The Spring Court

Azriel's PoV:

Azriel slammed to the ground with Rhys as they winnowed out.

"You're giving up on her," said Azriel, not knowing why he sounded so breathless. His chest seemed to have closed up and he couldn't breathe. He had only met Calypso twice and yet the thought of her being tortured caused something to rip inside him.

He couldn't get her scream out of his mind no matter how hard he tried.

"What else was I supposed to say?" asked Rhys, his eyes wide with confusion.

"You gave up on her!"

Az hadn't intended to yell but the words burst out of his mouth as he shoved Rhys back hard.

"Az," said Rhys calmly, "you are the spymaster. You know how these things work. I could not really threaten him openly."

"Fuck your diplomacy! For all these days I thought that you would do anything for your friends! And you do not even have the balls to break into that garden of a court to get your friend!"

"Az!"

Rhys yelled as Azriel slammed a fist into his face and he fell back.

Then Rhys stood up, and looked at him with his violet eyes, blood trickling down his left cheekbone from where Az had punched him.

"Az-" Rhys said, wiping the blood from his lips. "How long have you known?" Az noticed the realisation widening Rhys' eyes.

"Known what?" asked Azriel, indifferent and cold.

"That she is your mate?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know she is your mate! And you are attacking me for what I said and yet you do not even have the balls to even admit it!"

Rhys yelled at Az and punched him in his face, the impact throwing Az into the ground.

"Don't you dare talk about balls, Rhys!" growled Azriel. "You do not have the balls to break into Spring Court. But you know what you have the balls to do? You have the balls to go back to your mate and see her being happy and safe while knowing full well that MY mate is being tortured to all hell!"

Azriel yelled as he rose from the ground and tackled Rhys into the mud, punching his face as he did.

He did not know why the fury was so untethered, why he felt like he was about to burst.

"Guys!" Azriel heard a yell from what sounded like Cassian. "Guys, what the hell! Stop this!"

Azriel felt like he was being grabbed by his arms from the back and he saw Rhys being lifted too. Cassian stood in between them and Azriel noticed two other Illyrian warriors holding each of them up.

They were a little distance away from the Illyrian war camp and their yelling must have called them there.

"Rhys gave up on Cal," said Az, breathlessly, jerking his arms away from the man who was holding him back. He saw Rhys do the same.

"What does Cal have to do with this?" asked Cass, confused.

"Cal is his mate," clarified Rhys. "And she is currently being held hostage at the Spring Court. Tamlin more or less demanded Feyre in exchange for her sister."

"What?" Cass looked appalled. "But that is illegal. He is violating-"

"Yes," said Rhy, "but we cannot prove it. The moment he notices something fishy, he will ask his daematis to screw up with Cal's brain. Or worse, he will hand her over to Hybern."

Az heard the sharp intake of breath from Cass and he felt his own hands fisting at the sides.

"And Rhys made a blood swear," continued Az, "he made a blood swear that he wouldn't break into Spring Court to rescue Cal as long as Tamlin doesn't bring war to our doorstep or hand Cal over to Hybern."

"You idiot!" yelled Rhys again and Az almost jumped at him when Cass pushed him back with his palm against his chest. The red siphon on Cass' hand glowed and Az knew it was a warning.

"You absolute idiot!" exclaimed Rhys. "I swore that I wouldn't break in. But I said nothing of the sort about you, Azriel. I made the swear, forced a loophole, to keep war off of our lands while also ensuring a safe passage for Cal."

Azriel stared dumbfounded as it finally made sense.

"And Cal being your mate," continued Rhys, "has clouded your instincts so much that you didn't even think about why I said it!"

"So you mean-" started Az.

"You are breaking her out of there tomorrow night. I will shut down the alarms for a few seconds while you fly in and wait. When you fly out, I will shut it down again."

"Why not tonight?"

"Because they will be on their guard tonight."

"But she is suffering."

"You think I do not care about that? She is my friend too, Az. I have protected her for a long time, and knowing that there is nothing I can do-"

Az noticed Rhys' hands converting into talons and the darkness around him danced dangerously. It was at this moment that Az heard the fury in Rhys' voice. It had been there all along, but Az had been too overwhelmed to notice it.

"I am sorry I shouted," said Az, genuinely contrite.

"Don't be," said Rhys with a casual gesture of his hand. "I would be upset too if it was Feyre. Mates are- they are special."

"So," started Cassian, "Cal is your mate?"

"Yes," answered Az. "I felt the bond the first day I met her."

"Is that why you were being such an asshole to her?"

"I was trying to figure her out."

"You know she is mortal, right?" There was no teasing in Cassian's voice, just a thick tinge of concern.

"I know," replied Azriel. "But she is special. And I will take whatever time I have with her."

Azriel slept fitfully that night.

Nightmares from a long time ago came back to haunt him that night. But this time, Cal was there too. Oddly, she was the light as well as the darkness. He was happy to see her there as well as worried for her.

And when the darkness started to talk, Azriel jerked up from his bed.

The entire day was spent in silent preparations.

They had gone back to the House of Wind and had informed Amren and Mor about what was to happen. Feyre was also told who was in hysterics about not being able to help her sister. But Rhys calmed her down and promised that Azriel would bring Cal back safely.

Night fell and their journey began.

Both Rhys and Az flew out of Velaris and they winnowed out right outside the border of Spring Court. Rhys closed his eyes and focused for a few seconds and then nodded at Az who flew into the Spring Court territory smoothly.

He flew to the mansion and tried the doors.

The wards weren't as strong as the borders and his siphon took care of them as he walked into the mansion, trying to find the doors to the dungeon.

He found them on the opposite corner of the hall and walked down the stairs, wary of any traps that may sound an alarm.

If he could get Cal out of here without anyone noticing, it would be easy to convince people that Cal had escaped. Because it was easier to run away than to break someone out of a well-guarded house.

The dungeons were damp and cold and Az walked along the shadows until he heard laboured breathing.

Cal.

"Please," begged Cal, "please, just let me sleep. I am so tired."

"You can sleep all you want, my child," said another unctuous woman's voice and Azriel knew it was one of the daematis. "Just tell me first, what is Rhysand hiding in his Night Court? Where do you think he took Feyre?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"How about you think about it while- well, while you rethink your life."

There was a pause which was followed by an ear splitting scream from Cal and Az acted on instinct. He followed the sound and appeared in front of a cubicle, lit only by torches. Heavy chains hung from both sides, tying a small figure to the ground.

Cal.

Right in front of Cal sat a woman, her hands at Cal's head as she screamed with tears running down her eyes.

Cal's hands were bleeding from where the chains had cut in, her left arm bent in an awkward angle. There was a deep cut on her forehead which had bled but the blood was clotted. Maybe she had not been allowed to see a healer.

Az saw red and then in a moment, he had whirled up behind the daemati, Truth-Teller at her throat as he sliced through cleanly.

Maybe the daemati had been too distracted to notice him, but she had been quick.

The moment his knife had touched her neck, she had drawn out a dagger. With her dying breath, she jabbed and the dagger cut clean through Cal's flesh, setting itself deeply within her stomach.

Az kept his hand on the daemati's mouth as she died, her eyes closing as her heart stopped.

Cal was cringing against the wall, her eyes closed. She had not even noticed the dagger at her stomach. Her cries echoed throughout the dungeon and Az felt the tempting urge to wrap his hands around her and hold her close, to tell her all was alright now and that he had reached her.

But he decided against that as he gently cupped her face.

Cal cringed away from his touch and that action hurt him more than he had thought it would. That was when he noticed her jaw.

The place where he had touched had a purple bruise on it and it was swollen. He gently pressed the area as Cal whimpered and cringed back, and he noticed the step deformity.

They had fucking broken her jaw.

The anger within him was undiluted as he restrained a growl in his chest.

"Cal?" Azriel called softly, gently squeezing her arms. With his other hand, he tried to remove the chains.

"Az?" Cal questioned softly, her eyes opening just enough for him to know that she was alive. "Az, what the hell are you doing here? They are not supposed to know about you!"

"I am here to get you out," said Azriel, his heart squeezing at how she was still trying to protect him. "Relax, they do not know I am here. And I have spelled the whole house to stay asleep."

"But, there are daematis around. They will find out!"

"No. When they wake up, all they will know is that you snapped and broke out of here. The Night Court will have nothing to do about this. Even the daemati who died did not see me."

"Good then, I tho-"

Cal's words were cut off by her groan as she doubled over herself, clutching her stomach. That is when Azriel noticed the dagger that was in her stomach. A yellow sheen was glinting.

Poison.

Probably some kind of mortal poison.

It was fine, as long as they could get to Amren, she would know what to do.

Azriel got to work on her chains, noticing the bolts. He loosened them slightly to make it look like Cal had slipped her hands out.

But they were still a little tight and he had to pull roughly on Cal's hands to free her, scratching her skin mercilessly in the process.

She had barely made a noise about it even when her wrists started to bleed from Azriel's ministrations.

But when he looked up, her lips were bleeding from how hard she was biting into them. There was also some caked blood on her lips, probably from before.

His hands almost went to her lips to wipe the blood from them when he stopped them.

No!

She was in pain and he was the last person she would want to do that.

"Can you walk?" asked Azriel tentatively, not sure if she would want to be carried out without her consent.

"Yes," she replied even though Azriel was not sure how she would. But he would respect her wishes no matter what.

He stood up and held his arm out to her like he had back in Velaris. She took it, and heaved herself up.

She stood for three seconds before her knees gave way and she fell back down with a cry. Azriel caught her before she hit the ground, his hand on the small of her back as she collapsed heavily.

"Cal?" Azriel shook her gently. "Cal?"

Her eyes were closed and her head lolled to the side, resting neatly on his shoulder.

He did not know why but tears welled in his eyes.

She had been so full of life when he had last seen her, so excited.

Now her hands lay limply at the side, her face as pale as death, as if her entire life had been sucked out of her.

He clutched her closer to himself, removing the hair from her face as he touched her forehead with his.

"I am sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I am so sorry."

He did not really know what he was sorry for. But he knew that he was.

He put Cal's hands on her stomach as he slipped his right hand under her knees.

He lifted her up gently and walked up the dungeon. The sleeping spell was working well as he walked out of the mansion and took to the skies, his heavy wings flapping against the wind as they gained altitude.

He looked down at Cal sleeping in his arms. He almost smiled at how small she felt against his muscled chest.

He spotted Rhys beyond the border who nodded at him.

As was expected of the Shadowsinger, Azriel flew out through the border, and not a single soul stirred in the darkness of the night.