Damon

The next night I winnow to the borders of the Night Court.
Crossing those borders is suicidal but returning and explaining to my Father I failed him is a worse fate.
I pull up the hood of my cloak to conceal my blonde hair and features that would immediately give me away to be a High Lords son and I do what I can to glamour my scent.
In my sixty years of existence I have never dared cross these borders, however I have always been curious. I always wondered if the Night Court was truly as terrifying as legends say.
The fearsome high lord who is the most powerful high lord in known history and his mate, a human turned fae.
It was always their story that fascinated me. I have heard numerous versions and retellings over the years. What I know for certain is that Feyre killed one of my Fathers sentries and was taken to the Spring Court, they fell in love and she saved them all from Amarantha, the queen who had control of Prythian. Then at some point she fell out of love. This is where the story starts to change. Some say she had made a bargain with the high lord Rhysand, or that he stole her away or she left willingly to be with him. I often hear from nobles in my court she was stolen away but servants say otherwise. If my father was always like how he is now then I wouldn't be surprised if she left willingly.
Most at court say that she fell in love with Rhysand and betrayed my Father long before she knew they were mates. People still speak of the legendary betrayal of Feyre Cursebreaker.
Eventually the courts united in bringing down Hybern but no one forgot my Fathers place in the war. That he allied with Hybern to get his fiancé who no longer loved him back.
Then there are the children of the legendary mates.
Ren who is to be High Lord someday. Their first born child, no one truly knows the limit of his power or what powers he would possess which I suspect my father wants me to find out. Feyre has the powers of all seven courts and Rhysand is the most powerful high Lord to ever live. Everyone is afraid and curious to see what their children will grow into.
Then there is a daughter who was born about eighteen or nineteen years ago. Astara. They say that while her brother is quiet and reserved that she is quite the opposite yet if they are as powerful as everyone believes they are then only a fool would underestimate them.
I have never laid eyes on them, I've glimpsed the high lord and lady while visiting other courts but never their children. They are the future of the Night Court and my father wants to know what they are capable of.
We all do.
I stop when I see fire through the clearing. As I go closer to investigate I discover that the fire illuminates an ancient stone structure that resembles a coliseum.
At least dozens of voices echo from within and then a horrific scream drowns them all out.
Hesitantly but curiously I approach the structure trying to recognise any scents but all of the scents are unfamiliar, except for one.
Curiously I enter and the first thing I notice are the wings. Dozens of Illyrians.
All the stories I've heard suggest that they're barbarians, however they act like usual fae from what I can see. Well mostly.
They're all shaking their firsts and the air and yelling, as I push through the crowd making sure that my scent is glamoured I realise just what this is.
An Illyrian fight club.
Keeping my head low I take a seat in the stands trying not to draw anyone's attention. Below are two Illyrian men fighting as I've never seen any high fae fight. Raw and brutal but captivating.
As the screams from the crowd become louder and more bloodthirsty I find myself wondering why the hell I thought this would be a good idea.
Going to an Illyrian fight club in the Night Court.
When Father said spy this isn't what he meant.
I'm about to leave when a smaller hooded figure enters the arena. She pushes back her hood and I see the most beautiful girl I've ever seen enter. Tan skin with braided hair as black as night and high sculpted cheekbones but it's her piercing violet eyes that survey the crowd that truly captivate me.
"Half breed!" I hear the Illyrians shout and I suddenly notice her lack of wings as she removes her cloak and lets it fall to the ground.
"She isn't even a half breed!" someone else yells out but she keeps her head held high and suddenly Illyrian wings appear. She's either a shapeshifter or she's able to manifest, either way she is a high fae. The scent I had recognised from outside. There is only one person she could be.
Although most quickly fall quiet some still hurl abuse at her.
"This is no place for a girl!"
"Go back to your palace!"
She laughs darkly as I realise that saying the high lords of the Night Court is darkness incarnate is not an exaggeration. She is the lady of the Night Court and with every breath she takes I can feel that darkness filling my own lungs as if we are sharing the same breath.
"How about you all shut your mouths and fight me," she challenges with a calm ease that I certainly would not challenge.
Yet several smirking men jump down into the pit and she just grins.
"No weapons," one says "If we cut you your father will have our heads."
"Tragic, I had hoped to take them myself."
She unsheathes Illyrian twin daggers and holds them up for the crowd to see before tossing them aside.
"Fight me bitch," is all she says before they run at her. With a few swift movements she has them all on the ground and I've never seen anyone fight with such ease, especially not against Illyrians. The men move to get up and challenge her again but by an unmistakable force of darkness they're pushed to the ground. That darkness creeps into my very bones as she stands over them.
"Now take not killing you as my only warning," she threatens and she then addresses all the other Illyrians who are deathly silent "And to you, my father may be a halfblood and my mother high fae but do not dare forget I am every part as Illyrian as you and was trained from birth to be. I will not be dishonoured by my own kin."
She speaks with such power it gives me chills and her wings stretch out wide for them all to see.
She's beautiful, truly captivating in the way that darkness is. My soul feels as if it knows hers, all I know is that it's drawing me to her in a way I cannot resist.
"Who's next?"
Rather stupidly I find myself stepping forward unable to stop myself. The Illyrians don't pay much attention, while my glamour may work for them she certainly sees through it.
"Well you definitely shouldn't be here."
She recognises me just as I recognised her, however she doesn't look suspicious, only curious.
"I thought this was neutral territory," I lie but she sees right through me.
She lets out a short laugh "No it really isn't, you may be welcome at court as a foreign dignitary but this is Illyrian territory."
She looks around at everyone seated, many of whom are quickly leaving. They know that the night is over for them.
"How about this," she proposes as she picks up her daggers "If you can last longer than they did I won't kill you."
Knowing my own strength as a high lords son I grin pulling out my own blade "Deal."
She strikes quickly but I block her attacks. I'm shocked by her strength and technique, quick, agile and deadly but she is also shocked by my brute strength. I'm the strongest warrior in the Spring Court, I won't go down that easily.
We fight until we come to a stalemate with her blade against my throat and the tip of mine against her stomach. Her violet eyes are fixed on mine and she grins at me breathlessly as she slowly removes the blade from my throat.
"Not bad," she praises "Not bad at all."
"Can't kill me now," I smirk and she gives me a mischevious smile. Only then I notice the silence and that the arena is now empty, it's just the two of us now.
"What am I going to do with you?" she ponders stroking the tip of her blade lightly against my cheek and for a moment I forget the true reason I'm here until that smile fades and she asks "Why don't you tell me what the hell you are doing in my court?"