Auriella stared down at the paper that Ruth had given her.

Before she had left the camp the first day she was there, her friend had scribbled directions to her home in Velaris. Auriella had wanted to visit her, but her time in the Windhaven Camp kept her from doing so. She would occasionally see Ruth, but barely getting the chance to have a conversation with her.

And right now, she needed her friend more than ever.

Once Azriel had left her at the House of Wind, she thanked him and immediately went in. She freshened herself up, changing into more formal clothing, and put a cape over herself, with Soulender hidden beneath it.

As the sun was setting, the Daughter of Dawn walked the streets of Velaris, with Perseus at her side. She received greetings and glares from the citizens she passed. She smiled at them, nodding her head, and giving low "hellos" at children who waved at her.

Once she was in front of Ruth's home, she could hear the sounds of music playing from the inside. She stood outside, looking down at the paper to make sure she was at the right place, and she was.

She walked up the concrete steps, lifting her hand to knock on the wood door. But before she could, it opened, revealing a wrinkled-faced man.

His eyes widened "Oh," he looked behind him, motioning for the music to cease, and slowly they did. He faced Auriella again, "Daughter of Dawn, what a pleasant surprise to have you here." He says, bowing his head.

Auriella smiles at him, "Thank you, sir. I was wondering if Ruth was here?" She asked.

Before the man could answer, a familiar voice yelled from the inside, "Arthur? Why has the music stopped? Is there-" Ruth appeared behind him.

"Oh, my sweet girl! You finally came!" Ruth exclaims, walking towards Auriella, and pulling her into an embrace. Her friend looks down at Perseus, smiling. "Look at what a handsome boy you are!" She says, petting his head.

She looks back up at Auriella, "Come in, my light." Ruth says, grabbing her hand and leading her into the home.

"Boys! I want to introduce you to Auriella, the Daughter of Dawn!" Ruth announces, making the three males sitting on the carpet frantically stand up straight. They all smoothen out their clothes and their hair, smiling at Auriella.

Ruth rolls her eyes, "My light, meet my three sons: Orion, Ares, and Ajax. And this," she turns back to the male, "is my mate, Arthur." She reveals.

Auriella gives the males a warm smile, "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. You all are blessed to have a woman like Ruth. She is a special soul." She says.

Arthur scoffs, "She is a pain most of the time, but I'd have to agree with you, Daughter of Dawn. Please make yourself comfortable here. We are delighted with your acquaintance." He says, earning a smack on his shoulder from Ruth.

Ruth waves her hand down to her sons, "Continue to play, boys. Auriella and I will be in the lounge. We have a lot of catching up to do." She says, before dragging Auriella into another room on the other side of her sizable home.

The lounge was small but comfortable. There were two couches sitting in the middle of the room on top of a fur carpet that Auriella's feet itched to touch. Perseus immediately made himself at home, laying on it first.

Ruth closed the door, blurring out the sound of music that started up once again. She walked towards the fireplace in front of the room, placing firewood before burning it up. "Sit down, Ella. You are safe here." She says.

Auriella took a deep breath, taking a seat on the couch. It felt like a cloud. If she could fall asleep, she would.

Ruth stood up, stalking towards a pitcher of tea. "I always have one here. This is my favorite room to be in the house. Arthur says that I spend more time here than with him, but I think that we both know why that is." She says, pouring tea into the cups.

Auriella swallowed the bile that threatened to spill. Ruth had once told her that she was assaulted Under the Mountain by one of Amarantha's guards. She had tried to fight him off, but he was too strong, and she couldn't do anything else but let it happen.

"Have you told him about it?" Auriella asked, staring down at her hands.

Ruth sat down next to her, handing her the cup of tea. Auriella accepted it, taking a sip of the warm liquid. "I have. I didn't want to hold anything back from him. Even if I didn't say anything, he would have found out at some point. I am terrible at keeping secrets." She says, chuckling.

They stayed silent for a long moment. Auriella felt the palms of her hands start to sweat with nervousness. She didn't know what to say or where to start. Her mind was trying to find the right words, but nothing came out.

"My light, you know you can tell me anything. What happened during those four and a half years after Under the Mountain?" She asked, grabbing her hand.

Auriella sobbed, starting to pour out words from the beginning to now. She spoke about the war, her newfound abilities, her nightmares, her attempt to take her life, and her mating bond with Azriel.

Before she knew it, her secrets were laid out on the table for Ruth to read and take in. But she didn't care. She wasn't able to hold it all in anymore. They were all weights that held her down, dropping her deeper into an abyss.

Her friend didn't interrupt her throughout all of it. She was silent, but listening closely, even when Auriella was a crying mess.

And when she was done, Ruth wiped away her tears, just like she did on the day they regained their freedom. She smiled, "Oh, my sweet girl, how I wish I was there with you. You didn't deserve to go through all of that alone. I can't even imagine how hard it was." She says.

Auriella stares down at Perseus, who had fallen asleep. "I'm not sure how I got through it either. I still see them in my head, Ruth. Marcellus, Poppy, and Clare. They are in my nightmares and I cannot get rid of them." She says.

"You must face them, my light. You cannot let them have control of your mind or you will truly grow insane. I learned the hard way. I was in the same position as you, Ella. I was on the brink of death because I didn't know how to live with everything that happened. I shut out my entire family and let the darkness of my mind take over." Ruth says.

She continues, "It wasn't until my oldest son, Ares, found me half dead on my bedroom floor that I realized what an idiot I was. He cried for me, held me in his arms, begging that I stay alive. Ajax and Orion ran out of the house, dragging a healer back by the collar. Arthur..." she trails off, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Arthur couldn't stop blaming himself. He thought that he should have done better and paid more attention to me, even though he was always with me. I realized that I had put my family through something so horrendous that I never wanted to see again. My sons were at my bedside every day as I was recovering."

She turns to Auriella, "My light, I am glad that you didn't jump off of that cliff. I am glad that you were finally able to look at your fathers in the eyes. I am glad that you have your companion," she gestures to Perseus, "to help you and protect you. I am glad that you are being honest with me and telling me everything because I know that it isn't easy." She finishes.

Auriella swallows, "I didn't want Amarantha to win." She breathes.

Ruth nods, "Even in death, that bitch still haunted us. I can't tell you how many times I dreamt about killing her over and over again." She says.

"I killed her forty-two times in my dreams," Auriella says, lifting the cup of tea to her lips. Ruth laughed.

Her friend crossed her legs, "Onto more important matters... YOU ARE THE SPYMASTER'S MATE?!" She exclaimed, making Perseus jolt up from his sleep.

Auriella was glad that Ruth's family was still playing music in the main room. She put her hand to her chest, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? You didn't need to yell it out for the entire Night Court to hear." She says.

Ruth got up from her seat, her eyes widened, "I just can't believe it! You, the Daughter of Dawn, are the mate of Azriel, the Spymaster of the Night Court? It's something out of a fairytale! Who else knows about this? I hope I am the only one." She says, astonished.

Auriella wished she was.

"From his side, I believe Rhysand and Cassian know. From mine, it is only you. I haven't told my fathers' or my brother about this because I know they wouldn't react to it well. If I did, I would not be here today." She says.

Ruth huffs out a laugh, "Even the High Lord knows?! Oh, spirits save me. More so, save you, because they seemed to have blessed you with one of the finest men in the entirety of Prythian." She says.

Auriella chuckles, "Don't be so dramatic. He isn't..." She wasn't able to deny it. Every time she looked at Azriel, she found him more attractive than the first time she laid eyes upon him. His hazel eyes would entrance her. His lips looked soft and luscious. And his unreadable character only intrigued her more to get to know him.

"Ah-ha! Look at you! Already red as a tomato." Ruth sat down once again, "How is he like? I remember when you first came to the mountains, you had your arms linked through his. You both looked adorable." She says, her voice low and sweet as she thought about that day.

Auriella rolls her eyes, "He's kind. We are taking it slow and if something does come out of this bond, then I guess we'll figure it out." She says.

Ruth squeals, "Oh, my darling girl, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into. If you end up falling for that man, you'll be in my prayers." She says, chuckling.

For the rest of the day, Auriella and Ruth end up going back into the main room with the males, talking about nonsense. Perseus played with Ruth's sons, playing tug of war with one of the rags. Auriella was too entertained by the family to even realize that night has taken over. She mentally curses herself.

"Stay here for tonight, my love. You can sleep in the lounge. Since The Choosing is tomorrow morning, you can winnow with Arthur and me." Ruth says.

She shakes her head, "I have no clothes to wear. I refuse to wear the same thing twice, especially since I do have to train the winner after The Choosing is over." Auriella says, rubbing her head.

Ruth scoffs, walking off into one of the rooms. When she comes back, she holds a pure black suit, fit for battles. She holds it up, "It used to be mine. But I never had a reason to wear it, even in the War with Hybern. It was mostly for precaution." She says, handing it to Auriella.

"Are you sure?" She asked, feeling the tight fabric in her hand. It was beautiful like it was carved out of the darkness itself. Even her shadows were intrigued.

Ruth nods, "I have no use for it. Have it, Ella." She says.

So, she took it.

Auriella spent the night in the lounge, curled up with Perseus on the soft carpet. They sat near the fireplace, keeping themselves warm. But eventually, they both fell asleep nuzzled against each other.

She was nudged awake by Ruth, who set down a hot cup of tea on the table. "Wake up, my light. We can't afford to be late or the leaders will have both of our asses." She says, walking out of the room.

The Daughter of Dawn changed into the pitch-black suit, zipping up the middle. It was a perfect fit on her, hugging her body in the right places. It was also surprisingly warm. Finally, she sheathed Soulender around her.

Once she walked out of the room, Ruth grinned, "Look at you! Already becoming a part of the Night Court." She says.

When it was time to head to the mountains, Arthur and Ruth said their goodbyes to their children, before shutting the door.

Auriella handed Perseus to Arthur, before grabbing Ruth's hand, winnowing to the entrance of the Windhaven Camp.

"Oh good, they haven't started yet," Ruth says.

As they walk into the camp, Auriella once again receives stares from the Illyrians, but this time it's different. Perseus wasn't growling at any of them this time, but he was alert. She kept her head forward, feeling her heartbeat grow faster.

When they reach the compound, Ruth kisses her mate goodbye before he heads off with the rest of the crowd.

The small gesture made Auriella smile, wondering how it would be if...

She didn't let herself think of the thought further.

When she walked into the compound, the Illyrian women stared at Auriella as if they had never seen her before. They looked at her up and down, as if they were confused as to why she had on the Night Court color.

Delphine scoffed, "It suits you, Daughter of Dawn." She says.

Auriella didn't reply.

Morrigan and Nesta walked into the room, briefly looking at Auriella, before turning to the sisterhood. "You all already know the drill. Nesta and I will choose one of you to fight against one of the brothers in the Arena of Nightmares. We have just deliberated our final decision." Mor says.

Suddenly, Auriella felt a shift in the bond.

She felt Azriel panicking, frantically looking for her. She turned around, looking out the open doors that starred out to the camp.

I'm here, Az.

She looked out to the snow-covered camp, waiting to see him emerge from the fog that clouded over the mountain.

But that's not what happened.

Azriel dropped from the sky, landing on the ground, one knee on the snow. The snow burst around him, his wings scattering the flurries. He lifted his head up, his intense eyes staring right at Auriella, making chills creep down her spine.

He stood up from the snow, taking in her appearance. Again, she saw his shadows brighten as if he liked what he saw.

It's rude to stare, Spymaster.

Azriel's eyes snapped up to hers once more.

I only stare at what I like, Ella. He says, before turning away.