Kingdom of Stars and Fire

Chapter 43

Elide

I can't believe that worked, Elide thought to herself as she saw Azriel swing his sword at Maeve's torso. Maeve cried out in pain, as she lowered the knife enough for Fenrys to immediately elbow her and get out of the way. Azriel was careful to not hit Fenrys on his first swing, but Fenrys was already out of the way when Azriel aimed for a lethal hit on Maeve. Maeve was able to move quick enough to avoid the death blow, but the sword hit deep into her arm.

What's going on? Rhys asked inside her head. Elide was stalling Maeve the entire time, praying that the plan would work out. And thankfully Rhys was able to message her while she was talking with Maeve. She just told him to have an invisible shield around her the entire time, in case Maeve attacked her, and to wait for her signal. Elide sent a prayer in thanks, for Fenrys not being dead. She was taking a long shot when she called Maeve's bluff. But thankfully Fenrys didn't die. Aelin would skin her, if he was. 

Take her now, Feyre told Rhys. In a matter of seconds Rhys winnowed into the room, grabbed the black bloodied Maeve and winnowed away.

Rhysand

Damn Elide is a good liar. She had bluffed her way out of death from Maeve. She kept Maeve talking long enough for Rhys and the others to make a portal back to Terrasen and to find them. It didn't take long for Rhys to reach his mind out and find Elide's as she explained what was going on, while also talking to Maeve. But that didn't matter at the moment, as Rhys grabbed Maeve and winnowed her outside of the palace. 

Rhys winnowed Maeve outside of the palace into the garden. Exactly where Aelin instructed them too. Rhys immediately got out of Maeve's path, before she could swing her sword at him. They were outside in the royal garden, with blooming flowers on either side of them. They stood on a  pale stone trail that ran throughout the massive garden. Maeve stood up, not bothering to clutch her side, as she wielded a sword in one hand, and The Book of Breathings in the other. Maeve's shoulder and stomach was soaked in black blood, but was already healing itself. They would have to move quickly if they were to pull this off.

Not giving herself a chance to gather herself, Rhys immediately flung out his magic on her. His magic dove for her mind, with the goal of making her unable to move. Rhys had never faced a mental shield so protected like this. It was endless, with not even a crack in it that could allow him to slip through and take control. There has never been a mental barrier that he couldn't beat. So Rhys tried the only thing he could do, slamming into her shield on brute force. He willed also his power to slam into the mental shield, like a hammer to a nail, but it didn't make a difference. He knew that Maeve was smiling at how hard he was trying to break through. He slammed in again, and again but it didn't even make a dent.

Rhys felt someone else enter Maeve's mind, and he knew it was his mate.

Together? Feyre sent down the bond.

Together.

Feyre and Rhys both used all the power they had and slammed into Maeve's shields. Her shields held, but flickered under the pressure. They did it again and again, but it still wasn't enough.

If we had one extra person she would fall, Feyre said, as they continued to slam into her barriers. Rhys wasn't even paying attention to the outside world, and he prayed that Maeve wasn't attacking everyone. If Maeve were to hit Rhys with her sword now, it would be over, they wouldn't be able to breach through.

This is so weird, someone else said in Maeve's mind. Rhys was startled by the new voice and power that had entered her mind.

Dorian? Feyre asked.