𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚃𝚘 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔢𝔫

        Nesta's protective instincts had returned with a comforting familiarity.

        Each time the Fae made their presence known at our doorstep, she would take it upon herself to ensure that I was dressed in a manner that was both presentable and dignified.

        I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over me for her sisterly attentiveness. However, beneath that gratitude, there was a feeling of understanding that her actions might've been motivated by more than just affection.

        It seemed as though her sudden care was tied to a desire to keep me with her, rather than with Feyre.

        It was as if she had rekindled her affections towards me as a way to ensure that I didn't go off to Prythian to live with Feyre.

       These thoughts were swirling in my mind that night, as the world outside quieted and the gentle embrace of my bed welcomed me.

       I laid there, in the warmth of my blankets, allowing my thoughts to slow until they gradually became distant whispers. 

⋆ ˚⋆ ⋆ ˚⋆୨♡

       I was jolted awake by the sensation of a cloth being pressed firmly against my face. Panic surged through me as I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound escaped.

       My body fought back instinctively, thrashing against the strong grip that had seized my arms, pulling me from the safety of my bed.

        The room was still shrouded in darkness, my eyes struggling to make sense of my surroundings when suddenly the world began to spin.

        Nausea overwhelmed me as I felt myself being transported, only to come to a halt in a cramped corner of a much larger, obscure room.

        Before I could gather my bearings, my arms were yanked behind me, bound tightly as a gag muffled my attempts to cry out.

        It was then that I realized I wasn't alone. A glance revealed Nesta and Elain, similarly bound and gagged.

       Elain's tears were a silent testament to our shared terror, while Nesta managed to get her leg out from under her, kicking the shin of the male tying me up. He barely winced. 

       Voices echoed around the vast room, a mix of the familiar and some unknown. Among them, I recognized Feyre's. My heart ached with the need for her to see us, to save us from this nightmare.

       The sting of tears filled my eyes as we were dragged out of our corner, only to be thrown at the feet of a figure I presumed was the king.

       A massive cauldron stood before us.

       Catching sight of Feyre, her eyes brimming with tears just like mine, I yearned for nothing more than to be by her side, to be pulled away from this.

"You made a very big mistake," the king said to Rhysand, "the day you went after the Book. I had no need of it. I was content to let it lie hidden. But the moment your forces started sniffing around I decided who better than to be my liaison to the human realm than my newly reborn friend, Jurian? He'd just finished all those months of recovering from the process, and longed to see what his former home had become, so he was more than happy to visit the continent for an extended visit."

"Liar," Feyre hissed, and whirled on the queens. "They are liars, and if you do not let my sisters go, I will slaughter--"

"Do you hear the threats, the language they use in the Night Court?" the king said to the mortal queens. "Slaughter, ultimatums  They wish to end life. I desire to give it."