Chapter 4

Summary

• The protagonist is caught off guard when a monstrous creature enters their home.
• The creature is not a martax but has a mix of feline, wolfish, and elk-like features.
• The protagonist steps in to protect their sisters and father from the beast, despite fear.
• The creature, a faerie, accuses them of murder and reveals its part-wolf nature.
• In an attempt to protect her family, the protagonist admits to killing a faerie in wolf form.
• The protagonist tries to negotiate with the beast, offering payment for the killed faerie.
• The beast demands adherence to a Treaty between humans and faeries, requiring a life for a life.
• Faced with two choices, death or life in Prythian, the protagonist eventually chooses to live in the faerie realm.
• The faerie, owning land in Prythian, allows the protagonist to live there.
• The protagonist's father pleads for mercy, but the beast insists on the life-for-life payment.
• The protagonist contemplates finding a later opportunity to escape or fight back.
• The protagonist provides instructions to their father about surviving after their departure.
• The protagonist warns their sister Nesta about marrying into an abusive family.
• Their father gives a poignant farewell, insisting the protagonist never return.
• The protagonist follows the beast into the woods, leaving their family behind.