Chapter 32
''Bri, are you awake'' a voice whispered, shaking me from my haze. I had been stuck in de past again, I was under the mountain. I groaned in response, not having the energy to get open my eyes, or even give an actual answer. ''Please, Briar open your eyes'' The voice pleaded, ''It's the summer solstice, I came to warn you about the twins, they will be coming down here soon. The others are okay, Cassians wings are fine, Azriel is still alive.'' Their names sparked a terror in me, and involuntarily I shrunk further into myself, groaning in pain. The bruises and scabbed over cuts pulling. Steps were heard in the distance, the twins. ''Shit Briar I need to go, I promise I will get you out, soon we will be going to inspect the wall, I will have the twins take you with us. I am getting you out I promise'' the voice called. ''NO'' I croaked out, ''Leave me''. I heard the female gasp at what I was saying before she left quickly. I was left in the darkness for just a few minutes when the door swung open. ''Oh, look brother she's awake, you know we are getting bored with these faeries, all so peace-loving no one to punish or torture'' Brannagh said.
She took hold of my mind once again as Dagdan, and a guard pulled me up. Moving my arms and locking my wrists in strung up shackles. I couldn't stand, so the moment they let me go, my legs gave out, and I was dangling in the room. White-hot pain raced up my back, Brannagh had begun her assault. She loved this, creating fake pain, it felt so real that I couldn't distinguish with the fake burns she started and those afflicted by the hot rod in Dagdans hands. Dagdan made burn rings along my wrists, ankles and joints before he began swiping the rod along my back. The scabs opening up from the last whipping, no doubt burning in the scars. ''Traitor'' Rhysands voice whispered in my mind, ''It's your fault Velaris was attacked, not mine'' Azriel hissed. ''I shouldn't have pulled you off that field'' Cassian's hissed. It was all in my head, but they kept repeating the cruel comments, the things that I had believed and had started to heal from. The inner circle's, and my captains, voices swirling through my head, yelling comment after comment at me. All the while, Dagdan took his time with the burns, making it as slow and torturous as he could. When he finally stepped back to admire his work, he had a satisfied smile on his face, one that another would only have after climaxing. He and Brannagh revelled in this torture, of course, they were both daemati but combining the physical suffering with the mental was their favourite way. Something that they had perfected over the past couple hundred years. Each stroke of a knife, or another weapon in tune with a whisper or flash of memory or pain.
''Jurian get her down, and give her some food, it's been a week or something'' Dagdan ordered whipping his hands. ''Oh, and just so you know we will be taking you with us in a few days to the wall. But don't get any ideas, Ianthe, Tamlin and Lucien are coming with us plus a few centries and Feyre of course'' Brannagh drawled. Knowing it would spark a hope, probably guessing that Feyre felt at least sorry for me. The twins and their guards walked out, leaving me with the reborn Jurian. I jerked back as he went to free my hands. ''I won't do anything'' he hissed, my energy started to leave me once again. I fought against it, barely keeping awake as he laid me down on the frayed mattress that Feyre had made Tamlin bring in or so Jurian told me. He didn't have any magic but Alis some kind lesser fae had given him some potions and poultices which he applied, before feeding me broth and some stale bread. The faebane collar still inhibiting my fae blood from healing me. ''Why'' I forced out.''You saved me once during the War and my people more times than I could count'' he responded. I felt like it wasn't the entire truth, but before I could, I had passed out again.
''Well look at that, you brought a gift'' the oh so familiar voice drawled. ''Of course milady, I thought she could be part of the nightly entertainment'' the low voice claimed. ''Well don't just stand there Rhysand get her up'' the female voice commanded. I had kept my eyes shut, my body relaxed as much as possible, acting as if I was asleep. Footsteps approached me, slow as if giving me an out. 'I know you're awake' a male voice sounded through my head, I did all I could not to flinch and keep still. When a hand fell down on my shoulder I jumped away, opening my eyes which met violet eyes of the male shaking me. 'please play along' the male voice sounded again as he began pulling me up. I didn't fight back, I played as if I was drowsy and weak, not that the vulnerable part wasn't real but just a tad bit more. I was in some kind of cell, the earth was all I could smell, no airflow no natural light. The walls began to close in on me, I was underground never to see the light again. 'Yes, this is underground you're Under the Mountain' the voice sounded. Another hand grabbed my other shoulder much more harsh than the high fae male on my right. ''Bring her up, I want to hear her'' the female voice drawled. I looked up catching the tell-tale looks of Amarantha. ''No'' I yelled in my head beginning to dig my heels in the ground.
I was in Prythian, she would torture me even more than the past 400 years. The king won't stop her sadism. I was panicking and hard. They dragged me through the hall until we came upon a throne room. A rope dangling from the centre of the hall, ''Tie her up'' Amarantha commanded. 'Don't fight it' the male voice sounded once again. They forced my arms up as the room began to fill with the fae, all courts of Prythian except the spring court were represented. My feet were locked in place with cuffs as the roped above pulled tight, stretching me to the point it began to hurt. Amarantha began to speak, ''Here before you is someone incredibly important during the last war, this is to show you that no matter what you do Hybern will win, I RULE YOU. One miss-step and this is what happens''.
The Attor and two of its cronies were on me the minute she stopped talking, slashing at me with their talons taking away all of my rags, cutting up most of my skin. No cuts were deep, though they hurt a lot. I tried to keep any sound in, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of hearing me. ''Rhysand, I tire of her silence, make her scream'' Amarantha commanded. Rhysand, the male is Rhysand, the violet eyes. I knew they where familiar. Black talons scraped along with my mental shields before ripping through them with force my securities hadn't been outstanding since I got captured, but still, the force was not required. I screamed in pain. He forced the screams out, excruciating pain racing through me over and over again. ''Tell us Rhysand, who is she'' Amarantha commanded, ''Tell these fine fae what legend is in their midst''. Her voice is vague and muffled as the pain stopped. He didn't let go of my mind, somewhat drowned out the problem from the cuts. ''General Asteria of the Unclaimed'' The male's voice sounded this time out loud.
Gasps sounded through the hall, they had no idea. 'Helion and Beron recognized you' Rhysands voice said in my head. 'Cas' I sent to him, needing to know if my friend was alive. 'He is safe, he isn't here' he said before speaking out loud, ''A Leading figure of the front lines, winning the battles for Rask, and the Black Sands territories. SLAYER of Generals.'' Silent tears streamed down my face as Amarantha commanded him to put me in a loop of those brutal battles. He told me he was sorry, and it was the last thing I heard before the sounds of battle erupted around me.
When I woke up in the spring court, I didn't know how much time had passed, but a sharp pain in my stomach told me enough. I tried to move my legs, but pain shot through me, a throbbing in my abdomen, my right ankles and a sharp headache followed. There was barely any light but looking down my body hurt me more than it did me well. There was dried blood all over my tighs, hand-shaped bruises covered my naked figure, and even haven broken the skin at places. ''Briar'' A voice sounded, I moved my head to look at the sound. Familiar eyes peered into the cell. I shivered against the cold hard stones as I rolled up into a tight ball. Groaning in pain, my left leg was most definitely broken, and my ribs bruised.
''I'm so sorry, I tried to stop them, Dagdan beat and raped you were locked into your head. Please hold on, only one more day'' she pleaded. I didn't recognize the voice, she seemed to be my friend but, I am in a cell. ''Bri please it's me'' the voice pleaded again as I started to drift off again. More steps sounded ''Feyre, you shouldn't be down here, it the twins or Tamlin find you here'' a male voice said, and I whimpered. Would he come in as well and have his way. ''Lucien, I can't leave her, she doesn't recognize me'' ''No Feyre, go now they are coming'' the male said. The female tried to argue, but the male wouldn't let her. ''Lucien, here to have some fun'' Branagh's voice sounded.
''Well your brother made it sound like fun, so I thought I would take my turn while I could, you never know how long she will last'' The male said, ''Also Tamlin asked for you two planning the trip for tomorrow''. ''Brother let's go then, let the fox have his pleasure, I doubt she can take more'' Branagh taunted. The cell door opened as the twins walked away. A cloak soon covered my body, and the stones heated. ''Briar are you awake'' the male asked, I groaned in response. ''Good, I will make sure they won't come back today, tomorrow all us of are going to the wall, you included'' He continued. ''Who'' I croaked out. ''I am Lucien, emissary of spring, the female you spoke to was Feyre she's a friend''. I slowly began to warm again, ''is anything broken?'' ''Leg'' I responded. My throat was raw from the screaming I no doubt had done these past weeks, with barely any food or water. Warm magic ran up my leg, healing it slightly. ''I can't do more without them realising I helped you, it is enough to get you through the next few days of travel. Now sleep'' he said, ''I will keep them away until dawn''. ''Thanks,'' I whispered, to the male who looked to guilty.
The next time I woke up, I was being dragged outside, the sunlight setting my head ablaze with pain. At some point they had given me light and airy shift dress, to keep me covered but nowhere near modest. They tied my hands to one of the horses, making me walk behind Dagdan the entire day. My whole body hurt, my left leg most of all, having only partially healed. Every time I began to lag, Dagdan would pull harshly at the rope, my wrists burning from the ropes and my shoulders from the tugging. I don't know how long we walked, but I was ready to collapse the moment we stopped for the night. The twins had other ideas, ordering me around to set up their tent. That night the tied me up far away from the fire, or even the guards, isolating me. No torture occurred as Tamlin, and his guards kept a close watch on the twins; they could not do this so out in the open in his court.
A/N next chapter will be quite short, only detailing the escape after that we will get to see Cassian, Azriel and Rhysand again but whose POV to chose
