Disclaimer: SJM owns all.

ALSO: There are mentions of rape in this chapter. If you are triggered, please skip.

A/N: I do apologize for the long wait. I've been working a lot, so I've only been able to write a little bit here and there. BUT! I do have tomorrow off, so I do plan on spending all day tomorrow writing the next chapter. And I have plenty of plans for it. So, by all means...have at it! Enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Azriel lifted his head, breathing through the pain. They'd been at this for hours. It had started off as just torture, plain and simple before the new king made his appearance and started asking his questions.

He'd been trying to get information out of him for the better part of an hour now. "How many spies do you have in Hybern?"

Silence. Azriel felt white hot pain slice down his shoulder blade just above his wing as the commander ran a fire-seared knife across his shoulder, melting his skin. He couldn't stop the roar of agony that escaped him. It was like his hands all over again.

"Let's try a different question. How long have you had spies in Hybern?"

Again, silence. Az knew who to endure torture. He'd been raised to endure it from an early age. Then being the Spymaster, he had found himself in a compromising situation or two over his centuries with Rhys. He'd had plenty of practice.

More white hot, sizzling pain erupted on his back, right on top of the first location. His hands started to shake of their own accord. He squeezed his eyes shut and pictured Gwyn. She was the only thing getting him through this. The sound of her laughter filled his ears. He could practically see her dazzling smile. He didn't know how he was ever going to get out of here, but if he ever managed to then he knew he would somehow work up the courage to tell her how he felt. He owed it to both of them to confess his feelings.

"You may as well start talking, Shadowsinger. We won't stop until you're dead."

Az lifted his head, a smirk on his face. "Well, I won't talk until I'm dead, so that's too bad for you."

The worst pain he'd felt yet sliced through him as the commander pressed that knife on that same spot once again, this time going all the way down to the bone. He felt like he was going to pass out from the pain. It was the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life.

He slumped forward in the chair, but it didn't last long. Suddenly, the commander moved forward and started undoing the chains around his wrists and ankles. His shadows were frantic, sensing something he couldn't. Hands were on his arms, lifting him from the chair. He heard it being knocked aside loudly as he was pulled backwards into the room.

The chains that were wrapped around his wrists were hoisted up and attached to a hook in the ceiling, his boots barely reaching the floor. A sinking feeling went into his gut. He knew this wasn't going to be pleasant.

The commander stepped in front of him with a wicked smile on his face. "This is going to be fun."

Cass slammed his hand down on the table in frustration. "There has to be something we can do. He's been missing for a week!"

Feyre looked up from the map of Hybern spread before them. "We are doing something, Cass. We are looking everywhere for him. Lucien has been all over Hybern feeling out the locals to get information, Rhys has been sending out his power non-stop trying to reach him. We are doing the best we can."

"Well, the best isn't good enough! What if he's already dead?!"

Gwyn snapped her head towards him. "That's enough, Cassian! Az isn't dead. He is the strongest male I know. If anyone could hold out under whatever it is he is going through, then he can. We will find him. I am going to do whatever I possibly can to get him back. Until that time comes, how about you stop snapping everyone's heads off and start actually helping?"

She turned back to the map before he could respond. The entire room was stunned into silence at her outburst until Nesta burst into laughter. Cass whipped his head towards her incredulously. She shrugged. "You deserved to be put in your place. I get your worried, but we all are. Take her advice and stop biting all of our heads off. That's not going to help find him faster."

Cass pursed his lips, but didn't comment. They all turned back to the map. Feyre was pointing out which sections of the continent Lucien had already cleared. She had asked him to head to Hybern shortly after Azriel's disappearance since he wasn't associated with the Night Court and wouldn't attract unwanted attention to himself. He was more likely to get valuable information than any of them would. And since he'd been spending more time in the Night Court with Elain lately, he'd already been there when everything had gone wrong.

Feyre saw Rhys go very still out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head towards him and furrowed her brow when she saw that his brow was scrunched together in concentration. She brushed a hand down his mental shields, but it was like he was too caught up in whatever it was that he was doing to respond. It almost seemed as if-.

His eyes shot open and found hers. They were wide instantly. "I know who has him."

Everyone turned to look at him. Feyre walked to his side and sat next to him. "What did you just see?"

He shook his head. "I didn't see anything. I've been trying to reach out to Az to see if the faebane has weakened any yet. Apparently it is. I was able to hear his voice. It was faint, but…he was there. Alive."

Cass let out a long sigh of relief, plopping down into a chair and putting his head into his hands. Gwyn's heart rate picked up. "What did he say? How bad is it?"

Rhys opened a mental connection to everyone in the room and showed them the entire conversation the two of them had so he didn't have to repeat it.

Azriel…this is a long shot, but if you can hear me, say anything. At all.

His voice was distant and hard to hear, but it was there. Rhys?

The relief that flooded through Rhys at the sound of Az's voice could be felt through the connection.

Az, where are you? What can you tell me?

I don't know where they have me. All I know is that I'm in a dungeon cell.

Okay, noted. I can work with that. There can't be too many dungeons in Hybern. Have you seen anyone?

Yes. The new king of Hybern and his commander. He…Rhys, he was at Sangravah. I don't know how it's possible, but he claims he escaped before I killed everyone.

Rhys felt more than saw Gwyn's reaction. He knew she was still recovering from what had happened. He should have warned her about it before showing them all.

How can that be possible? I thought you killed everyone there. You and Gwyn were the only ones alive when Mor and I arrived.

I thought so too, but he claims to be the brother of the commander who…started things.

So what do they want with you? Have they said?

The new king learned that it was Truth-Teller that dealt the killing blow on his father. He's seeking retribution. I don't know if he'll be coming after Elain or Nesta next, he hasn't mentioned it, but be alert. As for the commander…he's seeking revenge for me killing his brother. He claims I wrongly killed him.

They were in our territory attacking our people. You had every right to protect your people. That is your sworn duty.

That doesn't-. They're coming back. You need to hurry, Rhys.

We are. Just hang in there, brother. We're coming.

Rhys pulled out of everyone's minds and looked around. It was surprise more than anything he felt when his eyes landed on Gwyn. Her hands were shaking with barely restrained anger.

"Gwyn? Are you okay?"

Her eyes snapped to his and he saw the Valkerie in her at that moment. "No, I'm not okay. Azriel is in pain for killing those commanders that day. He is being tortured for killing the males who raped me. So no, I am not okay. I will not be okay until he is back home, safe and sound. And I will not be okay until the males responsibility for hurting him are punished. Severely."

Rhys nodded. "We will get him back, Gwyn. You have my word on that. We're doing everything we can. I will not stop until he's home."

"And I'm coming with. When you go to get him back, I'm going with you. He was there for me and protected me when I needed him most. So I'm going."

He smiled softly at her, wishing he knew exactly what was going on between the two of them. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

She pursed her lips and nodded, reigning in her anger. She knew biting off her High Lord's head wasn't going to do her any good.

Rhys leaned forward towards the map. "Okay, now we have a better direction to go in. We need to figure out all the locations with dungeons."

Feyre sat down next to Rhys at the table. "I'll let Lucien know to keep his ears open for anything regarding dungeons. Last I spoke with him, he hadn't any luck, but maybe this will help."

Rhys nodded as they all got to work narrowing down their search radius, the energy in the room becoming more excited at the possibility of being able to find him.

Azriel clung to the chains and gritted his teeth, refusing to let out his roar of pain. He knew he was losing a lot of blood, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He just hoped Rhys and the others hurried. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hang on. It felt like days since he'd spoken to Rhys. The connection had been weak, but it had been there. The faebane in his system must be weakening to the point where he could get messages out.

He had tried to get more messages to Rhys or even Feyre, but he was so weak with everything they were doing to him that he just couldn't manage it. He assumed it was from all the blood he was losing.

In those hours that he was left to his thoughts, he heard the drip, drip, drip of his blood hitting the floor. Those were the only sounds that greeted him. Not even his shadows spoke to him these days, too weak to converse with him. So, he spent his time thinking of Gwyn. Her smile, her laugh, the way she held herself in training. The memory of their duet had replayed over and over in his mind these weeks. It seemed to be the only thing keeping him sane. And alive. He knew he needed to get home. He needed to tell her how he felt. He needed to at least see her one last time. If he got home and succumbed to his injuries after telling her everything, then he was fine with that. At least she would know how he had felt about her instead of always wondering. But until then, he would fight until the end to get back to her.

The commander, Bron, slashed his knife along his stomach. It wasn't deep enough to gut him, just spill more blood down the front of his pants. "Where do you keep that whore of yours hidden? I'm assuming that's why you went so crazy and killed everyone. Well, everyone but myself."

Azriel saw red. "Watch your mouth."

"Oh. The bat talks after all. You don't seem to like me talking about your little priestess. Should I tell you about how loud she screamed when my brother raped her? Or how there were tears running down her face as she was begging to the Goddesses to let it all end. But it didn't."

"That's enough!"

"Her screams echoed off the walls as the other males under my brother's command entered her over and over again."

Azriel lunged at him against the chains, but it only sent pain flaring through his numerous cuts and gashes. "When I get free, I am going to make you regret you were ever born." His lips were pulled back in a snarl. The male was very lucky Azriel was restrained.

Bron chuckled darkly. "You will never be free, Shadowsinger. This is where you are going to die. You might as well accept that now. Your little priestess can't save you now. My face is the last thing you will ever see."

A/N: I do apologize for it being a little bit shorter, but I just wanted to get this up tonight so you had SOMETHING after that cliffhanger. So, thoughts? There's been 1 review so far, so I'm not sure where y'all are sitting so far. Please review and tell me what you think. What do you guys want to see for our favorite Shadowsinger? Until next time. :)