The Light Before The Dark

Chapter 16 - Feyre

I'm going back Under the Mountain today, I hardly slept last night, and the nightmares returned, Rhys held my hair as I threw up three different times during the night.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked me.

"Yes." I said, I left no room for debate as I strapped blades all over myself, I even put a sword down my spine which I don't do often.

"I should have burnt their bodies, given Clare a resting place." I whispered to him.

"I know, I think about that a lot, after today you can, I will give Clare a plaque in the graveyard for fallen heroes." He replied, giving me a small smile.

"Thank you, Rhys." I told him as he pulled me close, being careful not to stab either himself or me on any of the various blades coating our bodies.

"Let's get this over with." He said as he pulled away. "And remember, if you need to leave at any point you can just go, maybe tell me mind to mind first, but just go, Az will be here looking after Alana."

I gave him a small nod and we walked down to the foyer; everyone was already there waiting.

"Are we all set on the plan to kill her?" Rhys asked the group, they all nodded so we joined hands and Rhys winnowed us in.

As soon as we were set in the all too familiar throne room, I could feel the panic rising but I just drew my sword.

"So, you decided to come and join me at last." Someone purred from behind me.

The sight I was met with was one I knew would give me nightmares for the months to come.

"A pleasure to see you again Maeve." Aelin hissed.

"I see you have all learnt how to shield your minds, very clever." She laughed.

Maeve's skin was pure black, her eyes fully gold, her hair was also black and hung to her too slim waist. When she smiled her too white teeth almost looked like they were hanging in thin air, Aelin just sent a little of her power out to light up the space.

I had to actively not look at Amarantha and Clare, even though looking at Maeve wasn't much better.

"Why are you here?" I asked her.

"Because Aelin will think that anything I do to your home is her fault, she couldn't kill me before, and you can't kill me now." She was laughing again; the sound was like nails on a chalk board.

Just like we planned the other High Lords, other than Tamlin and Beron, appeared beside us, Rhys spoke mind to mind with them all last night, telling them what was going on and to come and help, we didn't even bother trying to get Beron or Tamlin to come, not when Aelin was easily three times more powerful than Beron and Tamlin would probably side with Maeve just to get back at us.

"Some new faces, this is interesting, all of the High Lords, oh no, where is Beron and Tamlin?" she smiled at us again and I saw Tarquin try not to shudder.

"Hold on, how long have you been here?" I asked.

"Feyre Cursebreaker, I watched you die, right there, in the middle of this very room." She laughed and I turned away, just as we planned, Rhys wasn't happy with this, but Maeve took the bait.

She gripped my hair and forced me to my knees.

"Let her go." Aelin hissed, portraying her shock perfectly, letting her flame flare.

"I remember once doing this to you dear niece." She laughed again.

"For the last time, you are not my aunt, you just think you are because you wormed your way into my grandmothers head." She snapped.

"Ah yes, I believe my sister is here, Mab, why are you being so quiet?" she hissed in Amren's direction.

"You are not my sister." Amren hissed back.

"You turned Mora against me, we fort for years, all because of you, we have since made up, but you ruined us." Amren let a tear run down her face.

"So emotional today, now, I'm not here to just chit chat, Rhysand, say goodbye to your mate." She ran a sharp nail over my throat, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

"Let her go, now!" he snapped, letting his anger and fear slip out.

"No, why would I, she is my bargaining chip." Maeve hissed.

I was fed up with the talk, time to act.

I set my body on fire and Maeve stumbled back with a hiss.

I whirled and Aelin joined my power to hold Maeve to the ground, Thesean had been waiting, slamming his hands onto her chest, his light flared.

Aelin nodded and I joined Thesean.

Light poured out of her mouth in a silent scream, Aelin held her wrists so she couldn't escape us. I could feel my magic flagging, I couldn't stop though, this was our only chance.

The more I gave the weaker I felt, I knew she wasn't defeated yet so when my vision began to swim, I hoped Thesean had enough left to kill her, I could feel myself falling but I didn't hit the ground before my mind went blank.