It was the scent that hit him first as he stormed into Rosehall. Not the roses, or the other multitude of flowers that grew around the property, it was the metallic scent of copper coins left to rust in the summer rain. That horrid scent that he had all gotten used to during the war. Blood.

He wasn't prepared to see the scene before him- though he figured this would happen after he especially heard that his brothers had caught both Rhysand's mother and sister during their planned visit to an Illyrian camp. Something that was entirely his fault for ever mentioning to his father about the visit at all.

Before him was the sight of Rhysand's mother or rather her head staring ahead sightlessly, her once beautiful features slack in death. Her dark hair matted with blood that had now long since turned into rusty brown streaks. Her lifeless eyes, that same blue borderline near violet as Rhysand's, were clouded and staring at him almost accusingly even in death.

Bile rose in the back of his throat but he forcefully choked it back. If his father or brothers even scented the tiniest bit of mercy or sympathy from him they wouldn't hesitate to show their disproval about it. He had learned from a young age that such things only ever brought pain from his family especially. His ears had been ringing so loud that he almost didn't hear his father's voice near the fireplace.

"Ah, there is my youngest." Runeric's voice easily filled the large entry hall, full of satisfaction and something darker, similar to a predator who has finally caught a long awaited prey. It made Tamlin's skill crawl while his eyes moved to him. His father stood in front of the fireplace, cleaning his hands with a piece of cloth that was now stained with the blood of the Illyrian woman. "Come, boy. See what we have accomplished in your absence. It wouldn't have been possible without you."

Each step Tamlin took forward took every ounce of his strength to not fall. The hall reeked of death and violence, forever tainting the place he once thought of as a haven for himself. It wasn't until he saw movement off to the right that he glanced over and just as he thought was already horrid enough, the sight of his brothers with the woman's wings nearly broke him.

Adinar held the left one while Nilin held the right, both of them wielding them like trophies. Tamlin forced his gaze back to his father, his face betraying nothing.

"Beautiful work, isn't it?" Runeric's voice held the same tone as he would while discussing the blooming flowers outside. "The Illyrian bitch fought well, I'll give her that. But in the end, she screamed just like any other female when we started with the wings."

Tamlin's jaw tightened so much it ached while he gave him a stiff nod. "And his sister? What have you done with her?"

"Locked away currently, we haven't decided what to do with the little half-breed, though your brothers had some intriguing ideas however." His cold green eyes looked over to his two elder boys. "Didn't the both of you."

Adinar looked over first, lowering the wing he held. An absolutely malicious smirk spread across his thin lips. "We did, I voted we have some fun with her. It's been too long since we've had a proper plaything."

Nilin finally looked up, his expression a bit more controlled but he could never hide that sadistic nature in his gaze. "I said we should just finish her off like her mother. It's a waste of supplies to keep a soon to be corpse alive for now."

The cruelty in his brothers' voices weren't anything new but yet when they spoke of his friend's sister as they did it brought out his own darkness for the opposite reason. "What have you decided to do then, Father. What would you have me do?"

"Guard her for now." He looked back to Tamlin, watching his face like a hawk. With a flick of his hand he tossed the dirtied cloth into the flames as if cleaning it would be a waste of time. "Make sure she doesn't escape, doesn't harm herself, doesn't do anything foolish. We may have use for her yet. Possible leverage against the Night Court perhaps. Or entertainment, as Adinar suggested."

Runeric's footsteps echoed as he padded towards Tamlin. "You will take the night watch, while your brothers will take turns during the day. Consider it..." He began to pace around him. "A test of your loyalty, Tamlin. After all. you were quite close to her brother, weren't you?"

The question hung in the air like a blade poised at his throat. Tamlin kept his gaze on his father even while his heart hammered within his chest.

"Rhysand was useful for gathering information." He finally said. "Nothing more." Though that was a lie. It was only with Rhysand that he finally felt he was seen and accepted as he was, that he felt he finally had a friend and he betrayed him.

"Good." Runeric's 'smile' was sharp enough to slice through glass. "Then you won't have any... conflicted feelings about keeping his sister secure. Will you?"

"None at all, Father."

The lie slipped past his lips as easy as breathing and he hated himself more for how natural it felt. But as his eyes went back to the pike, the wings and the blood that stained the ground of his family's hall, he knew that lying was the very least of his sins.

Runeric nodded once, his attention and gaze going back to his other two sons. "I will have those properly handled and placed on our wall. I believe above the fireplace will be the most appropriate place for such a trophy, right?"

Tamlin stopped paying attention to them as he felt guilt pressing down on him more and more to where it felt too constricting. He almost didn't hear his father's last command.

"Tamlin. I suggest you make your way to the west corridor. The girl is being held in the farthest room. Might as well acquaint yourself with our prisoner though I feel she won't be a prisoner for long." He only responded with a single nod before forcing himself to move.

The walk there felt tortuous. What could he even say to her? 'Sorry I gave my father your plans to just visit an Illyrian camp and now your mother is dead and you will most likely be next.'? Even worse he doesn't know how he could ever look Rhysand in the eye ever again as well, being the one who sold out his family.

As he approached the door, two armored soldiers were standing on either side- though the moment they spotted Tamlin their heads were bowed before they wordlessly moved away to allow him inside.

There was a million ways he could have imagined what could have happened the moment he stepped past that threshold, but none would have ever been close as he first laid eyes on her and felt something within him snap into place. As the sun set in the barred window behind her, casting her figure in a honey-like glow, both desire and utter despair set in as he realizes that he had doomed himself for eternity. She was his mate. He doomed his mate to an unknown but yet dark fate...