A Court of Secrets and Moonlight

77: Battle

Feyre

I was watching Elain's hand tremble as Cassian handed her a knife when everything went to hell.

"Where are Leur and Azriel?" Rhys came running towards us, nothing but panic on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked him softly.

"I haven't seen them all morning." He answered, "No one has."

Cassian turned towards his brother, hazel eyes narrowed as he spoke, "They aren't in their tent?"

"It's empty." Rhys growled, "No sign of them."

Amren hissed under her breath, taking off to run through the camp.

"They have to be around somewhere." I offered, placing a hand on my mate's arm.

"You don't think..." Cassian breathed, his hands clutched into fists.

"There's no way. No shot that anyone got in here without anyone noticing, and certainly not that anyone took them without anyone noticing." Mor whispered, "Neither of them would go without a fight."

"Then where the hell are they?" Rhys hissed, tension in his every word.

Amren reappeared only a few moments later, "There's no scent trail. It's like they were in the tent one moment and gone the next."

"Neither of them would abandon us before the battle." I reasoned, "They're probably out scouting or something."

Rhys was nearly shaking, something like a mix between worry and anger- "She's our whole plan Feyre, without that sword-"

"Until they get back, we will go with the backup plan." I forced calmness in my voice as I spoke, "There's no time to look for them, so you need to get us to the Cauldron."

Rhys was still panicked, his eyes darting around wildly, as if he had just missed them. As if at any moment, they'd appear from the shadows.

But they never did.

I grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to shift his focus, "Look at me."

Violet eyes met mine, wild and unconstrained. I could feel his panic echoing down the bond, could feel the worry that was eating away at him with each moment that passed.

"Leur and Azriel are fine. They're going to be here." I willed the words to be true as I spoke them, "For now, it's time to march. Can you get us to the Cauldron?"

There was a moment of silence, a moment where our entire family was forced to set their panic aside- was forced to focus in the height of uncertainty. And I was in the center of it all, realizing I was commanding them as High Lady without even truly meaning to. It had come naturally, slowly cultivated over all of these months.

Rhys nodded, and what remained of us left to march to the battlefield.

-

Hybern had chosen their spot well.

It was a vast plain overlooking the sea. Surrounded by rocky cliff sides that jutted out into the sea, locking us within the area. The waves lapped the shore as we watched our armies march, towards a seemingly endless sea of silver armor.

I could not even fathom the sheer size of Hybern's army.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Maybe even millions. Even with our armies combined with Winter, Summer, Day, and Dawn- we were still outnumbered by a landslide. We could double the size of our forces, and still be outnumbered. More so, thousands of beasts snarled against their chains, inside their cages as Hybern watched us approach. Black scaly skin, large fangs, hissing and howling. I could not stare at them, not for too long.