chapter nineteen

─── consequences 

          𝔄zriel had been suspiciously quiet since I had told him to stay with the Archeron sisters. He had not spoken much, but he still sent his emotions down the bond, pangs of hurt curling around the love he held for me. I didn't truly feel regret for asking him to stay away, as it was for the greater good, but it did hurt to know that he was upset. But, with the world at stake, what were my emotions compared to that?

"Maiya." Firoh gave my shoulder a quick shove as I glanced up at him. "Still nothing?"

"Not a word. I think I truly upset him this time." I sighed, leaning on the stone balcony and looking out across the market squares.

"You two have had your fights before, I think that you shall be fine." Firoh pointed out. "You have been mates for 500 years or so."

"I'm not sure, Firoh." I huffed, before running a hand through my hair. "I told him to stay away. I promised him that I would never ask him to do that after my father banished me. But he had other things going on. How could he come back?"

"He was in important meetings, he knew that he had to stay there just as well as you did. It was the mate bond that drove him to say this. He'll get over it with time."

"Yes, he w..." The breath flew from my chest, agonising pain erupting through my spine and along my ribs like a burning rod had been pushed through my skin. I grunted, clutching onto the stone wall as my knees buckled and threatened to give out.

"Maiya?" Firoh grabbed onto my arms, keeping me upright as my muscles relaxed and my weight dropped. "Maiya! Gods above, fetch Kier and Aralya and Isaak. Now! Go."

I clawed at my chest, the pain rattling through my veins like a forest fire. I had only felt this a few times before and each time had been equally as horrific as the last.

"It's not me." I muttered, grabbing onto Firoh and pulling myself upright. "It's not my pain!"

"Azriel." Firoh turned, watching the emotions cross my face as I tried to push the pain back. 

"It's Az. He's hurt." I felt like there was no air around me, my breathing becoming more laborious as time went on. "Someone hurt my mate."

"Maiya." Aralya reached me first, shortly followed by Keir and Isaak. "What happened? Are you alright? The soldiers were saying you collapsed."

"They hurt Azriel."

"Who did?" Keir muttered, as the pain dulled momentarily, allowing me to breath. 

"I don-" I trailed off, rubbing at my head. I found the mate bond, tugging on it immediately to get my mate's attention. "Azriel."

There was no response.

"Azriel, where are you? I know you're hurt." Again there was nothing, and I thought the worse before a weak connection made it's way to me.

"Ma-Maiya" Even his thoughts sounded pained, something that should not be happening. I was a daemati, like the rest of my family. My mental links were stronger than most, the only reason this was so hard must have been because there was magic involved. "Hybern."

"Hold on. I'm coming to get you."

"Don't."

"I'll be there shortly." My eyes narrowed, anger growing where hurt once was. "Hybern."

"Hybern?" Firoh confirmed.

"Fetch the ten strongest fighters. Firoh, you're coming with me." I hissed, starting to walk as my advisors struggled to keep up with my fast pace. "We're going to get my mate and get out of there. Isaak, stay here and be prepared. We'll either come back to Hewn or go straight to Velaris. I'll call for you if I need you."

The man nodded and disappeared with Firoh, both getting ready to leave.

"Aralya, you're in charge. Keir, keep the soldiers prepared. If we need more, I'll send for them."

"Of course." Arayla had to jog to keep up. "How do we know this isn't a trap?"

"We don't."

"So, why go?" She asked.

"I am not leaving my mate there when injured." I sent her a sharp look, before shaking my head. "Put Hewn into a protocol D lockdown, shore up the defences."

"Of course, Maiya." Aralya ran off, as Keir sent me a look.

"Don't."

"I wasn't going to say anything." Keir shook his head. "Good luck."

I waved my hand, summoning my armour back to my body. The tight leather settled on my shoulders and around my ribs, trousers of stretchy fabric and a light shirt settling close to my skin. My boots of softer leather made no sound as I continued to walk, taking my sword and daggers from the hands of a waiting soldier.

"Let's go." Firoh was already walking towards me as the alarms rang through the city, calling for protocol D and sending citizens back to their home. If Hybern wanted war, then I would give them war and pain and death.

No one touched my mate and lived to tell the tale.

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The wards of Hybern were no matched for the skilled rune workers of the ten soldiers that Firoh had brought with us. I waited, my arms folded across my chest as they continued to break ward after ward on the castle of the king of Hybern.

"We're through." Grange, the youngest on the team, turned back with a nod. I huffed, leading my little group through the halls of Hybern and headed towards where I could feel my mate's pain. It was quiet, too quiet, until a scream of pain permeated the air.

I hid the fear inside me as best I could, still feeling Azriel's pain and using that to reassure me that he was alive. We followed the sounds until we came to a stop in a large doorway, that was partially cracked open. I looked through first, anger welling up inside me once more at the sight.

Azriel was on the floor, an ash bolt through his chest, sweat forming on his brow as his wings twitched. Beside him, lay Cassian. His wings were shredded beyond recognition, something that made my own scars ache. Mor and Rhysand were somehow still standing, staring in horror at three shivering forms on the floor, dressed in white like some cursed sirens.

I took a step away before my anger could get the best of me, my features falling blank as every feeling numbed. Only one thought remained on my mind.

Kill them all.

Firoh had been working with me for far too long, noticing the look on my face and nodding his own head. The message was simple, he'd follow me wherever I needed him to and he'd kill whoever I needed him to.

"We'll take left, you take right." I muttered, before drawing my sword and kicking the doors open. Everyone's heads snapped up, looking at the sudden intrusion but I could not care less, finding the first guard that was not mine and slitting their throats.

"Maiya!" I dropped the body, before looking up at the sight of the King of Hybern. I had not seen him in eons. 

"Kill anyone else, I'll kill them." He motioned to the three shivering forms, and I cocked an eyebrow. Was I supposed to care about them?

"They're my sisters." I turned, finding the little girl that had been hidden behind Rhysand in my courtroom. Feyre. She stood beside Tamlin, who was tethered to the ground by a golden leash. The sight of the scars marring his face made me purr with happiness.

"You do not care." The King of Hybern leant forward. "I recognise you now. I know that murderous spark. Your father had the same look in his eyes. Now, we can negotiate for the eldest Night Court heir is here."

"Negotiate?" The words left my mouth, a cruel smirk forming on my lips. "What is there to negotiate? And why should I care what a pathetic cowardly boy has to say to me?"

"Cowardly?" The King snarled, his fist clenching as Azriel groaned in pain. I shot him a look, but he brushed it off. "You dare call me cowardly!"

"I watched you run from the battlefield, like a squealing pig, whilst I strung your men up by their guts. A real soldier, a real king, would have stayed and fought for his people. But you did not." I took another step forward, my own guards already on edge. "So, cowardly. Why would I negotiate with a coward? Why should I care what you have to say?"

"Then why are you here?"

"To get my little brother." I shot Rhysand a look from the corner of my eye, and he sank back slightly. Stepping over Cassian's blood, I plunged my sword into the marble, cracking it. "Jurian."

"You should be dead." The soldier stumbled backwards, still clutching onto his sword. He and I were familiar with each other, to an extent. "I watched them kill you."

I hummed, before shaking my head and looking back at the King of Hybern. They had been delusional to think that they could kill me.

"I'm going to take them. Nothing you can say will stop me."

"We have the power of the Cauldron." I shot the Cauldron a judgemental look, before shrugging my shoulders and yawning. 

"I couldn't care less if the Mother was standing by your side. If you don't let me take them, I will torture you and haunt you for however long your miserable life extends." I grinned. "But torturing people is my speciality. Has Tamlin told you who gave him those scars and cut the fingers from his left hand?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"No." I truly wasn't. It was not a threat if I intended to carry it out.

"Kill her," He pointed at me, anger clear on his face but I only grinned. If they wanted a fight, I'd gladly butcher each and everyone of them. How dare they hurt my mate and then believe that I would be nice to them!

"That's against the deal," Feyre called. "No more death. You promised."

Azriel's voice floated through my head, as I took a step back. So, they had a plan. A shit plan, but my brother wasn't as stupid as he looked.

"You two can argue about this I am sure." I turned my back to the king, nodding at Firoh. "We should get going."

"You cannot leave." The King of Hybern stood. "Stop her!"

Firoh jumped past me, with Grange and another, grabbing onto the three girls and kicking Tamlin's second away. They disappeared in an instance. I reached for Azriel, wrapping a hand around him as I watched to make sure that the others were taken.

As the last person left, I shot the king one final grin, before using all of my powers to break the wards once more and winnow through to Velaris. We reached the Court of Daydreams moments later, landing in the palace on the hill. The others had already been dropped off, my soldiers having disappeared to fetch Isaak and the medics.

My feet touched the floor and Azriel's weight slumped onto my shoulders as he let out a soft hiss of pain.

"Azriel." Mor ran towards us, but I turned and pointed my sword at her chest. She was not going to touch my mate, not whilst he was in this condition. "Maiya. Let go of him. He deserves to be with his family."

"You touch him, I'll gut you." I growled, as Isaak appeared with the others. The younger Fae rushed towards me, Firoh following behind as I set Azriel down on the floor gently.

"Maiya," Isaak's voice was low, as I continued to glare at Mor, who was being treated. "Can I treat him?"

"Yes." I didn't let go of Azriel's body as Isaak began to assess the wound, applying healing runes around it as he pulled the ash wood stake from Azriel's chest. My mate groaned in pain again, clutching onto my hand tightly as Firoh began to quietly tell me the news from Hewn and what he'd told the others to do. Aralya and Keir were going to be in charge for as long as needed to be so that I could stay by my mate's side.

The others were slowly moved out of the room, until only Azriel was left to be treated but Isaak made quick work.

"He's going to need time and a lot of rest for this to be healed."

"No..." Azriel protested.

"Bed rest." Isaak continued, shooting me a look and the message was clear. Keep him on bed rest.

"Maiya, don't do this to me."

"Sorry honey." I muttered, leaning down to press my forehead against his. "But I want you strong again. Help me move him."

"Sure thing." Firoh and Isaak pulled Azriel up, slinging his arms over their shoulders as we walked through the halls to where Azriel's room was. I opened the door, pulling the bed covers off, and watching as they set my mate down, all the while chewing on my lips. "We'll keep Hewn running. Stay here with him."

"Thank you." I grabbed onto Firoh's arm, nodding in gratitude at the pair, who both took their leave shortly afterwards. "Why, in the name of the Mother, did you think that it was a good idea?"

"I had some reservations." Azriel muttered, as I began to unbuckle his armour.

"Really? Only some?" I cocked an eyebrow, helping him pull the heavy armour from his shoulder as I examined the damage. It would be a pain to fix, but not unmanageable. His shirt flopped to the floor next, and I sat on the edge of his bed to look at the wound. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed, scratching at his wings as I watched him.

"I don't know." Azriel finally got the words out, turning to look at me with dark eyes. "I thought we could pull it off. Thought that there would be no need for you to get involved in something that you obviously don't want to be involved in. I thought that if we could do this, then there was no need for you to relive some of the most traumatic years of your life. I saw what the first war did to you."

"You should have said something." I sat down beside him, pulling my armour off and letting it clatter to the floor. "It's my choice, in the end, with what I'm going to do. I can fight though, Azriel. I'm not fragile."

"You're not. But you are recovering." Azriel sighed again as I scratched at the scar on my face. "You hated becoming so much like your father, I don't want you to go through that again."

"I'm in a better place now." Looking back at him, I took his hand and squeezed gently. "You need rest, Az. You need to heal."

"Stay." He murmured the words as I stood, but I smiled gently and leant to press a kiss to his forehead. 

"I'll be back in the morning."

"Fuck the others not knowing that we're mates, I need you by my side." Azriel tugged me back towards him. "Do not leave me. I will deal with Rhysand, honest."

I looked down at him, before relenting and leaning to press a kiss to his lips. He smiled, tugging me closer as I toed off my shoes and let myself fall into his arms.

"I love you."

"I love you too, bat boy." I mumbled, running my fingers through his curly hair as he grinned.

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Hiya,

I just love Maiya and Az. This chapter took me a lot longer, and I still don't particularly like it, but you know, it is what it is. I hope you guys do like it and I'm quite excited, cause we get a fun little Azriel point of view. Plus, there's not a typo, there is three Archeron sisters in this book - so we're gonna meet the last one soon.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx