The clouds blocked out the sunlight and dimmed everything to a dullness and gray. Despite the crashing waves, it was the wind that stole my attention as it tousled my hair, beckoning me towards the center of the island. To the building there.
Atop a small hill—this island was only a hill—stood a stone building. It was cracked and stout, but I knew it was all a facade. If this really was where the Faceless had been hiding, everything was a trap.
I let the three sisters lead the way, not only because they seemed to know where they were going, but because if a trap was set off—they were the first to feel its effects. There was one path up, a zigzagging staircase cut into the stone cliff, ending on the only beach we arrived at. Apparently, this little crescent of sand was the only entry point—the only unwarded spot.
I held a tight hold on my blade strapped to my side, waiting for something—anything. I knew they were waiting. They had to be waiting. But nothing came.
No, not a single thing happened.
As we walked up, Cassian said from beside Azriel, "So, how does it feel?"
"What?"
"You know, not getting a single lick of sleep again."
Nesta smacked the side of his head. "We should have left you in Cretea."
"What? It's my duty to get my brothers through their feelings."
I huffed a laugh. "I would rather you wait until after this is over to pick fights."
"Would you shut up and start taking this seriously?" Amren hissed once we reached the top of the stairs. Cassian opened his mouth to bite back, and she turned and glared at him until he shut his mouth and looked away.
As I expected, the door required blood to open, which I had to give. Eirene used one of her sharp red nails to cut a small dot on my index finger, then smeared it roughly against the stone door. It opened, and I felt my heart stop beating for a moment to let my brain process.
Like an oven door had just opened, hot air flew out of the darkened room, bringing with it a smell that made Elain gag from behind Nesta. Rot and decay so old it stuck to everything it found a way to. Stuck in an air-tight space with no hope of escaping until now, somehow still able to infect and horrify.
The smell of death, of rot, of ruin. A hundred years of it. A million years more.
Rhysand used his magic to light up the room, and with a second gag, Elain threw up just outside the room. There was silence after, just a shocking silence while everything tried to make sense of itself. I'm not sure even the three sisters expected it.
I had seen death before—a million times before. I had to bury bodies and dig them back up. Had to document in vivid detail the states of their exterior and interior parts. I analyzed their states of decay—smelled the rotting skin so many times that I was unaffected by it now. There was such a horror in recognizing the smell of old death. The smell of ancient rot wasn't ready to leave.
Whatever was feeding on them ran into the cracks of the walls when the light shined on them, leaving whatever was left behind. Whatever was left—not much.
Greenish flesh against yellow bones. Dried blood, unable to flake away from the humid air. Mounds of black that looked almost akin to bodies. Melted iron on their hands, swords in their chests. And they were everywhere. Covered in furry mold both black and white, and the evidence of generations of insects that found their way through the cracks in the floor.
I could hear the echo of their screams and cries. Their prayers as they sat bleeding out, hoping to find the land of freedom when death comes to claim. Perhaps they never left, because it felt so much like they were staring at me, judging me—blaming me.
The three sisters walked through the room, following a path of actual stone ground that led to the only other door in this entry space. I followed close behind them, not ready to admit to myself or anyone else that this affected me.
Even as those eyes stared, and those mouths opened further to scream my name and damn me to an eternity of suffering for ever thinking I could run away from them.
The hallway was lit only by the faelights Rhys lit earlier. There were locked doors and ones partly opened but barricaded from within. At the end of the hallway, the door opened to reveal a spiraling staircase.
"Down to hell we go," Eirene remarked, before she followed her sisters through the door, and beckoned for us to keep up.
I tried to blink as few times as possible because every time I did, I could see those bodies upstairs. How this could happen—how I didn't know this happened—it was all-consuming.
At the bottom of the stairs was a door barely standing on its own, which opened to a large circular room. A familiar smell found me, clung to my skin like oil, making the hairs on my arms rise. This room was freezing cold, with no smell of death besides that which came from the Cauldron.
It stood atop a small dais, surrounded by runes that perfectly circled and marked where its feet touched the stone. The room was lit by candles of white flame, their fires like the power of the boiling pot.
I was taken aback by the singular body in the room lying against the wall with a book in hand. It was nothing but a skeleton now. Black markings surrounded the body, looking like it was hit with magic that still remained.
I didn't think, only moved, and pulled the book from the hands of bones that crumbled when moved. It was a thick blackened leather, the pages smelling of ash that made me sneeze. I didn't pay attention to anyone else in the room, only the runes on the front of the book.
Familiar runes, those which spoke of death to any who read with untrained eyes. I knew I was safe, but no one else was. Whatever curse attached to this book protected it from the magic that destroyed its master. I flipped to the last page, splattered with blood.
They are here for the Cauldron. They can break our wards. He can break our wards. They have the last pieces. They want to use it. We will fight, we must fight. I am here, waiting. I will try to use it. The king cannot have it. They cannot have it. I can hear their screams. Soon mine will join theirs.
Remember me, please. Remember my name. My name is Anya.
The book slid out of my hands and landed with a loud bang on the ground. I didn't hear it, or anything, really. Not even my heartbeat was loud enough to make it through the ringing in my ears.
Hybern was here. They took it—they killed the Faceless and took it. How? And—and all those years I spent in hiding... it was all for nothing. Because they would never find me, they could never find me. They've been dead this whole time.
I didn't notice Azriel until he was in my peripheral vision. He bent down and picked up the book, eyeing me cautiously. Before he could read it, I snatched it out of his hands and placed it back in the arms of the skeleton.
"Let's get this over with," I said, not looking back at that wall.
The sisters stepped up and circled the Cauldron. Morta extended her hand and said, "Give us the blood of an innocent."
"You're lucky my mate is so persuasive," Rhys said, tossing her a vial of red.
She handed it to Eirene, who opened it and said, "Smells like the son of a High Lord. Perfect."
"The rest of you, stand back," Nona said as she motioned for those connected to step up.
I didn't know how close to stand, so followed Elain's steps and stood barely close enough to feel the heat of the pot. Nesta squeezed Elain's hand and smiled at Feyre.
"We give our blood as payment for our actions," Morta said, cutting her palm with a sharpened bone.
She handed it to Eirene, who cut her wrist and let the blood drip into the flames with her sisters. Nona did the same before handing it to Feyre.
"Now, give your blood as a reminder of what you are," Morta said.
Feyre cut her palm, wincing slightly, before handing the bloodied dagger to me. I did the same, having to squeeze the bone hard to cut deep enough to draw blood. I gave it to Nesta and watched my blood drop into the boiling pot. Each drop of red seemed to just sit atop the black for a few seconds. All before it sunk beneath the surface—not a mixture, but oil in water.
Once Elain's blood dripped from her palm, Eirene tipped over the vial of blood and said, "One of innocent life to cleanse the rest."
Morta said, "For the power we must use, drink blood, and bind our hands."
As told, everyone held hands, caging the Cauldron between us. My blood mixed with Elain's as it continued dripping down, our fingers wrapped together tightly.
The ground shook, making dust fall from the ceiling. I could hear the shuffling of steps as the others moved around fallen pieces of stone that fell from above. The boiling ceased in a blink, and I could now see my reflection in the still black of the Cauldron.
"Let us in," Morta said. Though I could understand what she said, from the echo that bounced off her voice, she wasn't speaking any common tongue.
I stopped feeling my surroundings. The cold air and slight breeze, the stone beneath my boots, the breathing of those around me, the heartbeat of my mate. All of it was gone. It was silent—empty.
Come in and meet death. Come inside and find ruin.
"Don't listen to it," Nona said, this time in the common tongue.
The three started chanting under their breaths, swaying slightly. The Cauldron didn't like what it heard. It started bubbling again, shaking violently and making the stone beneath it crack in such a way that it looked like the pot was making itself so heavy that the ground couldn't hold it up anymore.
Liars, thieves, betrayers. I help you and you only wish me death. I make you and you wish to destroy me. How dare you, how could you?
"Silence," Eirene shouted at it.
Know pain. Know suffering. Feel me in your blood. Do not touch me. Do not look at me.
Stop talking.
I am rage. I am ruin. Who are you to tell me no?
I will stop you.
You cannot even save yourself.
There was a pull and push. My body pushed away as my mind leaned forward, making my entire being stretch and warp in such a way it shouldn't.
"Let go of it," Morta said, unclasping her hands with her sisters.
I couldn't. I couldn't move—couldn't look away. That thing was holding me in place like it did for hundreds of years. No matter how hard I tried, or how badly I wanted to. I couldn't fight it.
Morta shouted at the others to step back. Nesta tried pulling Elain—but she was as still as I was. No, no—this wasn't supposed to happen. What was happening?
You wish to silence me, to nullify me? Do you even know what that word means, what that entails?
I could feel everything again. The fire, the burning fire of the Cauldron as it seemed to grow closer on its own. I heard my own shuddering breath, my own racing heart. Find something—anything. Pull yourself out. Get out. Let go.
I will not go quietly into sleep. I will not simply obey when I am that which brought you here and gave you everything you hold close. You want me gone, you must give me something in return.
There was commotion and shouting, yet I couldn't make out what was said. The Cauldron was so loud it drowned words out. But I could feel. I could feel eyes on me. Molten. Golden. Dark eyes.
I tried to pull out of the Cauldron's hold with the tether of the mating bond. It made my heart stretch, made my mind spin. I tried to cross the bridge between us, get him up here to help me. Pull me away. Get me out of here.
I could hear him—I could only hear him. But I couldn't understand him. He was there, reaching for me, but I couldn't find him anymore. I couldn't feel him anymore.
You wish to nullify me? Fine.
There was a snap. A twisting of air and energy. It felt like a blast of electricity, sending me off my feet. Then, everything slowed and softened like snowfall dusting the earth.
But I will take what is mine.
It sounded like nails on metal. It rang in my ears. My skin rippled—it cracked. Through each crack came white light. Like glass spider-webbing across my entire body.
I shattered into pieces.
-Authors Note-
so i've been gone for a month, so sorry about that😭 i was going to get the next chapter up before leaving for thanksgiving break and completely forgot (in reality i procrastinated) i just cant bring myself to finish this story 💀
anyway, i hope you liked this chapter, its short but hopefully not bad? i'm going to probably update again next week since im on a plane all day tomorrow returning home from vacation. i've been on the east coast so my poor west coast brain is suffering with sleep.
i've also been dabling in stories outside of ACOTAR and experienting more, so that also contributes to my late update—i've been busy! the only reason i was able to get this chapter out today is cause i'm not allowed in the kitchen so have nothing else to do but wait😭
i hope you liked the chapter though and am excited for the next one. let me know what you think and i'll see you next time!! have a great day/week!!! oh and if you celebrate it happy thanksgiving!!!