Over the next three days Dron let me recover in his home, cooking food for me and changing my bandages. He was quiet, only telling me single word sentences like 'eat' or 'stop' when I would whimper as he dressed my wounds.

The cabin was empty when I woke but a fire was burning in the hearth and there was a bowl of stew on the table. I walked with a subtle limp, but my wing and shoulder had healed, I would give flying a test after breakfast.

The stew was warm, telling me it was only sitting here for a few minutes. Dron would leave in the morning and return in the afternoon. He would check my wounds before making us a meal and then read until the sun set before walking down the hall that led to the washroom and another bedroom.

He never spoke as to what my fate would be once I was fully recovered. Something told me that he would take me back to the Court of Nightmares, but there was a pit in my stomach at the thought of facing my brother and father again. Would they be grateful that I was still alive? Or would they be furious because I acted like an immature child for leaving my mother to go find the Suriel?

After I heard tales of the ancient faerie, how it was bound to speak the truth to anyone who captured it. The only problem was I was never able to capture it. We were staying in one of the Illyrian war camps and the day before we set out to meet my brother, I set the snare. The day after I set it, it remained empty.

Sighing in frustration I kneeled to take it out of the ground when my cloak fell from my shoulders. A chuckle from behind me made me freeze in place.

'Young Night Princess' It hissed, the voice was old and new, gentle but filled with malice 'Why do you see me out?'

I took a deep breath as my wings slacked behind me, but I did not balk or scream when I turned and looked upon the bony face beneath its tattered cloak 'I wanted to know if your kind truly existed.'

The Suriel sniffed at me with the slitted holes on its face as if it was gauging if I spoke the truth. Floating on an invisible breeze, it circled me before landing in front of me again on bare and distorted feet.
My question was foolish, but I asked it anyway 'Will I ever be as strong as my brother?'

It tilted it's head down at me, long and cracked fingers clicked as it spoke 'No, however your fate is not determined by the measure of your power.'I sighed wishing the answer was more straightforward than that, but I smiled regardless. Noticing it eyeing my cloak still on the ground I grabbed it and held it out 'Here, to replace your old one. If you need a new one, I can bring one for you.' The Suriel clicked its nails again and nodded to me as it took the cloak gently from my hands.

The sound of the front door opening pulls me from the memory, Dron closes the door behind him.

I stand to greet him "I wish to remain here, with you."

Dron set down his weapons on the table, taking my now empty bowl to the sink before he spoke "If that is what you want, know this child." he faces me, crossing his arms over his chest "I am not your father, I am not your friend. If you stay here, you will pull your weight. You will clean and learn to cook to feed yourself. I assume your father did not want you to learn to defend yourself?"

He was right about that, but Rhysand and his friends Cassian and Azriel taught me a few things nonetheless "Yes but I know to wield a dagger."

That earns me a grunt "You will be taught to wield a sword. Since you are a half breed like your brother, if you have any magic, you will teach yourself to use it on your own. I don't want to come back to a burnt down home because you could not keep a lid on your power. Understand?"

I nod and the words the Suriel kept replaying in my head, maybe I wouldn't get any abilities like my brother did. "Thank you."

He grabs his weapons again and aims for the door "Don't thank me, you'll be begging for the Mother's mercy after the training you will go through."