𝐂 𝐎 𝐒 𝐌 𝐈 𝐂 𝐋 𝐎 𝐕 𝐄 !
𝙲 𝙷 𝙰 𝙿 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁 𝙴 𝙻 𝙴 𝚅 𝙴 𝙽 !
( 𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔦𝔫 𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔞𝔯𝔪𝔬𝔯 ! )
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
[ TW: BRIEF MENTION OF SA (mention. nothing truly happens, but it is implied that things have happened. read with caution. i don't wish anyone to be triggered by this chapter ! ]
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐒 𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃. Calanmai had begun⎯or so she assumed⎯and the celebration was really beginning to piss her off. Tamlin and Lucien had both ordered her and Feyre to remain in their rooms that night and not come out until the drums stopped sounding, but Ana was one more second away from going to that celebration and punching holes into the drums.
And it wasn't like Ana hadn't already come up with the perfect plan to sneak out. She just had to wait for Tamlin and Lucien to leave so she could go to the fields and witness this so-called "faerie ritual."
Her plan was fool-proof (hopefully) and involved three simple steps: one, she would wait until all faeries were already at the ritual site and the house was empty; two, she would sneak into the stables, where Astrella was already waiting for her, and ride off toward the celebrations; and three, she would scan the edges of the celebrations, watch from the shadows, and decide if the way Tamlin was acting earlier in the week was overdramatic or not.
Fool-proof.
Ana's ear was pressed to her bedroom door, her runes activated so all of her senses were heightened. She could hear Feyre and Tamlin speaking in the foyer, though Tamlin seemed very . . . off. It was like he was under some sort of spell or something, leaving him quick and anxious to get to Calanmai and partake in what he called, the Great Rite. Whatever the fuck that was.
When she finally heard him leave and Feyre's door shut, Ana slipped out of her room and began step one of her plan. She was already dressed head-to-toe in black⎯a black tunic, a black undershirt, and black pants with riding boots. She'd be able to blend into the shadows, especially if she kept her silencing rune activated. They may be faeries, but angelic magic seemed to be stronger than their senses at this point.
Ana was fast as she sprinted across the lands of the Spring Court, reaching the stables in no time. Astrella bobbed her head in greeting to Ana, the blonde giving her a sugar cube before mounting the steed. She knew how to ride bare-back after attempting it a few times. Actually, she preferred it to saddle-back.
With a flick of the reigns, they were off, Astrella trotting toward the festivities as silent and quick as the night breeze. Step two.
Ana was immediately hit with the smell of smoke, her eyes aching from the sudden burst of light provided by the large fires surrounding the hills. Hundreds of High Fae⎯Spring Court and not⎯surrounded the fires, all dressed for a party. The females were in more scandalous attire while the males pranced around shirtless and eager to impress. It reminded her of an average high school or college party. Both of which she'd attended and despised all the same.
When Ana was close enough, she dismounted Astrella and pressed a kiss to her muzzle, smiling gently. She didn't need to worry about her running off while unattended. As said before, she and Astrella had bonded in their time together, both trusting one another. Which allowed Ana to continue to step three.
Her silencing rune was active as she crept through the darkness, eyeing the dancing and singing faeries curiously. Ana watched as the line of faeries made their way into a trench between the two hills, the drummers remaining on their side of the fire. She could feel the pounding beats resonating in her head with each strike of the stick against the drum's surface.
Getting to the valley was easy, seeing as no one paid her any mind. At one end of the valley was a cave mouth. It's exterior had been adorned with flowers and branches and leaves, and Ana could just see the beginnings of a pelt-covered floor. Why there would be blankets on the floor of a cave? Ana shivered just thinking about all the reasons.
All High Fae females were lining the entrance to the cave, swaying to the movement of the drums. Ana perked a brow at the entire scene, finding it hilarious that this was what Tamlin had kept her and Feyre from seeing. Honestly, this was nothing compared to some of the mundane celebrations. Especially Mardi Gras. If Tamlin wanted to see something scary, he should go to that.
And not to mention all the Downworlder raves Ana had attended for both fun and work. If any of the High Fae and faeries alike here went to a rave in her world, they would be running for their lives. This Calanmai shit was like a kid's birthday party compared to that. In fact, Ana would rather be in a mundane club than on the hill at the moment.
Rolling her eyes, Ana sank back into the shadows, all curiosity and eagerness gone. She was missing some good sleep just to witness some boring ass high school hang out? By the Angel, she was going to slap Tamlin for getting her hopes up.
The Fallon girl entered the treeline and leaned against a sturdy oak, her arms crossing over her chest as her eyes continued to scan over the entirety of the festival. She'd gone to all the trouble of creating a plan, so she may as well stay until the end of the stupid celebration, right? Witness how Tamlin and his faerie friends planned on giving magic back to the court. It had something to do with the cave and the Great Rite. Ana just hoped she wasn't making a mistake by sticking around.
Oh, boy. How she was.
Her eyes scanned the area, taking everything in. A flash of golden light caught her attention, dragging her away from watching the males fight for a place alongside the ladies. To her surprise, Tamlin was walking through the pathway of Fae, coming to a stop at the middle of the crowd. Ana frowned when a few Fae moved to block her eyeline. She huffed and scanned the trees behind her, quickly climbing one of them until she could see perfectly.
He was shirtless but adorned in weapons. The air reeked of testosterone and magic, causing Ana's upper lip to curl in disgust. By the Angel, magic reeked. She brushed those thoughts from her head and watched in blatant curiosity as a few choice faeries began to draw symbols on Tamlin's chest⎯swirls and runes of their language. Ana tilted her head, frowning at each movement and action. What was going on?
When Tamlin was covered, she watched as some kind of silence fell over the hills. The fires still burned, and the drums still pounded, but everything was muted. Every movement was still, every breath was silent. Magic stung in the air, smelling so awful, Ana had to clamp a hand over her mouth and nose.
The momentary pause ended and Ana could breathe. Tamlin, without warning, took off for the forest after a flash of bright white light, the rest of the faeries going back to dancing to the music. Ana let out a breath when she realized that it would be a bit until anything exciting happened again, meaning she was stuck in this tree until Tamlin promptly returned and showed her why he was so skittish to mention this shit.
She jumped when she felt something brush against her side, right where her pants pocket was. With nimble fingers, Ana pulled a piece of paper out, smiling when she noted Izzy's familiar handwriting. Ana had sent another Fire Message after hearing Alis's story, so she hoped her friends back home had answered both.
Dear Annie
Two messages in one day? By the Angel, you're spoiling us.
Ana laughed softly, rolling her eyes.
Alec looked into the Downworlder files to check if what you believe is true. Turns out, forty-five years ago, two Seelie boys appeared in the Seelie Court, claiming to come from a world called Prythian. The same world you are in. I think you're right to assume that Alis's boys are in our world, being taken care of by their people until it is time for them to return home.
Ana loosed a breath. Okay, she had good news to fill Alis in on after this monstrosity of a night came to an end.
As for the other stuff you sent us, Magnus and the other warlocks are doing their research on Prythian. I should be able to get you that information in a couple of days. Jace has gone to the Seelie Courts to ask the queen about Prythian, but as usual, her Royal Bitchiness refused to tell him anything, so we're stuck using magic. Unless Raziel decides to be forgiving.
On the bright side, things have been calm here. No issues surrounding the Downworlders or any calls to fight and kill demons. It's a little boring, actually. Sitting around the Institute all day is making me lose my shit, and Alec isn't helping much. Wish you were here to liven things up just a bit.
The blonde smiled softly. God, how she missed her old friends. Not that she didn't like Feyre or Alis⎯maybe even Lucien. But they weren't her friends that she grew up with. But, if she hadn't been sent to Prythian, then she wouldn't have met Feyre and become great friends with her. Or Rhys, who she cherished a lot more than she was willing to admit at the moment.
Stay safe, Annie, and come back to us in one piece. And that Amarantha chick? Give her hell for stealing you away from us.
Your Parabatai and sister,
Izzy
When the letter was finished, Ana folded it and slipped it back into her pocket, her eyes moving once more to the burning fires and crowd of High Fae. Her eyes widened when she spotted Tamlin marching back into the crowd, a pure white stag slung over his shoulders, dead. Her brows rose as he approached one of the fires, jaw going slack when he tossed the body into the flames, causing the faeries around him to cheer.
What a waste of meat, Ana thought to herself, rolling her eyes. And was that it? Just wait for him to kill a deer and throw it in the fire? Fucking weirdos.
She was wrong, though. Silence fell over the hills again as the males all backed away from the eagerly waiting females, who began to fix their appearance. Tamlin's eyes were bathed in magic. He looked nothing like how she remembered him looking⎯he was still unpleasant in a way, and just the thought of him had her wanting to punch him or stab him, but something was different.
His eyes scanned the lines of females, each one just as breathtaking as the next, before settling beyond them and onto the treeline. Specifically, the treeline that Ana was perched in. Her eyes widened when he started forward, body pressing against the bark to help her blend into the shadows more as her heart pounded. Either he was coming over to her to yell at her, or . . .
Disgust swam in her stomach, making her want to hurl. To think of ever doing that with Tamlin? The very idea of it made a sour taste fill her mouth, her nose scrunching.
Still, he approached her hiding spot, walking faster and faster with each passing second. Eagerness burned in his eyes as he twisted through the crowd, soon breaking into a sprint that landed him at the bottom of the very tree she hid in within a blink of an eye. His golden mask glinted in the firelight and a completely animal-like smirk curled across his lips. Ew.
Slowly⎯she didn't want him or anyone else to note her movement⎯she began to climb higher into the tree. If she managed to get to a high enough branch, she could scan the other trees and start jumping through them until she reached Astrella. Then, she could ride back to the manor and lock herself inside her room. Anything to keep Tamlin from touching her. Because if he so much as breathed on her, she'd slit his throat.
"I know you're up there," he said in a growl, which Ana guessed was supposed to be seductive but it was just nauseating. Instead of turning her on, like it was meant to, it made the sickness in her stomach grow. She gripped onto the branch above her tight enough for her knuckles to shine white. If he didn't back off soon, she was going to vomit all over him. Which, in all honesty, would be pretty fucking funny. "Why don't you come down so I don't have to get you myself."
Ana remained silent, the cool metal of her twin kindjals brushing against her skin, letting her know that she was safe. And, unbeknownst to her, that golden light was beginning to twist around her nimble fingers, preparing to defend her. It drove the bitter smell of magic away from her, allowing her to breathe properly for the first time that entire night.
She reached a higher level of the tree and scanned the surrounding branches. There was one close by with a small gap between where she was and the other tree. Silently, she slipped around the trunk and leaped from her tree to the next. It was times like these when Ana was grateful for her angelic grace.
Tamlin growled again, and Ana could see his canines gleaming in the firelight, along with his talons. "I'll give you another chance, Anastasia, to come down here and join me before I take matters into my own hands."
Bile stung her throat at the way her name fell from his lips. God, he was trying to make her sick. Her stomach was twisting uncomfortably and she could feel her heart in her throat, her body still as she gripped the trunk of the next tree. She had to get away from him before she either killed him or got caught by him. She didn't even know why he was so adamant on her joining him . . .
Feyre. Her scent was mixed with Ana's due to the two of them spending so much time together that day. Tamlin and Lucien had both been busy with Calanmai preparations, so the two girls had spent their time wandering the halls of the manor together and keeping one another company. And since Tamlin had a thing for Feyre . . .
There was a flash of movement between the trees and the tightness of a hand around her ankle. Ana immediately dug her nails into the bark and tried to kick Tamlin off of her, but it was to no avail. His grip was tighter than she'd expected it to be, and the magic was making him stronger. She barely had the time to scream in surprise as Tamlin yanked on her ankle, her body crashing out of the tree. Splinters jammed between her nails and she was sure her ankle had been twisted. She could feel sharp talons rip into her skin, blood pooling from the wounds and heating up her body. Mid-fall, she twisted in the air and landed on her feet with a wince, glaring violently at a smirking Tamlin, who didn't seem to care that she was seconds from killing him.
Kindjals in her hands, she tried to step away from him, but her ankle screamed in protest. It was definitely either sprained or dislocated. She grit her teeth and forced the pain away. I swear to Raziel, I'm going to murder this fucker.
"There. Was that so hard?" he asked, tilting his head mockingly. He then extended a hand toward her, his talons glistening with her blood. "Come with me. The Great Rite must be completed. And since you're the closest to Feyre⎯"
"I think the fuck not." Ana's glare hardened, irises turning bright gold like her hair. She brandished one of her daggers, the adamas blade glowing in the night. "You better back off before I rid you of the tools needed to complete your Great Rite."
As if to make her threat clearer, she aimed the blade toward his crotch, the other raised to stab or slash if need be. She was not letting him touch her.
Tamlin growled furiously, his hand reaching out and latching around her wrist, tugging her forward. As stated before, the magic he was on was making him faster and stronger than Ana. The Fallon pulled, trying to free herself as she was dragged toward the cave, going as far as digging her heels into the dirt and slashing at his wrist with her daggers. "You are making this harder than it needs to be. I promise you, I'll go easy on you. Make you beg for more."
Yep. She was definitely going to be sick. She could feel the bile crawling up her throat as black dots began to float across her vision. No, no, no. Not here. This can't be happening here.
"Let go of me, you perverted asshole!" Ana raged, her heart hammering in her chest. She could feel her airways beginning to close, as though a weight was pushing down on them. "In my world, when a girl says no, she means it!"
Tamlin ignored her. She was getting closer and closer to the entrance of the cave, the faces of the High Fae slowly beginning to come into view. The females were glaring at her while the males whistled in anticipation. But a flash of red showed Ana a terrified Lucien, whose eyes were alight with pain. Ana begged him to help with her eyes, but he shook his head. He was acting like there wasn't a damn thing he could do to help her.
I'm gonna murder these two when I finally get free, Ana thought, doing her best to push away the panic. It wasn't working. Memories were beginning to form in her mind. Memories that she'd pushed so far back, they nearly split her head with the force of their return. Raziel, if you're listening, help me. Give me a way to escape this horrid night.
They were almost to the cave, and the drum beats were so loud, Ana could taste them. They matched the pounding of her heart as her hands began to shake. She was still stabbing at Tamlin, but the wounds were healing as fast as she was afflicting them. Her struggling grew with each step, eyes scanning everyone and everything to see if someone would help her out of this. She couldn't believe that she was about to be forced into something like this. Not again.
Five year old Anastasia sat on a cold floor, her breath coming out in puffs of white mist. Goosebumps covered her pale skin, which was open to the elements seeing as she was dressed only in a long tee shirt and underwear. Tears were falling down her icy cheeks as she tried to block out the screams coming from the room before her. The screams of her friend⎯her sister. She wanted to help, but she couldn't.
An iron shackle was clasped around her bony ankle, keeping her where she was. Stuck helplessly listening as Viktor did horrible, unspeakable things. Dmitri was stuck in another room, unable to comfort her or help free her so they could save Nadia.
The screams came to a sudden halt, and panic pierced every part of Anastasia's body. She listened in paralyzing fear as the heavy metal door in the room next to her was opened, then slammed shut. She counted each fast breath, waiting for her own door to open. For her own pain to ensue.
Anastasia backed into the corner of the room as far as she could when her door opened, revealing a smirking Viktor. His blond hair was messy and greasy, his shirt buttons undone and allowing Anastasia to see the scratch marks that covered his skin. The marks Nadia had left trying to free herself from him. His green eyes glimmered with primal lust, and the young girl could only curl into herself more in hopes of disappearing from his view.
"Oh, don't be like that, Anastasia," Viktor crooned, his boots echoing around the room with each step. "You will be helping such a great cause."
The tears fell faster and harder, drenching the shirt she wore. Her limbs shook not from the cold, but from terror. Pure, blinding terror. Her eyelids were clenched shut, bile rising in her throat as his grimy fingers curled around her chin, forcing her face toward him.
"Open those beautiful eyes for me, okay? I want to see them." Anastasia whimpered, fighting to pull herself from his grip, but it did nothing. It only angered him. "You know I don't like being ignored, Anastasia. Open. Your. Eyes."
She was knocked out of her memories as a swift darkness blanketed the celebration. It was warm and comforting, and Ana immediately knew who it belonged to. Even in her frenzied state of mind, she knew just who had answered her pleas for help.
The darkness caused Tamlin to suddenly drop his grip on her wrist. Ana took a moment to regain her breath before jamming both her kindjals into his chest and dragging them down, causing him to roar in pain. Then, in the cover of night, Ana sprinted from the cave and the celebrations as fast as she could. It was like the darkness was guiding her safely to its master, keeping her from bumping into the confused faeries that surrounded the hills and pushing her to go faster.
An enraged growl sounded behind Ana, but she didn't stop. Not until she was far enough away that the drums sounded like distant heartbeats. Not until she could no longer smell the stench of magic and testosterone. Not until her body collided with a familiar one, a breath of relief filling her ears as arms encircled her body.
The darkness fell, but the comfort and safety remained. Her tears continued to flow as she clutched his shirt tightly in her shaking fingers, nose pressing against his shoulder. His hand rubbed her back gently, chin resting atop her head. They were in the same position they had been nights ago, when he'd found her crying after the death of that faerie.
"I heard you," he said. His soft and silky voice had a tinge of rage at the edges. Like he, too, was ready to murder Tamlin. "I heard you."
Ana didn't respond. She was still trying to lower her heart rate and force her nausea down. The tears slowly dried up as the familiar smell of citrus and sea calmed her down. Those black dots that had once blurred her vision were gone, and the pounding in her head had subsided to a dull throb.
Finally, Ana breathed in deeply. "Thank you." Her voice was soft and strained. She didn't even want to think about how she looked. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She continued to mumble her thanks until she was sure they were blended into a mumble of syllables and vowels. It was then that Ana realized who was right before her, causing her eyes to widen and her body to shoot back in shock. "Wait. You're here. Like . . . actually here?"
Rhysand stood before her in the flesh. They were not in a dream, nor were they speaking through their mental link. He was standing in front of her, dressed as per usual with the same feline-like smirk on his lips. His violet eyes twinkled in the darkness, and Ana was sure she'd never seen such an attractive male before in her life.
He chuckled lowly, nodding. "I'm here, Ana darling."
She squealed happily and tackled him into another hug. She couldn't believe it. He was there. He had found a way to get out from Under the Mountain and visit her, evidently saving her life in the process.
"How'd you manage to . . ." She shook her head as she stepped back, taking in his features once more. It was so astonishing that he was actually there, standing in front of her. "How?"
Rhys slipped his hands in his pockets. "I have my ways." Ana perked a brow and his casual expression dropped, turning serious. "I heard you screaming in my head, so I came. I gave her some lie about finding people who were against her just to get to you in time."
Ana felt her heart warm, along with her cheeks. "You did that? Just to get to me?" He nodded, and Ana found herself smiling. "How sweet. The fierce High Lord of the terrible Night Court coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress."
Rhys's laughter fell across the land, causing Ana to laugh as well. He shook his head, beaming down at her. "You are many things, Anastasia, but a damsel in distress is not one of them." Unlike when Tamlin had said her name, she felt her stomach twist as though filled with swarms of fluttering butterflies. It made her smile widen and her eyes brighten. His face morphed into a look of concern. "Are you okay, though?"
The blonde sighed. "I will be." She rubbed at her wrist, which would bruise, before remembering her ankle. It throbbed under the weight of her body, causing her to wince. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving her aware of all her injuries. "Nothing a healing rune and some sleep can't fix."
Rhys's eyes scanned her body, checking to make sure she was telling the truth. When he'd heard her screams in his head, he'd almost tore apart the court while trying to get to her. And to find out that Tamlin was the cause of her distress? It took everything inside of him not to kill the High Lord of the Spring Court.
When he deemed her good, he pulled her for another hug that she practically melted into. He rested his cheek on her hair, taking in a deep breath. Cherry blossoms and chocolate. "What were you doing out here on Calanmai?"
"They said not to come, so of course, I didn't listen to them." There was humor in her voice. "That, and they didn't tell either Feyre or myself what Calanmai really is. If I'd known it would involve Tamlin sacrificing a deer and then assaulting some girl, I would've stayed indoors."
And she was being honest. If Tamlin or Lucien had told her the truth, she wouldn't have snuck out to watch the festivities. She blamed herself for not listening to their original warnings, but she also blamed them for not disclosing all information. And she blamed the magic for making Tamlin uber strong. If he hadn't been on a magic high, Ana would've kick his ass to Hell for thinking of her like that. She might still. She wasn't sure yet.
"The title of High Lord is not always given to the smartest of Fae," Rhys joked. Ana couldn't help but agree. "It's late. You should get back inside. I won't be able to stay out much longer."
She frowned against his chest, not wanting to leave the warm embrace. "Just a few more moments."
Rhys hummed. She'd fisted the back of his shirt, pressing her face into his chest as hard as she could. It took everything in Rhys not to pick her up and whisk her away to the safety of his court. His real court. Where shit like this would never happen.
Ana slipped out of his arms after another deep breath, her lips tugging down into a frown. "Will you be okay?"
Rhys smiled softly. "You amaze me, Ana darling." He brushed her hair from her face, his thumb tickling the skin of her cheek. "I will be okay. And, don't worry, someday soon, we'll meet again."
She perked a brow. "Promise?"
He nodded. "I promise."
And with that hanging in the air, Ana hugged Rhysand one more time⎯leaving a grateful kiss on his cheek in the process⎯before leaving to find Astrella, exhaustion finally settling on her shoulders.
When she woke up, she was going to rain hell on Tamlin and Lucien.
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𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑 𝐒 𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄 !
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⬩❖⬩ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Holy shit. I can't believe it only took ten chapters to get to Calanmai. I really hope this chapter lived up to your expectations, people. Seriously. I spent two days mulling over this idea and then an entire night trying to put it into words. Today was just spent fixing the mistakes of last night, so I hope you guys really do like this.
You saw a flash into Ana's past and learned a little more about her living situation before she went to the Institute. More flashbacks like this will continue to pop up every once in a while because I want you guys to fully understand what Ana has been through.
Fuck Tamlin. And Lucien.
Seriously.
Please comment and vote!
Love you all!
~ a.h.