Bargain at Death's Door

Lillian Brouwer dies saving another during World War II, only to awaken in Faery, offered life by the fae in exchange for service in their army. Disoriented and grieving, she's thrust into a world at war, her family and old life lost. The fae are beautiful and terrifying, their world both alien and familiar. Lillian's acceptance of the bargain is both desperate and instinctive—a choice made in the liminal space between life and death. She's haunted by the cost: is it better to die for a cause you believe in, or to live indebted to strangers? The weight of her decision lingers as she's handed a sword and told her new life begins now, her fate bound to the fae's war and their inscrutable rules.

Training Among Strangers

Lillian's days become a blur of sword drills, bruises, and isolation. She's strong from her farm upbringing, but swordplay is foreign, and camaraderie eludes her. The other conscripts, snatched from death's edge, form cliques by language and background, but Lillian keeps to herself, mourning her family and the world she's lost. The fae officers are distant, their perfection unsettling. As months pass, Lillian's body hardens, but her heart remains guarded. She's selected for a special squad by the formidable Captain Ulahana, a fae whose wrath and skill are legendary. The looming reality of battle draws near, and Lillian wonders if she's traded one kind of death for another.

Night of Blood and Wings

The camp is attacked by monstrous, winged Furies—creatures of nightmare, led by the infamous Chimera. Lillian's instincts and training collide as she faces a winged fae in deadly combat. In the chaos, she and the Chimera move as if choreographed, their blades meeting in a dance neither understands. When her comrade intervenes, Lillian's warning saves the Chimera, and his name—Ayre Xirangyl—falls from her lips as if she's always known it. The aftermath is confusion and fear: Lillian is identified as the Chimera's soulmate, a bond of Faery's deepest magic. Her fate is no longer her own, and the war's stakes have become intimately personal.

The Chimera's Soulmate

Lillian is whisked to High Command, where the monstrous Crown Prince Sundamar interrogates her. The fae generals see her as a tool: her soulmate bond with Ayre could be used for espionage. Lillian bargains for her freedom in exchange for betraying Ayre, but the price is steep—her loyalty is demanded until the war's end. The fae's cold logic and the inescapable magic of oaths leave her little choice. She's a pawn in a game of gods and monsters, her heart torn between survival and the growing, inexplicable connection to the Chimera.

Commanders and Compromises

Assigned to Captain Ulahana's brother's battalion, Lillian witnesses the complexities of fae family dynamics. Ulahana's bitterness towards her favored sibling is palpable, a reminder that even immortals are shaped by love and neglect. Lillian finds a wary friendship with her new squad, especially Marion Woods, a tough, no-nonsense woman. The army's routines offer little comfort, but whiskey and shared stories begin to thaw old wounds. Lillian learns about the nature of soulmates in Faery—bonds that can be harmonious or oppositional, lovers or nemeses. Her own bond with Ayre remains a mystery, fraught with danger and possibility.

Whiskey and Wisdom

A night of drinking with Ulahana brings revelations. Soulmate bonds, Lillian learns, are rare and multifaceted—sometimes lovers, sometimes enemies, always fated. The fae's view of gender and relationships is fluid, their morality alien. Ulahana's advice is pragmatic: survival in Faery means adapting, and Lillian's best hope is to understand the rules of this new world. The whiskey loosens tongues and fears, and for a moment, Lillian feels less alone. But the specter of her bargain—betrayal for freedom—haunts her, and the war's shadow looms ever closer.

Orders and Uncertainties

Lillian receives her marching orders: she's to be bait, her soulmate bond used to lure Ayre into a trap. The army's leaders are coldly pragmatic, arming her with a magical talisman for secret communication. She's briefed on Ayre's history—a prince turned monster, a master of amalgam magic who leads the Furies. The plan is simple and cruel: when the Furies attack, Lillian is to flee, be captured, and spy from within. She steels herself for the role, torn between fear, duty, and the strange pull of her soulmate.

Captured by the Enemy

The Furies attack in daylight, chaos erupting as Ayre descends from the sky and seizes Lillian. She's swept away, not as a prisoner but as something more—his soulmate, his obsession. In Ayre's arms, terror gives way to a surreal sense of rightness. The world narrows to the sound of his wings and the feel of his body. Lillian is taken to the Eyrie, Ayre's fortress, and locked in a tower. Isolation and uncertainty gnaw at her, but the bond between them thrums with possibility and danger.

Eyrie of Isolation

Lillian explores her prison, finding it both neglected and strangely cared for. Ayre is a creature of contradictions—monstrous yet vulnerable, aggressive yet protective. An accidental injury reveals the truth: Ayre is part manticore, his tail deadly with poison, but Lillian is immune. The soulmate bond is more than magic; it's a rewriting of reality. Ayre's animal instincts war with his fae intellect, and Lillian must navigate his moods, her own fear, and the growing intimacy between them. The Eyrie becomes a crucible, forging something new from pain and longing.

Manticore's Poison

Ayre's accidental attack leaves Lillian wounded but alive, her immunity to his poison a sign of their bond. A healer tends her, and Ayre's possessiveness flares—he's as much beast as man, and the manticore's instincts are never far from the surface. Lillian learns of Ayre's transformation: a desperate act to survive, merging his body with a manticore's. The cost is constant struggle, a divided self. Their connection deepens through shared vulnerability, but the threat of violence—internal and external—remains ever-present.

Possession and Protection

Ayre's protectiveness becomes both comfort and cage. He's obsessed with Lillian, his need for her overwhelming. Lillian, in turn, finds herself drawn to him, her body and soul responding to the soulmate bond. Their interactions are fraught with tension—desire, fear, and the ever-present risk of losing control. Lillian asserts her boundaries, demanding respect even as she craves his touch. The balance between man and beast, captor and captive, begins to shift, and trust is forged in the crucible of need.

Hunger and Healing

Ayre's care for Lillian is expressed in food and touch, his anxiety soothed by her well-being. They share meals, whiskey, and stories, each revealing more of themselves. Lillian learns to read Ayre's moods, to soothe the manticore and reach the man. Their intimacy grows, physical and emotional, as they navigate the complexities of their bond. The Eyrie, once a prison, becomes a place of healing—a fragile peace built on mutual need and growing affection.

Three Souls Entwined

The truth of Ayre's nature emerges: he is not one, but two—fae and manticore, consciousnesses entwined. Lillian must accept both, loving the man and the beast. Their passion ignites, but Ayre's self-loathing and fear of losing control threaten to tear them apart. Lillian demands compromise, refusing to be collateral damage in his internal war. Through confrontation and tenderness, they begin to find a new equilibrium, a trinity of souls seeking balance.

Bargains and Boundaries

Lillian and Ayre strike bargains—duels, stories, tours of the Eyrie—each a step towards understanding and trust. They learn to compromise, to honor each other's needs and fears. The manticore's possessiveness is tempered by Lillian's insistence on respect, and Ayre's vulnerability is met with compassion. Their relationship becomes a dance of give and take, boundaries and bargains, forging a partnership that is both passionate and precarious.

Falling Together

Ayre takes Lillian flying, the experience both terrifying and exhilarating. In the air, their connection deepens, the soulmate bond manifesting as intuitive understanding and shared sensation. They bathe together, preen each other's feathers, and find comfort in touch. The Furies, Ayre's monstrous soldiers, become part of their world, each with their own stories of transformation and loss. Lillian learns that war makes monsters of everyone, and that survival often means embracing the wild within.

The Furies' Secrets

Lillian meets the Furies, discovering their origins as volunteers who sacrificed their bodies for power and survival. They are outcasts, bonded by pain and loyalty to Ayre. The Eyrie becomes a haven for the unwanted, a place where difference is strength. Lillian's empathy and Ayre's leadership forge a new kind of family, one built on acceptance and shared purpose. The lines between human and fae, monster and mate, blur as they build a life together.

Promises in the Dark

Ayre's desire for Lillian is overwhelming, but she insists on consent and mutual pleasure. Their lovemaking is both tender and wild, a negotiation of power and trust. Ayre's fear of hurting her is met with reassurance, and Lillian's need for agency is honored. They promise to try, to compromise, to make peace with themselves and each other. The darkness of war is held at bay by the light of their devotion, but the threat of betrayal and loss remains.

War's Unraveling

The war intensifies, and Lillian's role as a spy becomes unavoidable. She sends messages to Stag Court, each one a betrayal of Ayre and the Furies. The weight of her oath and the price of her freedom become unbearable. When the Stag Prince unleashes annihilation on Phazikai, the cost is staggering—cities destroyed, lives lost, and the world forever changed. Lillian's guilt and grief threaten to consume her, and Ayre's trust is shattered.

Betrayal and Bargains

Lillian's betrayal is revealed, and Ayre is devastated. Their love, once a source of strength, becomes a crucible of pain. Lillian chooses to break her oath, facing death rather than live with the consequences of her actions. She is saved by the intervention of friends and healers, her body scarred but her soul unbroken. Ayre, too, is wounded—physically and emotionally—but their bond endures. Forgiveness is hard-won, and the path to healing is uncertain.

Annihilation Unleashed

The Stag Prince's monstrous power razes Phazikai, ending the war in a single night of horror. The survivors are scattered, the world forever changed. Lillian and Ayre, both broken and reborn, search for each other in the ruins. Their reunion is bittersweet, marked by loss and the knowledge that nothing will ever be the same. The cost of peace is written in blood and ash, and the future is uncertain.

Resurrection and Reunion

Against all odds, Lillian and Ayre find each other and survive. Their love, tested by war and betrayal, emerges stronger for the trials they've endured. Together, they heal—body, mind, and soul—using Ayre's unique magic to mend wounds old and new. The world is changed, but their devotion is unbreakable. They choose each other, again and again, forging a new path in the aftermath of destruction.

Windswept Court Awakened

A faery god awakens the Windswept Court, binding Lillian as its Queen and Ayre as her consort. The Eyrie becomes a sanctuary for the lost and the outcast—Furies, freed humans, and those who seek a new beginning. Together, Lillian and Ayre build a home founded on freedom, acceptance, and love. The past cannot be undone, but the future is theirs to shape. In the windswept heights, they find peace, purpose, and the promise of eternity.

Characters

Lillian Brouwer

Lillian is a mortal woman whose self-sacrifice in WWII leads her to Faery, where she's resurrected by the fae in exchange for service. She's pragmatic, resilient, and deeply compassionate, shaped by loss and the harsh realities of both her old and new worlds. Lillian's journey is one of adaptation—learning to wield a sword, navigate fae politics, and survive as both pawn and player in a war she never chose. Her bond with Ayre is transformative, awakening both passion and pain. She's torn between duty and desire, her choices driven by a longing for belonging and the fear of betraying those she loves. Lillian's psychological arc is one of guilt, forgiveness, and the courage to claim her own destiny, even when it means breaking the rules of gods and men.

Ayre Xirangyl (The Chimera)

Ayre is the youngest Raven Prince, a fae who transforms himself into a chimera—part man, part manticore—to survive. His amalgam magic is both gift and curse, leaving him at war with himself. Ayre is fiercely intelligent, artistic, and once gentle, but the war and his transformation have made him volatile, possessive, and deeply wounded. His soulmate bond with Lillian is both salvation and torment, awakening hope and self-loathing in equal measure. Ayre's journey is one of integration—learning to accept both man and beast, to love and be loved, and to find balance in a world that fears and needs him. His devotion to Lillian is absolute, but his fear of hurting her and being abandoned drives much of his internal conflict.

Captain Kaeden Ulahana

Ulahana is a fae captain, renowned for her skill and severity. She's Lillian's first real guide in Faery, offering both tough love and hard-won wisdom. Ulahana's own family history is fraught—she's overshadowed by a favored sibling and carries the scars of neglect. Her mentorship is pragmatic, teaching Lillian the rules of survival and the complexities of fae society. Ulahana's arc is one of quiet redemption, finding purpose in protecting her charges and, ultimately, in helping Lillian and Ayre find their way home.

Crown Prince Sundamar (The Stag Prince)

Sundamar is the High Commander of the Stag Army, a fae of terrifying power and presence. He's both a weapon and a victim of his own nature, shaped by the expectations of his mother and the demands of war. Sundamar's relationship to Lillian is transactional—she's a tool, a means to an end—but his actions are driven by a desire to end suffering, even at horrific cost. He embodies the paradox of Faery: beauty and brutality, mercy and annihilation. His arc is a meditation on the price of peace and the monstrousness that war demands.

Marion Woods

Woods is Lillian's swordmaster and mentor, a human woman hardened by loss and the realities of war. She's blunt, fiercely protective, and slow to trust, but her loyalty is unwavering once earned. Woods represents the resilience of humanity in Faery, the capacity to adapt and endure. Her relationship with Lillian is complex—part teacher, part comrade, part surrogate family. Woods' arc is one of survival, finding meaning in service and, ultimately, in the possibility of a new home.

Captain Zhiolas Ulahana

Zhiolas is Ulahana's brother, a fae commander whose charm and competence mask deeper insecurities. He's favored by their family, but his relationship with Kaeden is strained by old wounds and misunderstandings. Zhiolas is a bridge between worlds—able to navigate both fae and human concerns with empathy. His role in Lillian's resurrection and escape is pivotal, embodying the possibility of mercy and the importance of family, chosen or otherwise.

General Xilsatra

Xilsatra is a fae general, renowned for his tactical brilliance and moral clarity. He's a stabilizing force in the Stag Army, respected by all. Xilsatra's relationship to Sundamar is one of deep loyalty and love, but he's also the voice of restraint, urging caution and compassion. The horrors of war weigh heavily on him, and his arc is one of bearing witness—acknowledging the cost of victory and the necessity of mercy.

Elion Xirangyl

Elion is Ayre's eldest brother, the High Commander of the Raven Army and viceroy of Phazikai. He's ancient, calculating, and driven by old wounds—his unrequited love for the Stag Queen and the betrayal that shaped the war. Elion's actions are both personal and political, his grief and pride fueling the cycle of violence. He's a tragic figure, unable to break free from the past, and his choices set the stage for annihilation.

The Furies

The Furies are Ayre's monstrous soldiers, each transformed by amalgam magic. They are a found family, bound by pain, loyalty, and the hope of survival. Each Fury has their own story—of sacrifice, loss, and the search for belonging. They represent the costs of war and the possibility of redemption, finding a new home in the Windswept Court.

Sarcaryn (The Stag God)

Sarcaryn is a faery god, the force behind the awakening of the Windswept Court. He's enigmatic, capricious, and driven by motives beyond mortal understanding. Sarcaryn's intervention is both blessing and burden, binding Lillian to the land and setting her on a path of leadership. He embodies the wildness of Faery, the unpredictable power of gods, and the necessity of change.

Plot Devices

Soulmate Bond

The soulmate bond is the central plot device, binding Lillian and Ayre inextricably. It's more than romance—it's a metaphysical force that shapes reality, granting intuitive understanding, shared language, and immunity to each other's dangers. The bond is both blessing and curse, offering the possibility of harmony or opposition. It drives the narrative, forcing characters to confront their deepest fears and desires, and serves as a lens for exploring themes of agency, destiny, and the cost of love.

Oaths and Bargains

Faery is a world governed by oaths—spoken, sealed, and enforced by magic. Lillian's life-debt to Stag Court, her bargain for freedom, and the fae's inability to lie create a web of obligations and constraints. Breaking an oath is fatal, and bargains are binding. This device heightens tension, forces difficult choices, and explores the limits of free will. It's used to examine the price of survival, the meaning of loyalty, and the possibility of forgiveness.

Amalgam Magic

Ayre's unique magic allows him to merge bodies and heal wounds, but at great personal cost. His transformation into a chimera is both literal and symbolic—a struggle to integrate disparate selves, to find balance between man and beast. Amalgam magic is used for healing, for creating the Furies, and ultimately for survival. It's a metaphor for trauma, adaptation, and the possibility of wholeness after fragmentation.

War as Backdrop

The ongoing war between Stag and Raven Courts shapes every aspect of the narrative. It's both literal and psychological, a crucible that tests and transforms the characters. The war's brutality is unflinching—cities destroyed, lives lost, and the world remade. It serves as a backdrop for personal and collective trauma, the forging of new identities, and the search for meaning in chaos.

Betrayal and Forgiveness

Betrayal is foreshadowed from the start—Lillian's bargain, her role as a spy, the inevitability of hurting those she loves. The narrative structure uses parallel betrayals (Ayre's transformation, Lillian's espionage, Sundamar's annihilation) to explore the possibility of forgiveness and the cost of survival. The story is structured around cycles of trust, loss, and reconciliation, culminating in the creation of a new Court and a new kind of family.

Awakening of the Windswept Court

The intervention of Sarcaryn, the stag god, and the awakening of the Windswept Court serve as the story's mythic climax. It's a plot device that offers both resolution and new challenges, binding Lillian to the land and offering sanctuary to the outcast. The awakening is both literal and symbolic—a promise that even in the aftermath of destruction, new life and new hope can emerge.

Analysis

"In the Claws of the Raven Prince" is a sweeping, emotionally charged fantasy that interrogates the nature of survival, love, and transformation in a world shaped by war and magic. At its heart, the novel is about the cost of bargains—those we make with others, with ourselves, and with fate. Lillian's journey from sacrificial victim to Queen of Windswept Court is a meditation on agency: her choices are constrained by oaths, magic, and circumstance, yet she continually asserts her will, forging meaning in the spaces between. The soulmate bond with Ayre is both a source of power and vulnerability, forcing both characters to confront their shadows and integrate the parts of themselves they fear. The novel's use of war as backdrop is unflinching, refusing to romanticize violence or its aftermath; instead, it asks what it means to build something new from the ashes. The awakening of the Windswept Court is both a literal and metaphorical rebirth, a promise that even in the face of annihilation, hope and community can endure. Ultimately, the story is a testament to the redemptive power of love—not as a panacea, but as a hard-won, ever-evolving choice to see and be seen, to forgive and be forgiven, and to claim a future that is both wild and free.

Last updated: October 30, 2025