Chapter 11

Feyre

I stumbled down each corridor, turning corners without reason. Exhaustion weighed down on me as my back slowly went numb. I shivered and leaned against the wall, needing a break. Just a minute I told myself as my eyes drifted shut.

I stood there for a few seconds before tilting forward. My eyes snapped open as I shot my arms out to balance myself, heat raced across my shoulder blades. I stumbled around until I regained balance and scolded myself for stopping; stopping would mean I would fail.

I pushed on again, reaching a fork. I looked down each one, trying to remind myself that each choice mattered when I realized that the left one had an opening at the end.

Desperate to get out of here, I forced myself to hobble faster than before. My lip trembled as I got closer to the end. I was almost out. I would get out. Just as I reached the end a light flickered on before something barreled into me.

I hit the ground hard, knocking the breath out of me. Something heavy was on me, holding me down. I struggled and turned my head as far as I could, trying to see what it was. Corbin pushed down harder as I yelped.

I thrashed, trying to get out from under him, my back burned where his hands held me down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a bright orange spot. I whipped my head to the side, trying to see what it was; the x shaped brander radiated a burning heat.

Absolute terror ran through me as a guard walked towards me with it. I thrashed and flailed against Corbin to no avail. My breaths were ragged as he got closer. I needed to get up. I had to get up.

Tears pierced my eyes as I struggled even more. I growled, panic gripping me as I continued to thrash against them. My efforts were fruitless as the man kneeled down and positioned the brander over the right of my lower back, and before I had the chance to do anything else to defend myself, he pushed the brander into my skin.

The pain was intense, it consumed me. I forgot where I was or who I was. White hot knives stabbed every inch of my skin, black spots appeared at the corners of my vision as it went blurry. I was screaming, screaming louder than I ever had before, as the heat ate at me. All I could think about was how this was the worst pain I have ever felt. How I was about to die, and Nyx would be alone without a mother, and I was terrified. Then, just as the pain was at its worst, my back cooled and the weight was taken off of me.

I lifted my head slightly, trying to make sense of what had stopped it. A black blob stood in front of me as my vision started to take on a blue tinge. My head fell back down as I drifted into nothingness.

Rhysand

I was roaring before I knew why. My chair flew back into the wall as I launched myself at Jurian. She had gotten out of the maze. She had completed it like he asked. Why the hell did she get forced down?

My chains pulled me back as I continued to fight against them. Feyre's scream rang throughout the space and I whipped around to see her thrashing against a bright orange light. I couldn't see what it was, but it sounded like agony. I launched myself at him again, trying to get as close as I could, "You fucking bastard! She completed it!"

Strings of curses came from my lips as I pulled harder. Distantly, I felt the stitches on my back loosen as my back warmed. "I'll kill you!"

Jurian backed away slowly, giving me a soft smirk, "Did you think that the maze was it? That was easy. The last challenge of the night was to get out from under Corbin. She failed… and those aren't the only challenges I'm putting her through."

I pulled harder, baring my teeth at him before I growled, "Let her go. She WON!"

He laughed as I roared something incoherent at him. I clenched my fists and backed up a few steps as Feyre's screaming ended. A hand touched my shoulder. Jurian's face went white.

I spun, ready to fight against whoever this was before I saw him. Cassian's eyes were wide as he looked me over, "Rhys?"

I took a step away from him, trying to regain my breath and stop the room from swaying. My mouth dropped open. This couldn't be possible. "Rhys… what did they do to you?"

My whole body trembled, "Save Feyre… go… please Cass. Please."

"Az is getting her. She'll be ok."

My eyes darted to her before darting to Azriel, throwing one of the guards to the side before picking up Feyre before shooting into the air. I turned again to the sound of winnowing behind me; Lucien grabbed Jurian before winnowing away again.

I couldn't believe it. I couldn't. After all we just went through… and it's over in five minutes? They came just as everything climaxed? How much did Feyre just go through today only?

I faced Cassian again, "You don't understand! You don't know what she's gone through," my voice broke, "You don't know."

A tear ran down Cassian's cheek as he put both hands on my shoulder and embraced me. I stiffened, groaning as Feyre's mangled screams replayed themselves in my mind. He pulled back, "You guys are getting out of here," his voice choked with emotion, "Both of you are free and both of you will recover."

My lip trembled, "How do you know?"

"Because you and Feyre are the strongest people I know."

We looked at each other for a moment before Cassian shot towards me as I pitched forward. My knees splashed into my blood as the room flipped upside down.

Feyre

The wind hit my face as I slowly opened my eyes. I looked up at the male figure holding me, his features blurred. I turned my head and looked at the beating wings on his back. I reached my hand out to touch them but a dark shadow nudged it away. I looked back up at the male, "Rhys?"