Summary: After months as his prisoner, Hybern has hijacked your mind, turning you into an enemy of your home, your family, and your mate, Azriel.
Warnings: Violence, drugs
Brightness shone through your eyelids, so much so that you had to squeeze them shut. Wherever you were, there was far too much light to be your cell.
You felt them then, the belts around your body, keeping you pressed down to the bed. They felt different to the usual chain kept around your ankle – softer, safer, a measurement of care.
Opening your eyes, you tried to blink away the blur. You were right, this room was different. It was neat and clean, clinical in a way. It smelt different here too, almost sterile.
Your body felt foreign to you, heavy yet light at the same time. Your head lolled to the side, despite your efforts to keep it up. You tried to move, to bring slow hands to your eyes and rub the fogginess away, but you were no match to the belts that restrained you.
“Hello Y/N.” A voice. A female’s voice, soft and warm and–
“I’m glad to see you awake.”
Blinking harder, your eyes tried to focus on the face now in front of you. You could smell her scent – sweet and inviting, her touch gentle on your arm. Yet her face remained a blur. Why were you so Gods damned slow?
“How are you feeling?” Another voice, another female.
Blurs became shapes as you were able to identify one with blonde hair, the other more brown. Through your haze, they seemed to float in front of you, their voices like a melody. Could they be angels?
You tried to answer, your voice catching in your throat as if your muscles were to slow to follow your brain’s instruction. It didn’t bother you though, you were relaxed, content, and for the first time that you could remember, you felt safe.
“That’s alright Y/N, don’t strain yourself.” The hand on your forearm caressed you then.
As your vision finally cleared, you realised this was not the first time you had woken to this room. Nor was it the first time you had met these females.
“Feyre?” Your voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. You must have been asleep for a very long time. How was it you didn’t remember being brought here?
“That’s right,” she smiled at you, her brow pulling in hope. “And do you know who this is?”
The blond shifted, placing her hand on your other arm, her smile just as warm and eager.
“Mor?” you coughed, your voice a little clearer now. The females exchanged a look of relief.
“I have to say Y/N, it’s wonderful to hear you say our names without losing you again,” Mor sighed.
“Losing me?” Despite your giddiness, there was a faint thud of dread.
Feyre took a deep breath before focusing her eyes on yours, her expression much more serious. “We’re going to tell you what we tell you every time you wake. Try your best to stay focused on our voices.”
Every time you wake? How many times had they done this?
“You were captured by Hybern’s army over six months ago. They tortured you, and used poison to hijack your mind.”
Hybern. Just the mention of his name fabricated his presence as he stalked the corners of your mind – prowling, waiting for the right opportunity. Pain began to throb from behind your eyes, and you fidgeted against your restraints.
“Just breath Y/N, we need you to stay calm.” Mor’s instruction was clear, but you couldn’t help the panic that was quickly building within you. Danger lurked close by, you could feel it coming.
“Hybern brainwashed you to turn you into an enemy of the Night Court.” A flash of white, and Hybern danced closer, as if the path to your mind was revealing the more they spoke.
“Stop!” you gasped, afraid of how close he would get. You couldn’t help your instinct to struggle against the leather belts, trying to get free.
“The opioids are wearing off,” Mor muttered to Feyre. You glanced between them in panic. Opioids? Were they drugging you?
Firm hands clasped your shoulders, her blue-grey eyes finding yours. “It’s alright Y/N, you’re safe. We’ve been working on reversing the hijacking for a number of weeks now. You’ve made a lot of progress already.”
Your breath was shaky now, adrenaline coursing through as you began to tremble. “Progress?” What the fuck was going on?
They’re lying. That cold voice returned, watching from the darkened crevices of your mind, luring you to join him. They’re lying, and they’re going to kill you.
You squeezed your eyes shut, forcing the voice out of your mind. “Leave me alone!” The words had escaped you before you could stop them.
“That’s it Y/N, fight back,” Mor coached. You gritted your teeth, sweat now beading at your brow. Your heart was a pounding drum in your ears, and the pain behind your eyes continued to build.
“He’s here!” you shrieked, warning the others.
“Only in your mind, my friend,” Feyre answered, her voice smooth and steady, a guiding light. “Hang in there, I’m going to ease your pain.”
You yelped as Feyre entered past your crumpled mental shields, her magic quick and light, your muscles relaxing as the pain eased to a more bearable level. Hybern had disappeared all together.
“We haven’t got much time,” she said to Mor, flicking her eyes down to you as you tried to stay focused. Your vision began to reel.
Mor swallowed before turning her gaze to you, her hands pushing against your left shoulder as Feyre moved to do the same to your right. Whatever was about to happen, it would not be good.
“We need you to fight Y/N, fight for your home, for Velaris and the Night Court.”
Those words – Night Court. White flashed before your eyes, and you shouted as pain slashed through your mind.
“Fight for your family. For Rhys, Cassian, Nesta, Elain Mor, Feyre and Nyx.”
Each of their names was a silver knife that penetrated you, a deep wound every time. You screamed as your mind reeled, white flashing before your eyes over and over again.
Kill them! Hybern’s voice was so close in your ear you could feel his phantom breath. You jumped at the sudden proximity.
“Stop!” you howled – begging to all of them. You had enough. So many voices, so much magic and pain and drugs – all of them fighting for control and your mind was merely the battlefield. It was torture.
“You can do it Y/N, keep fighting!”
You were whimpering now, thrashing against the leather bounds as you felt claws clasping your brain, your very being a marvelled toy in the hands of Hybern as he waited to rip you to shreds.
They’re going to kill you if you don’t do it first. His voice was a sing-song.
“Fight for your mate Y/N! Fight for Azriel!”
It was if someone had flipped a switch. That piercing white light filled your vision before Hybern morphed into the familiar winged demon before you. His eyes glowed, talons at the ready as he launched for you.
A scream ripped from you, your own teeth bared and eyes crazed. Anyone willing to summon this creature was not your family. They were your enemy.
“I’ll kill you!” you snarled, thrashing against the bounds.
“We’re not going to harm you Y/N.” Unable to know who had said it, you hissed at them both, continuing to thrash, digging your fingernails into your palms until they drew blood.
“Keep fighting Y/N. Your family loves you, and so does your mate!”
You ragged breaths paused for a split second. Azriel spoke then, his voice unchanged from Hybern’s, eyes glowing red and forked tongue lashing. You would let them trick you, Y/N? Prepare to die at the hands of your own weakness. Talons slashed at your mind.
Howling at the pain, you shook your head violently. “No, no no no!” Unaware of who you were threatening, another snarl ripped from you as you spat “I’ll kill all of you!”
You were still thrashing and yelling when Mor turned to Feyre. “It’s time Fey, let her rest.”
Feyre entered your mind for the second time that night. “Get out!!” you roared, feeling the intrusion.
“Sleep now,” she responded gently, pulling you from the warfare of your own mind and replacing it with calm, quiet rest.
It wasn’t until your breathing found a steady rhythm that Mor and Feyre left the room. Rhys and Cassian were at the door, having heard the screaming. Their faces were grave, none of them greeting the other.
“Any progress?” Cassian was the first to speak.
“Small, but progress all the same,” Mor responded, her voice flat. It was hard not to lose hope when every session ended this way. The lines between helping you or hurting you further were becoming so blurred.
Are you alright darling? Rhys asked his mate through their bond. You look depleted.
I’m fine, Rhys. Just a little tired. It was a long session.
“She remembered our names,” Feyre added, speaking aloud now.
“Your names?” Rhys questioned, his arms folding across his chest.
“Feyre and Mor. And she said them without switching back.”
“That is progress,” Cassian whispered, as if afraid to jinx it.
“Anything else to note?” the High Lord asked.
Feyre and Mor both shook their heads. “Everything else was consistent, her triggers still a long list of our names, the Night Court…”
“The worst one of them all,” Feyre said grimly. There was a beat of silence between the group. None of them wanted to be the one to tell the Shadowsinger.
“Where is he?” Mor asked.
“On the roof. I had to pull rank when she woke, he was going to enter the room when he heard her screaming.”
“He put up one hell of a fight,” Cassian added, stretching his arms. Bruises and scratch marks formed across them, a tell sign of how intense the fight had been.
Feyre shook her head, her expression sorry. She was empathetic to Azriel, she couldn’t imagine the instinct he was fighting by keeping away. But if you were to see him in that state – it would trigger you far worse than mentioning his name ever could. It would unravel weeks of long, torturous sessions, and was far too risky.
“You did right to stop him,” she said, offering her mate and Cassian a broken smile. “We’ll continue with our approach. Opioids to counteract the episodes from the poison, magic to ease her pain, and weaning her off occasionally to measure her progress.”
“Who’s going to give him the update this time?” Cassian asked. This was the most dreaded part amongst the group.
Rhys sighed then, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I’ll go. I should check in on him regardless, I imagine he’s quite upset with me.”
Mor and Cassian nodded, while Feyre reached her mate, placing a reassuring kiss on his cheek.
“With Elain,” he replied, kissing her forehead.
The group dispersed then, Rhys making his way to the roof to speak with his Spymaster.
AN: Sorry this took me a while to get out! Hope you enjoyed 💕
Would love any feedback, and comment to join the tag list for either the series or all ACOTAR 💕
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