A Court of Death and Retribution

chapter 29

I'm weak.

I'm empty. Hollow. A void of never ending darkness.

They took my wings.

I'm nothing.

I faded in and out of consciousness in Rhysand's arms. I didn't want to wake up again, but by some cruel fate I did, and every time I wished it was just a dream. That those things were still there and I was safe in Nyx's arms. But every time I woke up, my hand would swing back to find nothing, and I'd still be in Rhysand's arms.

This time when I woke, I didn't fall back asleep, I was done with the Mother's tricks. I pried my swollen eyes open to see a bright flame swirling in Feyre's palm. My eyes were stuck on the bright dance of orange and yellow, warming my face and drying my tears.

A harsh rain echoed through the cave we were in. Azriel, Cassian, Rhysand, and Feyre. They were all here. I turned my head towards the entrance to watch the rain fall into mud and large puddles. "How long has it been raining?" I croaked out the useless question, but I needed to fill my mind with something to satisfy the dark void.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I didn't have to see them to know what their faces looked like. I didn't want to see their pity. I needed this distraction. "Ever since we left." Rhysand's deep voice echoed in the cave.

"Which was about an hour ago." Cassian added.

"Where's Nyx?" My voice broke on his name, but I didn't get an answer for a long while. I closed my eyes tight and shoved away the awful thoughts. That he had been captured or killed by the witches.

Finally, Feyre spoke. "The Prison, but he isn't answering us."

My heart stopped as I twisted my head to face her. She looked destroyed with sadness. I tugged on the bond, but that same black wall made it impossible to feel the other side. I looked back out to the rain, but my thoughts were filled with questions that nobody had the answer to.

I needed to find Nyx.

Slowly, I rolled myself out of Rhysand's arms. "What are you doing?" He asked as I started to stand, wavering slightly.

"We have to go to the Prison." I grumbled before trying to walk towards the cave entrance, but my balance was off and I found myself falling. I hit the ground hard and groaned as I rolled over onto my back. It felt weird without those things underneath me.

"We can't go anywhere with the rain beating down like it is. We have to wait until it lets up." Cassian said as he crouched beside me.

"Can't we winnow?" I shot back with a glare.

"It's too far. We'd exhaust ourselves before we're off the Continent." Feyre responded, her voice hollow.

I tugged on the bond over and over. Pulled as hard as I could only to feel the black wall swallowing up my efforts.

My head was filled with a horrible thought as I looked at the rain again. "Was it supposed to rain today?"

Nobody responded.

I turned my head to look at them, then repeated my question.

Finally, Rhysand responded, "I'm not sure, but the sky was clear when we entered the basement."

He just confirmed my horrible thought, and by the looks of it, everyone seemed to understand.

The witches caused this rain. They're looking for me.

Cassian stood as Azriel sent his shadows to search the area. His face paled, then his siphons flared. "Hundreds of them are hidden behind trees watching us."