiling faintly.

"Seems a far less destructive alternative to war," Rhys said.

"And yet here you are, having started it in the first place. If you hadnt stolen my bride away in the night, Rhysand, I would not have been forced to take such drastic measures to get her back."

"And if you hadn't sold my mother and sister out to your father, my brother and father would not have been forced to go to such drastic measures to repay you," Eve snarled.

"Evelina, I don't think we've met," Tamlin observed. "Though, Lucien's always had good things to say about you. Despite the fact that you left him behind when you escaped."

Beron scoffed at the High Lord, but Eve's face contorted into an expression of pain and guilt. Azriel glared at the male, one of his free shadows stroking Eve's cheek in comfort.

"Enough," Azriel cut him off, his wing wrapping to fully hiding his mate from sight. I noticed The Lady of Autumn staring at her lap, trying to hide the grief from her expression.

    She'd told me of that day. She had felt horrible leaving him, just a young boy at the time, behind in an abusive home. But she wasn't his mother. She would never have been able to get him out of there.

"Why are you here, Tamlin?" Thesan questioned.

"I bartered access to my lands to get back the woman I love from a sadist who plays with minds as if they are toys. I meant to fight Hybern—to find a way around the bargain I made with the king once she was back. Only Rhysand and his cabal had turned her into one of them. And she delighted in ripping open my territory for Hybern to invade. All for a petty grudge— either her own or her masters."

"You dont get to rewrite the narrative," Feyre breathed. "You dont get to spin this to your advantage."

    Tamlin only angled his head at Rhys. "When you fuck her, have you ever noticed that little noise she makes right before she climaxes?"

     Feyre's face went red. I felt Mor's hand squeezing mine, not in reassurance, but in pure anger.

"Be careful how you speak about my High Lady," Azriel said smoothly. I felt a hint of pride for my little brother. Surprise flashed in Tamlin's eyes—then vanished.