Vesta Blackbeak

Vesta Blackbeak is an Ironteeth Witch of the Blackbeak Clan and a member of The Thirteen.

Appearance[]

Vesta Blackbeak was the only member of The Thirteen who had bright, vibrant red hair. Her red hair, creamy skin, and black and gold eyes were enough to stop most men in their tracks- to keep them distracted while she used them for pleasure and let them bleed out for amusement.

Personality[]

Vesta was flirtatious with men, as Manon was often chastising her and Asterin for playing with them along with them. She and Asterin seemed to be the more light-hearted and fun of the group and were often seen together. Vesta is one of Manon's fallback sentries because she had a disarming smile.

Biography[]

Some time before the series began, Vesta joined The Thirteen.

Heir of Fire[]

While the Ironteeth witches are in the Ferian Gap, learning how to ride wyverns for the King of Adarlan, Vesta led the other covens in archery drills to help prepare the Blackbeak Clan for the War Games. Vesta enjoyed sleeping with some of the human males at the Gap, and Manon believed that Asterin was joining her in these activities.

Queen of Shadows[]

After winning the War Games, Manon and the Thirteen are sent with half the Ironteeth witches to Morath to assist Duke Perrington. After four weeks in Morath, Manon and the Thirteen become suspicious of the strange goings-on and are grating against Duke Perrington's orders. Vesta accompanies Manon to a meeting with the duke and stands guard outside his council room. On his order, Manon takes her Thirteen hunting for people living in areas near Morath.

When Asterin attacks Manon after Manon refuses to free the Yellowlegs witches being implanted with Valg stones, Manon demotes her to Fourth, making Vesta Third.

The Thirteen take Kaltain Rompier, Duke Perrington, and his men to a tribe in the White Fang Mountains and Kaltain tortures them with her shadowfire. Duke Perrington then has the Thirteen slaughter the tribe.

The Thirteen are meeting when they’re interrupted by a man with a Valg inside him. He attacks them with darkness and mental pain. Manon kills him while the human trapped inside, Roland Havilliard, begs for death. Manon looks on in horror at the effect that the Valg powers have on those among the Thirteen without golden eyes. Because Vesta has gold in her eyes, she is among those unaffected.

The Thirteen meet the King of Adarlan, Dorian Havilliard, and the Blackbeak Matron in Oakwald Forest.

When Asterin is telling Manon her story, she explains how Sorrel and Vesta helped save her life and come back stronger than ever.

Manon, Sorrel, Asterin, Vesta, Fallon, and Faline rescue Elide Lochan. The Thirteen barely escape the explosion caused by Kaltain that destroys one-third of Morath, which includes the destruction of the evidence of the Thirteen’s actions. The Thirteen drop Elide off in the Oakwald Forest and send her on way before returning to Morath. The Thirteen decide to stay at Morath until the Matron arrives and then they will decide what to do.

Empire of Storms[]

Manon and the Thirteen tensely greet the Blackbeak Matron and coven at Morath. The Thirteen are sent on a mission to take control of Rifthold and bring Dorian Havilliard, now king, to Erawan if he survives. They are also ordered to destroy the glass wall Aelin Galathynius made surrounding the palace. Before leaving for Rifthold, Manon tells the Thirteen not to let anyone kill Dorian. Vesta participates in the sacking of Rifthold. She then attends Manon’s trial for the death of five Yellowlegs witches.

At sunrise, the witch killing ceremony starts. The Thirteen give Manon the gesture to honor a Witch Queen. Muttering ripples through the crowd and Manon knows that she can't allow this death to happen. She screams at the Thirteen to run and whirls to kill her grandmother instead. The Thirteen are able to escape on their wyverns.

The Thirteen arrive at the beach in Eyllwe and join in the battle against Maeve's armada. They help Rowan and the group win the battle. The Thirteen is reunited with Manon afterwards. Manon asks them if they heard the truth about her parentage and if they will still follow her. Asterin tells her that they will, and once again the Thirteen give her the gesture honoring a Witch Queen. Manon declares that they must become better than their foremothers. Manon, the Thirteen, and Dorian promise the group that they will find the third Wyrdkey and the Crochan witches to unite them to fight with Aelin.

Kingdom of Ash[]

For the past two months Manon, the Thirteen, and Dorian Havilliard have been hunting for the Crochan witches. They are currently in the White Fang Mountains. Manon is worried that Dorian might have to be the sacrifice to forge a new Lock. Vesta is clearly attracted to Dorian but doesn't do more than shamelessly flirt with him.

The next day the group is preparing to move on when Manon is attacked by a mighty, white bear. Dorian freezes the creature with his magic and it shape-shifts into a Stygian spider. The spider is Cyrene, the spider who Manon encountered to get spidersilk for Abraxos’ wings. She tells Manon that she tracked her scent using her belongings left at Morath. She says that there are Crochan witches nearby.

Cyrene leads the group to the Crochan witches who greet them with mistrust. Glennis Crochan introduces herself as Manon’s great-grandmother. When two Yellowlegs covens attack, Manon, the Thirteen, and Dorian, help the Crochans kill them, which gains them some trust. Dorian realizes that Manon deliberately attracted the Yellowlegs to try and gain the Crochans’ trust. Manon and Dorian explain that they are there to ask the Crochans to fight against the Ironteeth witches and Erawan’s army.

Glennis tells her that only a Crochan Queen can summon them to war, and Manon has not been accepted. She says that they are on their way to Eyllwe to answer a call for aid by the southern hearths. The group and the Crochans are delayed for a week while they heal from the Yellowlegs attack. Vesta tries to help Dorian learn how to shape-shift. When he is able to change the color of his eyes, Vesta and Asterin tease him mercilessly. When the group is too late arrive in Eyllwe, Vesta helps bury the dead, earring some more respect from the Crochans.

When the Thirteen and Manon go to the Ferian Gap to speak to the witches under Petrah Blueblood's command, Vesta is there. Back at the Crochan camp, a Crochan scout reports that Terrasen has sent out a call for aid. Manon, as the Queen of the Crochans, spreads the Flame of War to call all Crochan witches to aid Terrasen in the fight against Morath.

Orynth readies for battle as the Ironteeth aerial force approaches, 1,000 strong. Fortunately, Manon arrives at the same time with the Thirteen and 5,000 Crochan witches. The surprise buys them a day. The next day during the battle, Abraxos is hurt and Manon is unable to stop the Thirteen as they sacrifice themselves by performing the Yielding in order to bring down the final witch tower before it can destroy the castle. Vesta goes, roaring her defiance to the skies.

Skills and Abilities[]

Ironteeth Physiology: As an Ironteeth witch, Vesta possessed sharp, retractable iron teeth and nails.
Immortality: Vesta was immortal as a result of her witch heritage.
Magic: Vesta had inherent magical power that could be released in the form of the Yielding.
Flight: Vesta was capable of flight through riding her wyvern or on her ironwood broom.