Shock had me reeling back, masking the pain of the Illyrian blade that was deep in my gut for a few seconds. I coughed, gasping at the white hot fire that radiated from the wound.
"Rhys…what are you—" I sputtered weakly, falling to my knees.
He strolled forward, making no move to help me. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he looked at me with the same expression he had in the Court of Nightmares. I stumbled back instinctively, something was wrong with him.
"Rhys," I tried again, "they're controlling me. I would never…" My voice trailed off as he shook his head and gave me a grim smile.
"You led them here. You led them right to us! Velaris is already in flames!" His voice seemed to pierce me deeper than the knife.
"No…I would never let them do that!" My voice was weakening as my blood spilled across the floor.
Rhys crouched down in front of me and his purple eyes finally met mine. Hope flared in me, this was all just a mistake. Without our mate bond, he must have gone crazy thinking I was dead or that I betrayed him. His face was heart breakingly familiar and I reached up to gently cup his cheek, "Please, Rhys…it's me."
He smiled at me briefly and let his hands trail across my cheeks and I let my eyes flutter closed, breathing in his presence. They flew open only a few moments later when I felt his hands suddenly tighten around my chin and tangle in my hair.
Rhysand sighed, "I should have just let you die Under the Mountain…"
With an eerie sense of déjà vu, I felt my neck snap and my body slowly sink to the ground. This time though there was no link to drag myself back to the light. No Rhys screaming for me to be okay, trying to save me. Only the face of the man I love looking down on me as I lost my hold on consciousness.
Only a few moments later, I opened my eyes to the same familiar ceiling and couch below me. Gasping and coughing, I looked over to find the cruel twins watching me with amusement.
"It…it wasn't real…" my voice was flat and emotionless.
Brannagh bared her teeth at me, "This was just a taste of what will happen if you continue to fight against us."
I shivered, still in shock from the horrific images she'd forced me to experience. I'd never even left the couch. How could I figure out what was real and what was another hallucination?
Brannagh poured more of herself into my mind and I watched, detached, as her body seemed to go limp at the same time. She kept my mind and body firmly in her grip and pushed my psyche deeper into my mind. Still stunned and in pain, I wasn't strong enough to push her away again although I fought her for every inch.
My body stood, stretching languidly and walked over to Dagdan. He looked worried for some reason and my hand ran gently down his arm, "Don't be such a worrier, brother."
Dagdan pulled me forward into his embrace and pressed a kiss to my cheek. The sensation was abhorrent to me and I bucked against Brannagh's hold as bile rose in my throat. I would never allow another male to touch me willingly. I refused to be a conduit for their disgusting relationship.
My mouth quirked up into an unnatural smile, "We discussed this. We must be sure that she doesn't escape my hold again."
"I don't like you going to the Night Court alone…" he grumbled.
I felt myself tsk him gently, "Don't worry. No one has ever managed to push me from their minds. It was just a fluke that she surprised me once—it won't happen again. Besides," she continued, "I need you to protect my body."
Dagdan looked unconvinced, but Brannagh directed my body to change into the fighting leathers and weapons that the cabin's spells provided. My body seemed to move like a marionette for its puppet master. I couldn't even twitch without her permission.
Once I was dressed and armed, I took the dark cloak Dagdan offered and pulled it on, hiding my weapons. Standing at the doorway, my mouth moved of its own accord, "Stay here. I'll return with the Book of Breathings as quickly as I can manage. Be ready to move quickly when I get back."
He nodded and pressed a hard kiss to my lips that had me thrashing again inside the prison of my mind. Then we were moving quickly into the freezing snow and wind that had us shivering despite the warm cloak.
As soon as we were beyond the cabin's wards, we winnowed forward, becoming smoke and ash once again. We moved quickly, confidently. The twins knew they had the advantage of surprise and the hesitation that any member of the Night Court would have if they saw the identity of the person beneath the cloak. Brannagh used my memories to move us safely across the lands of Night, easily avoiding the patrols that continued to search for signs of Hybern's presence.
Little did they know a true monster was already in their midst.
Despite the situation, my heart leapt at the sight of the lights of Velaris below us. It looked like a glittering jewel in the evening light. I wished I could look up to the sky and witness the glory of a true night sky. Even from this distance, I could hear the soft strains of music flowing up from the Rainbow.
Memories hit me like a blow. The sounds of a beautiful lullaby amidst the dark, cold cells of Amarantha's court. A hidden promise of a better future.
Carefully, I tucked those precious memories away from Brannagh's manipulations along with the rest of my memories of Rhysand and our too-short time as mates. She didn't deserve to experience that happiness.
Walking quietly, we moved into the outside of town, navigating by the images she'd taken from when Rhysand had flown me over the city. My heart hammered in my chest as the streets began to look familiar. I even recognized a few of the shopkeepers, although the hood of my cloak kept us safely anonymous.
Brannagh didn't hesitate as we wove through the crowds and I could feel her pace increasing. I wondered if that was her intent or if my body was responding to my need to get to the town house. To see my family.
I had to know that everyone was okay. That they were able to save Cassian's wings and that Azriel had recovered from the poison in his body. That Nesta and Elain were safely recovering from whatever the Cauldron did to them. That Rhys was safe and hadn't done anything stupid when he saw the body.
For the first time in a long time, I prayed to the old gods. Hoping that he hadn't been driven mad or allowed the aching loneliness of losing his mate drag him under. That the vision Brannagh and Dagdan created was nothing more than a scene from their sick imaginations.
Rhysand's town house finally came into view and it was shocking to see it looking exactly as it had the last time I visited. Tears burned behind my eyes, but Brannagh's control kept my expression stony and my body relaxed.
We walked forward, by passing the front door to walk around to the side of the building, checking to see if there were any lights on or signs of life. The house was still so we winnowed inside, looking carefully around before moving up to the library.
Our footsteps were silent as we checked each room in the house. The house seemed empty without the loud laughter and jokes of Rhysand's court. They must be with their troops or at the palace of the Night Court. I wondered if Nuala and Cerridwen moved with the group.
Frustrated, Brannagh slammed shut one of Rhys' desk drawers and looked around the room again, "Either they've shielded the Book or its been moved."
I grinned in triumph, rattling against the bars of the cage in my mind. They would not be so foolish as to leave the Book just lying around without any safe guards.
"You're right," Brannagh said as though responding to my thoughts, "It's probably with that freak Rhysand keeps as a pet."
It took me a moment to realize she was referring to Amren and I had to resist the urge to laugh. Brannagh had just signed her death warrant if Amren ever caught wind of that.
We winnowed away from the house once more, heading for Amren's apartment. This time, it appeared we had missed Amren by a few moments. There was a cup of blood sitting forgotten on her table that hadn't coagulated yet. The room smelled like smoke from the candles she'd extinguished when she left.
We walked carefully through the room, scanning for any signs of the Book of Breathings. Brannagh paused beside a notebook filled with messy handwriting in a language I didn't recognize. Underneath a stack of paper, I saw the edge of one of my sketches peaking out revealing a rough sketch of Rhysand, Cass, Azriel, and Mor laughing at a snide comment Amren made at the House of Winds. Delight, I'd called it.
"It's not here, " Brannagh muttered to herself, "We'll have to check the House of Winds."
You can't winnow there, I replied irritably. She responded by summoning the magic that had massive black wings bursting from my back in a mirror image of Illyrian wings. My back burned at the extra weight on the sensitive skin, but they functioned well enough.
Pushing open the balcony window, we took a deep breath of the cool night air before launching ourselves out into the night.
