He saw the memories as though they were his own. He watched through amber eyes as Beron grabbed Trestwyn by the throat. Skin melted beneath the High Lord's fingers. "I will take your daughter and I will take your land. You seem to forget that I am the High Lord, not you! You think yourself to be untouchable! Think again."

Blood and melted flesh dripped down Beron's fingers. Trestwyn's eyes rolled back in his head. His body thumped to the floor. Beron grabbed Seren's arm and pulled her up. The sleeve beneath his fingers burned.

The memory wavered and he saw everything. He saw the terms Beron laid out. He felt Seren's fear and resolve. Something snapped within him when Beron's fists beat against her body until she fell unconscious. He could not stop it, though. He was trapped in her memories.

Beron was gone, now. Seren lay in a cave, shivering and her stomach empty. He heard her whispered prayer of deliverance as she waited for death to claim her. Only, death did not come. He did.

He saw himself pick up Seren and fly towards Velaris with Nesta and Cassian beside him. He felt her refreshed fear...and her sense of security, the comfort his scent brought  her.

She stood before his family, shaking in fear as she lied her way into their home. She was guilt-ridden. She was terrified and cornered. Seren did not trust them. She did not trust him. She did not trust herself.

The memories came faster and faster. He saw glimpses of their training sessions. He felt the moment her heart first leaped at the thought of him. He was there when Rhys crouched beside her, offering trust and friendship. He watched as she took a paper and tore it to pieces, before burning it.

Her words were frantic, but firm. "I will not betray them. I will not betray them. They trust me and I. Will. Not. Betray. Them."

Memories spun before his eyes, blurring together. He could no longer differentiate her emotions. Faster and faster, everything went, until, it stopped entirely.

•༻☾☽༺•

Azriel lurched awake, scenting cinnamon and honey. He looked around, but there was no sign of Seren. He was in their room. Rhys sat near the bed, rubbing his chin. He glanced up and gave a sigh of relief. "You're all right."

"Where's Seren?"

Rhys' eyes narrowed. "She's gone. I told her to leave."

"Why?"

"Beron sent her to spy on us."

"But she didn't. She never told him anything." Azriel pushed himself into a sitting position. "What happened?"

"What did she do to you? You wouldn't stop screaming. I had to break your shields and force you to sleep," Rhys said, avoiding the question.

"She was panicking. Her memories and fears passed through the Bond. It was too much at once. I had no grasp on what was happening." Azriel met Rhys' gaze. "I saw almost everything that happened while she was here. She never betrayed us, Rhys. She never wanted to."

"Did she plan to?" Azriel hesitated, recalling the paper she'd shredded. "So she did."

"She didn't want to. She never told Beron anything." Azriel rubbed his hands over his face. "She was terrified, Rhys. She watched Beron melt her father's throat. He beat her into unconsciousness in the Dawn Court. She had to travel through the Day Court alone. She'd never been on her own before. She was terrified that Beron would kill her, and if he didn't, she thought we would."

Tears stung his eyes. He felt only a little anger towards his mate for not trusting him with this secret. "She was scared of us. She wanted to die in the mountains so that she wouldn't face this, but then Nesta, Cassian, and I found her. She was scared. She was scared of me."

"She hid this from us. She could have told us from the beginning."

"And what would we have done?" Azriel met Rhys' gaze, glaring. "We would have sent her away and Beron would have killed her. Or Amren would have followed her and killed her. She couldn't tell us. Even after we trusted her, she couldn't tell us. She couldn't even tell me, and she wanted to!" Azriel slid off the bed, forcing himself to stand still. "Did you even give her a chance to explain herself?"

"I asked for the truth. She gave it. I ordered her to leave." Azriel started towards the door. Rhys caught him. "She's long gone. I told her that if she wasn't gone by nightfall, I'd take her to the Prison. She's not in the Night Court anymore."

Azriel shoved Rhys back. "Do you know what you've done? You should have thought about this. You ordered my mate, MY MATE, to leave. Where do you think she'll go?"

"If she tells Beron anything..."

Azriel shoved Rhys again, ignoring the dark anger pooling in his brother's eyes. "She won't tell him a damn thing! She's going to let him kill her so that he won't attack the Night Court! She won't betray us and he will kill her for it! Damn you, Rhys. You sent my mate to her death!"

"I didn't..."

Azriel didn't give him a chance to finish. "You did! She has no other family. I'm her family. We are her family. She had nowhere to go, but to him. And she's going there right now to save your ass. She's going so Beron won't come looking for her here. He won't have to after he's killed her."

"I..."

"Do you know when she made the decision not to betray us?" Azriel snarled. "She made it after you gave her your trust and loyalty. Yours. Not mine. Not Elain or Mor's. Yours, Rhys. She made that decision because you told her she was worthy of our trust and friendship."

Azriel pushed past him. Rhys grabbed his shoulder. "I can't let you go after her. Beron will see it as an act of war. If her death will keep our people safe, then...I'm sorry."

"No." Azriel shook his head and tried to leave again. Rhys stopped him. "She's my mate."

"I can't let you go."

"She is my mate!"

"And I'm your High Lord."

Azriel stared at him, anger smoldering in his hazel eyes. "I don't care. She is my mate."

"I am your High Lord!" Darkness laced Rhys' words, quaking with power.

Azriel tore his arm away from Rhys. "Would you have gone to war with Tamlin for Feyre?" Rhys watched him angrily. Azriel averted his eyes. "I won't let my mate walk to her death. Not even you can keep me here."

"Az, please."

Azriel met Rhys' gaze and found guilt hidden in its starry depths. Pain crashed over him and he leaned against the wall. "I can't let her die, Rhys." He slid down, hanging his head. "I just found her. She never betrayed us. She still won't." He reached down the Bond, pulling gently. Seren gave no reply. Rhys only watched him, guilt and anger at war in his eyes.

•༻☾☽༺•

Seren wept with relief when she felt Azriel tug on the Bond. She couldn't bring herself to answer him, though. Not as she drew close to the Autumn Court's border. She had winnowed and walked for the past day and all night, putting as much distance in between herself and the Night Court as possible. When the spicy tang of the Autumn Court had reached her, she resorted to walking at a slow pace.

She didn't know what she would tell Beron. Or rather, she knew exactly what she wouldn't tell him. Seren wiped her tears away and continued on. She wouldn't meet Beron with her head hanging low. Those days were over. She would die, but she would die with the confidence she had gained.

Part of her was afraid to die. The other part was afraid that she would not die. I still have some value to Beron, she thought. My daemati powers. She bit her lip, thinking. I can pretend that Rhysand and Feyre never taught me anything. I'll say they're as useless as they were when I left. That would decrease her value. But he also knows I'm Azriel's mate. Will he find a way to use that to his advantage?

In the end, none of it mattered. She would die eventually, whether it be by Beron's hand, Rhysand's, or...her own. Seren kept her head lifted as tears dripped down her cheeks. I hope that when I'm dead, the Mother, or the Cauldron, or whomever decides these things, will give Azriel another mate. One deserving of him. One who is...

She didn't get to finish the thought. Hoofbeats sounded close by. She had crossed the border and colorful trees surrounded her. Leaves swirled in the air as Eris Vanserra and his three remaining brothers rode into view.

They glared down at her, eyes narrowed. Eris was the first to speak. "So, my bride has returned, reeking of another male." Apparently Beron had told him of their arrangement. "The Shadowsinger," Eris added. "Ironic. My first bride to be was marred by Cassian. The second, by Azriel. Perhaps the third will be deflowered by Rhysand himself, assuming his mate permits it." He jerked a head to the back of his horse. "Let's go. My father is impatient."

Seren walked towards him on trembling legs. Eris pulled her up behind him. He dug his heels into the horse's side and they took off. His brothers rode close behind them. One had a bow and arrow at the ready. The others bore daggers. Would they kill her if she tried to run, or just injure her? She didn't try to run, so her question remained unanswered.

"You shouldn't have come back," Eris hissed. "He'll kill you."

"I know, but I had no choice."

"Why did you not betray them?"

Seren swallowed, lifting her eyes to the treetops. "Because they were the first to treat me like a person. They were my first friends and my first family. They helped me become who I wanted to be, not who my father thought I should be."

"And?"

"I'm sure you know the rest."

"You carry the mating scent." He sounded a little surprised, as though he hadn't known. 

Seren knit her brows. Erebus told Beron, I know, but why wouldn't Beron tell Eris? He must be more suspicious of Eris than I realized.

"What will happen to the Shadowsinger when you're gone?"

"I don't know. I hope he'll be all right." She gulped, longing to reach for the Mating Bond. She restrained herself, though.

"Will he come after you?" Eris glanced back at her.

Seren recalled the look on Rhysand's face. The look on all of their faces. Even if Azriel wanted to rescue her, they wouldn't let him. Good. "No."

"You seem calm for someone who knows they're going to die."

Seren closed her eyes against the burn of tears. "I'm not calm. I'm just resigned. I deserve to die. I would rather die than bring harm to my mate and his family."

Eris faced forward again. "It's good you've acknowledged that. You've signed your own death sentence."

•༻☾☽༺•

For an additional Rhys and Feyre scene taking place between this chapter and the next, please see the story titled "A Family Divided", in my book of bonus stories, Beyond the Books.