Feyre

***

I watched as the girl, no woman, was lifted from her coffin, utterly transfixed. Her golden hair was matted with blood, her face ashen. The top half of her body was bare, and her back... it was shredded. I could almost see to the bone.

With my realizing, my feet began to move, taking me towards the figure lying prone on the ship deck. I crouched beside her and raised my hands over her back as the began to heat, with healing.

I felt rather than saw Maeve turn towards me as I knelt next to the golden haired woman.

She must have been partially conscience because she flinched as I touched her back, a small moan escaped her lips as she regained consciences for a split second before passing out again. It's just as well, I thought, because this was probably going to hurt. A lot.

Slowly- it could have been seconds or hours, I couldn't tell- I worked on the woman's back. My magic knitting the skin back together.

But even my considerable healing power couldn't save the scars that had formed, crisscrossing her back like a lattice.

I rocked back on my heels utterly exhausted. So much so that I didn't care that the hands that helped my to my feet weren't Rhys's, that the protective arms that encircled me were those of the male I swore I would destroy.

'Ah, impressive,' Maeve's silken voice cut through my exhaustion, 'It seems you'll have some use after all, not just a pretty face.'

My head snapped up at the tone, and I realized that we were no longer near the beach, but much further away. Some part of me, perhaps my fae senses knew that something akin to winnowing had occurred. How had I not noticed-

'Your, Majesty,' A fae male said, interrupting my thoughts, 'we are still another day's sail from land. What are we to do with-' he gestured to the crumpled form on the deck, 'her?' He asked, his voiced almost imperceptively edged with fear- as his eyes darted around the ship- either for Maeve or the strange woman or even the fae male that had boarded the ship with her, whose eyes were filled with sorrow and pure hatred.

'Leave her,' Maeve said, flicking her fingers.

'Notify me when she awakens.' Was all she said before departing to her cabin bellow deck.

Tamlins arms were still around me, and I suppressed a shudder, 'what's the bargain?' I asked, my voice slightly hoarse.

'What?' He asked, releasing me as I turned to face him. 'The bargain that you made with Maeve, what was it?' I asked again my stomach roiling. 'The king-' he began, face stern, 'ordered that we do anything and everything to ensure that Maeve aids our cause,' our cause, I almost vomited at the words, 'this bargain is only an extension of that order, our services for hers.'