A Court of Lightning and Shadows

Eighteen

TW: talk about rape

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Briar POV

Briar was sitting on a chair on the opposite side of where Mor and Feyre were seated, Mor still asleep. She didn't know how she slept through Briar and Feyre's conversation.

Briar smiled at Nyx, who was sitting on the ground while playing.

Out of nowhere, she felt a sharp pain in her lower back. Briar knitted her brows together as she let out a wince in pain.

"What's wrong?" Feyre asked.

Briar shook her head, "My back hurts." she said.

The pain started getting worse as she finished the sentence. Briar fell to her knees in front of the chair, grabbing her back.

Feyre walked towards her, lifting her shirt. "There's nothing there." she said.

The pain lessened, but she still felt it. "It felt like I got stabbed."

Mor woke up, looking confused as she saw the two sitting on the ground.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

Briar quickly nodded, "I just got dizzy and.. sat down on the ground."

Feyre eyed her.

"I'm fine, really." she stood again, sitting down on the same chair.

Mor stood from the couch, looking at the time. Her eyes widened. "I need to go. I was expected somewhere." she said, hurrying out of the room.

"Say hello to Emerie for me." Feyre yelled at her. Briar looked at her.

"She's seeing Emerie?" Briar asked.

"I don't know if you were supposed to know that."

"I won't say anything. I can't say she's wrong for seeing her though." she said. "Besides, aren't all Illyrian's attractive?"

"Most of them." Feyre said while she snorted.

She picked up Nyx. "You need to sleep, little bat." she said to her child. He grabbed her face with his small hands.

Briar laughed at them.

Feyre turned, "You sure you're alright?"

Briar nodded again, "I don't know what it was. I don't feel it anymore." Feyre gave her a nod.

"I will be back in a minute."

Nyx waved to Briar while Feyre walked out of the room. Briar waved back to him and smiled.

She walked through the hall, opening the kitchen door.

She heard the front door opening, a hard sound echoing through the hall.

Briar walked towards the sound and found Rhys holding an unconscious Azriel, his arm around him to keep him from falling.

Briar's eyes widened, but she immediately helped him.

She didn't dare ask what happened.

There were multiple arrows in his wings and Rhys's hands were covered in blood. Azriel's blood.

"Help me get him to a room."

They walked into Azriel's room, laying him down on his bed. Rhys walked out of the room, "I'm getting Madja. Tell Feyre I'll be back." Briar nodded at the High Lord.

She looked back at Azriel, his tan skin now pale. His wings were drooped over the edges of his bed.

She didn't know what to do. The only thing she could do was wait. Pulling the arrows out wouldn't do anything good.