Chapter 269

The females around Elain chattered softly, but Elain wasn't listening to what they were saying. She was staring in horror at the shield above them when it became dark with large bodies and even larger wings. They really were surrounded now, not just by the four walls, but up there too. The thought terrified her. That was, until she realised that the little snippet of a vision she had had not ten minutes earlier of Lucien at some point in the future using his Day Court powers expertly, meant that he at least would survive. That gave her some hope.

When those around Elain began noticing the Illyrians above them, the murmuring kind of hushed as fear spread wider. Elain forced herself to drag her eyes away from the threat above. She looked down, watching as the young Illyrian female beside her began carefully and gently binding Elain's grazed wrist and palm with a soft bandage.

"Thank you." Elain said, giving her a smile.

"It's no trouble." The reply came with a shy smile, and Elain wondered if she smiled at all often, "It's a good thing I thought to bring bandages and the like… I thought we might need them."

"It was good thinking." Elain agreed, "I think there will be quite a few in need of your supplies before this is over." Her eyes swept the group, catching on several of those who had been fighting in the hallway before Lucien had made them all flee back to the square. There were cuts and bruises already among them. Elain did not think those would be the end of it.

"It's coming down!" Cassian yelled, and Azriel and Lucien spun as they hurried toward the doors. Elain watched her mate thrust both hands out, struggling to reinforce the shield as the Illyrians outside seemed to redouble their efforts as if sensing the weakness.

Nesta ran across the square, ushering the Illyrian females back, against the far wall. Elain wondered what the point of that was, until she looked up again and saw the shield above them flickering as it faded. Horror shot through her as she realised what was happening. It was going to fail. They all were. The instant those shields failed, they would be overrun.

"HOLD THEM!" Cassian yelled, stalking across the square, his own attention focused high above, and Elain watched him try to reinforce that shield. He sent a quick attack, a thin thread-like beam shooting from the shield to one of their enemies and the target screamed in pain. It wasn't going to be enough, Elain realised. Not like that.

When Azriel's shield failed, Feyre threw up her own, struggling to maintain it as two of the Illyrians had gotten through and the Shadowsinger threw himself at them. Elain had just thought that he might have gotten things under control when Cassian let out a shriek and she looked up just in time to see the shield above disappear and dozens of great pairs of wings expand as bodies descended on them all.

Screams erupted around Elain and the females scattered, some shrinking back against the wall and others taking off across the square. Elain found herself knocked to the floor, and she watched silently as faeries went in all directions. Their attackers followed, tracking those moving the fastest and cutting them down without so much as a scrap of inconvenience. Elain went cold, her eyes sweeping the square for her family. Feyre and Nesta were on the other side, still trying to keep their shield up over the door they were in front of, and Lucien was by the door they had come through earlier, his attention clearly split between his shield and the Illyrian who had just come at him, blade raised.

Elain watched as her mate fought to defend himself, somehow managing to come away from his attacker whole as the Illyrian fell. Lucien backed toward the door and his shield as Cassian yelled again for them to keep their shields up.

When the Illyrians outside the doors had realised that there was a way in, they moved away from the shields and launched themselves skyward. Elain watched, her breath caught in her throat, as they came over the walls, landing in the square, their expressions declaring just how pleased they were with the current situation. Elain realised then that she was still on the floor, in complete view of anyone who looked her way. She sat up, trying to make sure that nobody was paying her any attention. When she was fairly confident that they were all focused on something else, she shuffled her way toward the cluster of planter boxes, hoping to hide herself behind one.

When she was crouched, and still sure that nobody had seen where she'd gone, Elain peered around again. Flames caught her attention, and she watched as her mate threw wave after wave of fire at several Illyrians who had Nesta and Feyre cornered. He hurried toward them, slipping beneath the swinging blade of one, and dragging his own sword through the chest of the next he passed. Forcing herself to release a breath and draw another, Elain watched her mate defend her sisters while Feyre appeared to be trying to shield the females who had once again clustered together nearby.

It wasn't enough. Elain could see that. There were too many of them to shield, and too many attackers. There was too much going on, and none of the efforts they were making were enough to withstand the onslaught. They were not going to win. Elain knew this, and ice seemed to slide through her veins when several of the Illyrians noticed what Feyre was trying to do, and made their way directly toward her. Lucien tried, that was obvious. He put himself in front of Feyre and Nesta once again, but two of the Illyrians leaped at him and he was swatted away after only seconds. There was nothing he, or indeed Elain, could do when those Illyrians drew their weapons on Feyre and Nesta and cut them down moments later.

She couldn't help the scream. She tried, but it ripped from her and drew immediate attention to her. Elain shrieked again, kicking as someone seized her by the hair and dragged her out from behind the wooden planter. She heard Lucien's scream of protest, saw him trying to get to her. She saw the flames he held as light erupted from him, and then the Illyrian holding Elain had dropped her. She knew then what they should have done; what would have been effective.