A World Away

53. Hybern camp

Eve sat on her bed, staring at the blank tent in front of her. She was so, so tired. Someone came in but she paid no heed. She did not blink nor did she move. 

"Hey," Az' voice filled the unending silence. Eve said nothing. He came and sat beside her.

"He is gone," a tear slipped and the next and the next. The dam had broken down. "He is gone," she screamed this time. "MIKE. MIKE."

Az did not know what triggered it- maybe the Cauldron bought back memories or maybe it was something else entirely. His shadows started moving in erratic patterns around them. "It will be alright, we are here. I know, I am sorry, it'll get better, I swear it will," he tried comforting her, he hugged her, but to no avail.

A panting Rhys entered the tent followed by Cassian. "Help," Az croaked out. He had never been in so much agony as he was now, watching her scream.

"Mike. Please, no, come back. Come back," she was crying so much that Az was afraid she would faint from dehydration. "Put her to sleep," he asked Rhys who seemed to blink out of his daze and nodded.

Slowly, so slowly did her cries turned into whimpers which then turned into soft snores. A tear dropped on Az' lap as he watched her now sleeping figure.

*****

Eve was dreaming of him again. There he stood, near the cliff edge waving at her. His smile lit up the night sky. They were back in New York; the huge towering buildings could be seen distantly. But something was wrong- Eve couldn't quite place her finger on it. "Hello Eve," Mike said and she halted in her tracks. Hello. He always said 'hey.' Didn't he? "How are you?" he seemed to croak. But, the closer Eve got to him, her heart thundering, the more wrong he seemed. His eyes had never been this black, he never wore the colour yellow- he hated that colour and yet, here he was standing in a yellow marvel hoodie.

"You are not my Mike," Eve breathed. The stranger standing in front of her gave her a smile- such a cruel smile that she took a step back only to bump into someone.

Her vision cleared. She was near the edge of the camp with a dazed Elain. "Grayson," Elain seemed to mummer, extending her hand. Eve' head whipped back to where the stranger in disguise of Mike stood, and the realization dawned upon her- Hybern.

Elain took a step forward and the energy around the three became static. "No," Eve shouted and with all her strength, pushed Elain outside the circle of fast winds and flying stones that had now encased her. Elain stumbled and tripped backwards after hitting a stone. Her eyes cleared and horror dawned on them just as Mike morphed into the Cauldron and whispered into Eve' ears, "Who is the prey and who is the predator?"

*******

"Where is she?" Az' eyes blazed with such fury that Elain took a step back. "Hybern," she replied though, and the Shadowsinger' eyes shuttered. Rhys swore and Cass paled but it was Nesta who demanded, "what happened?"

"It beckoned to me- in the form of Grayson. I was about to take his hand when Eve pushed me and I tripped and fell. The Cauldron took her just as my mind cleared, saying something about a prey and a predator." Elain eyes watered, "save her." She looked at them with eyes pleading.

"I am going in," Az said, leaving no room for discussion. "I am coming too," Feyre said, coming to stand beside him. Az shook his head, "I go in and I come out with her. It will be faster."

"She got taken because she was saving my sister, I am coming," Feyre said. Az gave out a frustrated sigh. "It will complicate things. If I go, it will only be my life at risk," he reasoned. As, if his High Lady came, half of his focus would be on her safety. Rhys sighed, understanding the words between Az' reasoning. "Let him go," Rhys told his mate who sighed.

"I can't just sit here- Eve is-" Az shook his head, "I am sorry, but I am going alone," he remained adamant. Feyre sighed; knowing this was Azriel, the Shadowsinger and spymaster talking to her who would go to ends of the world to save Eve. So, she let it go.

"You both better come back alive," Rhys turned and warned Az after he saw his mate had subsided a bit. Az nodded and without a word, left.

*******

Eve thrashed against whoever was holding her at the moment. After the Cauldron had taken her, she had gone into deep sleep for some time. She had woken up to ropes tying her hands behind her back with a blindfold to keep her from spying on them. Someone was now taking her to an unknown destination to which, for obvious reasons, she was opposed to.

"Get your hands off me, you smelly- piece of shit- no good ass before I take a sword and shove it-" Someone interrupted her close to heart speech. An aristocrat male if his voice was any indication. "You certainly like to hear yourself talk, don't you?" the male mused.

"No other company is as fine," Eve retorted, looking at the general direction from which the voice had come. The male chuckled. By the sound of it, he was the only Fae present in the room along with the one holding her. Someone started removing her blindfold harshly. Eve hissed.

She adjusted quickly to her surroundings- only to find four guards and the male. He was not the King of Hybern, but, he seemed to be of a position of power and respect. Two guards flanked her while two flanked the male in front of her. The tent, other than that, was relatively empty.

The guard on the right side of the male gave her a once-over, making her snarl. Eve wished she could throw a dagger at him but, she was smart- even if she did take the people in the tent down, who knew what waited outside? She might be put down with ashwood or Faebane and that would be worse than ropes binding her wrists. So, she decided, she would bide her time and then escape using her powers and brute strength.

"Welcome to Hybern' camp. I am one of the commanders," he rose his brows, probably expecting her to reveal some expression- awe or horror, but she gave him neither, standing expressionless. He stared at her for a moment before continuing, "we have no interest in you. Though, the queens do. And it would be rude of us to not assist our friends," he motioned behind her. The flap opened to reveal one of the queens- the aged one- the only one left among all the traitor queens. The youngest of them all- now bent with age. Oh, how thou has fallen. 

The commander rose. "Have fun," he told the queen who bowed. "We were hoping for the wildcat but I suppose you will do," the queen sighed.

"I don't suppose you could tell me why I am actually here?" Eve tried. The queen gave out a chuckle that made Eve want to bang her head against a wall just so she could escape her sickly voice.

"You took power from the Cauldron. It gave you power. Now, you are going to give to us. To me," the queen replied simply. Eve scoffed, "and pray tell, how do you plan on doing that?"

"We put you in the Cauldron. Though, this time you won't rise up again." 

Happy reading :) 

XOXO,

the amazing author 

I have only one thing to say.... WHY MONDAY WHY !?!?!??!