𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗

"𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 "

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╰┈˚ · ° .   DAYS, WEEKS HAD PASSED, I DIDN'T KNOW. Everything was the same Under the Mountain. Almost every day, I was called to perform for Amarantha, and at my return, Rhysand would be waiting in the back of the shadows-drenched cell, always with a bowl of fresh water and a clean rug in his hands. Sometimes we talked, others we just found ourselves enjoying the comfortable sound of silence with just the noise of water to fill up the space.

With the weeks passing by, his visits became more frequent. Sometimes I would wake up as he winnowed in the middle of the night in my cell. His shirt unbuttoned slightly, hair disheveled and eyes twisted in pain. I knew why, and my heart bled for him.

Wordlessly I would sit next to him down on the damp floor. Sometimes staying silently, sometimes humming under my breath a melody that I remember hearing in my dreams. The same I used to hum when I was alone and in the dark cells of The Temple with a bleeding back and iced over heart.

Week after week, and soon, the entire month had passed and it was already time for Feyre to face her second task.

But as I waited, expecting for the guards to come and escort me out of the cell, hours passed. And when the door finally opened, it was only to reveal Rhysand.

"Rhys, what happened?" I asked, not masing the tinge of fear that crossed my face. Maybe I had become a bit too comfortable with the High Lord, but everything that I cared about in that moment was just my sister that I knew she had already gone through her second task. "Is she..." I couldn't even finish the phrase from the dread that thought of my own twin was dead was arising through my mind and heart. It would have been enough to make me crumble down on my knees.

"She is alive." Rhys answered, eyes seemingly too tired. "She had to read and solve a riddle and then pull one of the three levers or she and Lucien would have died."

"What?!" I whisper-shouted.

Feyre can't read so how is she alive?– I thought.

My eyes widened at the only possible solution that could have gotten my twin alive out of the task. And without thinking twice about it, only feeling thankfulness, I threw my arm around the High Lord's body.

I felt him stiffened from the sudden and definitely not expected hug, but after taking a second, his arms raised, and he was hugging me back.

"Thank you." I whispered in his chest before breaking the hug to brush away the lonely tear that had escaped my gray eye.

Giving me a sad smile, he quietly said, "Come on. She needs you."

We walked down the hallways of the dungeons, hiding in the shadows from the guards that were posted to keep an eye on the prisoners. And after what would have been at least 30 cells, Rhys finally stopped. As silently as he could, he unlocked with his magic the deadbolt, and as the door opened, it revealed my twin. Definitely not in her best shape.

Feyre turned her head towards the door as it opened, her eyes were red and bloodshot from the continuous crying.

"Oh Feyre." I breathed out as I rushed inside her cell. I kneeled next to my sister's bed containing my own tears that were forming at the corner of my eyes.

"Mai?" Feyre whispered almost as if not believing that I was there.

"Yeah, It's me." I answered with a gentle smile nodding at her, "It's me Fey." I repeated.

Feyre threw herself into my arms, sobs bursting out, not more contained.

"You have five minutes." The voice of Rhysand echoed, but not on the outside. In the way that only I could communicate with him. At least I thought it was only me by the way he was so surprised by it.

I gave him back a nod as he shut the door behind him as he exited.

Only five minutes.

"Feyre, look at me. Please." I pleaded, catching my twin sister's face between my two hands, "I don't have much time but you have to listen, alright?" Feyre nodded with tears trailing down her cheeks. "You will win the third task too. I know that you will. I believe in you. You can do this, alright. You are strong, never forget it."

I had never felt more like saying those three words. I love you. But not even then I could let them fall from my lips.

Feyre nodded her head even if not looking very sure of my words before she buried her face into the crook of my neck wetting it with her tears.

"You are strong too, Mai. The strongest person I know." Feyre whispered.

A sob built up inside my chest but I would not let it out. A light knock echoed into the cold cell. The time was up.

"I have to go. I'm sorry." I whispered before kissing my sister's head.

Hugging me tighter to her, another sob broke free from Feyre as she whispered,"I love you." Knowing that I could not say it back, she laid back down on her bed and turned to face the other side giving me her back.

I stood up from her crouched position and dried the tears that had fallen to my cheeks. Out from Feyre's cell I met Rhysand's violet eyes, which softened as soon as he saw the remaining traces of the tears on my skin.

I turned my head away from him, hiding the weakness from his eyes as I started to walk away.

"Let's just go back."

────༺☽༓☾༻────

╰┈˚ · ° .  The following month passed even quicker, and before I knew it, Feyre's third and final task had arrived.

Once again the red-skinned Hybern guards escorted me out from the cell, this time though, to the throne room.

The crowd of faeries and High Fae alike parted, as the two guards walked me in front of the dais, where sat on her throne with cunning smirk was Amarantha, and next to her Tamlin in his usual place.

"It seems like my time with you, my little assassin, has come to an end." Amarantha sighed almost looking sad, "A shame, really. I will miss your perfect deadly hands." She smiled slyly, "Who knew, a human, could have such talent for torture and death." She said looking around the room almost as if broadcasting my doing to everyone in the room. Like they didn't know it already. There wasn't much to do Under the Mountain then cowering in fear and gossiping, "Your sister will be here shortly. I am sure you will like to see her before her inevitable death." she told me with a feline smile before the door of the throne room opened, and Feyre was escorted in.

I moved to the side, my mind swirling with the last two words that Amaranthat had spoken.

"Inevitable death" She had said.

"Two trials lie behind you," Amarantha said to Feyre "And only one more awaits. I wonder if it will be worse to fail now—when you are so close. Any words to say before you die?"

"I love you," Feyre said looking at Tamlin. "No matter what she says about it, no matter if it's only with my insignificant human heart. Even when they burn my body, I'll love you." she concluded as tears streamed down her face.

Amarantha said sweetly, "You'll be lucky, my darling, if we even have enough left of you to burn."

Feyre turned her head to the side and her eyes landed on me, but words didn't leave her mouth as we could only just stare at each other.

"Inevitable death" Amarantha had said.

Amarantha propped her chin on her hand, "You never figured out my riddle, did you?" she said, making my twin return her gaze to the queen. Feyre didn't respond, and she smiled. "Pity. The answer is so lovely."

"Get it over with," Feyre growled.

Amarantha looked at Tamlin. "No final words to her?" she said, quirking an eyebrow. When he didn't respond, she grinned. "Very well, then." She clapped her hands twice.

A door swung open, and three figures—two male and one female—with brown sacks tied over their heads were dragged in by the guards. With sharp jabs and blunt shoves, the red-skinned guards forced the three faeries to their knees at the foot of the dais, but facing Feyre.

Amarantha clapped her hands again, and three servants clad in black appeared at the side of each of the kneeling faeries. In their long, pale hands, they each carried a dark velvet pillow. And on each pillow lay a single polished wooden dagger. Not metal for a blade, but ash.

I clenched my jaw. This was Feyre's last task. She had to kill them. But I knew that if all the things that had happened to her Under the Mountain didn't break her, this definitely would.

"Your final task, Feyre," Amarantha drawled, gesturing to the kneeling faeries. "Stab each of these unfortunate souls in the heart."

Feyre stared at her, mouth opening and closing.

"They're innocent—not that it should matter to you," Amarantha went on, "since it wasn't a concern the day you killed Tamlin's poor sentinel. And it wasn't a concern for dear Jurian when he butchered my sister. And definitely it is not a concern for your twin. But if it's a problem... Well, you can always refuse. Of course, I'll take your life in exchange, but a bargain's a bargain, is it not? If you ask me, though, given your history with murdering our kind, I do believe I'm offering you a gift."

Refuse and die. Kill three innocents and live.

"Well?" she asked. Amarantha lifted her hand, letting Jurian's eye get a good look at her, at the ash daggers, and purred to it, "I wouldn't want you to miss this, old friend."

Feyre's hands shaked as she searched for my eyes.

She couldn't do it, I could see it. But there was no way out of this. She had to. Only the riddle could save her, and Feyre had no answer for that.

I lowered the veil and hood that concealed my features and walked towards my sister. I didn't care if I was showing weakness for once. I cupped my twin's cheeks in one of my hands, my gray eyes stared at Feyre's blue-gray one.

I nodded once. She had to do it.

And with my eyes I gave her the forgiveness that I was sure she would hunt for the rest of her life.

"Oh, so touching." Amarantha fakely commented with a hand over her heart as I walked back to my previous spot, "But we are wasting time. So... are you going to do it, Feyre"

Feyre's fingers trembled, but the first dagger wound up in her hand.

"Not so fast." Amarantha chuckled, and the guards who held the first kneeling figure snatched the hood off its face. "That's better," she said, waving her hand again. "Proceed, Feyre, dear. Enjoy it."

"Please," the High Fae male whispered, his focus darting between the ash dagger and Feyre's face. "Please. Don't," the faerie youth begged when she lifted the dagger. "Don't!"

Feyre took a gasping breath, her lips shaking as she quailed.

"Please!" he said, and his eyes lined with silver.

With a ragged sob, the human girl plunged the dagger into his heart.

He screamed, thrashing in the guards' grip as the blade cleaved through flesh and bone. Feyre wept as she yanked out the dagger.

"Very good," Amarantha said."Now the next. Oh, don't look so miserable, Feyre. Aren't you having fun?"

Feyre faced the second figure, still hooded. A female this time. A faerie extended the pillow with the clean dagger, and the guards holding her tore off her hood. Her bronze eyes tracked Feyre's bloody hand as she reached for the second knife.

"Cauldron save me," she began whispering, her voice lovely and even—like music. "Mother hold me," she went on, reciting a prayer "Guide me to you. Let me pass through the gates; let me smell that immortal land of milk and honey. Let me fear no evil, Let me feel no pain."

A sob broke from Feyre's lips. "I'm sorry," she moaned.

"Let me enter eternity," the faerie breathed ."Let me enter eternity," she repeated, lifting her chin. "Fear no evil," she whispered—just for Feyre. "Feel no pain."

The human girl gripped the faerie's delicate, bony shoulder and drove the dagger into her heart.

She gasped, and blood spilled onto the ground like a splattering of rain. Her eyes were closed as she slumped to the floor and didn't move.

I could see it all over my twin's face. This was destroying her.

The faerie servant offered the last dagger, and she was about to reach for it when the guard removed the hood from the male kneeling before her.

Feyre's hands slackened at her sides. Amber-flecked green eyes stared up at her. Tamlin.

She whipped her head to the throne beside Amarantha's, still occupied by the High Lord. The queen laughed as she snapped her fingers. The Tamlin beside her transformed into the Attor.

"Something wrong?" Amarantha asked, cocking her head.

"Not ... Not fair," Feyre got out.

"Fair?" Amarantha mused, playing with Jurian's bone on her necklace. "I wasn't aware you humans knew of the concept. You kill Tamlin, and he's free. And then you can have him all to yourself. Unless," Amarantha went on, "you think it would be more appropriate to forfeit your life. After all: What's the point? To survive only to lose him?" Her words were like poison. "Imagine all those years you were going to spend together ... suddenly alone. Tragic, really. Though a few months ago, you hated our kind enough to butcher us—surely you'll move on easily enough." She patted her ring. "Jurian's human lover did. So," Amarantha said, "What will it be, Feyre?"

Amarantha would never kill what she desired most. Even Feyre knows that. Everything was a good crafted trick, just like the stone hard heart of the High lord of the Spring Court.

"I love you," Feyre said before stabbing Tamlin in his heart.

Tamlin cried out as the blade pierced his flesh, breaking bone. Tamlin lurched forward, his face going pale. Feyre yanked the dagger from his chest and lifted the blade. Its tip had been nicked, turned inward on itself. He clutched his chest as he panted, the wound already healing. Rhysand, at the foot of the dais, grinned from ear to ear as Amarantha climbed to her feet.

The faeries murmured to one another as Feyre dropped the blade, sending it clattering across the red marble.

I watched the queen intently as her hand rested on the sword on her side.

"She won," someone in the crowd said. "Free them," another echoed.

But Amarantha's face blanched, her features contorting until she looked truly serpentine. "I'll free them whenever I see fit. Feyre didn't specify when I had to free them—just that I had to. At some point. Perhaps when you're dead," she finished with a hateful smile. "You assumed that when I said instantaneous freedom regarding the riddle, it applied to the trials, too, didn't you? Foolish, stupid human."

"Inevitable death" Amarantha had said. Because Feyre was never going to survive the day even if she had completed all three of her tasks.

Feyre stepped back as Amarantha descended the steps of the dais. Her fingers curled into claws—Jurian's eye was going wild within the ring, his pupil dilating and shrinking. "And you," she hissed at my sister. "You." Her teeth gleamed—turning sharp. "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to make you pay for your insolence," Amarantha snarled, and a scream ravaged Feyre's throat. Her bones were shattering as her body rose and then slammed onto the hard floor.

I took two knives from the corset and expertly threw them at Amarantha. The queen sharply turned around, and with a raised hand, she stopped the knives before they pierced her skin.

"You!" Amarantha snarled in my direction.

Oh fuck– I goraned in my mind. I was so dead.

A wave of magic pulsed towards me, but I dodged it enough to just make it hit me in the arm.

"Maiven!" Someone screamed but I couldn't make the mistake of losing my focus.

I hurled two other knives at the queen before running behind the throne.

"Why are you hiding, little assassin?" Amarantha asked with a fake sweet tone.

I clenched my jaw and unsheathed the sword from my side.

I threw another of my knives on the ground towards the queen. The steel blade ruttled on the floor, the noise distracted Amarantha enough for me to walk away from behind the throne. A wave of magic, though, stopped me in my spot.

It was agonizing, and it was enough to make me crumble down on my knees and make me squeeze my eyes shut. But not a sound dared to escape my mouth.

"You really thought that you would be able to kill me? A human filthy thing like you?" Amarantha snarled as she stared down at me with so much superiority that I would have liked to roll my eyes if I weren't in so much pain.

"Honestly, not really. But it was worth a try." I grumbled out through the pain of the clenched teeth.

Amarantha's laugh echoed into the throne room. Her eyes were as wild as the one of a beast.

"I wasn't going to kill you, you know. You were gifted to me. But now... " She trailed off, sending another wave of her powers towards me.

Pain erupted through my entire body, a scream begged to be left out from my throat but I sealed her lips shut, and with all the strength that I had left, I tilted my head upwards and glared at Amarantha.

The queen's eyes widened and her anger burned hotter than the sun.

"I guess it would be poetic for an assassin to be killed by her own knife, wouldn't it." Amarantha smirked.

Her hands grabbed my hunting knife from my thigh.

"This will do." She said constantly, scanning the blade in her hand.

I would have scoffed if it hadn't been for the immense pain that I was in.

That knife. Always the same damn knife.

I knew that I was going to die. And I was okay with it. Feyre's sob echoed in the throne room. Her own injuries prevented her from moving. But this only just gave me what I needed for my sister to have a chance to live.

"Mai." Feyre whimpered with tears streaming down her face.

"Any last words?" Amarantha asked, smirking.

"Take care of her." I told Rhys, sending my thoughts to him.

My eyes found the ones of my twin. My other half. The only person that loved me even with all the jaded pieces of what I had become.

She had the answer to the riddle, or she will soon.

"I love you." I whispered to my sister, one of the most genuine smiles that I had done in years on my lips.

Love. That was the answer to the riddle.

My eyes landed on Amarantha, who's hand held my own knife to my throat as I continued to speak with Feyre. "I can finally have my wings back."

The queen's grin diminished for a second. "What does that mean?" She demanded the answer with a snarl.

But it wasn't the answer to ehr question that she got.

I gripped Amarantha's wrist until the knife nicked at my skin and drops of blood started to stain my pale skin. I rose onto my feet and stared at Amarantha directly into her eyes. I was not going to die on my knees.

"Fuck you." I cursed. A wide smirk blooming on my face.

And with a quick motion I forced Amarantha's hand. The knife cut through the skin of my neck sharply giving me back my freedom.

The queen, surprised by my action, took a couple of steps back as gasps echoed all around the throne room and the knife cluttered down onto the marble floor.

"Maiven!" I heard Feyre sobbing over the sound of my death.

Blood rushed out of the wound on the neck, I was going to die and I was okay with it. I could have my wings back.

And sooner than later, my dead body slammed down on the cold marble. Blood pooling all around me, drenching my hair, coating my skin.

The last thing I remembered was the scar on my left hand reopening, the blood falling from it joining the rest with the residue if Braken's magic left behind.

I had my wings back.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

This chapter is a heavy one, but I wanted Miaven to die by her own hands. To have the freedom to make one last choice for herself. She knew she was going to die.

Maiven knew that Feyre could solve the riddle, (Well before Amarantha could actually kill her though) that is why she was okay with dying too.

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬.

If you need to talk I'm always available. Just leave a comment and I will give you my discord!

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Thursday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾