A Court of Shadows and Stars; Azriel

XVI

When a bloodied arm grabbed my waist, I was tempted to fight back, but somehow I knew it was Azriel.

Almost like I could sense his presence.

"We need to go to the others."

I nodded and he winnowed us away.

As my vision blurred back to normal, a scream cut through the thick silence. Feyre was huddled over Rhysand's boy, shaking him, and screaming.

Mor was beside me and Azriel helped Cassian to his feet, both swaying a little.

I couldn't take the sound of Feyre screaming Rhysand's name, so I tried to haul her away from his lifeless body.

She snarled in response at my tight grip. She hit and kicked, but eventually, she stopped fighting and began to sob into my arms.

Thesan wrapped his hands around Rhys's pale neck for a few minutes, before looking to us and shaking his head.

Feyre lunged out of my arms and began to plead- to beg Thesan to do something. Anything.

My head felt empty and the room began to spin around me as I processed what was happening.

Rhysand was...

Dead.

Tarquin was there. Then Helion. Both battered and panting.

"Please," Feyre squeaked out. Tarquin knelt beside her and grasped her shaking hands.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

It was like those two words broke her.

Just as she began screaming again, Beron, Kallias, and Viviane appeared.

"BRING HIM BACK," Feyre snarled.

Silence.

"You did it for me," she breathed. "Now do it for him."

"You were human," Helion said carefully. "It is not the same-"

Tarquin stepped forward, a seed of light in his palm.

Feyre began crying again as he extended his hand to her. One by one, the other High Lords followed, all offering a bead of light to Rhys's body and his grieving mate.

I couldn't watch anymore. I turned into Azriel's side, blinking back my own tears. He rubbed my back soothingly

My head snapped up at a groan.

"If we're all here, either things went very, very wrong or very right."

Cassian's broken laugh cackled beside me.

Helion sighed, "You do enjoy making an entrance," he drawled. "Or should I say exit?"

"You're horrible," Viviane snapped. "That's not even remotely funny-"

Rhys pointed a healed hand to the Cauldron, "Someone fish dear Amren out before she catches a cold."

Varian and Mor whirled for the Cauldron. Together, they heaved a waterlogged form out of it.

Amren sputtered out water, vomiting onto the rocky ground. Mor patted her back, coaxing her through it.

As Amren opened her eyes, Varian let out a sound of relief and joy.

She had given up her High Fae form to come back. Silver eyes no longer burned and no trace of powers remained.

At least she was alive.

*time skip a day later*

I was standing in a wrecked foyer, alongside my family in front of a broken chandelier and a cracked marble floor.