The Daughter of Dawn winnowed to the Night Court border with Perseus and Azriel at her side.

Immediately, she could see the shift in all of the men, see them become tense and wide-eyed. Their leader, Arsenio, clears his throat, staring anywhere else.

Behind her, Auriella heard her mate let out a low growl, staring at the men as if they were a threat to both of them. She could feel the possessiveness inside of him, wanting to rip the Peregryns to shreds if they did or said anything that could potentially set him off.

Arsenio takes a deep breath, "Daughter of Dawn, I understand that it might be a... bad time to call you here, but we need to debrief you on this." He says, "The Being has made a return, launching more of her creations to the borders. We have received word from the Spring Court border that hundreds of creations are swimming to their shore."

Auriella panics, remembering her attendant, Valeria.

Auriella narrows her eyes, "What do you mean? Where are those creations coming from?" She asks him, her heart tightening with worry. The Spymaster slides his hand into hers, trying to provide any sort of comfort, but there is none that she could find.

The leader shrugs once, "We are unsure. They carry an emblem unknown to us. One of the Peregryns retrieved a piece of the armor carrying the crest. They said that there were a number of them who had them. We were hoping that you could take it to the High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court to see if they recognize it." He tells her.

One of the soldiers takes out a piece of cloth, sliding it towards Auriella. She unwraps it, revealing the golden crest. There was one hand shaking another as if it were people coming to an agreement. There was a sun engraved behind it, shining upon the hands as if it were a new beginning.

Azriel takes a closer look at it, his heart sinking. "Fuck," He mutters.

Auriella turns to him, "You know it?" She asks.

The Spymaster panics, "I have to take this to Rhysand and Feyre immediately." He tells his mate.

"Then take it to them. I have to stay here. It's clear that things are amping up and I can't afford to turn my head away from everything that's happening. If you think that they know who that crest belongs to, then go and let them identify it." She says to him.

The Spymaster briefly looks at the men, "Ella, it is dangerous for me to be without you. I know that you can protect yourself, but the bond will always tug me towards you. I need you beside me." He says.

Auriella puts a hand on his face, "Then take Perseus. He is a part of us. He carries my scent. He was beside you in the three months I wasn't here. You told me that he was part of the reason why you are still sane." She tells him.

Azriel looks down at the wolf, "I'm not sure."

She kisses him once, "I have to be here, Az. Remember, we might be mates, but we have duties to uphold, especially when it comes to our courts. I will not let Prythian fall and I know that you won't either. You have to go and so do I." She says to him.

He nods, kissing her once more, "Be safe."

I love you, Spymaster. She says through the bond.

He smiles at her, I love you, sunlight.

Then he winnows away, taking Perseus with him.

After he does, all the Peregryns let out a breath. Arsenio slowly looks at the Daughter of Dawn, giving her a small smile, "I don't know if I should say congratulations. It is definitely a surprise that the Spymaster of the Night Court is your mate." He says to her.

Auriella chuckles, "Believe me, it was a surprise when I found out that he was. I assume you are going to tell my father about this?" She asks him.

Arsenio shakes his head, "Only if you want us to, Daughter of Dawn. This information doesn't pertain to us, only to you. It will be you who reveals it to him, not us." He tells her.

She nods, taking a deep breath, "I must head to the Spring Court. My attendant, Valeria, is there. If there are creations at Tamlin's shore, I must be there to protect Spring's people, especially since so many of them have returned there from the Summer Court. Do you know how many Peregryns there are?" She asks him.

Arsenio nods, "Since the Spring Court is the one who has been attacked the most, there are about fifty Peregryns who have been stationed there. I suppose that there will be more since the creations are overwhelming them. I can't be certain. I don't know if you should be heading there now, Daughter of Dawn." He tells her.

Auriella shakes her head, "If The Being favors the Night Court, she won't send many creations here. You and your men continue watching over this border. I will head to Spring. Please, do not let anyone through, especially since The Being has returned even stronger than before." She says to him.

Before she leaves, the Peregryn hands her a report, "Yesterday, there were many more creations. We fought off over a hundred of them. My men were almost overwhelmed but we took on all of them without any losses. Some of them had injuries, but not from the dark magic." He explains.

Auriella sighs, "Be careful this time, Arsenio. She hasn't been sending them in hoards because she wants to. She needs to distract us. Now, it's only a matter of time until she-" She doesn't finish her sentence.

The ground rumbled.

The Daughter of Dawn feels the tattoo on her chest simmer with heat. She puts a hand over it, putting pressure onto it to relieve the escalating pain, but it does nothing. Her shadows tornado around her, surrounding her in glimmering darkness. She hears the whispers in her mind, feeling herself being drawn to them.

Child of Night, come to the mountain.

Child of Night, it is time.

Child of Night, you will know who I am.

Suddenly, the darkness fades.

Auriella wakes feet away from Under the Mountain, her hand still holding her chest as the tattoo burns bright red. She could barely breathe, calling out to her mate through the bond, but receiving no answer from him.

Once again, she couldn't feel him.

"Auriella?" Someone asked, their voice strained.

The Daughter of Dawn turned her head, seeing her brother in the same position as her, holding his chest. His skin was glowing, shimmering in what was left of the sunlight before the dark clouds hovered over them.

Auriella knew what was going to happen. They had run out of time.

"Is it time?" Damian asked, his voice holding nothing but pain.

She entwined their hands together, "Yes, brother. It's time." She says to him.

From every side, the creations creeped out of the forest, surrounding the Children of Dawn. They didn't attack or lay a hand on them. They only stared at them as a woman stepped out from the entrance of Under the Mountain, walking towards them. She looked like an enchantress, breathtakingly beautiful, but undeniably dangerous.

Oh, little one, look at who you grew up to be. I felt you in my Cauldron, the magic of protection seeping into your veins as well as your brother's. If your father ever had the chance to see what power you held, he would have made you into something magnificent, something deadly.

Auriella sensed the familiar magic, remembering the vision that burdened her. It was clear that this was the Cauldron, taking over a body that wasn't theirs, coming to claim what it had made.

"Whatever The Being wants, she will never get. The people of Prythian will die fighting to claim back their land. You can take back whatever magic you have possessed me with, I do not want it." Auriella says to her.

The Cauldron grins, "Oh, I am not taking back anything. The Being will do that herself. I want to see what she does with both of you. The magic that you three possess belongs to me either way. Only through me can any of you achieve whatever it is you want. I made the very ground you stand on. I made the grass, the sky, and the trees. And I made you." She sneers.

Her glowing green eyes dim and two creations pick up the Children of Dawn, dragging them closer to Under the Mountain.

Auriella felt the tears stream down her face, knowing that she might not survive whatever The Being and the Cauldron had planned for her. She felt the magic rumble through her veins, but she could do nothing with it.

But before they took her and her brother into the darkness of the mountain, Auriella reached out through the bond, hoping that her mate could still hear her.

I give you permission to tell them, Azriel. Let them know everything. I love you, Spymaster, even to the end of my days. Keep them safe.

***

The Spymaster of the Night Court arrived at Rhysand and Feyre's estate with Perseus at his side.

It was more quiet than usual, hearing only the sounds of his footsteps as he walked onto the marble floor. But as he grew closer to the throne room, he could hear many voices speaking at once, almost to the point of yelling.

And when he entered the throne room, his eyes locked with the High Lord of Dawn, Thesan.

An overwhelming sense of possessiveness washed over him, his mind running to conclusions on its own. He felt himself still at the sight of his mate's father, hoping that he couldn't sense the bond that he had with his daughter. He wasn't afraid of him, but he was afraid that Thesan would take Auriella away from him.

Azriel would never let that happen. He would kill anyone if they ever did.

The High Lord of Dawn briefly looked down at Perseus, his brow narrowing at the sight of the wolf next to the Spymaster of Night.

"It's unusual, Rhysand. I asked you for the whereabouts of my daughter and you said that she was at your border. And now, I see her wolf is beside your Spymaster. I wonder why that is?" He asked Rhys, still staring directly into Azriel's eyes.

Rhysand stood from his throne, "I did not lie, Thesan. Your daughter is protecting my border at this moment. But it seems that her wolf has a special tie to my Spymaster. Perseus was Azriel's companion for the three months of your daughter's absence from my court." He tells him.

Thesan's eyes gleam, "Is my daughter safe, Spymaster?" He asked.

I'll keep her safe.

She is mine.

Azriel takes a deep breath, holding himself back, "Yes, sir. I was just with her at the border. She had some business to take care of there. I can assure you that she and the Peregryns are safe." He explains.

"Why is Perseus with you and not her?" He asked, persistent.

He shrugs once, "As my High Lord said, Perseus developed an attachment to me. Auriella is okay with it. You could ask her once she is finished at the border. I'm sure she'll be content to see you here." Azriel says, adding a bit of tone to his voice.

He'll take her from you.

Don't let him near her.

Thesan catches it quickly, but before he could speak, Feyre stands, "I'm sure Auriella is doing fine on her own. She has been nothing but brave since she has come back. She hasn't told us all of the details, but we trust her. She hasn't given us a reason not to." She tells him.

The High Lord of Dawn nods, "I expect that kind of behavior from my daughter. She is hard-headed. There are times where I cannot stop her from doing what she believes is right, along with Damian. This was one of those times." He says.

Azriel's mouth quirks, remembering how his mate could be.

Just thinking about her made his stomach twist. It was like he could never get enough of her. Even in his thoughts, she was right there, shining brighter than the horizon. Oh, how he wanted her next to him, holding his hand or comforting him through the bond.

"Azriel?" He heard Rhys ask.

Auriella. Auriella.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

The ground rumbles lightly.

Azriel walks up to his High Lord and High Lady, handing them the crest, "The Peregryns retrieved this emblem from one of the creations that had it on them. In fact, he told us that it was one of many." He tells them.

Rhysand and Feyre's faces pale at the same time, looking at Azriel.

"Cretea," Feyre breathes, looking over to her mate.

They don't say anything else for a moment, speaking mind to mind.

"What does this mean? Who does that emblem belong to? It does not belong to Prythian or any of the courts. How do you both know about it?" Thesan asks.

Rhysand slowly turns his head, his darkness hovering over the room. "The emblem belongs to Miriam and Drakon's clan in Cretea. It seems that The Being has found them, broken their wards, and turned them all into her creations."

"But why would she-" Cassian starts but is interrupted.

The throne room doors burst open, revealing Ruth, "Where are they?!" She yells, tears streaming down her face. Nuala and Cerridwen appear at her side, staring at everyone else with worry and anger clearly showing.

Morrigan narrows her eyes, "Ruth? What's wrong?" She asked.

Nuala shakes her head, "She asked you a question. Where are Auriella and Damian?" She asks, her body trembling. Guards immediately stood behind them, their staffs pointed at the three women.

Azriel was taken aback at the tone of her voice, seeing as she and her sister were people who didn't speak much, even when they were at any gatherings. The twins would always keep to themselves most of the time, but it seemed that this wasn't one of those moments.

Thesan steps forward, "Why would the whereabouts of my children be of any concern to you? Do you know something that we don't?" He asked.

Ruth scoffs, "They concern me because I am their mother. I birthed them in a cave here in the outskirts of the Night Court when Nuala and Cerridwen's mother saved me from Hybern. I had to give them away to keep them safe from him because he was going to use them as weapons to take over Prythian. I was never going to let that happen. He never cared about what they were to him as long as they were useful." She says to all of them.

"And who is the King of Hybern to them?" Thesan asks, his voice shaking.

Ruth didn't hesitate to answer him, "The King of Hybern is Auriella and Damian's biological father." She reveals, making the entire room fall silent.

She continues, "Hybern forced me into the Cauldron while I was pregnant with them. He wanted to do whatever it took to gain Prythian, even if he had to sacrifice his own wife and children. I didn't know if my children had any abilities, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I had to leave. Nuala and Cerridwen's mother gave me the way out."

"I came to Prythian, called upon Nuala and Cerridwen, and they took care of me until I gave birth. Damian was born with bright daylight. Auriella was born with shadows swirling around her. I told the girls to take them to someone who would care for them - to be hidden in plain sight. I didn't care who. All I wanted was for them to be safe, to be loved as I would have loved them."

Cerridwen waves her hand, "Brindualla," she breathes, lifting the enchantment from Thesan and Zephyr. He takes a deep breath, locking eyes with the twins.

"It was the both of you. The entire time." Zephyr says, his eyes widened.

Nuala nods her head once, "We protected the protectors of the Children of Day and Night because we need Dathomir, or The Being, to believe that they are the Children of Day and Night. In reality, we are tricking them. As of this moment, the real children are not ready at all for this fight." She explains.

Azriel feels the anger bubble in his veins, "So Auriella and Damian are just pawns? They are the ones who will take the beatings for something they never asked for?!" He yelled at them.

Cerridwen shakes her head, "The Protector of Night has priorities higher than you, Spymaster. In her absence, she had trained for this. If she had to choose to sacrifice herself to save her home or to live in chaos, you know what she would choose. But if we find her, there could be a way to stop this before things escalate any further." She says to him.

Ruth shakes her head, falling to her knees, "It's too late. The Being has woken the Cauldron. Auriella and Damian are already at Under the Mountain." She breathes.

I give you permission to tell them, Azriel. Let them know everything. I love you, Spymaster, even to the end of my days. Keep them safe. His mate says through the bond.

Before the Spymaster could react, he felt the hairs on his neck rise, sensing something.

Beneath him, the ground rumbled once more, along with the house. Everyone stood in place, holding themselves upward. Feyre looked back to Nyx, who stayed asleep in his bassinet. Perseus was immediately at the baby's side.

"What the hell was that?" Cassian breathed, clutching Emerie's hand.

No one said a word.

Then Azriel sensed the imminent attack, "GET DOWN!" He screamed.

But it was too late.

Every window of the throne room shattered, sending glass flying throughout the room. Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel were flown across the room as three of the corrupted sisters came through, throwing steel harpoons at the Illyrians, pinning their wings to the wall.

Azriel screamed, trying to reach for the steel, but his arms weren't long enough.

"Feyre!" Rhysand tried to scream, but his head dropped, losing consciousness.

Through his blurry vision, Azriel could see that Cassian was motionless. He tried to reach for him, hoping that his brother was still alive, but he was still too far.

I love you, Auriella. Even to the end of my days. He sent down the bond.

Then everything went black.