Forewarning, this chapter has mentions of torcher
Kana's POV:
Feyre had left yesterday. Hava, who demanded to stay with me today, stood in front of me. "We needed them." Was all she had to say.
I glared at her, "Hava you just wanted them here to defend me, should Tamlin show up, he would have killed them all. Feyre's lost enough so I sent them back past the border so they could live."
Hava had been silent after that, winnowing us to the boarder. Tamlin snarled, "Where is my fiance?" I frowned at him, "Tamlin she was never yours to begin with."
"I have the papers, her father signed that I would marry her." Tamlin threw them down in front of me. I felt Helion's presence overhead. "I thought that you asked her to marry you and she said yes."
He snapped, "I had these to make sure the other court's wouldn't touch her." I ripped them in half, then ripped them over and over again until they were little pieces scattered in the wind.
"Tamlin, are you aware that I know you forged those correct?" he blinked, then snapped. "You call your father's signature fake?"
"That wasn't my father's signature." Tamlin barked a laugh and hissed, "And how would you know that?"
"The signature was signed with a right hand, my father is left handed. And thank you for admitting your wrong doing to me." I blinked innocently at him. I watched the gears turn in his head until he realized what he admitted to me.
"Do you think they'll listen to you? The Reaper died trying to kill Amarantha, you have nothing!" He snarled, stepping to close for Hava's liking. The tall female stepped just enough in front of me to prove her point.
"Beron, Kallias, and Tarquin likely won't listen to me, neither will you." His smirk made him all the more punchable. "However they will listen to Helion who has expertly hidden his presence from you until now, and heard the entire conversation."
Tamlin paled considerably, I set a hand over my heart. "Let me make this very clear to you Tamlin, should you ever threaten one of my sisters like that again. I will fucking slaughter you, do I make myself clear?"
He snarled and winnowed without a response. I frowned as Helion landed Meallan in the place Tamlin used to stand. His smirk was more joking than the blonde, idiot male before. "I'm pretty sure he didn't invite Lucien out of spite because the little fox actually likes you."
I nodded and Helion wrapped an arm around my shoulders pulling me toward Meallan. "Let's fly, you need some adrenaline to get you going."
I nodded again. Helion was most certainly an ass. He joked at every turn, and was also arrogant. He was also one of the only people who visited me. I snorted and he gave me a strange look. I talked like I was an old lady.
I shook my head and he Helped me into the saddle. Helion climbed up after me and Meallan launched us into the sky. Once we were out of earshot to the people below, I felt Helion settle a shield around us.
"I got an unusual message from my border commander stating that some certain birds were seeking to return home." Helion murmured. I groaned and elbowed him as hard as my weak body would let me.
"Let's not talk about this, Feyre already hates me enough." I grumbled. Helion winced and turned Meallan toward the training fields. "Feyre doesn't hate you, she just doesn't understand you like everyone else excluding dear Hava because you spend hours explaining your mind to her."
I barked a laugh and grinned, "A few years ago I thought I wasn't paying her enough so I came up with the excuse that she was also my personal therapist so I could get away with giving her a bigger paycheck."
Helion burst out laughing and I thought I heard Meallan snort over the loud male. He wrapped an arm around me as Meallan dove before leveling out again. "You sound like Rhysand like that."
"Maybe just a little bit." Meallan landed in the yard of the manor. I waved the High Lord inside with me and shipped some pointless alcohol with him. I snuck Meallan some sugar cubes before the High Lord could catch me.
Hava was waiting for me like a mother hen a the door with her arms crossed. Hava said, "I just got a note from Nuan, she's close with Project Archer."
"Once she's done repairing it, tell her I want it shipped to her along with the books immediately." I declared. Hava nodded. One of my spies was in my office. "News?" I asked him, pouring th emale a drink.
"Hybern's stirring," I snorted and motioned for him to continue. "After you gave the map of where the book halves were found to Rhysand, Hybern sacked the last temple."
I nodded, he finished the drink and set it down on the tray where I usually set my dirty glasses. I rubbed my temples, "Rhysand and I have arranged for the females to merge back into the steppes when the worst happens. You and the rest of the spies will be under Nesta, Feyre, or Azriel."
He nodded and came around the desk and wrapped me in an embrace. "I know you are going to die, Kana, and that there's nothing we can do. But at least let us try and keep everything together."
"Hava and the other Originals can play the Game of Prythian when I'm gone. None of us have figured it out yet, but I have hope. They'll understand one day."
My spy nodded and left without another word. Hava entered after a few minutes. She set a box on my desk. I flipped the top open and started at a piece of tile. "Is this it?"
Hava nodded, "You were right, it's a puzzle." I shut the box and handed it back to her, "It goes to Nesta." Hava nodded and went out of the room.
I sighed and begged the Mother for mercy.
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Feyre's POV:
I sat in my room staring at the book an Elder had given me. It was Kana's. I held it in my hands, without the strength to open it. Cas sat down beside me, "What's in it?"
"Probably a truth I'm not ready for." I murmured. Cas frowned, "Why would Kana give it to you." I snorted, setting the book down beside me and cupped my face in my hands, "It's another piece laid down in her unending game. She's probably made a tapestry out of fate at this point."
Cassian snorted and picked up the book, "That does sound like something she would do."
The two of us sat in silence for a while. I frowned thinking back to the blurry figure never fully present in my mind.
Their voice was clearly female, I remembered that much. The only thing I remember them saying now, from my half conscious form at the time was, "I must leave, Dagdan and I have some business to attend to."
Her presence radiated power. I crossed my arms as Cas glared at me. "Are you okay?" He murmured. I nodded, I watched my friend frown. Although he said nothing about my too obvious lie.
Cas quickly changed the subject, "How is training with Rhys going?" I sighed and explained, "It's not training Cas, he was just testing my mental shields."
The general prodded, "Rhys told me Kana got you to hold a sword." It was a blunt way of asking me to train. "Cas it's not a good idea." I remembered how I had sent Kana flying across the clearing. After she finally had prodded me well enough to get my magic to bend the way she had wanted me to use it.
Cas set a hand on my shoulder, "Feyre you are not going to hurt me, and If you do I will know, and do know that you didn't mean it."
"I'm not afraid of hurting you Cas." I murmured. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to stop it." Cas glanced at me strangely, "Stop what?"
I shook my head, "It doesn't matter." Mor shouted from downstairs, "Get your asses down here! We won't save you plates!" Cas lagged and I chuckled beside him.
We made our way out of my room. I felt that thing poke my mind again. I checked my shields, and I knew it wasn't Rhysand. I had stopped and Cas almost ran straight into me. "Are you sure you're okay?"
His words brought me out of my trance. "Yeah sorry." I mumbled and Cas glanced at me worriedly. It poked again, but this time I had been ready. I launched my magic at it, and pulled. "Feyre?" Cas said from in front of me. I watched the world sway around me.
I watched Cas lunge for me as the floor came to catch me.
"Your blade is an extension of your arm. That is what a good soldier would tell you. I am not good Feyre, I have made many mistakes, fought dirty sisters, and come out alive." Kana explained. She showed me how to hold the sword again.
I said with a slight frown on my face, "What else?" I heard my sister chuckle, "I hope you will never have magic Feyre, it often has a mind of its own. Magic, Feyre, is just like the sword. Not an extension of yourself, but yourself all together."
"If they both are me," I slashed the sword in the formations Kana had shown me. "Then what happens if you use them as yourself together."
"Depends on the person and magic Feyre." Kana said flatly. I smiled at her in an attempt to make her smile. "I hope that I'll have magic one day, That way you can teach me those techniques too!"
I continued practicing. Softly enough that I barely heard her, Kana murmured. "Don't take them from me, let them live and die. I beg you don't take my sisters, take me in their places."
It was nothing more than a wisp of shadow at the corner of my vision. "You have a bargain, but you must play the game."
The scene changed.
"Tell me what she knows!" Tamlin screamed. I sobbed, glancing around and I noticed the knives he used to keep me pinned to the wall. I cried hoarsely, "I don't know! I didn't know she would never tell us!"
Tamlin yanked a knife out from its place, a choked sound came from me. My voice had given out from the screaming. He slammed it back into the same place, and yelled. "Don't fucking lie to me! I know she told you! Where the hell is the game!"
I cried as he kept killing me for an answer I didn't have.
The scene changed again.
I stalked into the study, the emerald ring shining bright on my finger. Tamlin turned and smiled as he saw me. Something in my brain told me to run. But it was pointless, Tamlin was my fiance' and I loved him.
A pang hit deep in my heart, I love him right? He kissed my shoulder and wrapped his arms around me. I hid the tensing in my body well. Why was I tense? He was my fiance, I had nothing to fear from him.
"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier," Tamlin apologised. "I got you some new paints, I thought you'd like them."
I looked down at them, he handed me a jaw. I opened it and dipped my finger in the red paint. I froze.
The bloody hands, the knives, the pain, he'd kill me- I'd die in this house. Rhysand, I called through our bargain. Rhysand please help, Rhysand please, please- "Do you like them."
I opened my mouth and shut it again. The shock still covering my body. But I nodded, I watched Tamlin frown. Rhysand- "You don't like them." I said hiding my fear, "Tamlin they're beautiful paints," I watched him smile. "Tamlin I haven't painted in months. I don't think I'll paint again either."
Not after he ruined me so badly not even Rhysand would wish for my company now. We argued. And then he exploded, I screamed, I watched him slam fist after fist into my wall of wind. Rhysand, I begged, Rhysand PLEASE-
The female was already in my mind, she forced me to let the barrier down. Tamlin gripped me by the throat and pulled me off the ground. He snarled and dropped me, threw me, back onto the ground.
"How did she get free!" Tamlin snarled at the female. He snarled back at him, the High Lord, seeming unnerved. "She clearly has her own powers, whatever they are. They make loopholes in my webs. Then when she stumbles across them on accident or on purpose I'll have to come and remake the webss."
"I don't care how many tries it takes, Feyre Archeron is mine." Tamlin hissed. The female nodded. "Now let us deal with the problem."
The sequence of pain circled on and on. The torcher repeated over and over.
There was only pain.
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Rhysand's POV:
The day I snuck off with Feyre and made a bargain with her to change the world, Amarantha made me service her for my absence. She forced herself on me for hours in her tent. Her tent, while the rest of the fae slept in the mud.
Out of all the times I had sacrificed myself for something, it left this hole in me. Yet that night I didn't care, I didn't care that she used me. Because it felt worth it in exchange for that bargain.
For those few minutes with Feyre.
And now she was just suffering.
I leaned on the wall as Madja worked stitching the wound that had appeared on Feyre up. I glanced at my brother who was beside me. The General had this hollow look on his face since he shouted, lunging for his friend.
He was still coated in Feyre's blood, Az had him explain it several times to all of them. Cas and Feyre had been walking down the hallway, she stopped. He'd asked her if she was okay, Cas noted that she was a slight bit paler than before.
Feyre nodded that she was fine, and they continued walking. When she stopped again, she had this hollow look to her eyes. Like she had been somewhere else. Then the wounds simply appeared, and she'd fallen.
Only to be caught by Cas.
Madja came out of Feyre's room. She huffed, and said harshly. "I have absolutely no damned idea how this happened."
I heard Amren hiss from where she was on the staircase. "But," Madja continued. "Minus the injuries that just keep appearing on her, she seems fine. My magic was able to detect that the wounds were coming from her mind."
"That's not possible," I stated. Madja shook her head, "It shouldn't be." I tried to interrupt her, but she silenced me with a glance. "My magic detected that her brain is acting as if it's awake. The only explanation for this is that something triggered her, and Feyre is now replaying some... very bad memories. But her mind thinks that it's real. Therefore her magic is treating her body like the memories are real, because both the magic and Feyre believe the memories are real."
Az asked from the shadowed corner, "What triggered her?"
Madja shook her head, "It could literally be anything, attacks like this could happen at any time. Something could have been said or done in the humanlands and it's only just now gotten to her. Something could have happened weeks ago and it only just now got to her; it's impossible to tell."
Cas asked with a pale face, "When will she wake up?"
"When she finds the loophole, what's happening to her it's reality, that's fake. That or we'll have to risk some serious damage to her, and force her to wake up by going into her mind." Madja explained carefully.
"Thank you Madja." Mor said, smiling at her gently. Madja nodded and left quickly. We all stood in the hallway in silence. Amren said, "This is one of Brannagh's mind traps, it's something she always did back in the war."
Cassian and Azriel snarled, Amren continued, "We already knew that Tamlin paid someone off to convince her mind that she was his. It was only a matter of time when we found out who. This confirms Kana's and Our own suspicions that Hybern is going to start up again. But this time stronger and more thought out."
Az disappeared into the shadows, Mor and Amren went off to research something. Cas murmured softly, "We'll take turns." With no other explanation he stalked into Feyre's room and shut the door.
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Feyre's POV:
The light was unkind when I finally opened my eyes. I was still for a few moments, believing that tamlin would burst through the doors at any second. "Feyre?" Rhysand's voice held baskets of concern. I turned and looked at him. His face was tight, like he hadn't slept in a while,
"Why-" My voice was trashed. I closed my mouth and stated, "But I was in spring court?" Tears were already forming in my eyes. Rhysand finally moved and sat on the edge of the bed.
He drew me into a hug and refused to let go. I cried, and cried. Rhysand smoothed my hair, and murmured soothing words. I finally pulled away from him. Rhysand explained, "It was just your head Feyre, a web from a daemati. I was most likely the person who tampered with your mind while you were in spring court."
My hands were shaking as I nodded. His eyes wavered, "Do you want to see Cas? He's been worrying himself sick." I nodded quickly, Rhysand's eyes glazed over. He was speaking to Cas through his mind then.
Rhysand continued explaining to me what state my magic had put me in. A few minutes later, a solid thump was heard throughout the house. Cassian popped into my room without knocking, as he usually did. He rushed over to me and wrapped me in a hug.
"Hi,"I murmured, "I'm sorry I scared you." he laughed and smiled, "You couldn't control that Feyre, I'm just happy you're okay."
The three of us talked for a while, neither of them seemed ready to leave me alone. Rhysand said that Madja suggested resting for a few days, and then he left to have some meeting with the Lords of Velaris.
Cassian was about to leave when I asked him, "When Madja gives me the all clear," I started and wiped my sweaty hands on the quilt. "Could we try training?"
Cassian smiled, "I'll see you then Huntress." I smirked and teased, "Very well then general."
Hey guys! Sorry for the long periods without uploads. But on the bright side the holidays are near!
Happy reads!
: Dragon-Fly