Nene is a faerie healer and a former handmaiden of the Seelie Queen before she left the Seelie Court to become a wild fey. She is the sister of Lady Nerissa and is the aunt of Helen and Mark Blackthorn, for which Nene tended to help her niece and nephew's fellow Shadowhunters.
Biography[]
Nerissa's children[]
When Nene's sister Nerissa died, she brought her nephew and niece, Miach and Alessa, to the Los Angeles Institute and left them at the doorstep for the children's father, Andrew, to find.[1]
When Alessa, who was raised as Helen among her mortal friends and family, was exiled to Wrangel Island during the Cold Peace, Nene reached out to her and the two communicated on more than one occasion.[2]
In 2012 in mortal years, an old friend of hers, the phouka guardian of Lir's Gate, informed her that her nephew Miach—who has since gone by the name Mark—had entered Faerie with his half-brother Julian and his friends Emma Carstairs and Cristina Rosales. She was quick to guess that they came to rescue Kieran from his execution in the Unseelie Court. When their lives were put at risk due to rising tensions in the Court, Nene had some of the Queen's Guard's faeries shoot down burning arrows into the Court, creating a diversion to allow them to escape. She opened a door between the Courts for them and met them once they were in Seelie Lands.
Nene prepared a short-acting healing drink in case Mark needed it, and when she'd made certain that Mark was not injured, she gave the drink to Kieran. She agreed to tend to Kieran's wounds, employing Cristina's help in healing him. During their short time together, Nene tried to hide her affection for her nephew, but her moments of longing for him did not go unnoticed by Cristina.[1]
Freedom[]
When Julian and Emma were found traversing the path to Seelie Lands, she and Fergus intercepted them and escorted them to the Seelie Court. During their audience with the Queen, the Queen had Nene analyze Julian's photocopy of the Black Volume of the Dead, and she verified that the copy was almost identical to the original.
Having long wanted to be free of the Seelie Court and her fear of the Queen, Nene decided to align herself with the Shadowhunters' efforts against the Cohort so that the Cold Peace could finally be abolished. She also saw it as a way to make up for her sister Celithe's cruelty against Arthur Blackthorn.
Nene informed the pair of the Queen's betrayal who was about to deliver the copy of the Black Volume to the Unseelie King. She disguised Julian and Emma as Fergus and herself, allowing them to escape and join the procession on its way to the Unseelie Tower. She also gave them a potion that made them invisible to Unseelie faeries which later proved valuable to the pair, albeit used only briefly.
Some time after, Nene attended Julian's war council meeting at the Los Angeles Institute, disobeying a direct order of the Queen to remain at the Court. She also informed them that Adaon had become a trusted companion of the Queen.
On the Imperishable Fields, Nene spoke for the fey allied with Livia's Watch and proclaimed that they only acknowledged Kieran as the new King of the Unseelie, not Oban, later arming Kieran to help him in their duel.[2]
Personality and traits[]
Nene is a kind faerie with a strong sense of familial love. The amount of care she has for her niece and nephew—whom she was separated from most their lives—even extends to their loved ones and trumps her loyalty to her monarch.
Physical description[]
Nene is a beautiful young faerie woman with pale blond hair bound back with ropes of flowers and narrow bones. She is said to greatly resemble her nephew, Mark.
Skills and abilities[]
- Longevity: As a faerie, she can live for hundreds of years and can decide when she wants to die.
- Magic: As a fey, she can use the ancient and unique magic of her race—specializing in healing magic and potion-making.
Possessions[]
- Nene has a faerie steed named Silvermane.[2]
Appearances[]
- Lord of Shadows (first appearance)
- Queen of Air and Darkness
- Secrets of Blackthorn Hall (mentioned only)