#catandmouse

The Silent Isles were exactly what their name described. Silent and surrounded by water. Azriel had been flying them for the past 2 weeks while he waited for y/n to recover from the first session with Rhys and Helion. 

What Rhysand saw in her mind was enough for Azriel to realize freeing her was not enough. He wanted blood. He wanted to watch her keeper's life drain from his eyes. He wanted to hold his body until it went cold and stiff. Then, he wanted to burn that damned place to the ground. 

She had not woken up since that session. Her mind was lost in a jungle of memories blurring and swirling together, all blending so deeply she couldn't find a way out. Rhys was with her constantly, walking her through those pathways until his own nose would bleed and he'd have to pull out of her mind. 

Azriel pulled the hood of his cloak up higher, watching as two of the spies he had figured out were higher up in the chain moved outside. "Go," he commanded his shadows in near silence. 

"So if she's not back within the month," The larger blonde male shrugged.

A red head high fae male sighed. "We kill her. They have her in the High Lord's Palace right now. We got confirmation."

Azriel froze as the message was relayed to him. "And if they move her?"

"Then we find her. Velaris isn't that hard to get into. We've been doing it for years."

Azriel didn't bother flying back home. Instea,d he collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily from the effort he used walking through his shadows to get him home as quickly as possible. Mor rushed to his side, supporting him as he stood up. "Where's Rhys?"

Mor ushered him to a chair before answering. "With y/n. She just woke up."

Conflict set in, squeezing his heart like a vice. "I have to interrogate her, Mor." 

Rhys entered, as if on cue and stared towards Azriel as if he had grown a second head. "Why?"

He replayed the dream for him and Rhysand sighed, leaning against the wall. "She already told me, Az. She also told me you flying there was a waste of our time. There's no way in and no way out."

Dead silence fell over the room. "How?"

"Because the building isn't actually there, Az. It's everywhere. It's already in Velaris, in Spring, in Rusk. She described it as a connection of gates, not a true place. She isn't even sure where they're truly at when they're there."

Rhysand moved, watching the faelights of his court. "If one of us were to try to enter it, it could drop us Mother knows where. She's jumped to different worlds, Azriel. Different timelines. This isn't some bullshit organization of kidnapped kids. This is an incredibly powerful being taking other powerful beings and turning them into cold blooded killers."

Mor sat slowly, drinking her full glass of wine and refilling it, hee eyes wide as she processed. "So she's a key, but if we send her in-"

"They will kill her on the spot by blocking her ability to leave." Rhys said calmly. "All we can do is break the gate between Velaris, our allies, and them, but even then-"

"They can use magic to switch their faces, their scents, and they know their victims stories due to targeting the low class, alone, and lesser fae for their faces," Azriel said. "So destroying the connection won't stop them from entering because they already have faces that the shield knows and will allow in." 

All Rhys could do was nod. "We moved her back to the House of Wind. Helion traded me silence in exchange for something I can't discuss," Rhysand examined the sun bargain mark adorning his left inner ankle again. "Until we know she's safe, she does not leave there unless one of us is with her." 

Azriel nodded. "Can I see her?" 

"If you'd like to." 

Cassian walked him silently to the room Rhysand had moved her to. She no longer had a balcony. Only windows that were damn near impenetrable. Her door was now warded and shielded, appearing to just be part of the wall. Not even her bathroom had floor to ceiling windows allowing her a view of the mountains or city below. 

"Good luck," Cassian said softly. "Approach slowly."

Y/n was sat on her bed, dark hair a curly mess as if it had not been brushed and was constantly being tugged and played with. Her eyes had dark bags under them, which was almost comical for how long she has been unconscious. She was rocking back and forth, her knees tucked to her chest and picking at her nails. 

If Azriel had not known better, he would have assumed his mate was coming down from a high provided by some street potion sold in a dark alley. 

"Hellcat," he moved to her slowly taking a seat with him and sitting across from her. "Y/n, what's wrong? Talk to me."

He poured love and comfort down the bond to her, watched as she slowed her movements down and accepted it. "I've hurt so many people." Her guilt hit him like an arrow, striking deep in his own heart. "I never want to hurt anyone ever again." 

Azriel moved to sit besides her, pulling her into his chest and holding her. "You were forced to do those things, y/n. That doesn't define who you are, what we do once you're free of them does. You've already told Rhys about a huge security risk to our home, you came here willingly when the bond snapped, you've confessed to every assassination you've taken part in."

"But what if that's not enough, Azriel? What if I can never do enough to erase this part of my history that affected thousands of families and sometimes whole kingdoms? What if I simply am not enough?"

The question stung, bringing tears to Azriel's eyes as he forced her to look at him. "I torture fae for a living, little hellcat. I have killed countless people on Rhysand's orders, on his father's orders before him, and simply because they were blocking my way to a target."

Azriel took a deep breath before continuing. "I've ordered executions just based on the world and trust of my spies. I've killed king's guards, royals, lesser and greater fae. Trust me, I can empathize with your feelings, my love. I understand them better than anyone here, and that's why I need you to understand you are worthy. You are enough. You are good."

He forced her head towards his again, kissing her forehead softly. "You did not do those things by choice, y/n. Just remember that." Azriel pulled her close again, burying her head into his neck.

He gave zero fucks in that moment what Rhys had said regarding the Silent Isles and the spy network building. He was going to find them, he was going to skin them alive, and he was going to let you watch or bring you their heads one by one until every single last fae who made you feel this way was no more than a speck of dirt under his boot.

After two more weeks fighting off darkness, you sighed heavily as Helion and Rhys sat across from you. "Are you sure you're ready?" The Day Lord spoke smoothly, "It's only been a month."

You nodded. "I want to get it over with."