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Following the macabre discovery in the tunnels and the Temple, Poppy orders him to burn the Temple to the ground. He flies over, circling the structure as he does. Happy to do it.
Sharing a meal with Poppy, Reaver tells her that it’s good they can’t understand what the Ascended did. He stresses that Nyktos is the True King and wouldn’t approve, and the Priest thinking it’s anyone else is unfortunate. He adds that the Consort doesn’t like limitations either and laughs when Poppy imagines the Primal of Life probably doesn’t like her bringing people back to life. He tells her that Nyktos would be conflicted. He’d be happy about life yet worry about fairness, while the Consort would weigh the concerns, throw them aside, hope no one was looking, and do it anyway.
He explains that the Consort sleeps so deeply because it’s the only way to stop her from doing the kind of harm that can’t be undone in her rage over her sons being taken from her. With Ires in mind, Reaver reminds Poppy that they mustn’t forget about him. The god needs to return home to Iliseeum.
Reaver wears Kieran’s clothing—to the wolven’s chagrin—as he readies the horses and the wagon of whiskey for their trip to the capital.
He tells them the truth about demis on their journey and says they’re so rare he’s never seen one. He explains that a demis is a god made, not born. They’re mortal—though not Chosen—Ascended by a god. He says that few existed because the act was forbidden, and most didn’t survive the Ascension. However, those who did make it were essentially gods with the same weaknesses as the gods.
When he sees the state of things in Solis, it saddens him. He tells Poppy and Kieran that he’s been to the mortal realm before, back when this area was Lasania, though only a few times when it was necessary. He reveals that the Consort was born there with an ember of pure primal power in her, unlike the Chosen.
Reaver notices another group on the road, not Huntsmen, and offers to burn the soldiers. Poppy tells him not to, saying she doesn’t want his identity revealed.
When Millie stops them, he tells her that if she wants Poppy, she’ll allow him and her advisor—Kieran—to accompany her as a show of good faith.
Inside Wayfair, Reaver is in a chamber below Poppy’s room but is under guard. Still, he behaves and is taken to see Kieran whenever the wolven demands it.
Poppy checks on him, and Reaver follows her to meet with the Queen. Millie escorts him, Poppy, and Kieran to the Great Hall. He stares at the statue in the center of the Great Hall. Poppy believes it’s the Primal of Life, Nyktos, and Reaver tells her it isn’t. Millie confirms.
He announces that he doesn’t like how the Ascended look at Poppy. When she remarks that he and Kieran are beautiful and she’s flawed, and the Ascended can’t figure out why she’s with them, he tells her that’s the stupidest thing he’s heard in a while, and he’s heard a lot of stupid.
When Isbeth enters, Reaver doesn’t bow. She comments that she doesn’t recognize him, and he tells her that she wouldn’t.
After meeting Callum and hearing him say that he hasn’t felt power like Poppy’s in a very long time, he becomes incredibly interested and asks him how long. The Revenant’s response? “Long.”
During their rescue and escape attempt later, he blows the stairwell doors off the hinges and emerges drenched in blood. When Poppy and Kieran look at him, he tells them he’s a messy eater and then promises he’ll handle any Revenants they encounter.
When confronted by the Royal Knights, he tells them he’d be offended by their threats if what was left of their souls wasn’t about to be ushered into the Abyss.
Reaver revels in the battle, taking down many and commenting on his prowess.
Poppy calls the Shadow Temple the Temple of Nyktos, and Reaver corrects her. He tells her they were the Sun Temple for the Primal of Life and the Shadow Temple for the Primal of Death when it was Lasania. He confirms that the Shadow Temple is in the Garden District, however, near the Luxe, and he is familiar enough with the city to know the way.
He tells Poppy that Nyktos only sat on the throne for a short while. When the candles start responding to Poppy, he tells her that she carries the blood of the Primal and she’s in his Temple, then teases her for being special.
Reaver suggests that they use the spell to find where to go next to find Casteel and spins as Malik arrives. He reminds them all that they don’t have time for distractions and says to either kill him or make sure he can’t betray them.
After they find Casteel, Reaver agrees with Poppy that Callum should be dead and helps keep Casteel in check by removing the shadowstone shackles from his ankles and neck but putting the bone chains on him.
Poppy later asks if he can break the chains around Cas’s wrists. He does. When Cas is more himself after, he introduces himself and says he’s glad Cas didn’t bite him, and he didn’t have to burn him alive.
When Cas reveals that the Revenant, Millie, is Poppy’s sister, Reaver is stunned. He asks if Ires is her father, too, and then remarks that the Consort will be pissed.
Later, he confirms that Poppy is, indeed, a Primal born of mortal flesh. He says he thought she knew but then realized she doesn’t know much of anything. She was able to summon the draken and has the Primal notam. He tells them there’s no danger of her not surviving her Culling now and then congratulates her on knowing now and being able to prepare.
As they talk more, Reaver tells Poppy that only a Primal can create the mist and that her eyes are a sign that she’s close to completing her Culling. He says the streaks of eather may remain, or her eyes could go full silver like Nyktos’s.
When Casteel asks how a Primal is born to a mere god and of mortal flesh, Reaver says he can’t answer that but tells them that Poppy is the first Primal born since the Primal God of Life, and only the Primal of Life can answer that.
Reaver wonders why the Blood Queen thinks Poppy will destroy the realms. When the talk turns to the prophecy, Reaver tells them it isn’t bullshit, not when spoken by a god. And then explains that the goddess Penellaphe was close to the Fates.
After Malik shares his story about being there the night Poppy was attacked in Lockswood and mentions seeing the Consort in Poppy’s eyes as a child, Reaver swears. He tells them the Consort sleeps fitfully and that things happen sometimes that partly wake her.
At Blaz and Clariza’s, Nektas opens the back door to guards and roasts them. When Callum enters, he tells him he’s about to find out for sure what Reaver is and puffs smoke from his nostrils. He’s told to stand down but turns to Callum just as he snaps forward and wounds Kieran.
On the way to Padonia, Reaver leads the horse with an unconscious Malik. After they eat a little bit, he asks them if they’re really worried about the curse Callum put on Kieran—he assumes Kieran, Cas, and Poppy are Joined. He tells them the essence Callum used had Kolis’s stench.
Outside Padonia, Poppy releases Reaver to do as he pleases, and he joins his brethren, flying above the city, their calls echoing through the valley.
