Avitas Harper

**Avitas Harper** is a former student at Blackcliff Academy. He becomes Helene Aquilla's second-in-command.

## Personality

Avitas can be cold and opaque. However, upon getting to know a person better, Avitas begins to open up. There does not seem to be any malice in him, but his training as a Mask has caused him to suppress his emotions. He is loyal to the Empire and his allies. He rarely appears ruffled by anything. He has an iron-fisted control over his emotions.

## Physical Description

Avitas has large, angular green eyes that curve up at the outer corners and black hair. He is shorter and leaner than Elias Veturius, but has the same golden-brown skin, sharp cheekbones, and full mouth as him. Avitas has hollow cheeks.

## Biography

 This page may contain spoilers! Do not proceed unless you wish to be spoiled.

Avitas grew up in Jeilum with his mother, Renatia Harper, after his father, Arius Harper, was killed. Avitas was four when his father died. He was ten when his mother died. He stayed with his paternal grandparents during school leaves. He spent four years under Blackcliff Commandant Horatio Laurentius. The remainder of his Blackcliff training was carried out by Commandant Keris Veturia. Avitas showed great potential as a Yearling, but remained average during the tenure of Commandant Keris Veturia. Multiple sources report Keris' interest in Harper from an early age. He was four years ahead of Helene and Elias at Blackcliff.

### *A Torch Against The Night*

Emperor Marcus Farrar has Helene Aquilla tortured by Lieutenant Avitas Harper for details about Elias Veturius' escape, but she says nothing. The Commandant assigns Avitas to Helene's mission to find Elias and instructs him to spy on her.

After Avitas, Faris, and Helene discover Elias' belongings in the cave outside Kauf Prison, Avitas reveals that he is no longer the Commandant's spy. He tells them that his orders were to kill Helene when she got close to capturing Elias and to make it look like an accident. The Commandant gave him Nightweed to poison Helene with, and then the Commandant would say the pressure of the mission was too much for her.

Back in Antium, after Helene's family is murdered, Avitas tells her his story. He explains that he volunteered to be the Commandant's spy because Elias is his half-brother. He wanted to know what kind of person he is by learning about him through Helene. He tells her that his father's last wish was for the Commandant to keep an eye on him while he was a Blackcliff. She was the one who got him his position in the Black Guard.

### *A Reaper At The Gates*

Avitas, with Helene, holds Laia and Mamie Rila captive in a Martial village, however he cuts the rope binding Laia's hands, whispering to her to "go." Avitas returns to Antium with Helene, working closely with her and sometimes following her when she walks the city at night. After a meeting with the Augurs, Avitas tells Helene she can block her thoughts from them, which he spends time teaching her on the road to Navium. Upon arriving in Navium, Avitas warns Helene not to play into the Commandant's hands, telling her "don't act the part she's written for you." When Helene is ambushed and bleeding out, Avitas finds her. Suddenly, the Nightbringer appears and tells him to take Helene to her quarters. Upon being told to leave, Avitas directly disobeys the Nightbringer, refusing to leave her. Avitas witnesses the exchange between the Nightbringer and Helene, and thus learns that Helene is able to heal herself and others. When Helene wakes up the next day, Avitas is asleep on a chair by the door, keeping watch. He asks Helene how she healed herself, and she tells him the truth. Helene is surprised when Avitas tells her he will keep her secret and seems to take her new-found ability in stride. Together they find the Martial fleet that Keris had hidden and expose her to the Paters. The successfully launch an attack on Grimarr and force him to leave Navium.

Helene receives a note from the Emperor demanding Helene return at once to Antium because Livia has been poisoned. On the journey back to the capital, Avitas forces Helene to eat and sleep and seems to truly care about her.

When researching Keris' tattoo and her involvement with the deaths of various Illustrians, it is revealed Avitas did not know the circumstances of his father's death.

During an ambush by the Karkauns, Avitas is badly injured. Helene heals him. In his song, she notice's she is woven into his consciousness and she "would be blind to not see what he feels for her."

During the battle of Antium, Avitas oversees the tunnels and leads thee evacuation of the city. He successfully evacuates five thousand Plebeians from Antium. The Illustrians had left weeks ago. Avitas ignores Helene's orders to collapse the tunnels because she is still in the city. He and Dex go to look for her and find her with Laia. Helene is severely injured because she has given up her mask, which was fused to her skin. Avitas and Laia carry Helene to a cave, and then he and Dex collapse the tunnels. The group, along with the evacuees, travel through the caves to Delphinium.

When Helene wakes up in Delphinium, Avitas is there. Helene asks him to report and he tells her how many people were saved and how many were left behind. Avitas is no longer able to hide his frustration and lets Helene see his desire for him. He touches her face and calls her scars beautiful, saying, "Your face couldn't be anything but beautiful, Blood Shrike. With or without the mask." They kiss, but Helene pulls away because she believes they must continue to put duty before themselves. She tells him she is the Blood Shrike and he must remember that. Avitas is clearly pained but he nods and leaves the room.

### *A Sky Beyond The Storm*

Avitas' ghost is tethered to the Waiting Place because of Elias' sadness at his loss. Avitas is at peace with the fact that he died in battle, defending the woman he loved. He asks Elias to tell Helene he "got his wish, and that she must live." He then passes on to the afterlife.

## Relationships

### Helene Aquilla

Avitas tortured Helene and spied on her for the Commandant. Eventually, he changes his loyalties to Helene. As Avitas continues to be Helene's second-in-command, he grows in importance to her because of his sincerity. As they travel together for weeks, Helene begins to respect Avitas and his skills as a Mask. Avitas saves her from an assassination and attempt, and Helene heals him after he is wounded in a battle. After the fall of Antium, Avitas saves Helene and Laia, and they travel to Delphinium. Avitas comes to visit Helene in her chambers after she wakes up and the two share a brief but intimate moment. Before things proceed any further, Helene stops him by reminding him of their conditions and positions, after which he reluctantly leaves.

## Trivia

* According to Helene, Harper smells of cinnamon and cedar.
* Sabaa Tahir has said, on Twitter and Instagram stories, that she used Asian-American model, Daniel Liu, as reference for Harper's appearance, although with browner skin.
* Rehmat reveals that Avitas was a possible warrior and carried Rehmat inside him.

## References

1. ↑ *A Torch Against The Night*: page 285
2. ↑ *A Sky Beyond The Storm*: page 499