The terrace and Summer palace was a riot of activity and panic as soldiers and servants scrambled to respond to the unexpected attack. Thesan, Helion, and Beron winnowed away after brief conversations with Tarquin to ensure that Hybern's forces were not attacking their own lands.
I used the edge of the sword Rhys had given me to cut away the length of my skirt so that it wouldn't tangle in my legs if I was forced to defend myself. Mor did the same and I noted that Tamlin was watching me with a guarded expression.
Adrenaline and nerves pounded in my blood like a drumbeat and it gave me the courage to arch an eyebrow at him. "Did you need something?" I asked, a little too sharply to be strictly polite.
"He…" Tamlin seemed to hesitate before continuing. "He lets you fight."
Suddenly it felt like I was back in the Spring Court, watching him leave me trapped behind invisible walls. My lungs seized and the ocean air suddenly felt thick and heavy on my tongue. I forced myself to breathe through it and stare out at the bright water on the horizon until my chest no longer felt tight.
"Rhys doesn't let me do anything," I replied firmly, "I choose to fight."
"Damn right," Mor said with an approving smile, "We all do."
Tarquin gestured for Tamlin to come over to him and Lucien took the opportunity to move closer to me. Guilt hung heavy in his expression as he fiddled with the hilt of his sword. "Feyre, I-" he began but I cut him off.
"I know."
"I thought I could protect you if I stayed," Lucien whispered jaggedly, eyes staring fixedly at the stones at our feet.
Gently, I reached out to touch his arm. "I know," I said again and was rewarded with the mismatched gaze of the first friend I'd made in Prythian.
The pain in his eyes reminded me that I was not the only one who'd lost something Under the Mountain and in the months following. That I wasn't the only one hurt by Tamlin's twisted love.
"We can talk more after this," I said quickly and watched him clench his jaw, meeting my eyes finally, his golden eye focusing on me.
"I want to go with you."
I hesitated, "I don't know if Elain…"
"It's more than Elain. I want to see the Court willing to crown a High Lady and was able to win your loyalty."
"It's not the court that won me."
He smiled, looking at the protective way Mor lingered by my side pretending not to be eavesdropping, "I'm glad."
Another barrage struck the walls of the Summer Palace, interrupting our conversation and returning our attention to the fight at hand. The gathered generals and messengers scattered as their High Lord dismissed them to begin pulling on his own golden armor. Tarquin made a gesture to the other High Lords that remained on the terrace, "Return to your lands and make sure this isn't a multi-faceted attack. We have enough men to push back this attack."
As if he'd been summoned, I felt my mate bond draw tight in a way that had me moving to the edge of the terrace balcony for a better view. Rhysand appeared in a mass of smoke and ash, surrounded by the familiar shape of his Illyrian warriors at the edge of the city wall. My heart seemed to leap in my throat at the sight of all that power contained within one male.
He was magnificent.
Rhys must have made some kind of command because the Illyrians rushed forward as a unit, slamming into the exposed flank of Hybern's soldiers, forcing them to defend against the might of Summer and Night. I clenched my fists at my side, urging them on silently from my vantage point. My mental shields remained strong to keep my nerves and thoughts from distracting my mate as he ripped through the confusing mass of a soldiers.
There was a cheer from those gathered around me as the iconic uniforms of Hybern fell before the double onslaught and called for a retreat. Rhysand signalled for his men to fall back behind the safety of the palace walls to ensure that the city would be protected. I let out a long breath, not sure how long I'd been holding it. Already the air was thick with the scent of smoke and bloodshed and my heart grieved for the people of Adriata.
Tamlin bowed to Tarquin, "I'll take my leave then."
Tarquin nodded and for a moment, familiar green eyes met mine. His lips pursed and he gave me a brief nod before turning to Lucien. I couldn't hear what they said, but I could tell from the tension in their shoulders that they were both unhappy. Finally, Tamlin made a cutting motion with his hand and stalked away.
Lucien remained behind, watching his friend's back disappear behind the intricately carved wood. I wondered where Tamlin would go. Back to Spring? Or to report the failed attack to Hybern?
A battle horn sounded from the city behind me and I turned to see the sight that remained fresh in my nightmares. Row and after row of soldiers now stood on the sandy beach that ringed Adriata. My stomach dropped as I tried to count the legions of fae-trying to comprehend how they could have arrived so suddenly. From this distance, I could barely make out the nightmarish creatures that had ridiculed me in Hybern's camp. A familiar, endless magic curled around my senses like a dark void.
The Cauldron.
Nausea made a cold sweat break out along my skin and I clenched my fist to disguise my shaking hands. Tarquin came up beside me, both our eyes glued to the familiar flag signalling the presence of a monarch. "Mother protect us," he whispered.
I had no such hope left in my heart as a group of Hybern's men gathered to meet with the bedraggled remains of Summer's forces under the flag of truce. There was a slight popping sound and the smell of sea air as Tarquin winnowed down to join Rhysand on the battlefield. They stood, strong and resolute at the head of their combined forces, waiting to see what Hybern intended.
Mor paced at my side like a caged animal, but I remained rooted in one place, my eyes fixed on the two groups meeting in the center of what was to be their battlefield. As if through sheer force of will, I could keep my mate and everyone I loved safe. Carefully, I let my shields lower so I could listen in to the first official meeting between Hybern and Prythian's defenders.
Rhysand opened his mind willingly, letting me feel his restless anticipation as they watched the small contingent of the opposing army approach. I was surprised when he recognized the messenger that marched at the head of the group as one of the males he'd fought against in the great war, but the two faces I wanted to see were nowhere to be found.
Where were Dagdan and Brannagh?
Surely Hybern would not have led an army so openly into battle without his two favorite generals at his side. My hands closed around the hilt of the blade Rhysand had given me, my knuckles bright white with the strain. I needed to find them. I could not breathe easy until I knew they were dead.
"The King of Hybern has graciously offered this chance for you to surrender your lands peacefully, High Lord Tarquin," the messenger said in an imperious tone that made me want to punch him.
"He has attacked my lands without provocation or formal declaration of war and he has the gall to claim this to be peaceful?" Tarquin voice was more scornful than I'd ever heard it.
"You chose to harbor an enemy of Hybern within the walls of your city and make plans to wage war on our army-this behavior could not go unpunished."
Guilt warred with the cold fury that was my mate's mind as he listened to this exchange. My heart hurt with the realization that Rhysand did not expect Tarquin to stand with him in this fight. That he was preparing himself to fight a battle he knew he could not win.
"I am a High Lord," Tarquin said in a low voice that radiated fury, "not one of Hybern's lackeys. Tell your king that if it's a war he wants the Summer Court is happy to provide."
No one seemed surprised that this meeting would not prevent the battle brewing on the plains. When the messenger turned his attention to Rhysand, I had the sinking suspicion that the real purpose of the truce was about to come to life.
"Hybern sends his regards to your mate."
The blow, when it came, was so fast that I nearly missed it, even from my vantage point within Rhysand's mind. One moment he was standing with his hands resting comfortably in his pockets, and the next, his fingers were wrapped around the messenger's neck, nail breaking through the thin layer of skin to wrap around his esophagus. For one terrifying moment, Rhys met the shocked gaze of Hybern's general before he ripped his throat out in a spray of blood that coated his fighting leathers and those around him.
There was a moment of silence as the group stared at the twitching body laying at Rhysand's feet. Slowly, Rhys returned his hands to his pockets and kicked the body away so that it landed among his comrades, who leapt out of the way.
"Don't," he said in a voice like a yawning abyss, "talk about my wife."
With a sudden burst of power, Rhysand pushed me away from his mind at the first sign of that terrible darkness bleeding through once more. I came to my senses feeling stunned, as though I was marked by the blood that stained my mate's clothes. The thought of the same darkness that had once driven me out of sleep to comfort a High Lord I didn't understand coming for Rhysand again made me want to winnow down to him. To tell him I loved each part of him-even those he hid away.
I love you, I whispered down our link. I intend to kiss you senseless when this is over.
There was a pause before a rush of love bled through the link and wrapped my senses in a kind of happiness no other male could create.
On the plains below, the two groups separated, each racing back to their troops to begin preparing for battle. A scream of rage and horror came up from the forces defending Adriata and I frowned, following their gestures to a large wooden stake that was being erected on the hill at the center of Hybern's forces.
At first, I couldn't make out what it was they were lashing to the crudely constructed cross. Then understanding began to trickle in-it was a body. Mor cursed, low and vicious but all I could hear was my blood thundering in my ears as I finally understood what fresh horror Hybern had concocted for Rhysand.
After all, the body they let hang, naked and bruised, in a mockery of a flag was the same one they'd sent to Rhysand to prove that I was dead.
The body was mine.
Thank you for reading the latest chapter of Broken Dreams! Please continue to follow along and review any feedback you may have!
I've also released the first several chapters of my new story "The Thief and the Soldier" and would love for you to check it out if you've enjoyed my works so fae. If you love the world of ACOTAR and works like Six of Crows, you'll love this new romantic adventure featuring the son of Kallias and a thief raised Under the Mountain. Here's the link:
s/12875987/1/The-Thief-and-the-Soldier