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The next morning, she realizes she felt something shift the night before when they fell asleep, like something growing between them that was more than mutual lust. She feels connected to him in a way that goes beyond the deal, and it warms her chest. She’s shocked to find Nektas with her, and even more surprised when he tells her he’s never seen Ash sleep so peacefully before and claims her as one of his.
Denied going to court because of the risk and with nothing to do but think about things, she’s happy to be able to walk with Ector, despite her thoughts spiraling about how Ash lifts the darkness from her and the growing feelings between them. She learns more about the god and finds out he knew Ash’s parents and knows about the deal.
She and the draken follow him to see what’s going on at the southern gate, and she feels warmth in her chest when she sees Gemma, realizing the mortal is dead. The heat in her chest vibrates, striking against an instinct she’s never felt so powerfully before. She wonders if the draken can sense what’s building inside her.
She starts to glow a faint, silvery-white, and the scent of freshly bloomed lilacs rises. Humming grows in her ears, awakening a calling in her that overrides all thought. Eather swirls around her fingertips, her throat goes dry, and her pulse races as light flares along Gemma’s skin, and the girl revives. Ash remarks with astonishment that Sera carries an ember of life.
Sera’s thoughts flash back to Sir Holland telling her that she carries an ember of life, hope, and the possibility of a future. As she thinks on that, she’s told the gods and draken in attendance felt the power ripple, and it’s likely that everyone in Iliseeum felt it. She learns that many will come looking for the source and that could be a very bad thing.
And it is. A very bad thing. Even though most who were the real threats already knew.
Ash tells her that he’s felt it before and asks her how many other times she’s used her gift. He reveals that the Hunters and the murderous gods were likely looking for her, and if he’d been closer, it would have drawn him out, too. She reveals how she healed the hawk in the woods and brought back Marisol before she left the mortal realm. He tells her that her gift is from the Primal of Life, but not Kolis. The real one: Ash’s father. She learns that Eythos was the true Primal of Life, and that the ember was his—and Ash’s once upon a time—until Kolis, Eythos’s twin, stole it.
Sera learns the story of Eythos, Kolis, and Sotoria. She admits that she’d never used her gift on a mortal before Mari because she didn’t want the power or the ability to decide someone’s fate or use the power anytime the choice was presented. She thinks that makes her weak, but Nektas tells her otherwise. She wonders—with some horror—if she and Ash are related and is happy to find out they are not, but she still questions how her gift can help. She then learns that Kolis has Eythos’s soul. And given the poppies started blooming once she arrived after being dormant for hundreds of years, Nektas insists her mere presence is bringing life back to the realm.
The Rot in Iliseeum is from Kolis losing his powers, and while she argues that it’s the deal expiring, she’s told it has nothing to do with that. She’s shocked to find out that what’s happening in Lasania would have happened regardless of the bargain, and suddenly realizes the clock ticking down wasn’t for her kingdom, it was for her.
Sudden relief sweeps through her at not having to manipulate and kill Ash as she was trained to do. It lightens her load yet overwhelms her with guilt. Bele outs Sera’s motives, and she confirms when asked outright. She explains that was why she kept going back to the Temple. Sera believes she’ll die now and can no longer think of Ash as…well, Ash. He’s Nyktos. He tells her that she would have died the second she pulled the shadowstone blade from his chest after killing him. She attempts to apologize but is told they’re under siege.
She offers to help and reminds them that she’s trained, saying the danger is there because of her and she will not just stand by and do nothing. She’s not a danger to their people and means them no harm, even though Ash believes she’s a danger to him. Still, she rides with Ash, Rhahar, Saion, and Rhain to the gates at the bay, revealing that she can feel death—the souls leaving their bodies. Ash tells her to stay with Ector and Rhain, and she takes up a post firing arrows at the dakkais.
After the fight, Sera learns the rules for attacking another Primal’s Court. Suddenly, she realizes that if Kolis wants her dead, she will be. He knows something is in the Shadowlands, though doesn’t know the source. Nyktos insists he’ll keep it that way, no matter what.
With a divide between them, they trade barbs and Sera screams at Nyktos to stop reading her emotions, especially if he isn’t going to believe what he feels. She goes on to say that she never wanted to fulfill her duty and nothing she did with him was an act.
Feeling like a monster, she offers to heal Nyktos’s wounds, and he lets it be known that he doesn’t trust her enough to let her try. That stings. She’s concerned about him and doesn’t want anything to happen, so she asks Nektas how she can get him to take sustenance. He says he thinks they can probably get Ash to feed from her because he’s mad enough to do it.
Well, alrighty, then.
The draken asks Sera if she would have killed Ash if she’d never learned it wouldn’t save her people. She can’t say yes. Nektas says that Ash knows that, too, and that’s why he’ll feed. So, she goes to him and tells him to take from her. She admits that she always knew she’d die young. He tells her to leave and says if she doesn’t, he’ll feed from and fuck her. She taunts him, asking if that’s a promise. He admits that he might kill her. Still, he calls her liessa.
They engage in a little hate sex, though it’s anything but, it’s more frustration, and he starts to heal.
After asking if he took enough blood, she goes to leave. He tells her to rest, and she says he can go fuck himself. When he grabs for her, Sera notices that he feels warm for the first time. He tells her that she’s no real threat to him because he’d never love her, and she asks him if he’s sure about that. Sera submits as he takes her again, biting his thumb and drawing blood. He spanks her, and she knows that neither of them will ever be the same.
Later, she wakes alone with a headache, wondering if Nyktos’s body was warm because he fed. She doesn’t think she can repair things with him, but she wants friendship if nothing else. If she can. She thinks on whether there’s another way for her to save her people. Maybe the ember was put in her for another reason. She suddenly feels sickened at the thought of Kolis going after Nyktos before and admits, even if only to herself, that she cares about him and his people. She knows that getting caught by Kolis means she’ll die, and that will hasten the death of both realms.
Paxton brings water for a bath and Sera feels like crying at the thoughtfulness of the gesture. She learns the boy’s story, and he tells her that they can’t wait for her coronation and are proud to have her as their Consort.
While in the bath, Sera is attacked. Hamid strangles her. She fights, breaks a stool in the process, and stabs him with a jagged leg. He falls and cracks his head on the tub. When the others arrive, they discuss the mortal and his motives, and she remembers that Hamid visited Gemma.
Suddenly, Sera becomes unsteady on her feet, her face and head hurting terribly. She gets dizzy and tells them she gets migraines like her mother but adds in the bit about her teeth bleeding lately. Nyktos brings her some healing tea—the same she had with Sir Holland—and they recount when things started. They tell her she’s going through the Culling and why.
Nyktos keeps her at arm’s length and tells her she’ll be his Consort, though in name only. He adds that she’s merely a vessel for the ember she carries—no friendship or love will be involved.
Low blow, Nyktos. But given what I saw sometime after this, I understand what you’re trying to do here…
After breakfast, Sera sees Gemma and finds that her touch removes all wounds. She tells the girl that Nyktos won’t hold her accountable for Hamid’s actions because she didn’t tell him to attack Sera. Then things get complicated. She learns that she is who Kolis is looking for. His graeca—his love or life. She also learns what Kolis is doing with the missing Chosen—turning them into Revenants.
We know he’s actually turning them into Ascended and Revenants.
Compelled to do so, Sera apologizes to Gemma for bringing her back to life and then tells Bele and Aios what Odetta said about her being touched by life and death. She asks them if they can seek out the Fates, then insists they find Nyktos immediately and tell him what Gemma and Odetta said.
Cressa, Madis, and Taric show up. Sera gets knocked around, and Taric takes her blood, doing something else that Sera can’t pin down. She stabs him in the chest with the butter knife she hid from her morning meal. In the skirmish, he attempts to use compulsion on her, but it doesn’t work.
Saion checks on Sera, and she tells him to go to Bele, who got injured in the fight. She feels a flare in her chest that chills her to the bone, knowing it’s the goddess. She watches the murderous gods die, and then Nyktos appears. She explains that Taric did something to her.
He tells her to remember that she may feel fear but she’s never afraid and gives her back her dagger. She asks if she can try to save Bele and is told the ember in her isn’t strong enough to bring back a god. When she insists that the goddess died because of her and again asks to be allowed to try, Nyktos tells her not to take on that guilt but allows her to go to Bele anyway. She brings the goddess back to life and finds that isn’t all she did. She also Ascended her.
