A/N: Back to Feyre's POV for the rest of the story.

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Chapter 11

FEYRE POV

I didn't know what to think of first – was Lucien dead or where was Elain?

Nesta scrabbled around, desperately looking for Elain, whilst Rhys and Cassian tentatively turned Lucien over, and checked to see if he was alive, whilst I stood watching, too traumatised to help or to search. Rhys looked to me and gave me a nod to indicate he was alive. Knowing my friend was alive made me move my feet and I stepped towards them. When I saw Lucien's face, I let out a gasp; his nose was obviously broken, his mechanical eye looked like someone had tried to extract it from its socket, his other eye was black and swollen, and the pupil was blown. His clothes were torn, and I could see that there was extensive dark purple bruising on his torso; I wouldn't have been surprised if he had broken ribs.

Grabbing one of Cassian's daggers, I made a small incision along the underside of my forearm. I knew my healing magic wasn't working for me, but I had to try and see if it could help Lucien, even if it helped until we could get a healer. I held my arm over his mouth as I gently squeezed some blood from my wound.

As we were waiting to see if there was any improvement I heard the cracking of twigs behind us. I turned to see Mor and Azriel. "Mor, you need to fetch a healer," I said, turning back to the still unconscious Lucien. She nodded and winnowed away. I shouted for Nesta to re-join us, so we could formulate our plan.

I was knelt down, with Lucien's head in my lap, as I looked at the others. "Right, Nesta, I need you to stay here with Lucien and either Rhys or Cass. The rest of us are going to find Elain." Rhys was about to say something, so I held up my hand to stop him. "Who here can track?" I asked the group, knowing the answer. Azriel raised our hand, and I raised mine in defiance. I looked at Rhys, "Az and I are the best suited to the task at hand. I AM going to help find Elain!" I noticed Nesta was about to say something, so I stopped her too, "sorry Nesta, but you'll get in the way. Besides, you need to keep an eye on Lucien; for Elain." Nesta begrudgingly nodded her head. I gestured for her to kneel next to me, and she gently took Lucien's head from me.

As I stood, I took a moment to think about the task ahead of us and looked at my dress; it was not suited to walking through forests. "Rhys?" I asked, and gestured to my clothes. He knew what I wanted and snapped his fingers and my dress was immediately replaced by black leggings, black knee-length boots, black shirt and black tunic with silver and purple embroidery. He'd also conjured Arco Iris, my dagger belt and my yew long-bow and quiver. I slung my scabbard, quiver and bow over my shoulders and strapped my finger guard on my left hand as Rhys clipped my dagger belt around my hips and thighs.

It was agreed whilst I was gearing up that Rhys would stay with Nesta – he was less likely to provoke her, but only minorly – and Cassian would come with us. Rhys made it clear again that he was to be my shadow no matter what.

Azriel and I inspected the ground around where we found Lucien and we found a trail leading away from the small clearing. They had obviously winnowed to the clearing after finding Elain and Lucien, but left on foot. The signs were that there was a small struggle, then three pairs of footprints went away, one of them deeper than the others, meaning they belonged to a heavier faerie….or a faerie that was carrying someone. I gave Rhys a quick kiss, and off we went, following the prints.

Our pace was as quick as I could manage. I'd told Azriel to go ahead, but he wanted us to stick together. The trail was relatively fresh; it had been made less than an hour ago.

"So, ideas on who did this?" Cassian whispered as we were going along.

"I've sent my shadows out, but I've got nothing yet. Someone with a grudge against Night?" Azriel said. "Most likely Autumn," he added as an afterthought.

"If it is Autumn, why did they take Elain?" I wondered out loud, but still at a whisper.

Cassian shrugged, "to get to Lucien, maybe," he hazarded. "Maybe they were to grab Lucien too, but he put up a fight."

Time was marching on and still we were no closer to finding Elain. I was worried. I worried what state she'd be in when we found her, considering Lucien's injuries…..I was worried that we actually might not find her. I was trying to put the worst thoughts out my head when I felt Rhys against my shields, so I opened them a crack for him.

Anything? He asked.

Nothing.

You'll find her, don't worry. I'll send some Illyrians to help.

No, we'll keep it small for now, I don't want to spook them. How's Lucien?

The healer patched him up as best she could. Now he's a bit better she said it'll be safe to winnow him back to the manor.

Make sure Nesta stays back at the manor. I don't care if you and Mor have to stay there with her, but don't let her come out here.

I'll see what I can do – you know what your sister's like! Keep us updated, if you need extra help, let us know. Be careful. Rhys said, as he withdrew.

We continued on in silence. The trees had started to thin out again, and I was hopeful that we might be able to actually see something. Unfortunately, the little hope I had begun to build up was soon dashed when I saw where the tracks were leading – a stream. The three of us all muttered a curse under our breaths.

"There's not so much tree canopy here," I said, pointing up, "one of you do a quick scout from above." They both nodded and Azriel took off without a word, whilst Cassian and I crossed the stream and attempted to find the trail on the other side. As we'd feared, they'd walked partway in the stream, so as to disguise where they were going. We weren't sure which way they'd gone, so I called to Azriel and he went one way whilst Cassian and I went the other.

The ground was terrible to both walk through and to attempt to get any clues from. The bank of the stream was pure sludge and our boots were squelching with each step we took. It was arduous, having to pull my feet up with every step I took, and I was soon panting with the effort. As we went along my thoughts were taking a more sinister turn and I was feeling angry for how this had happened. Cassian must have sensed my increasing distress as he put his hand on my shoulder, and a deep snarl ripped from my throat at his touch.

"Woah!" he said, stepping back with his hands up.

My head was feeling fuzzy, so I shook it in an attempt to clear it. "I'm sorry," I muttered, not making eye contact with him.

"Maybe you should go back," he tried suggesting.

"NO!" I roared back. "I need to be here to find her."

"Come on Feyre," he tried reasoning, "you're clearly struggling. It's late, the terrain is tough and physically and mentally, you're spent."

Clenching my fists trying gain control over my anger – and hide the fact that they'd turned into ice as I'd started losing control of my magic again – I said, "can we please stop this?" Cassian was about to press his argument when I continued, "we don't have time for this. We need to figure out who took Elain, why and where they've gone. We also need to know why they winnowed to the clearing, left Lucien there, but then walked away with Elain. It doesn't make sense, and I won't rest until my sister is safe and I've figured out what is going on."

He reluctantly nodded, so on we went. I'd contacted Azriel and he'd found nothing either. I knew that he wouldn't stop looking for Elain, so I was grateful when he didn't mention me stopping. Onwards we went, following the path of the stream in silence, checking both sides to make sure they hadn't doubled back.

We had to have been walking for over an hour since Cassian tried to make me turn back, and we remained silent. The stream was particularly narrow where we currently were, so Cassian walked along one side whilst I walked the other. I was thinking about breaking away from the stream and making for the forest when I caught a scent on the air. It smelt faintly of fire and blood. I unslung my bow and nocked an arrow as I signalled to Cassian.

Cassian couldn't detect anything, but he was willing to follow my olfactory senses. I turned my face towards the sky, closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose. I stayed like that for a few minutes, letting all of my senses take over, when I caught the scent again. On silent feet I stalked towards the forest.

My bow and nocked arrow were still in my hands as we made our way through the ancient forest. I'd never been in this part of Spring before. The scent was very faint, but I followed it, Cassian close behind me. Despite Cassian's large size he was as silent as me as we made our way over the twigs that littered the forest floor.

As we stalked along, the scent getting stronger, I linked to Azriel and told him to find us whilst showing him where we were. As he landed next to us a couple of minutes later his shadows lightened up as he sent them of on a hunt. We held our positions as we waited for his report.

"There's a male through the trees," Azriel reported to us. We nodded, and Cassian signalled for Azriel to take the right flank, I'd take the left and he'd go straight. We split, but still remained within sight of each other.

I sighted the male and held my position, bringing my bow up to firing position, ready for Cassian to make his move. The trees in front of the male rustled and he brought a dagger up, and as he saw Cassian he made to throw it. Without hesitation, I left go of the arrow, and it landed right on target – in the male's shoulder. He dropped the dagger and staggered backwards, clutching at the fletching of the arrow that was sticking out of his shoulder. Cassian ran forward and grabbed the male, pressing one of his own daggers to the male's throat.

"Fancy seeing you here Eris," Cassian growled into Eris' ear. Eris' face paled. "Now, what are you up to?"

"N…nothing," he stuttered.

"Wrong answer!"

He tried to stand straighter and winced at the pain in his shoulder, "I'm here with the Autumn Court to celebrate Calanmai," he answered, trying to sound authoritative.

Knowing that Cassian wasn't going to get any answers from Eris quickly or easily, Azriel and I left our positions. I nocked another arrow as I came to stand in front of him.

"Why are you here Eris?" I demanded. He didn't answer, so I loosed my arrow, aiming just below where I'd already hit him. He shrieked with the pain. "I said, why are you here Eris?" I repeated, as I pulled another arrow out of my quiver. He started shaking so badly that the blood pouring from his wounds flowed faster. He still didn't answer, so I didn't break eye contact as I nocked the arrow I'd just took out and drew back the bow string and aimed it at the centre of his chest. "Where. Is. My. Sister?" I growled at him.

He held his hands up in submission, "ok ok, my brothers and I saw Lucien and that female that's his mate and we decided to have a little fun with him in revenge for him and Tamlin killing our other two brothers," he said so quickly he didn't stop for breath.

"Tell us where Elain is, and make it quick," Cassian said as he pressed his dagger further into his neck, causing it to bite into the flesh and dribble blood. I lowered my bow to show that if he told us what we wanted I wouldn't shoot him again…..for now.

"We didn't set out to do anything, but we saw Lucien and his mate, so the others decided to have to little fun. I didn't want to!" He added.

"Why should we believe you, after what you did to Morrigan?" Azriel spat at him.

Eris shook at Azriel's acid tone, "we're allies, me and the Night Court. Remember?"

"I remember that you were supposed to get rid of Beron," Azriel retorted.

"It's not been easy – "

Cassian held his hand up to Azriel and turned his glare to Eris. "So, back to the matter at hand, you decided to kick the shit out of Lucien and leave him for dead?" Eris nodded.

"Where is Elain? Have you harmed her?" Azriel asked, drawing Truth-Teller. I could sense the malice radiating off him.

Eris started trembling, "we were going to take her and dump her somewhere in the woods, so she'd be lost, but my brothers decided otherwise; they wanted to have a bit of fun with her first." He dropped his head and held out his leg, "they cut me when I said they were going too far, that she was innocent; not to mention that she's your sister and you'd be pissed when you found out."

"WHERE IS SHE?" I roared with primal rage filling my veins. "What have they done to her?"

Eris' eyes widened as he looked behind me, I didn't turn around but Cassian and Azriel did and they too looked surprised. I felt something wet touch my hand and broke my stare at Eris to look down and noticed two water wolves stood alongside me; I'd obviously conjured them in my anger without realising.

"ANSWER ME NOW!" I roared at him again. I flicked my hand forward and the water wolves stalked towards Eris.

"I don't know where they took her. I just know that they wanted her and Lucien to be truly suited to each other."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Azriel snarled.

"I don't know. I DON'T KNOW!" he shouted.

It felt like I had ice and rage and fire pumping around my body and I was struggling to get enough air into my lungs. "Azriel, tell Rhys we need help, then take him to the Hewn City. Make sure he doesn't know more than he's already told us. Cass, we're going on." Cassian was about to protest, but I glared at him, then turned that glare on Eris, "you can at least tell us which direction they went in and when."

Eris pointed over his shoulder, "they went that way, just over half an hour ago."

I nodded, then looked at Cassian, "let's go."