It was as if the whole world stood still; shocked at what it had witnessed.

"She did it," Delphine breathed, tears falling down her face.

Even Aiko didn't seem to believe it. She stayed in her frozen stance, breathing heavily, her sword visibility shaking in her hand. Auriella wasn't able to see her face, but she could imagine it the same as everyone else who stared down at her.

Azriel, Auriella breathed through the bond.

Her mate sent a feeling of comfort, as if caressing her cheek without actually touching her. She felt relief wash over her.

Auriella snapped her eyes up to Pyxis and the rest of the brotherhood, who were all fuming with anger. The trainer stared down at the male trainee's corpse, his fist clenched at his sides. He didn't expect this at all.

When she was able to move, the Daughter of Dawn descended the steps from the platform, with the sisterhood following behind her.

Aiko turned to them, letting Auriella see her face. There were tears running down her cheek, spots of blood were on her face, and her teeth chattered. She dropped her sword, the clatter of metal echoing throughout the silent arena. The female fell to her knees.

Auriella ran to her, holding her face in her hands, "You did it, Aiko. You won." She says to her.

A few seconds later, Devlon landed on the concrete. The entire sisterhood turned towards him, but Auriella still held a tired Aiko in her hands. She could see her closing her eyes, her breathing becoming ragged.

Auriella looked down at her abdomen, seeing the open wound that was there. It was a long slash, spilling blood onto her thighs then down to the concrete. Aiko stared at the Daughter of Dawn, as if telling her that she wasn't going to make it.

"Devlon, call the match. Aiko won. Byron is dead. Now, call her the champion. She is wounded." Auriella tells the Lord of Windhaven. Around the arena, the crowd muttered.

After a moment, Devlon doesn't say anything. Melba turns to him, her wings flaring, "Call the fucking match! Aiko won!" She yells at him.

Suddenly, Pyxis and the brotherhood land on the concrete. They carry nothing but hate in their faces. Talia comes to Aiko's aid, "Go and deal with them. I'll be right here with her making sure she is conscious." She tells Auriella.

The Daughter of Dawn nods, standing up from the ground. She moves in front of the women, feet away from Devlon. "Announce Aiko as the winner. She is wounded and needs to get to Ruth immediately." She tells him, her shadows twirling around her.

The bastard scoffs, "For all we know, you could have poisoned the blade. You could have been the one to sabotage this match. Byron was an elite fighter. Aiko is a newcomer. There is no way that she could win this match so easily. You must have done something to enhance her." He says, looking over to Aiko.

Auriella's blood boils under her skin, "Aiko trained day and night for this bullshit. I have done nothing but make sure she was well prepared for this. And will not tolerate any slander against her. Byron lost because he was cocky and weak. Now, call this fucking match before-" Suddenly, the arena rumbled.

Auriella turned back to the sisterhood, who all looked up at the sky. She followed their glance, seeing a cloud of black smoke start to rise above them. Devlon immediately made his escape. The darkness covered the entire battlefield, letting anyone in the stands not being able to see what was going on.

Auriella! Get out of there! Azriel screamed through the bond.

The sisters knelt on the concrete, holding their chests. Auriella ran to Aiko, who was now unconscious on the ground. Taila was right next to her, gritting her teeth from the pain in her chest. She stared up at the clouds, "Not now... not right now." She said, restraining herself.

"What are you talking about? Talia, what the hell is happening?"Auriella asked, feeling her head become light and her sight becoming darker.

Talia shoved her away, "Get out of here! Go! She is here! If you don't leave, blood will shed!" She screamed, her eyes turning white. Auriella's eyes widened. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too shaky, feeling them giving out underneath her.

Ella, come out of there! Something's happening! I can't get to you! Azriel says, his voice desperate and worried. Auriella felt her heart wrench, tightening more and more as if she was losing him. She clutched her chest, feeling her heart rip apart.

She fell onto the ground, Az... She started, but she couldn't feel anything.

It felt as if she had lost her senses one by one. Her sight was still there, but she couldn't smell the blood in the air, unable to hear anything, even her own breathing. She couldn't even feel her own body.

Auriella turned her head, seeing the bloodshed taking place on the battleground. The sisterhood, in their ravaged state, were eliminating the brotherhood underneath the black cloud. Pyxis tried to defend his men, but he was injured, blood from his side spilling onto the concrete.

He held his hand out, pleading for Delphine to not kill him. But she made the killing blow, plunging her sword into his forehead. Her eyes were the same clouded white, and her attire stained with blood.

The Daughter of Dawn tried to yell out to her, but it was as if something was holding her down. She tried to connect with Azriel through the bond, but she couldn't feel him, couldn't even feel her shields as she tried to open them. It was like their bond had never existed.

She looked to where Aiko laid, seeing Ismene leaning over her. Black and white power poured from the female, spilling into Aiko, whose face was pale and unmoving. Her wound was closing from the unknown power, healing her.

Seconds later, Aiko's eyes opened, white and empty. She stood from the ground, uninjured. She said something to Ismene that Auriella couldn't make out, and bowed her head at her. Then they both ran to join the massacre of the brotherhood.

There were only three brothers standing. They were huddled together, pointing their swords at the sisters, who were stalking closer to them. Wetness pooled in their trousers as they pleaded to the females just like Pyxis did before his demise.

A voice came into the silence of Auriella's mind, Isn't it beautiful, Child of Night? The death of these men who thought less of us, who believed that we wouldn't prevail?

Tears fell from Auriella's eyes, wanting to do something, anything to stop the madness that was in front of her. The men had dropped their swords at this point, surrendering to the women. Auriella tried to break through the power that was holding her down, but it was too strong.

Suddenly, Auriella was lifted off the ground, tilted forward. She still couldn't feel anything but the rising panic in her heart. She wanted to move out of her powerless state, to fight it, but there wasn't anything she could do.

The sisterhood had already eliminated the last three men, their heads decapitated, and their guts spilled all over the stone. There was no one left. The females kneeled in a circle around the middle of the arena.

Then a bright light formed in the middle of them, surrounded by dark smoke that swirled around it. It moved the dark clouds, mixing them. It stopped abruptly as it came, revealing a singular being that leaked dark magic from their body.

Auriella saw the smoke emitting from them, their attire a dress of darkness. It was something she had never seen before, as if this being was made in the depths of hell. She felt her mind tighten, hearing someone scream and seeing flashes of someone thrashing to get out.

The dark being turned towards her, and Auriella's eyes widened. She tried to think, to remember the name of who she was.

The feminine being walked towards the Daughter of Dawn, her yellow eyes glowing and brightening with each step. She walked over the blood and guts on the ground, unfazed. She stopped inches away from Auriella, a sinister smile creeping onto her lips.

Child of Night, I look forward to making a bargain with you. She says.

And before Auriella could think of a thought, her mind went dark.

***

The Daughter of Dawn opened her eyes, squinting at the blue sky of Prythian.

She was on the stone ground, able to feel everything once more. She felt the concrete beneath her fingers, heard the crows flying around the empty arena, and smelled the blood from the dead brotherhood that was around her. She almost vomited from the obscene stench.

The sisterhood was no longer there - disappeared with The Being, Auriella believed. They had worked under the powerful female all along and the Night Court had been blind to suspect those close to them. It was clear now that no one could trust each other, even those who were considered family.

Auriella blinked away her tears, not wanting to break apart, even though there was so little of her left to break. The women that had become her friends were gone.

Azriel? Auriella said through the repaired bond.

Immediately, she could feel the relief and anger run down, but her mate didn't reply. She let out a sob, finally able to feel something of him, to feel that worry and rage that always made her come alive. She needed to see him and touch him to know that he was okay.

Even now, there were so many emotions clouding her that she couldn't think clearly. She wanted to know what happened after she met The Being face to face, knowing that her power was the only thing that kept her from remembering. But that box was locked up tight, unable to open without the owner who shut it.

Suddenly, Auriella could hear the barks of Perseus echo throughout the empty arena. She quickly turned over, seeing him and Azriel running through the darkness of where she and Aiko entered the battleground.

As she started to get up from the concrete, her chest seared in pain. She screamed, faltering back down, feeling as if flames were burning her and blackening her heart. She unzipped the top of her suit, seeing dark marks covering her skin.

A yellow spark etched unknown lettering in her skin, dark magic dripping down her skin, as if it were her own blood. She gritted her teeth, shaking from the pain that would not stop.

The Spymaster immediately went down on his knees in front of her, grabbing her face, and capturing her lips with his. Auriella whimpered in pain, not wanting to push him away, but unable to bear the pain that still gripped her chest.

Azriel seemed to feel it, quickly pulling away. He looked down at her marked chest, his eyes becoming deadly. He looked up at her, "What happened?" He breathed.

Auriella noticed that his eyes were red, his armor torn, as if someone tried to hold him back. In her pain, she put her palms over his siphons, feeling their vibrating warmth. He was keeping himself at bay, tethering the power that threatened to be unleashed.

"I couldn't feel you," She breathed, tears racing down her cheeks.

When she couldn't feel Azriel through the bond, she felt her heart stop. In her mind, she frantically searched for the tether that bound them together, the bond that she held close to her. The only thing that she knew was real, that couldn't be taken away from her, had been ripped away for a sheer moment.

A moment that terrified her.

Azriel placed his forehead on top of hers, his memories flashing in her mind.

Auriella cried as she saw her mate crumble to his knees at the top platform, hearing him cry out to her. Cassian held him back, knowing that he would go into those dark clouds for his mate. He yelled, clutching his chest, feeling the bond still, and silent for a moment.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight.

Mate, mate, mate, were the only words echoing in his mind. He was still tethered to Auriella, but he wasn't able to reach out, to hear anything coming from her. He fought his brother's grip, but Rhysand was there seconds later, winnowing them away from the arena.

Auriella could see him thrashing, crying, and yelling at his brothers to let him go. Feyre and the rest of his companions stared at him in shock as he unknowingly revealed the bond he shared with the Daughter of Dawn. But he didn't care.

His only priority was her and nothing else.

Even now, he didn't focus on the bodies of the brotherhood around him or the carnage that was to come. His eyes were only on Auriella, scanning her, making sure that she was okay.

Soon, the pain in Auriella's chest withered away, fading as the mark finished being formed. She let out a breath, feeling relief sweep over her. Perseus shifted himself in between them. She softly petted her wolf, holding her mate in her other hand.

"I need to see my brother," Auriella says.

She didn't want to disturb this moment between them, but the sense of urgency inside of her was through the roof. She had to speak with Damian, especially since she had seemed to have made a bargain with the being. She had no clue as to what had transpired under the darkness, but she knew it couldn't be good.

Azriel nodded, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't be quiet with me, Az. Please, say something." She pleaded with him, unable to bear the silence that he was giving her. She wanted to hear his deep voice speak with the gentleness that caressed her, sending chills down her spine. She wanted his reassurance.

The Spymaster took a deep breath, "Let's get out of here, Ella." He says, not giving her a second to breathe as they all winnowed away from the Arena of Nightmares.