Nightmare Suriels.
Gwyn had known them inside out when she had went to the spring court with Azriel. They had been infecting all of the courts and they had wanted something. Gwyn almost killed herself because of them in spring court.
These nightmare suriels are not the ones like Feyre met. They're constantly hungry. They don't scare and kill because it's in their livelihood. No, they can survive and live without killing. But, they kill for fun. Killing is just sports for them.
They appeared as different nightmares to everyone. But they couldn't take the shape of everyone's nightmare at once, no, they took the shape of the person's nightmare who was looking at them. If the nightmare was strong enough, they would appear to others too. Otherwise, a nightmare suriel changed into one's nightmare, and no one else could see it.
Gwyn knew it was them because there were currently 10 Hybern soldiers with their scents dripping of desire and their belts unbuckled.
Azriel couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hybern soldiers. He actually believed it was them and was going towards them to kill him but when he passed Gwyn, he heard the words she barely spoke, "Nightmare Suriels".
Azriel stopped short and looked back at Gwyn, her eyes in tears. It was Gwyn's worst nightmare, he realized. So strong that everyone could see it. Including Tarquin who was still against the wall. Gwyn's eyes were blank, hollow, as if all the hope had been sucked out of her. These damn suriels messed with your minds, created scenarios only you could see. Azriel went back to Elain and said urgently "Tell Rhys and others to get out of here".
Elain nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. Gwyn finally came back to reality, came back from the scenario played in her head. "Go inside and don't come out, lock all the doors of the ballroom, no one gets in or gets out. " She told Molly and Tom. They nodded and left.
Azriel then went beside Gwyn. Before he could speak, she interrupted him, "I'm Fine". She said
"Gwyn you need to-", "NO".
But Azriel could hear the quiver and the barest hint of fear behind those words. All his instincts were telling him to get Gwyn out of here but as he was about to protest she pulled a knife out from under her gown. "We don't have time for arguments, we can't let them leave"
Before Azriel could say anything she went forward and slit the throat of the first Hybern soldier. Shadows then surrounded her. Azriel and Tarquin both ran towards the Soldiers and killed them slowly. It was hard. As soon as they came towards them, the suriels disappeared into thin air. But Gwyn was doing great, like she knew where they would reappear and strike there directly.
When suriels died, they turned into their original form. When Gwyn slit the throat of the Hybern soldiers, they changed back to the suriels and a soundless shout came from their mouths. Gwyn couldn't comprehend anything, she couldn't stop killing. Wherever she went, some seconds passed and she was covered in black, the blood of the creatures she killed.
She knew she hated those Hybern soldiers but she hated that she was doing the exact same thing as they did to her sister and all the innocent people at Sangravah whom she failed to save. There was no difference between her, or them.
But there was no time for thinking, lives were at stake, and Gwyn would do anything to save them.
As she was going to attack another soldier, she heard a shout. Azriel.
From the opposite side, she heard another shout. Quin.
They both were captured by the suriels, on opposite sides of the ground. They were bloodied. Azriel's whole face was bloodied and Tarquin's white robe was filled with dark red.
They were looking down, it looked like their head wasn't a part of their body anymore. She had to save them, but they were too far from each other. She had to choose. No no no no no. The last time she did that, so many people died. Who's it gonna be.
No. You're saving both of them.
Gwyn directly came in the middle of the ground, hoping the suriels would transform into her nightmare and leave them. They didn't. They kept feasting on them and didn't even take a second glance at Gwyn. Gwyn could see their bodies tiring, like the suriels were sucking the life out of them.
She didn't know what to do but suddenly, something was communicating with her, what, she didn't know and couldn't figure out. But she wasted no time and trusting it, not knowing what else she could do except, trust it. She grabbed whatever thing was reaching out for her. She trusted it and in a few mili seconds, Azriel and Tarquin fell out of the suriels' hold.
She didn't have time to figure out what she did or how, she started shouting for help. She was so tired, she didn't know what happened after that, but she was sure, that she had fainted.
......
Azriel woke up. Remembering what happened as clear as day but still not ready to face it. He was in a bed, it was an unfamiliar room. He suddenly jolted up and saw Tarquin on another bed beside him.
The first thought that shot to his head, Gwyn.
He walked out of that room and into hers. He saw a nurse there, sitting beside Gwyn. "Is she alright?", He asked, kneeling beside the bed at Gwyn's side. "I can't say, Her blood level is extremely low".
Gwyn must have lost a lot of blood last night, saving him.
"But she'll be okay, right? Can I give her my blood?", It was the least Azriel could do. "I'm afraid her blood group is very rare, O negative, I searched all the hospitals and the blood banks, but I couldn't find it there". The nurse said getting up.
"My blood is O negative, you can give her my blood" Azriel said. Not wanting another moment to pass without seeing her beautiful teal eyes. Stay with me, please don't go. Azriel thought to himself with tears in his eyes and held Gwyn's hand.
"Are you sure? You'r-", "Yes", Azriel replied, not being more sure of anything else in his life. "She needs a whole litre of blood, I don't thi-"
"Do it" Azriel said and extended his arm, replacing his hand in Gwyn's, with his other arm.
"Okay, you need to lie down, you might faint in the process. You can go and lie down beside her" The nurse said.
Azriel got up, went to the other side of the bed and laid beside Gwyn. The last thing he remembered was putting his hand in Gwyn's, never wanting to leave it again.
