eclipsed nova (UTM Feysand)

26: Rhysand's POV

"I've been betrayed," Amarantha said, sucking a tooth as she leaned back against her headboard. Her satin robe was all that covered her breasts. I lay sideways at the foot of her bed, my head balanced on my hand.

"Betrayed?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. A strike of panic threatened to fight its way to the surface, but I refused to allow it to. She would sense a shift in my energy if I allowed it to show.

"Hmm," she hummed, chewing on the inside of her cheeks.

"Who should I kill?" I grinned, tracing my fingers up her bare leg. She narrowed her eyes at me in thought. My stomach tightened under the scrutiny of her gaze.

"I've felt rather under the weather," she said offhandedly. "My magic has begun to feel more... muted. Tame." My smile dropped, but I quickly recovered the bumble. So, the belladonna was working. I'd dosed her a few more times since Feyre and I had spoken about it. I slipped into the kitchen to mix it in with her meals, occasionally slashed drops into her goblet of wine.

"What could cause that?" I scrunched my brows together.

"Exactly what I would like to know," Amarantha sighed. "I intend to solve this quickly. My Court must never see me in a moment of weakness." My throat felt thick as I weighed her words.

"I have full faith," I said.

"No worries, I already have a lead." She said, a sadistic curve tugging at her lips. That smile never meant anything good. Gods, what did she think she'd figured out? It made me nauseous to know that she could possibly pin my crimes on someone innocent, but I was also nauseous at the idea of being caught.

"Anything you need my assistance with?" I asked, secretly hoping she'd tell me her plan. The hope was quickly gone when she dismissed me, mumbling about having much she needed to do and needing no distractions. Perhaps I'd been too brave in my poisoning.

I was halfway to Feyre when Kallias came scrambling down the hallway, nearly crashing straight into me. His eyes were blown wide in a gripping flurry of panic, and my heart dropped into my stomach the moment I met those ice blue eyes. She had done something. It took her no time after I left to ensue violence. I should have known, should have sensed it somehow.

I gripped Kallias' arms harshly, shaking him in an attempt to get him to focus, but his eyes flitted about in terror. What was he running from? What had he seen? His usually pale skin was nearly translucent with fright. I'd never seen the High Lord so worried.

"Kallias," I said sternly, trying to force him to meet my eyes. "What happened?" He was panting wildly, tugging at his collar like he couldn't properly breathe. My mind immediately went to Feyre, and I was itching to find her and make sure she was okay.

"She-" He breathed harshly, shaking his head. I growled, moving to shove past him, but he caught me before I could. "No, you can't go in there, Rhysand. You shouldn't see." I looked at him incredulously, trying again to move past him, but he was insistent.

"Kallias!" I growled again, trying to wrangle his hands from my lapels.

"No!" He shouted. "You- You can't! I won't let you!"

"Let me go," I snarled, leveling him with a malicious gaze. Something in my face must have scared him more than whatever he'd witnessed, because he finally let me go. My wild eyes searched him before stomping down the hallway he'd run from.

"Rhysand, please!" Kallias shouted after me, but I couldn't allow myself to hear him. I rounded the corner and felt the immediate shift of energy in the air. Something dark was here. It lurked in the shadows and dared to brave the light.