The next night, Auriella could feel the bond shift from time to time.

She sensed Azriel's agitation and stress that he was facing. Whatever was happening over at the Night Court camp could not be good. There were times when the bond went silent, but moments later, his emotions would overwhelm her; startle her almost.

Thesan looked over to his daughter, "Are you alright, Ella? You seem troubled." He tells her. No, she wasn't. But she wouldn't tell him that.

Auriella shakes her head, "I'm fine. I didn't have a good sleep last night." She lies. She would not dare tell him about Azriel and their mating bond. She had to keep that for herself for now.

It didn't look like her father believed her. Thankfully, guards went up to him before he had a chance to ask her other questions. She left his side, going over to her brother who was sharpening Wrathbringer.

Auriella unsheathed Soulender, taking a wet rag from the pail, and starting to clean her sword. "Isn't she sharp enough, brother?" She asked him.

Damian nodded, staying silent.

The Daughter of Dawn cleared her throat, cleaning the indents in her blade. "Is there something wrong, Damian?" She asks.

Her brother takes a deep breath, putting his sword down next to him. He looks around for any prying ears, then turns back to his sister. "Something happened to me in the battlefield," he says, "I don't know what it was, but for some reason, my hands glowed. It was only for a moment, but I swear they did."

Auriella leaned in, "Are you sure? I've never seen you do that before." She says.

Damian rolls his eyes, "Of course you haven't, Ella. It was the first time it has ever happened to me. No one else saw, but I did." He tells her.

She wanted to laugh at him, to tell him that there was no way he could do that. But as she stared at her brother, she could see the genuine concern on his face. It was clear that he wasn't faking anything.

And she remembered what she had done herself all those years ago.

Auriella took his hand in hers, "Whatever it is, brother, it is something that we can worry about another day," she stands from her seat, "Right now, you and I will be going to get something to eat because I am starving."

Hold them high!

The Daughter of Dawn felt herself freeze at the sound of his voice. It rumbled through her body, alerting her about what was happening. She felt the panic rushing down the bond, making her nerves soar like never before. Azriel was in trouble.

Legs up!

He wasn't screaming at her, but someone else. It seemed like he was too focused on the other person to even think about their bond. Her heart yearned for her to look for him, to protect him. But she couldn't do that.

Bank!

Wherever he was, it required for him to fly. Auriella remembered her father, Zephyr, yelling the word to young Peregryns that were learning to fly for the first time when they were at high altitude.

What the hell was he doing?

Fly.

She could hear the pain in his voice. He was injured. Everything within Auriella screamed for her to go to find him, to make sure he was okay. Her emotions were everywhere. She felt her mind going into circles, bile rushing up to her throat.

Auriella felt her brother shaking her, "Ella, what the hell is going on with you? You've turned pale all of a sudden." Damian tells her, helping his sister back down to her seat.

She shakes her head, "It's nothing. I just haven't been feeling myself lately. Sleeping has become nonexistent to me these days." She says, the lie coming out like a breeze.

Damian gives her a stern look, "Ella, this war isn't for the weak. What good is it if you are out here, half asleep on the battlefield? You need to rest." He tells her, tucking a hair off her face and behind her ear.

She nods, "I promise, I'll be fine. I just need some-" A familiar voice interrupts her.

"THESAN!" Rhysand yells through the clamor. Auriella looks over to see what he was doing on their side of the camp, but her heart stopped at the sight of Azriel clinging onto his High Lord, his wings bleeding and barely conscious.

Thesan and Zephyr immediately rush over to the pair, taking Azriel from Rhysand's hands. They quickly rushed him over into a tent. Auriella immediately went in after them, ignoring her brother's voice calling her.

Azriel was placed on the cot, stomach down. Thesan looked over to his daughter, "Ella, you don't need to be in here." He tells her.

She nods, "I know, but I want to help. I have been doing nothing these past days. Let me be of use to you right now. The Spymaster is not in good shape." She tells him, her eyes darting over to him. He did not look good.

Her father took a deep breath, going over to Azriel, examining his wings. The Spymaster yells as his wings were expanded by Thesan. "Ella, give him water. This won't be easy to fix." He tells her.

Auriella didn't think twice. She quickly went to pick up the canteen from the table in the tent, going over to Azriel's side. She hesitated for a moment, seeing how his face was losing its color. "You need to drink, Spymaster." She tells him.

Azriel's breathing was haggard, his eyes fluttered open, drooping in and out of consciousness. He could barely lift his head. Auriella helped him, putting the canteen to his mouth. He drank the water like it was the first time he had it, finishing it.

Auriella looked over to her father, seeing him occupied. She looks back to Azriel, "It's going to be okay. You'll be back on the battlefield in no time." She whispers to him.

The Spymaster was no longer awake. His breathing was steady as Thesan kept mending his wings, taking away the poison injected in them by arrows. Auriella was by his side the entire time, waiting until her father was finished.

She wiped the dirt and sweat off of his face with a wet rag, making sure that it was cool to the touch. From time to time, she would look to her father, wanting to make sure he was still occupied. She could not risk raising suspicion with him.

Once her father was finished, she stood up. "Is he going to be okay?" She asks.

Thesan nodded, "Yes, he'll be fine." He tells her.

They both walked out of the tent, meeting Rhysand, Zephyr, and Damian outside. The High Lord of Night quickly stood up, acknowledging Auriella first, then turning his head to Thesan, "Were you able to help him?" He asked.

Her father nods, "Yes, I was. It wasn't an easy repair, but with rest, I'm sure he'll be fine." He tells him.

Rhysand nods, "Alright then. I will come back to check on him tomorrow. Let me know if something changes." He says and then winnows away before anyone can respond.

As the night passes by, Auriella secludes herself in the trees. She lays on her back, staring up at the stars shining above the Summer Court. Even though sleep was slowly taking over her body, she needed to see the stars again, yearning for their sight.

But most of all, Auriella needed to be alone, to think somewhere else about the male occupying her mind. She thought about him laying alone in the cot with his injured wings. She thought of how peaceful he looked when he was asleep like there was no worry in his mind. She smiled to herself.

She could not grasp the thought of seeing him up close. She felt herself calm at the sight of him, knowing that he was alive and safe. But her heart ached when he let out a yell of pain as her father examined his injuries. She wanted to pry him away, to protect her mate.

Auriella did not know him, and yet, she could not go a day without thinking about him. Even when she closed her eyes and dreamt of a sea of stars, he was right there, in between the gleaming waves.

***

As the days passed, it came time to finish the war.

Auriella once again stood at the edge of the cliff, but with her family by her side. They all looked down at the battlefield, watching as the soldiers from every court got into their positions, shields up and swords out.

And in moments, the fighting had started once more. Soldiers colliding with enemies, swinging their swords with mighty strength. But in seconds, the field had become stained with blood from either side.

"This is it, isn't it? We finish this today." Damian said, his voice void of emotion.

Zephyr nods, "It seems that the Night Court has found a solution on how to win this war. So, today, we fight until we can't anymore. Or until this plan of theirs is executed." He says.

Thesan stands in front of his family, his face filled with fear. He clears his throat, "Whatever happens today, I want you all to know that I love you. If this is our last time together as a family, I will cherish it for however long we have left." He tells them.

The Children of Dawn embrace their fathers together, not caring who sees. Auriella plants a kiss on each of her fathers' cheeks, whispering "I love you" against them.

She let herself become a child in their arms again, remembering how they would play with her and make her smile every day. Her fathers were everything to her. Without them, she would surely not be alive. Her life would have ended the moment theirs did.

She was proud to be their daughter.

Once they pulled away, Auriella wiped her tears, returning her eyes to the battlefield. She could see hundreds of bodies sprawled out on the grass, but the fighting never stopped.

"Whatever the Night Court has planned, they better-" Damian is cut off by the rumble of the earth like something was awakening beneath their feet.

Suddenly, Hybern's shield was no more, leaving him vulnerable.

Another rumble cleaved through the earth, showing just what the Night Court has been doing all of this time.

First, a series of shadows came rushing into the sky, like thunderous clouds had descended onto the battlefield. Next, a man had appeared next to the writhing cloud, his face full of content, like he was waiting for this to happen. And finally, a woman appeared next to the man, who seemed shocked to see her, but nonetheless, was prepared for battle.

And seconds later, their mighty fury unleashed upon Hybern.

"This is insane," Auriella breathed.

Damian took a deep breath, "We must get onto the battlefield and help our forces. Whatever else is coming, we must be prepared to defend ourselves." He says.

Suddenly, another set of surprises kept coming their way.

Tamlin, Beron, and Grayson's armies were all there, leading their forces against Hybern and destroying any enemies in their wake. Another army, full of humans, was also there, being led by Jurian, the man whose eye Amarantha had kept around her neck.

"Ah, well look who finally came," Thesan mutters.

Zephyr lets out a huff, "Let's get down there. It's time we join our army and end this." He says, getting ready to winnow.

Auriella grabs his hand, "I'm coming with you this time." She tells him. Her father looks down at her for a moment, before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Unleash yourself upon them, my diamond." He whispers to her. And before she can say another word, she and her family are winnowed into the battlefield.

She unsheaths Soulender, the blade gleaming in the sunlight. For a moment, she could feel it vibrate in her hands like it was ready to be covered in the blood of enemies.

And when one was coming towards her, that is exactly what she did. The Daughter of Dawn whirled herself, dodging the attack, her sword colliding with another. She swiped her sword along the abdomen, slicing her opponent. He fell to the ground.

One by one, she took enemies down. Her gleaming armor was stained with blood, along with Soulender, but she was high on adrenaline. She could not stop fighting, no matter how much blood was on her hands, she would not let Prythian be ruled by Hybern. She would not be a failure again.

Even when the earth rumbled again, she would not stop.

Not until the blast came and sent her flying into the air.

Auriella!

She landed on the grassy plain, her body aching with pain. She lifted her head to see thousands of soldiers on the ground, lifeless. A cloud of light orange surrounded the field, raining ashes down upon her.

Auriella looked to her side, seeing her brother a few feet away from her. Their eyes locked, realizing how bad this was. How close they were to dying.

She looked around for Soulender, seeing it a few feet away from her. She crawled towards her sword, bringing it back into her hands, before standing up.

When Auriella looked over to her brother once more, her eyes widened.

Damian was glowing from head to toe like the sun had covered him in its light.

She noticed him looking at her the same way as if he was terrified of her. And when she looked down at herself, she could see why.

Glittering shadows had formed around her, surrounding her in a dark shield, like she was made of night itself. They covered her sword, making the silver blade shine.

She felt her strength regain from the unbelievable power, feeling as if she could take down anything that threatened her life.

The twins looked at a number of Hybern's soldiers walking towards them, their swords out and shields ready. But Auriella knew that it wouldn't be enough. They would die by the newfound abilities she and Damian held.

And with that, the Children of Dawn unleashed themselves upon Hybern's army.