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Part 2 of the Or Forever Hold Your Peace series. Part 1 - We Both Go Down Together, and Part 1.5 - The Singer Addresses His Audience can be found at their respective links.

Status: Chapter 2 (of 5 planned) Rating: M Relationships: Elain Archeron x Lucien Vanserra, Nesta Archeron x Eris Vanserra Total Word Count: 18,648

Fic Summary:

When Nesta Archeron - one of the most powerful and well-known fae in all of Prythian - disappears at her own mating ceremony along with the infamous prince of Autumn, the Night Court's Inner Circle is thrown into a tizzy: centuries-long friendships are tested, and previously hidden motives, truths, and feelings finally surface to see the light of day. But then Rhysand taps Elain to find Nesta as soon as possible, and the gentle seer finds herself in an uncomfortably familiar, deeply unwanted situation.

Thankfully, her mate is there to make sure history doesn't repeat itself.

The Harrowed and the Haunted is a story told from two perspectives: (1) Elain and Lucien's, as they travel to Day and work to hone Elain's power and find Nesta's whereabouts, and (2) Nesta and Eris', as she begins the healing process somewhere entirely unexpected, and Eris grapples with the enormity of what he's done in bringing a member of a foreign and hostile court back to Autumn.

Read Chapter 2 here!

Start at the Prologue!

Taglist behind cut! If you'd like to be added, let me know. :)

Anyway, my Koschei thoughts: I won't say what they are explicitly but I WILL PROVIDE my inspiration, and see what people extrapolate from there. :)

Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher

Frankenstein: the modern Prometheus

Regina from Once Upon A Time

Fallen London

Various and sundry Slavic folklore

Enjoy!

Pursuant to this silly post from yesterday...

“What does Rhys want with Elain?” [Lucien] asked, figuring his odds of being ignored or attacked were roughly about even. “She didn’t do anything but talk at the ceremony.”

At the mention of Elain's name, Azriel’s expression shuttered. “He wants any information she might know about Nesta's whereabouts.”

Lucien huffed wryly through his nose. “What, Rhysand thinks this whole thing was a planned operation?”

“With your brother?” Azriel turned to him and that ugly, wounded thing was back behind the Illyrian’s hazel eyes again. “You know he’s fascinated with Nesta. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

Of course he wouldn’t. “Then why is Elain the one being questioned right now? You’re his spymaster, answer me honestly: do you think she knows anything?”

It took Azriel a while to get a response, but ultimately he did—a shrug. Lucien’s opinion of the Shadowsinger was waning precipitously with each passing second. “Maybe. But I doubt it. She generally stays away from politics and Court business. Still, she was with Nesta before the ceremony.”

"So was Feyre," Lucien pointed out.

Azriel scoffed. “Rhys isn't worried about Feyre, Vanserra." 

(It’’s maddening, the way they keep anything important from me, Elain had complained a few weeks before, venting at him over a steaming cup of chrysanthemum tea. As if I’m too dim to comprehend politics or be able to offer insight into what's going on. I offered to help them scry for the Trove, you know. I told them to come get me when they wanted to start but no one ever did.)

“I see…” Lucien said in a low voice, trying—more or less successfully—to keep his expression neutral.

“But…” Azriel added unexpectedly, surprising Lucien, “it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that she Saw something in one of her visions before her Sight slowed down.”

Well now that was an interesting thought. He braced himself to stand, then—because sitting still wouldn’t happen again until his ma–until Elain walked back through that door. He needed to pace, to do something. “Perhaps, but a simple questioning shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, should it?”

“Depends on how one does it.”

Something about the other male’s tone gave Lucien pause. That and because what Rhysand’s torturer had hinted at was uncomfortably close to… well, actual torture. Lucien let out a faint, disbelieving chuckle. “Surely Elain Archeron doesn’t warrant ‘advanced interrogation’ tactics, though? She’s family, Shadowsinger.”

The Shadowsinger didn’t seem to have a response to that, and Lucien’s gut twisted sharply with dread. “Right?”

Azriel didn’t even look at him as he responded. “I trust Rhys to use his best judgment in this situation. He always does, where family is concerned.”

Tags behind the cut - comment if you would like to be added so you get notified when this BEHEMOTH chapter finally comes out (soon, I hope)!

(Also, uh... if you haven't seen my edit to Chapter 3 of The Singer Addresses His Audience, you may want to brush up.)

Almost done with the Lucien POV. Here's what came to mind: