Broken Dreams

Prologue

I had made a terrible mistake. Somehow, I'd begun to believe in the visions of Velaris. Of a new world where the stars listened and dreams were answered. In him.

I thought that the worst had already happened. That watching my sisters go into that horrific Cauldron, seeing Nesta's helpless rage as the magic swallowed her up. Hearing the gasps of pain from Azriel's mortal wound or Cassian's bloody attempts to drag himself to Nesta's side were the worst kind of torture.

I was wrong.

My fault. It was all my fault. I'd let that cursed book sway me into believing I could control its magic and harness the power of the Cauldron. Every bit of blood spilled across the grey flagstones was because of me. Deep inside, a small part of me was sobbing in wretched, horrified guilt as I looked at the brutalized body of Cassian, the silent, broken shells of my sisters.

Stupid, stupid! I raged. My human heart would be the downfall of those who had shown me laughter, light, and the truest friendship I'd known. My true family.

I knew now the only way for Rhysand to be free was for me to go with them. For one more sacrifice that was sure to kill the scarred remains of my heart. But for him, I would go beneath the Mountain once more. I would let them take me, use me, so that Rhys would be able to get my family out of here.

Tamlin's promise, his desire to return to the days before I became broken, before I shattered my soul to save him was the key to their safety. Whispering to the spell that bound our powers, I allowed my light to wash over the room, leaving us blinking and stunned when it washed away. Tiny fractures in the dense web of wards surrounding the fortress would allow my family to escape, so long as they had a distraction.

Rhysand seemed to guess at what I intended because he reached out for me, trying to pull me back to his side but I moved out of his reach. "Tamlin?" I whispered, forcing my eyes to soften in confusion and fear.

Tamlin, the idiot, took the bait immediately and rushed forward, pulling me into his arms and away from Rhysand, from all that was good in me. I tried not to think about how my feet made sticky sounds as I walked across the slowly drying pool of Azriel's blood.

Carefully, I tucked the weeping part of me into the back of my mind and allowed Tamlin's arms to circle me in a new cage. One bought with the blood of Cassian, Azriel, and my sister's humanity. I tried to avoid Rhys' eyes and focused on how his hands shook before closing into fists.

Please, I begged silently, please understand. Please let me save you.

Hybern clucked his tongue in mock sympathy at Rhysand, "Fickle little thing isn't she?" His dark eyes scanned me with derision, "Somehow, I don't think I believe this light show broke the bond Rhysand has placed on your future wife, dear Tamlin."

Dread pooled in my stomach, but I forced myself to remain placid and weak in Tamlin's arms, "What do you mean?" I asked, voice quivering, "What did he do to me?"

Rhysand went very still.

"You can break the spell he has placed on her?" Tamlin's voice was rough with emotion and I froze in horror as I realized that the stakes were far higher than even I imagined. Despite myself, I let my eyes meet Rhys' and shivered at the devastation that flickered for a moment before he put on his mask of indifference.

Coolly Rhysand put his hands in his pockets and met the king's gaze, "Surely you won't get involved in a lover's quarrel when you have so much more to concern yourself with." Even Rhys could not hide the thin note of desperation in his voice as he continued, "Let me have the girl and we will give you the Book of Breathings and leave in peace."

Hybern laughed, a cruel sound that made me shudder despite myself, "As if you could withhold anything from me now."

Rhys' eyes hardened and he looked at Tamlin, "Do not let him take her. If you ever did truly love her, then let her go. You know what he will do to her." Tamlin stiffened as Rhys slowly dropped to his knees, "Please, Tamlin. Please don't do this."

My mind went back to the day that the roles were reversed, when it was Tamlin begging for mercy from a furious Rhysand. A time when I believed that he was my enemy. Amaranta's Whore. For me, he allowed Tamlin to drag him back to the darkest moments of his life. For me, he would bow before his most hated enemy.

Tears ran freely down my cheeks and I pressed against the solid bands of muscle that continued to keep me in place. I couldn't let them do this to him. He had to be safe, had to escape without breaking.

Suddenly, bands of white hot magic appeared, anchoring Rhysand to the floor by his wrists and neck. Forcing him to remain kneeling as the King of Hybern stepped closer.

In the distance, I thought I heard the malevolent whisper of the Book of Breathings, Foolish, wicked liar, as Hybern directed his attention to me. Grinning at my mate, he ran one finger lightly along my chin, ignoring the furious growls that erupted from Tamlin and Rhysand, "Unfortunately, an agreement has already been made." His eyes met mine and I began to struggle against Tamlin as I realized what he intended, "I am a man of my word.

My thoughts splintered as a wash of new, hot agony split across my body and seemed to reverberate into my very soul. Distantly I could hear the shouts of the others, of Rhysand, as the effects of Hybern's magic ripped into our bond. The Cauldron's sickly presence whispered and clung to me, begging me to give it more of myself, to allow myself to be swept away into the cold silence of its depths. Tamlin's presence remained at my back, restraining me against any attempt to return to my mate and perhaps from the Cauldron itself.

Screams of horror and protest were trapped in my chest as I locked eyes with Rhysand, only a few feet away. Heartbreaking panic and fear made his achingly familiar eyes bright and chaotic. Dark wisps of inky darkness seeped from him, reminding me of the night when his shouts brought me stumbling into his room to his side.

Gritting my teeth, I summoned my flagging strength, slamming an elbow back into Tamlin's gut and was rewarded with a grunt of pain and whoosh of air from his lungs. Stumbling forward, I attempted to cross the room to Rhysand even as I felt the Spring Lord lung for me once again. Something inside me still believed that if I could just reach Rhysand, if I could just touch him one last time, that somehow everything would work out. That this was just an awful dream. That we could go back to our city among the stars.

The magic in the air reached a crescendo and I staggered, one arm outstretched towards Rhys, toward the only home I'd ever known. My knees hit the ground with a painful crack and Rhys roared in fury as he fought against his bonds. Fought for me. Rough hands pulled me away only a fingertip away from my true mate.

"No!" Rhys bellowed, eyes only on me as the link between us was slowly shredded, "Feyre!"

My mind seemed to be working in an endless loop, grasping at the fraying link that tied me to my heart. Rhysand. Rhysand. I beat against that internal wall that separated me from my mate, from my magic, raking claws of iron and steel against its endless surface without success. I love you, I shouted down what was left of the link, I love you Rhysand.

Please don't leave me , a selfish part of me whispered.

Agony pulsed through my veins increasing in intensity. I couldn't stop screaming. My ears thundered and my vision narrowed to the twin pools of violet horror across from me even as Tamlin began to pull me further away, whispering nonsense to me as my body spasmed in pain.

"No, no please!" I begged, uncaring if I appeared weak, "Rhysand!" My struggles began to weaken as a wave of darkness swept over my vision and dragged me down into silence.

I woke up to silence. Slowly, I opened my eyes and frowned up at the canopy. My body felt strange and painfully sore. I reached one hand out to the other side of the bed and frowned groggily when I didn't feel the familiar warmth of Rhys beside me. With a gasp of pain, I sat up straight as my brain filled in the gaps in my memory. Horror had me shaking hard enough for the headboard to rattle and I bit down hard on the back of my hand to keep from screaming in agony.

The mate bond was gone and with it all traces of the dream that was Rhysand. I was alone once again.