Let You Down |Azriel|

.02.

A human? How the hell did a human get Under the Mountain? She was sprawled out before Amarantha's throne, panting and staring at Tamlin who looked not even the slightest bit phased. Rhysand, on the other hand, had a fire blazing in his eyes that the rest of his face refused to exhibit. My hearing seemed to fail me. There was shouting and crying from the young girl who had yet to rise to her feet. One glance behind her yielded the poor girl who was dragged in here kicking and screaming just to be tortured and nailed to the wall.

The tray I had been carrying vanished from my hand. This poor child stood in front of Amarantha, looking so desperately at Tamlin's empty vessel, and confessed her love for him. I'd say that it was good, that at least someone loved him. But he was a dick, and he wasn't showing any redeeming qualities by sitting there and not communicating with her, either. She never looked behind herself, only stared at Amarantha and Tamlin. My eyes wandered to Rhysand once more and I attempted to understand the meaning behind his expression.

"Three tasks, each on the full moon. If you succeed with all tasks, then Tamlin and his people can go freely," Amarantha's smile caused her teeth to flash, truly horrific.

The girl, Feyre, nodded. Her name only being revealed after the queen had sent Lucien to his knees and commanded Rhys to cradle his mind. If I had even the slightest bit of my magic left, I would have tried to intervene. Amarantha needed a fiery death. Even if it caused my own, this human didn't need to be subjected to her evil. My eyes softened as I looked at the back of her head. This evil woman trapped so many of us in different ways. Rhysand, well, I didn't truly know how he ended up trapped down here with the rest of us.

Tamlin and his court were doomed because of the bargain he had made with Amarantha after she had stolen most of his magic and cursed his entire court. I was dragged in here simply because I had been walking too far outside of the village. This girl, now, trapped because of her blind love for this lunatic. My heart broke for her. My hand twitched and lifted ever so slightly in her direction, as if I still possessed my comforting heat.

"Until then," the queen had broken the silence, "you will be thrown into the dungeons and only retrieved to conduct work around the castle".

My snort was entirely in my head, castle, more like dark and deathly hovel. Feyre's arm was grabbed by the Attor and she was hauled off out of the throne room. I payed close attention to Rhysand as she was dragged. The fire in his eyes only grew more wild. He was incredibly talented at masking it, though. Just as he had masked all of his emotions, thoughts, and feelings. The doors to the room slammed shut, shaking some rubble loose from the rock walls.

"None of you," Amarantha's voice cut through the silence once more, "are you help her with the riddle she has been tasked to solve. If you do, you will find yourself at a fate much worse than hers."

I supposed it was a good thing I didn't hear it. That I was too focused on the human nailed to the wall to have heard anything that had been exchanged. I had trouble peeling my eyes away from the doors that had been slammed shut. Wanting more than anything to tear down the hall and chase after her. To save her from her death.

"Be gone," a final order from the queen that sent everyone sprinting out of the throne room.

My feet carried me to the kitchen first, scavenging the cupboards for the first aid supplies I'd had to use on multiple occasions. I knew she would have been beat to a pulp before being chucked in a cell. I then grabbed an apple and a canteen of water, tucked those in the folds of my dress that I had sewn to make pockets, and then quietly skirted around corners on my way down to the dungeons.

The guards walked out of the entrance prior to my arrival. There was always a lapse in observation because both shifts are dinner at the same time. I was able to squeeze through the door and try to locate her cell. It wasn't particularly difficult, considering she was sobbing quite loudly. My feet followed the sound and I ended up standing in front of a wood door with one small slat. The key on the wall allowed access and I slipped in before closing the door shut.

Her eyes went wide, cheeks stained with tears, blood covering her face and neck. She scrambled into the corner and hugged her knees to her chest.

"Please, please don't hurt me," she cried.

I crouched down with a good distance between the two of us, "Oh no, no, no. Love I just wanted to offer you something to clean your face up with and maybe a snack. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She looked up at me, still unsure. Understandable. I took everything that had been in my pockets and placed it in front of me. Two rolls of gauze, some high proof alcohol that Amarantha refused to ever drink, the canteen and apple. I crossed my legs in front of me, my ass on the ground. Her gaze softened a bit.

"What's your name?" She questioned as I handed her some gauze soaked in alcohol.

She took it from me and started dabbing at her cuts, hissing with the initial contact. "My name is Cecelia, but I go by Lia for short."

"I'm Feyre," she extended a bloodied hand.

I gently took hold of her hand and brought her fingers to my lips. "It's nice to meet you Feyre," I released her hand. "I wish it were on better terms. If Amarantha hadn't taken every bit of my magic away, I would have been able to help more with your injuries. Hopefully this stuff at least gets rid of your risk for infection."

The corners of her lips turned down, "why did she take it all away?"

My fingers traced the lining of the chains that bound me, "she is an evil and conniving bitch. I really hope you take her down, she deserves a most gruesome death."