Kaya Blackbeak

Kaya Blackbeak was an Ironteeth Witch of the Blackbeak Clan and was a member of The Thirteen. She was the lover of Thea Blackbeak.

Physical Description

Kaya has auburn hair and tan skin, but unlike most Blackbeaks her eyes are blue.

Personality

While Kaya's personality is not explored thoroughly, it is assumed that she is as fierce, loyal, and brave as the rest of the Thirteen. She is very much in love with Thea Blackbeak, and is said to "reserve her smiles for (Thea)". She has an undying loyalty to Manon Blackbeak.

Biography

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

Queen of Shadows

After winning the War Games, Kaya goes with Manon, the Thirteen, and half the Ironteeth witches to Morath to assist Duke Perrington. After four weeks in Morath, the Thirteen become suspicious of the strange goings-on and are grating against Duke Perrington's orders. On the duke's orders, Manon takes the Thirteen hunting for anyone living near Morath.

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 Kaya doesn't have gold eyes, she is affected by the Valg powers and is standing silent, tearstained, and staring at her lover Thea.

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

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 Lochan 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. Kaya 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.

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. When the group is too late arrive in Eyllwe, Kaya 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, Kaya 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. Kaya and Thea go together, as they had always been.

Skills and Abilities

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

Relationships

Thea Blackbeak

Thea and Kaya were in a romantic relationship.