A Court of Shadows and Lightening

Chapter Nine

Helion sat in the house on top of the mountain in the Night Court.

The cool winter breeze was unfelt due to the wards in the house. It bothered him, maybe the crisp cold of the Night Court winter might wake him from this dream.

Maybe wipe the scent of Auren's blood from his nose. The look of death in her face.

She was alive.

Alive.

That's what Helion kept repeating in his mind.

But at what cost? His thoughts whispered to him.

Mor had come after she had changed and cleaned herself of Auren's blood. Pushing Helion out of the way. Commanding him to rest.

He hated the blonde for it, but also thanked the mother that she did.

He had come here straight after, hoping to block out the sight that was Auren's back.

He knew she had scars from before, she always hid them. It had been centuries since he'd seen them. Now new ones lay red and angry.

So many fresh and scabbed from the month she spent with Tavian. Helion couldn't even see the scars of the old.

And her wings... Helion felt bile rise in his throat.

Little Auren, who use to write him letters of how Adalin was annoying her. Who use to beg to be let into the Day Courts Libraries. As a child she use to sit on his lap and beg him to read her stories over and over again. Her gold eyes always holding mischief.

Now they were broken and beaten.

A month with Tavian and she was brutalized once again. Her essence of her soul cut from her body.

Helion swirled the dark liquid in his cup. At least Rhys and Feyre had strong drinks.

He downed it.

"Nesta is with her now, Rhys won't leave her either." Feyre's soothing voice cuts through the room. Helion doesn't turn to look at her from his seat facing the large bay window over looking the mountain. He didn't need too.

The High Lady of the Night Court was still wearing her fighting leathers. Auren's blood staining her hands from the rescue.

"He took her pain." Feyre sighed. "He says she's fighting, That her mind is still intact."

"Good." Was all Helion could manage. With an injury like that, Helion had seen many warriors driven to madness, despair.

Feyre takes a deep breath and takes a seat beside the male. She taking glass from the decanter and pours her own drink.

A heavy silence sits between them but neither reach to make it disappear.

"How is Azriel?" Helion asks finally. His mind was still wrapping around the events of the last 24 hours.

Auren was mated to Azriel. Azriel was Auren's mate.

"Frozen." Feyre sighs, "Now that he and Cassian have effectively beaten each other into a pulp." She took another long swig of her drink. No doubt glad to not be with babe any longer. That very babe was below, in Velaris, guarded by Amren and the nanny.

"He escaped the cell Rhys put him in when Mor came ahead. Broke the bars clean in half."

Helion was there when Azriel burst into the room. Rage and terror etched onto his face. He leaped towards Auren, full fae male instinct to protect what was his, no thought that they were trying to help her.

Cassian had taken him down so fast Helion didn't even realize what was happening until the two Illyrians were beating each other on the floor.

"He was surprised by the bond. And now he's watching her experience the living hell."