Chapter 23: Eighteen

The second I had woke up the next day I decided I was going to ignore everything that had happened yesterday and spend the day with my lovely sister who is also trapped here in this magical faerie palace. And who was also arguing with Tamlin the dog boy when I finally located her in the study.

"Feyre," Tamlin whispered to her but Feyre walked over to me and grabbed my hand as she pulled the two of us out of the room and into the sunny hallway.

"What was that?" I asked my sister as we walked down the hall.

"Tamlin was trying to help me..." She trailed off. Did he try something? If so, I didn't care if he was a Highlord of Prythian or not I'd rip him open and tie his innards into teensy little bows and hang them around the manor for all to see.

That was a tad violent. But the threat stands.

Feyre inhaled, "I was studying and he offered to–"

"Help?"

"Well, yes. It's just he offered to help me write and..."

"And what?"

She stopped walking for a moment and looked at me, "I can't read, Dani."

She stated and I was dumbfounded for a moment. She couldn't read? Feyre couldn't read. It made sense I suppose, we were young when our education started, we couldn't afford a tutor in poverty and she didn't get the practice I got at the academy. But how could I not have noticed? There had to be some instance that I should have noticed.

"You can't read?" I asked her. My sister nodded to confirm, looking down as if she was embarrassed.

"Feyre, it's alright. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I understand." I smiled comfortingly at her. An idea took place then, "If you'd like I could teach you?"

I'd never really helped with studies before. Teaching people new fighting techniques or war tactics was more my forte. But there's a first time for everything.

Feyre smiled brightly— maybe brighter than I'd ever seen it.

I couldn't help but see her as my little sister who used to play in the yard with me when we were young, and gossip with me about the local girls in town (mainly Nesta's friends), or play dress-up with Elains new clothes. So I couldn't help it when I smiled back.

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Somehow Feyre and I ended up looking for Lucien, she refused to tell me why and it was making me antsy. She had her scheming face on and it certainly wasn't helping.

We ended up coming to Lucien's bedroom, only the Mother knows why; Feyre being the person she is knocked before entering the room.

"Come in, humans." Luciens voice resonated from inside.

Feyre eased open the door and the two of us strutted in, "Lucy! Haven't seen you around. Best few days of my life."

"Missed you too, Demonspawn." Lucien drawled sarcastically.

"I know you did." Lucien rolled his eyes— his signature move in my opinion. I wondered if his eyes would ever get stuck up there. He would look even funnier if they did.

Lucien fully Turned to Feyre and me then, "I had to go sort out some hotheads on the northern border—official emissary business," He set down the hunting knife he had been cleaning on a small table by the door. It was a fine blade, I admit it. It was long, and, sharp, and pointy, and I wanted it. "I got back in time to hear your little spat with Tam, and I decided it was safer up here. I'm glad to hear your human heart has warmed to me, though. At least I'm not at the top of your killing list."

"That makes one of us," I mumbled so low not even Lucien and his High Fae ears could hear.

"Well," He went on shrugging, "it seems you managed to get under Tams fur enough that he sought me out and nearly bit my head off. So I suppose I should thank you for ruining what should have been a peaceful lunch. Thankfully for me, there's been a disturbance in the western forest, and my poor friend had to go deal with it in that way only he can. I'm surprised you didn't run into him on the stairs."

Western Forests? I had headed west last night when I'd found the haven thing. Was it me he was looking for? I was way too inconspicuous to be noticed by any of his sentries. Was there a threat out there I didn't know about? I wasn't foolish enough to rule out any options involving me, but if there was a threat in those woods and I'd somehow passed it, then thank the Mother.

"What sort of disturbance?" I asked Lucien, trying my best to make my voice sound as disinterested as possible.

Lucien shrugged, but the movement was too tense to be careless, "The usual sort: unwanted, nasty creatures raising hell."

So there was a threat out there and I'd missed it. Color me lucky.

"I'm impressed you answered us that much," Feyre spoke to him, "But it's too bad you not like the Suriel, spouting any information I want if I'm clever enough to snare you."

I outwardly smiled as I looked at my sister, it seemed we had the same goals in this wretched place. I'd wanted to ensnare the Suriel ever since I learned of its existence.

Lucien blinked at us for a moment, it was hard to tell what was going on in his head at that moment. Usually, Lucy was as easy to read as a book. Luciens mouth twisted to the side and his metal eye narrowed, "I suppose you won't tell me what you want to know."

"Of course not, Lucy, do we look like fools."

"Yes."

Ok, I walked right into that one.

"So do you. You'll fit right in with us measly humans." I smiled and Lucien's eye narrowed even more if that was even possible.

I hummed as I began to walk around his room, running my fingers over the table and inspecting the light coat of dust on it, "But if you were a Suriel," My voice had turned more serious. I wanted to ensnare the Suriel. And if I want something, I'd tear down cities to get it. "How would you recommend we trap you?" I finished my question.

Lucien began to pick at his nails, trying to conceal the debate I could clearly see going on in his head. As I said, easy to read.

Lucien began, "I'd probably have a weakness for the young birch trees in the western woods," Western woods? Didn't he just say there was a threat out there, and now he's practically encouraging us to go there? "And freshly slaughtered chickens, and would probably be so greedy that I wouldn't notice the double-loop snare rigged around the grove to pin my legs in place."

I smiled sinisterly. That would be easy, Feyre was an expert at hunting, and I was an expert at all things violent. I think we made a great team.

Lucien's manor turned more serious, "If I were insane and stupid enough to go after a Suriel, I'd also take a bow and quiver, and maybe a knife just like this one." Lucien sheathed the knife and set it down as an offering.

"But your not insane, so you'll be here, safe and sound?"

I wouldn't consider this place safe and sound and wouldn't consider myself sane, I'd lost my sanity years ago.

"Of course, Lucy, the two of us would never be so foolish as to venture into Faerie woods to trap a creature that could certainly kill us only to get answers." I smiled.

"I'll be conveniently hunting on the grounds, and with my superior hearing, I might be feeling generous enough to listen if someone screams from the western woods. But it's a good thing I had no role in telling you to go out today since Tam would eviscerate anyone who told you how to trap a Suriel; and it's a good thing I had planned to hunt anyway because if anyone caught me helping you, there would be the trouble of a whole other hell awaiting us. I hope your secrets are worth it." There was an edge to his words. A warning that I wouldn't ignore for the sake of my sister and I.

Feyre gambled with trusting Lucien to help us, and it paid off. But if anyone else found out we had planned to ensnare the Suriel and get much-needed answers to questions, I had o doubt we'd be dead within the hour. Faeries were very secretive, I learned as much with my various encounters with them.

"It's a good thing that while you possess superior hearing, the two of us have the better ability to keep our mouths shut," I assured him.

Lucien snorted, "I think I'm starting to like the two of you— for murdering humans."

Feyre and I grinned like fiends. I hated Lucien more than life itself, but it might be good to have an ally in a world of enemies.

Lucien looked to the dagger he had put on our end of the table and then back to us. A silent hint to take it. I nudged Feyre and she walked over to the table and grabbed the hunting knife.

I gave Feyre a nod and she went to go wait in the hallway, "What about you?" Lucien asked referring to weaponry, "Do you need one?"

I grinned once again as I pulled back the side of my cloak revealing the two daggers Tamlin had stolen from me on the ride here; the two daggers I had also stolen back. Lucien looked up at me astonished.

I wondered if it was because of the fact I had weapons, the fact I had stolen them back, or the fact I had done it within the span of a few days and without anyone noticing. Either way, it was extremely satisfying.

Lucien's face contorted to show his amusement, "You think those will do anything to a Faerie? They're iron."

I snorted, "Hold out your arm." I told him. He looked skeptical and I gave him a look that told him to just do it. Lucien rolled his eyes but complied.

I quickly took one of my daggers out of its sheath and in one breath made a small cut on Lucien's wrist. It happened so fast, I doubt he even saw it coming.

Lucien sucked in a breath through his teeth making a hissing noise.

"These daggers aren't from around here, Lucien. They're enchanted to cause maximum pain and make a faerie heal as slow as a human would." I smiled at him, "They render you mortal Lucien," His mouth had formed an O shape and he even looked a bit fearful, "My weapons mean very much to me, Lucien, and so it should come as no surprise the first thing I did when I arrived was get them back after your furry friend stole them from me."

Lucien's eyes were wide as saucers, "I hope you don't mind that I may have taken a few extra trinkets from the armory as well." I began to walk backward out of the room, "Thanks for the help."

I closed the doors behind me and Fyere was waiting in the hall for me.

"We have to make one more stop, Feyre. Just to grab a few more things." Feyre nodded at me with a slight smile tugging on her lips.

And when we had finished we left the house and began our hunt for the elusive Suriel.

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Two chapters in two days, i hope you all enjoy. 😉😉