Chapter 28

Briar's POV

I hadn't slept that night, I was going back, back to the place where I was kept prisoner for so long. The memories swirled around my head, none of them pleasant. Azriel had visited early that morning to speak through the layout of the castle. But other than that I had been staring out onto the city. Someone knocked on my door, but I didn't really hear it sounded so distant. ''Bri, you ready?'' Mor asked, walking into my room to see me sitting on my balcony. She stepped closer, and I flinched finally realising she was there. ''Sorry, Mor'' I whispered. ''No need, are you okay?'' She asked. ''As best as I can be'' I shrugged. ''you really don't have to come you know, we aren't going to think anything different of you'' She said. ''I'll be fine, it's just I never thought I would be going back'' I sighed standing up, ''I will be down in a few''. She nodded solemnly before walking out. I dressed in my armour modelled after old armour that Cassian remembered. Reinforced leather leggings and top scaled like the Illyrians, in addition to an armour skirt reaching my knees, and extra padding wherever necessary. I took my knives, retractable Bo staff, twin swords and the reinforced bow and arrows, sliding them in their respective sheets.

I was once again armoured to the teeth, but I still felt as if I was going to my death. I barely registered anything going on around me, none of the goodbyes and promises being spoken. I was winnowing with Mor and Rhysand so that I could get her in quickly as soon as we dropped Rhysand off. We would be waiting by the sea door for Feyre, Cassian and Azriel. The moment they landed, Azriel and I slipped into the hallway, killing the guards with our ash blades. I nodded at Azriel to get the others as I continued down the hall, clearing it as the others joined me. I walked in front of the group until we reached the lower levels, leading them to the point efficiently.

The walls were still the same bone-white colouring, so cold, the entire castle gave me the creeps. I had voluntarily gone back, for the right reasons, I was putting myself here. In this place, I hated, I felt terror with each step I took. It was at that point that Feyre began leading the way, honing in onto the power of the Cauldron. ''There, it is down there'' She said as we reached another stairwell. So close to the one down where I used to be kept. A small tendril of shadow snaked around my ankle. Cassian went down; first, one of his Illyrian blades drawn, whistling low to signal the coast is clear. Mor and Feyre were already starting the descent, but I hesitated. The tendril tugged as if saying, come on. Azriel nodded at me, his face cold and distant, almost grim.

At the end of the stairs, a room opened up, closed off any other entrances. Dread flooded me if we were caught. I didn't let me finish the sentence as I took in the Cauldron on top of a small platform at the centre of the room. The Cauldron was ripe with contradiction, it was presence and absence; Darkness and wherever the darkness came from. ''Hurry'' Mor whispered to Feyre, ''We have a few minutes''. As the four of them moved forward, I took my position near the stairs keeping an eye on it. Azriel held out its arm saying ''Listen''.

There wasn't really a sound, it was as if blood thrummed through the room as if we were listening to a pulse of some kind. Feyre stepped forward onto the dais, all of us tensing as she touched the lip of the bathtub sized Cauldron. Feyre seemed to be entranced, I don't know what she must be feeling touching the Cauldron like that. It was strange to see her like that, none of us liked it as she reached for the paper with the spell. But she also took half of the book out, ''Feyre'' Mor whispered in warning trying to get her out of the trance. But she kept moving slowly, still in the magic, again Mor whispered. No, I almost shouted as she put both halves together, Mor also lunged for her cursing. A ripple went out, ears popping from the pressure, I almost fell over with the shockwave. ''We can't risk it'' Mor hissed at Cassian wanting to winnow Feyre out. ''Give her a minute'' Cassian hissed back.

''Guys'' I called out low as someone descended down the steps. Cassian pulled me back a bit closer to the dais. Mor had moved slightly behind us, with Azriel shaking Feyre who was almost unresponsive. We unsheathed our weapons, as the male descended. ''Stupid fool'' he said to Feyre, ''Jurian'' She breathed. I gasped recognising the commander I had once fought together with. ''Fought your way up the ranks I see'' he said to Cassian snickering. Cassian was snarling at him, as Rhysand had winnowed in. ''Looking good Jurian'' Rhysand drawled, ''for a corpse that is''. ''Last time I saw you, you were warming Amarantha's sheets'' Jurian fired back. I stepped forward as Rhysand stopped next to Cassian.

''So, you remember'' Rhysand mused, ''Interesting''. Jurian moved his attention to Mor. ''Where is Miryam'' he asked. ''She's dead'' Mor lied, ''She and Drakon drowned in the Erythrian sea''. ''Liar'' he sneered ''You were always such a liar Morrigan''. Azriel growled, defending the female he had liked for over 500 years, but Jurian ignored him. ''Where did you take Miryam'' Jurian demanded. ''I took her away from you'' Mor breathed, ''I took her to prince Drakon, he and Miryam were married and mated the night you murdered Clythia, she never thought about you again''.

I did my best not to react to the mention of that night, the night which started it all. His face contorted in wrath. I felt Cassian come up next to me, as Mor and Azriel also stood closer together. It was clear we were going to winnow out, taking the Cauldron with us. I tried and tried but I couldn't, I tried not to curse as Rhys said ''New trick''. I felt my magic draining again. Pure terror came over me, no, we were trapped. ''I was sent here as a distraction while he worked on the spell'' Jurian said smirking, ''you won't leave this castle unless he allows it, or in pieces. Cassian, Azriel and I crouched into a fighting stance, I was fighting down my terror, this was not the place. I sneaked a look at Rhysand, he nodded, acknowledging the agreement we had. I was loosing power with every second that passed.

''Then there is that'' Jurian said, '' didn't you remember? Perhaps you forgot, it was a good thing I was there, for every waking moment, Rhysand. She took his book to take you powers. He made sure that a particular book was returned to him. She didn't know how to use half of the nastier spells. DO you know what it is like to not breathe, eat, sleep or even feel for 500 years? To always be awake as she tortured everyone, I particularly remember your sessions Asteria''. ''It couldn't be that bad'' Rhysand drawled, ''if you're now working for her master''. ''Your suffering will be long and throrough'' Jurian shot back. Then there he stood, the vile king of Hybern himself, my blood turned to ice, I could not breathe, think or even move. I was frozen in my terror, I didn't hear or register what was happening. All I could do was stare at the king, I was frozen.

Until Jurian shot an ash bolt at Azriel, and guards winnowed at me trapping me. It wasn't until Mor's scream and Cassian growl that I was shaken out of my shock. The guards had cut my tendons, making it impossible to walk their grips like iron, almost like the faebane collar which was slipped around my throat. I was trying to fight the guards, and as my eyes fell on Azriel something clicked. He was bleeding slumped between Rhys and Cassian. I tried to call out, they hurt him, Jurian had shot him with an ash arrow. No, no, no. I felt tears streaming down my face, Rhysand shook his head at me signalling for me to stop. The guards dragged me along as the others were lead to the throne room at quite the distance from the guards and me. Where I was handed to a nobleman right in the shadows. The male almost immediately started to slice at me, all shallow but there. Before he began to unclothed me. All the while I was looking at him, My mate.