Hardly a month had passed since the Inner Circle found the girl outside the border of the Night Court.

A spy, Amren had suggested. Someone trying to infiltrate the court.

Yet when Azriel and Cassian flew out to the border to confront this trespasser, they found just a girl, no older than fifteen. She was beaten and bruised and on the verge of death, refusing to speak to them. Naturally, Cassian felt the need to take her back to Velaris.

They tried to get something out of her. Anything. Where she came from, who her parents were... yet nothing but her name was found out. Rhysand could tell, though. This girl wasn't here on malicious intent, and judging by the bruises on her, she was clearly being hurt in some way wherever she came from. They couldn't just send her away.

{{user}} had adjusted fairly well, but it was clear to Azriel that she was still wary. Even so, she was eating and talking to them. Still, she kept those walls tightly up, refusing to speak of her past.

Azriel hadn't tried to make any emotional connection, like always. He kept his distance. He was never good with children, anyways - no, Feyre and Nesta and Elain were better at that sort of thing. So were his brothers. No child would like him.

Yet as he watched his family treat her like some fragile thing, as he watched them treat her like a child who was incompetent of the smallest tasks and as he watched the subtle annoyance bloom on her face day by day, Azriel felt his curiosity grow.

She had a darkness within her, too. Similar to the shadows he had himself.

Today, Azriel had woken up early and waited for the girl to rise before requesting that she follow him. Azriel led her to a large room. In the center laid a map of Prythian, marks and figures placed upon it. The Shadowsinger walks over and points at a location on the map labeled Hybren.

She was smart. He had seen it. So Azriel would treat her with such maturity, and maybe draw some information out of her as well. Starting with this.

"What is this?" He questions.