I had no idea how but I just knew. The linking bond the Suriel gave me hummed with recognition that I had found my prey. Not that I needed it

I felt in my very bones that the Illyrian man I'd just seen was Nyx. And I hated him already, seethed watching him knowing all that I knew. The spawn of my father's enemies, now my enemy.

Though my eyes couldn't deny his beauty. How horrifyingly beautiful he was. A tall broad frame, his training leathers tailored to perfection that unsurprisingly revealed the hint at the warriors body beneath, honed impeccably - no doubt over years and years of training in this camp. Training that likely trumped mine - yes I was a competent warrior under Bellamy's tutelage but I had never seen true battle. Not like Illyrians. Creatures born purely for battle. It scared me but also enthralled me. The challenge electrified my bones.

His wings were imposing yet magnificent, those beautiful bat-like black wings that he kept high, not allowing them to touch the ground much like his comrades. To fly with them must be an amazing experience. Such perfect tendrils of hair waltzed in the wind, darker than any onyx gem, darker than anything I'd ever seen - it contrasted with his perfect skin, bronze and almost glowing with vitality. He was so full of life that it made me sick to my stomach.

He had no idea that I was here to end him.

Yet as I looked at him closer I noted a long scar that adorned his throat. It was horrific, impossible to ignore yet some part of me was drawn to it. And an odd sort of curiosity. It showed he was a survivor, that he could not be so easily undone, it emphasised the warrior I had no doubt that he was. I wondered how many battles he had been in, how many he had killed over his century and a half.

It made more nervous then I cared to admit. Nyx was older, stronger and no doubt had been training with all manner of weapons since childhood. Not to mention he had all the Illyrians loyal to both him and his parents all across Windhaven. I knew I was proficient with weaponry but I hadn't the experience. I recognised that. There was only one way to take down Nyx and that was to be smarter, to deceive him.

I felt a rush of fear go through me as I wondered whether to remove my glamour or not, whether he could sense it. But he hadn't so much as glanced in my direction so I decided to remain invisible. I only had the most basic Illyrian features after all, but was missing one vital point. Wings. I couldn't shapeshift into a true Illyrian because until mere minutes ago I had never seen their wings in person, only heard grotesque stories from her father. But my father had been wrong on that account, their wings were glorious and I was sure I could never do them justice. Or keep them from dragging on the floor which would mark me as an outsider. I couldn't risk it.

So I waited and continued to watch him.

He approached the group of Illyrians I had been tailing with a grim expression that betrayed nothing but slight annoyance at their tardiness which surprised me. I had half expected to hear the crack of a whip by now or the sound of bones breaking. Perhaps he wanted to run them ragged and then punish them. Who knows.

Still he only seemed to exchange a few firm words with them before the group started jogging in the direction of the training pits.

I was a huntress incarnate. There was naught to do in the Spring Court except hunt, train and watch. So as a rule I was very good at observing. So I put those skills to use, noting his every movement, the way he moved so seamlessly among the forest, as if he were a ghost, bound to no laws of Fae or man whilst simultaneously seducing everything surrounded him to his power. His will. I made sure to keep my distance as even the glamour that had moulded into my very being had its limits. He may very well be powerful enough to see through it, he too was a child of a High Lord he could likely produce a glamour of equal strength.

But he didn't have the unchecked raw power that flowed through my father to me. He was not equal to a High Lord in power. Not yet. And my powers were getting stronger everyday. And if my deceptions and strength wasn't enough, the poison on a few of my knives would bring that beast down. Enough to be subdued. That reminded me, I still needed to coat my ash infused daggers with Faebane when I returned to camp.

I watched him, until he disappeared from sight completely before I rose, turning everywhere to check I was alone before moving closer to the camp. I could stay hidden, find Bellamy. That would be the safer option. But this was a golden opportunity to stalk Nyx to learn of his habits and movements. And Windhaven was a massive camp.

Perhaps foolishly, though I had faith in my facade, I decided to be hidden in plain sight and started walking towards the training ground, the harsh winds biting my face more at the lack of tree cover.

There were so many of them training in hand to hand combat, weaponry, some fighting in flight above, clashes of wings, steel and fists. Of course they took no notice of me. Though they did take notice of Nyx as he stalked to the rows of spears lined up at the edge of the training circle, picking up a few dozen and throwing them for his trainees to catch. Which they all did, an automatic reaction, and wordlessly, grouped into pairs and got into their stances. Two male pairs. One female and male.

As soon as Nyx raised his fist, they began their assaults on each other. It was vicious, calculated, powerful with true weapons. Nothing like how Bellamy and I sparred with dulled down swords and training weapons. Though I suppose he never wanted to risk putting me in true harm's way while under the watch of my father. Still, it made me scowl to think back on. Everybody treated me like a porcelain doll thanks to my father's influence. Save for Sabin. I missed her a little, though she was as grumpy as a Naga - I had seen her practically every day of my life. And she could've given these Illryians a run for their money in viciousness. But with words rather than fists. Though I certainly wouldn't have bet against her in a fight either. The thought made me smile, the old woman had a will of absolute iron.

Still it was beautiful to watch, and I was glad no one could see how hard I was smiling, how keenly I was observing every attack and feint. My purpose faded away with every clash of fist and steel, I was completely drawn in, I wanted to join. It was blatant how hard each of the pairs had worked and trained with their spears. Neither opponent in the three pairs wanted to give up, they all desperately wanted to prove themselves. I recognised that desperate determination in the way they thought, it was the same way I had done with Bellamy.

I drew my eyes away from the six sparring to the other training areas, with all manner of weapons. My eyes widened with delight when I saw the most perfect rows of daggers, how my fingers itches to grab them, to feel the cool metal balance of them. And put them into action. Prove I could spar just as well as any of them. Perhaps bury a few in Nyx's pretty head.

But I forced my eyes away and back to focusing on the task at hand. Even though Nyx himself hadn't moved and was keenly watching the six until it became clear who were the winners. He smiled in approval at the victors, clapping them on the back, ordering them into the air. The power with which their wings beat was extraordinary, they were both elegant and strong. Now I was truly jealous I couldn't fly. Well not yet, my shapeshifting abilities were getting stronger though.

I watched the trainees disappear into the clouds and turned my focus back to Nyx who was ordering the losing parties to start sparring again. I didn't watch them. I watched him.

The watching grew tiresome but I needed to see where Nyx's private tent was, where he went to be alone. When he was sleeping and vulnerable I would let the faebane do its work.

Bellamy's lesser fae contact Artemisia on the outskirts of the Night Court truly was an excellent procurer of all things deadly and rare, though her prices were strange and she appeared more witch than fae - from Bellamy she wanted fingernails and locks of hair, from me she wanted a pint of blood - my blood had power she said, strong magic. Bellamy hadn't wanted me to give her the blood but I needed that Faebane along with a supply of ash to nullify Nyx. I just hoped Artemisia wouldn't turn me into a toad.

I waited and watched Nyx for hours, him sparring with maces, swords, fists and more, leading his trainees, eating then finally going to his tent. I grinned maniacally as I watched him enter, memorising every thing around his tent, anything distinctive so I'd know it without a shadow of doubt at my return. But it wouldn't be difficult I expect, his tent was far larger than the majority in the camp.

I wanted to follow him inside but I didn't dare push my luck and the glamour that shielded me and my scent was started to wane as I grew wearier. Still now I knew where Nyx would be and I would remember.

Smiling to myself, I turned to make my way back to mine and Bellamy's camp.

—

"Where in the Cauldron's name have you been?" Bellamy snapped when she had finally made her way back to their meeting place, Bellamy had already started a fire, cooking some rabbits they had shot yesterday.

"Watching Nyx or did you think I was simply braiding my hair?" I sneered back, sitting down, starting to salivate at the smell of the cooking rabbits.

All that Nyx-watching had made me ravenous.

"And you're lucky my glamour still holds, you should have waited to cook the rabbits and checked that it was still up, anyone airborne could've seen the smoke and ratted us out," I scolded, two could play at the pissed off game. I was tired. I was hungry. I did not need his bullshit right now. Not after a day of producing maintaining such strong glamours. It was a good thing I'd paid attention in every magic lesson Sabin and my father taught me, they prepared me for the new strengths of my gifts well.

"I knew the glamour was still up, you used your magic to change my appearance and doing so made me attuned to your gifts, I can feel when you glamour now Thea," he retorted, "and do not change the subject we agreed to come back avenge a certain time."

He practically shoved a cooked rabbit in my face, the orange hue of the flames highlighting the scowl on his tanned face even more so.

I ignored him, taking the rabbit and greedily chewing, I had another and another and once I'd had my fill and my body and magic felt back to normal I turned back to Bellamy who threw a rabbit bone furiously at my feet.

"Don't be childish," I lectured.

"Well don't leave me to worry about whether you still had that pretty little head," Bellamy said, his tone strangely devoid of his usual playfulness instead filled with worry.

"This pretty little head is still attached thankfully, and gorgeous, though I do miss my auburn curls," I said patting my dark Illyrian hair in mocking vanity.

"It's not funny Thea," Bellamy scowled, "anything could've happened, this is not a game."

Concern and anger? My my, the Night Court brought out a new side to Bellamy.

"I know that," I snapped, raising my temper to meet his own, "I was perfectly fine and while you sit here bitching at me, I'll tell you what did happen, I know now the layouts of where Nyx frequents, including his private tents, we can now use that to our own ends, catch him unawares, drug him with Faebane and take him to Under the Mountain."

"Any questions?" I finished with a condescending smile.

"Alright alright, I get the point, you did good kid," Bellamy replied, offering me that conspirator's grin I'd learned to love.

"Kid?" I laughed, "we're practically the same age."

"True," Bellamy acknowledged but then depended his smile, "it's just I'm so much more mature than you."

"You wish," I replied with a smile, too tired to banter back and forth with him. I was tired already and I would be more tired after what is to come. My eyes already felt heavy with what I had to do, and with worry at the anxiety I had caused my father by leaving. At the very least the Night Court was the last place he would think to search.

He had to live. There was no other choice, I thought, desperately as my eyes found solace in the dying embers of the fire.

A dying flame is a curious thing, so many colours and tenors of red, orange, yellows and blues. It clings so desperately to the wood it burns, consuming it chip by chip, stealing more vitality to itself and burns so bright with such vitality. For a time. But when the brown of the wood erodes the fire grows weaker, it tries to find a lifeline yet not a speck of live wood chips remains. Until it has nowhere left to burn but out.

I will not let my father suffer the same fate, if Nyx must be the catalyst for a dying ember to turn into a roaring flame then so be it. If only my negligent mother were the one dying, she is the one that deserves an ill fate yet she lives in luxury with her mate in the western faerie realms, not a care in the world - certainly not for the husband and daughter she left behind. That was the first thing that hardened my heart and perhaps why I clung to her father so desperately. He has loved me, protected me and raised me. I could not live with myself if I chose the life of the son of his enemies over him.

"Before we act have you coated every weapon with Faebane?" I asked, bringing myself back to our plan.

Soon we would strike, when the camp was abed. And put enough Faebane in his system to take out an army. It was crucial. Thanks to Bellamy's contact we know both have a supply that will last with daily doses for two months maximum, enough to keep him subdued. Hopefully the act would be done by then.

"Each and every weapon," Bellamy answered with a roguish grin, "well apart from your handy little knives you took on your excursion, hand them over Thea."

I did so, taking them from their twin sheaths at my sides and handing them to him. Though albeit a little reluctantly. I didn't like anyone touching my twin daggers, made primarily from silver though embedded with ash to cause harm to any manner of fae who attacked me. I'd never truly needed to use them properly. They had been a gift from my father for my 50th birthday, a couple of years after I was attacked at the borders of the Autumn Court by fae bandits and I had not so much as let another touch them as soon as I learnt to wield them. But seeing as Bellamy was the one who taught me to use them ... I let him have them.

"I almost forgot how possessive you are over your precious knives," he mocked teasingly, though his eyes flitted playfully from hers to focusing on the daggers, Faebane meticulously applied to every inch of the blades. Ash and Faebane - I would need to take care when handling them.

"There you go," he said, grinning as I carefully took them from him, putting them back in their sheaths, "enough toxins on them to kill our beast."

"Thanks Bel," I said gratefully and I was truly grateful. It was hard enough being at this camp as it was and we had already faced danger from the Mage when crossing The Middle. There would surely be more danger to come get with Bellamy watching my back as he always had I felt safe. Well as safe as I could be.

"You're most welcome my High Ladyness," Bellamy said with a wink which made me shake my head.

"You know you won't get a promotion when I'm eventually High Lady by flirting with me," I said jokingly.

"I would never dream of seducing my High Lady for a higher rank, you're just too gorgeous for my charms to resist," he replied back with an easy grin. I was thankful to the gods that his temperament remained unchanged - it distracted me from my anxieties and dread.

"Your charms can't resist anyone," I said, thinking about how many ladies desired Bellamy in the Spring Court.

"True," he admitted, flipping a small knife from his belt around in his hand.

He would always flirt, steal a kiss here and there, taken a few to bed but I had never seen him have anything serious. Though the fae weren't particularly inclined to settle down, except those few with mates. A mate bond was a fate I was keen to avoid, shackled randomly to another through the Cauldron. The thought made me recoil.

The mating bond had taken my father's old intended from him and my mother from us both. It was nothing more than fate's way to punish us immortals.

"Alright we wait till the moon lowers more and then we check that the camp is asleep, then go find Nyx," I relayed, "in and out under glamour before anyone even knows we were there

"You know how going in and out is one of my favourite activities you can count on me," he said, a mocking hand over his heart.

"Bellamy be serious," I scolded.

"Alright alright, yes the plan is reasonable, not too complicated, easy to follow I like it, even if we do encounter anyone Illyrians do not possess the magic to sense our glamours so we should be fine, the only potential issue is if we encounter Rhysand's daughter, Astraea," he said and I noted that down, scolding myself, I had forgotten about the other Illyrian princess. Though thank the Cauldron I hadn't seen any female who resembled Nyx around. Their tents were hopefully quite distanced.

Bellamy continued, "and of course Nyx himself, though with any luck he'll be sleeping like a babe and we'll have scratched him with Faebane before you can thank the Cauldron!"

I nodded, "alright you get some sleep for a couple of hours, and I'll stand watch and keep the glamour up and wake you when it's time"

"No you need to sleep Thea, the Illyrians will not be expecting two fugitives to be camping in their woods, the fire is out and our camp is well concealed from patrols above from the heavy tree lines, I'll stand watch and if I see anyone on foot I'll wake you straight away," Bellamy responded and I rolled my eyes, ever the protector though I couldn't deny his logic.

And I was exhausted. The food had helped but maintaining the magic was debilitating. Not so much the physical glamours on Bellamy and myself - transformational magic was a staple of Spring Court rulers. But glamouring a space was much harder.

"Alright," I agreed reluctantly, "two hours tops but you see anything untoward you wake me up straight away got it?"

"Got it," he agreed, watching me as I settled into my sleeping mat beneath the fur covers, "ordering me like a High Lady already and doing a mission of espionage and assassination, you will be a force to be reckoned with one day."

"One day," I agreed, my eyes starting to shut, "but not for many years to come."

He smiled, "sleep my Thea."

And so I did.

And when I did, surprisingly I dreamt of the Suriel.

"Poor foolish child,"  The Suriel crooned, it's rotting breath infusing into my nose at its proximity. I tried to move back but I found couldn't move, "you will move and you will lose."

I flushed in anger, "your bond worked I found Nyx I won't lose my father."

"Stupid child, you will lose you will lose," it repeated manically laughing, turning its words into a bizarre tune,"I lost mine and now all will lose."

"What did you lose," I hissed, growing angry at the way it spoke in riddles and taunts.

"I lost my heart now you will lose," it sung skipping around her in an odd hyper dance, bits of its raggedy black cloak falling to the ground.

"What are you talking about?" I shouted in exasperation. This Suriel was still alive so obviously it still had a heart. Was it simply mocking me out of anger that I captured it? Was this even real or was my head just dreaming with bizarre fantasies?

"You will see you will see," it cried happily, its eyes full of glittering malice and satisfaction.

    ✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄———༻❁༺———⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

I woke to Bellamy shaking my awake, his eyes a little concerned as I began to open my own groggily.

"It's time, and you were talking in your sleep in riddles," Bellamy observed shaking his head in amusement, "if you wanted to profess your undying love for me you needn't do it in your sleep."

I groaned, accepting his hand and dragging myself up. Still dark. And we had work to do. I got the last of water from the stream in my waterskin and splashed it against my face, shocking myself back to reality.

"Let's go," I said grimly, checking that my physical glamour had stayed during sleep, to my satisfaction I looked down and found Illyrian black curls. Keeping a physical glamour while sleeping. That was progress.

Bellamy nodded at my words, both of us checking our weapons one final time and packing up our camp, leaving no sign we were here to begin with.

And we walked and walked, under the shield of the glamour I had reapplied to us both for invisibility. Only a few guards were stationed at the outskirts of the camp but a few Illyrians could make a great deal of difference.

Still they didn't so much as glance at us as we went past, careful to keep our footsteps as light as possible and it wasn't long before we found Nyx's tent.

"Told you I had a good memory," I whispered in satisfaction and Bellamy just arched an eyebrow, pressing a finger to his lips in reply.

He gestured for me to stand guard while he went to subdue Nyx but I shook my head, pointing at my drawn ash daggers. Ash and Faebane combined was the best weapon we had and Bellamy knew it. Knowing we couldn't risk an argument he reluctantly nodded, keeping his sword withdrawn and gestured that he would stand guard outside.

I nodded in understanding and quietly made the final few paces to Nyx's tent, carefully unzipping it and entering.

It was so dark, save from one candle in a faraway corner that I could barely make it out - the tent was enormous. I took a few tentative quiet steps, my eyes eventually seeing the bed.

But to my surprise there was nobody sleeping in it. I heard the noise behind me before I had a chance to react,  I only partially was able to spin around before I was trapped beneath enormous arms, a blade pressing to my throat. I froze, feeling the heat of the male pressing into me from behind and felt long unbound hair tickling my shoulders. He was taller than me it was evident and by the size of his arms most likely physically stronger. And likely the owner of this tent.

Fuck.

"You didn't think it would be that easy did you," the amused deep voice murmured quietly in my ear, his breath tickling the top of my ear sending shudders through my body.

Nyx.