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Malik goes on to share how Preela, his bonded wolven, was killed. Later, Poppy learns that she was killed in front of Malik and her bones were used to create weapons—one of which Poppy carries on her at all times—the bloodstone and wolven-bone dagger Vikter gave to her on her sixteenth birthday.
Reunited, Poppy and Cas discuss her being the harbinger, her Culling, the prophecy, and the Joining. She then talks through everything she learned with the generals and uncovers information about Malec. As it turns out, he’s buried in the northeast corner of the Blood Forest near some ruins and was entombed in a casket covered in deity bones.
She also learns that I helped Eloana entomb Malec.
Yes, I did.
They decide that Malec and Ires will be returned to Nyktos and the Consort once everything is over, and Poppy leaves to spend some time with Tawny and talk to Kieran about the Joining. During their discussion, Poppy feels things from Kieran and discovers there’s love there. She then realizes she also loves him. It’s not the same as what she feels for Cas, but it’s enough for both of them to make the kind of promise the Joining requires.
They set off to find Malec and encounter some hardships along the way—what else is new?—Craven and Gyrms, both of which they thankfully defeat.
When they return, Poppy, Cas, and Kieran partake in the Joining—which did turn sexual…something I wholeheartedly approved of—and end up with synced breaths and heartbeats and shared feelings. Unfortunately, it doesn’t remove the curse from Kieran as they hoped it would.
Poppy dreams of the woman with the silver hair again and sees someone she feels could be Vikter. She wakes in Cas’s arms with Kieran lying close. After making sure their armies are ready, they set off to meet with the Queen.
It’s here where the actual events vary a little from my Seer visions. I was nearly as shocked by the final outcome as those in attendance.
When they reach the Queen, Poppy delivers an ultimatum that they remove the curse from Kieran before she brings Malec out. Callum does, and they deliver the Queen’s heartmate to her, despite Millie’s warnings to Poppy that something doesn’t feel right.
Thinking Isbeth would bring Malec back, everyone watches raptly, ready to act if needed. And this is where it gets weird. Isbeth shocks them all by apologizing and plunging a shadowstone dagger into her lover’s heart—the one thing that can kill a god. She rambles on about someone waiting for the sacrifice. The balance the Arae always insist on. The one born of mortal flesh on the verge of becoming a great Primal power. And Callum reveals that as long as both Poppy and Millie share the blood of the Primal and are loved, he will be restored. He adds that Isbeth just needed someone of his bloodline to set things in motion.
So, Malec wasn’t the True King of the Realms that everyone was talking about. And Poppy ended up being the bringer of death and destruction anyway since she brought Malec to Isbeth. Putting the prophecy puzzle pieces together, they establish that Isbeth is the harbinger, and Millie is the warning. Callum goes on to say that he needed to be strong so he could wake, and that Poppy’s Ascension freed him. He says that when Malec takes his final breath, he will be at full strength. When Poppy smells stale lilacs, she realizes who he is. It’s Kolis. The Primal who stole his twin brother’s power and Court and unbalanced the realms.
Millie tells Poppy that Malec is still alive and that things can be stopped. When she summons the draken and starts to use eather, they warn her that it will attract the dakkais. She pulls back but can’t sustain it. During her god battle with Isbeth, the dakkais attack, and many die. The Consort comes to her and tells her that it wasn’t supposed to be this way, and Poppy remembers what Reaver said about saying the Consort’s name.
She realizes the Consort is the true Primal of Life and screams her name, one she didn’t even know she knew, and is suddenly struck by lightning, becoming churning light and shadow with eather wings. Fangs appear, and her Culling comes to fruition.
Poppy goes Primal, and a great battle ensues. When she wakes later, she’s relieved to see all of her fallen friends alive and whole and learns that Reaver took Malec to Iliseeum, Millie ran off, and Malik followed.
Nektas tells everyone about Eythos and Kolis and relays the story of Sotoria. He goes on to say that the Consort’s Ascension was like a cosmic restart, and only if a female descendant was born and Ascended would the reboot happen again. Malec having a child upset the balance and created a loophole for what was done to Kolis to be undone. He says that Callum must be found and dealt with and reveals that Poppy is the Primal of Blood and Bone, the true Primal of Life and Death.
When Poppy tells Nektas that she knows where Ires is, he orders them to take him to the god and says they must also find Jadis so they can return to Iliseeum. Nyktos and the Consort no longer sleep, which means the other gods will wake.
The war has only begun.
In the tunnels under Wayfair, Kieran and Casteel are very overprotective, and Nektas makes fun of them for worrying over and safeguarding her, calling them adorable.
When the tunnels collapse, Cas and Kieran move to protect her, but they realize that she didn’t do it. It wasn’t any of them. It’s the gods.
Poppy gets excited that it could be Penellaphe, her namesake, and asks if she can meet her. Nektas tells her she’ll likely get to meet all of them when the time is right.
I cannot wait to see that.
The group finally reaches Ires, and Poppy isn’t sure what to say or do. She feels super uncomfortable at first and Cas calms her, as Nektas warns that he will be more animal than man.
Poppy touches her father, and he shifts. She talks to him and asks if he remembers her, telling him she’s his daughter. After Kieran gets Ires a banner to wear, the god finds his voice and reaches out to Poppy, telling her he knows who she is.
It was such a touching moment.
They all discuss Jadis, and Ires tells them he believes she’s somewhere in the Willow Plains.
All of a sudden, Poppy gets dizzy. When Nektas asks if she’s slept, she replies that she rested a little. He clarifies that he meant stasis, but she passes out before more can be said.
Kieran and Cas take her to a spare room in the castle and watch over her, telling her stories of their early time together.
When she finally wakes, she shakes the castle, burns a symbol for life and death into the floor, and opens eyes the pure silver of a Primal.
Poppy’s prophecy:
