eclipsed nova (UTM Feysand)

12

A/N: spice warninggggggggg

Disappointment swelled in my chest when Nuala and Cerridwen arrived at the bedroom door, a skimpy dress and matching collar in hand. Immediately, I knew Rhys had summoned me for one of Amarantha's events again, and after the way things had ended between us last night, I was not at all excited to see him.

In my nightmare, I'd watched as Rhys peeled Tamlin's skin from his body, listening to me scream and beg for him to stop. Once he'd finished with Tamlin, he started in on me. He wore that familiar haughtiness, laughing at my pain as he carved into my skin with a serrated blade. I'd woken up in a fit of screams to find him sat over me, his body much bigger than mine and hands gripping and holding down my wrists. A panic stronger than anything I'd ever felt had slammed into me. I knew in that moment how much stronger than me he was. I saw how easy it would be for him to take whatever he pleased from me. And it scared me.

Just as I'd feared, he had reverted right back to his cruelty, ridiculing me for trusting him in the first place when he'd so clearly warned me against it. Once again, my mind had found someone who paid the slightest bit of attention to me and latched onto them with puncturing claws, just as I had with Tamlin.

It made me hate myself even more to know that I hadn't grown at all. When would I ever learn my lesson? No one was going to save me. No one here cared about what happened to me or anything even remotely close. I was a pawn down here. An insignificant piece on a chess board, for the most part ignored.

So, when Nuala and Cerridwen began their routine of getting me dressed and ready for Amarantha's gala, I didn't fight them. I let them blush my cheeks and line my eyes, glossing my lips and making them poutier. This time I even asked Nuala to do more to my eyes than I usually allowed, and she'd given a shy smile, blushing as she nodded and got to work. She lined them in such a flawless way that made my eyes cerulean pools, upturned with the seduction of a siren.

My dress tonight was black. The back of the dress was open, falling low on my back. The thin straps ran over my shoulders and down into the deep V-line of the front of the dress. This time, there was only one slit that sliced up on the left side, the fabric splitting above my hip bone. The collar was silver, with one longer chain falling down the center of my chest, between my breasts. At the end of the chain, a sapphire rested against my skin. It was beautiful. It made me feel powerful.

Looking into the mirror, I looked at myself for a long moment. I would not be afraid. I would not cower and grovel. I was in control. I would make myself indispensable. This was a game of strategy, and I would win. If Rhysand wanted to hurt me, I'd hurt him worse. If Amarantha wanted to ruin me, I'd ruin her first.

The girls led me to the Great Hall, and my steps stumbled when I saw the way the room had been changed for the night. It was so dim that my eyes had to take a moment to adjust before I could see to take a step in front of me. Bowls of glowing blue stones lit the pathway in and created pockets of light throughout the room. The servants that bustled about were barely clothed. A tiny slip of lace wrapped around their breasts, leaving nothing to the imagination. They wore skirts that barely covered the curve of their ass.

A violinist in the far corner played slow, sultry, and seductive notes. The air felt intoxicating. A servant walked over to us, a bowl of glowing purple flowers in their hands. I picked one up, twisting it in my fingers as I looked at the way the petals lit up under my touch. They watched me expectantly, and I looked back to Nuala and Cerridwen and tried to understand.

"For you to eat, miss," Cerridwen whispered. My heart skipped as I looked back at the flower between my fingertips. The faerie wine had gone right to my head in a rush. I couldn't even imagine what this could do to my body. My eyes scanned the room and noticed that everyone in attendance was in the process of consuming their own purple orb. I sighed, placing it between my teeth.