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Kieran chooses to sleep next to Poppy in his wolven form, as much as a comfort to him as it is to her. They’re both missing a vital piece of themselves, and they may be the only other people in the realm who can understand the pain of that. But he would never sleep next to her in his human form without Cas present. It’s a sign of respect.
Vessa, a crone referred to as the widow, is allowed to remain in the manor. The creepy woman who speaks in rhymes tries to stab Poppy, and Kieran comes into the library just after it happens. He refuses to go near her, though, believing her to be a spirit. A laruea. When it becomes obvious that Vessa’s madness stems from her belief in the prophecy, he warns Poppy that she should not be walking around alone. They don’t know who else might believe it or how far their fanaticism could go.
Kieran arrives with Emil, Perry, and a package meant for Poppy. He shields his emotions as much as he can—he knows nothing good can come of whatever’s in the box—and informs her that only her blood can open it. When Poppy goes to bleed for it, he reminds her to be careful and states that anything could be in a locked gift sent by the Queen.
Once they all see what’s inside—Casteel’s pointer finger with his wedding ring—Kieran slams the box closed, attempting to shield Poppy as much as possible. When she threatens the Queen, he says he would love nothing more than to do everything Poppy stated she wants to do, but they can’t. He fights the Primal notam, attempting to disobey her order for them to help her exact her revenge, and tries to reason with her. He explains that if she does what she wants in the heat of the moment, she will kill innocents—something she won’t be able to live with later—and nobody will ever see her as more than a thing of rage and pure, uncontrollable power.
Once she’s calm again, Kieran gives her Cas’s wedding ring. She orders that the finger be burned, but not by him. He then tells her about the note that was inside: an apology from the Queen for the pain she knew she’d cause Poppy.
Isbeth really is a piece of work.
When they discuss going to Carsodonia, Kieran tells her there’s no way she’s going alone and that she can appoint someone as Crown Regent to look after things while they are both gone. He also reminds her that Cas is a part of him and will need him there just as much as he needs her. She agrees but tells Kieran that she wants Reaver to come, too. Nektas wants Ires back, and Reaver can help that happen.
It becomes clear that Poppy needs to feed, and Kieran offers himself, reminding her that Cas would want that.
Poppy shares her choice for regent, and Kieran approves—his sister will make a great Crown Regent.
They talk strategy, and Kieran reminds her that Cas will be in bad shape when they find him. And her father, Ires, will be even worse. He gently tells her there’s no way they can get them both out safely. He makes sure she understands and then stresses that they will get Ires out. That much is not in question—just the when.
When Poppy dream walks with Cas, and Kieran wakes after sensing it, he tells Poppy how Jasper once told him that heartmates could walk in each other’s dreams—fortifying his belief that she and Casteel are heartmates.
A freak storm surges, shaking the manor, and Kieran tells Poppy he doesn’t think they should be inside. He urges her to leave before the whole building comes down. Unfortunately, once they’re outside, they witness the draken falling. Poppy tries to bring one back to life, and Kieran tells her that while she can heal, once a soul departs a being of two worlds, they’re gone. Reaver confirms by telling her that only the Primal of Life could restore the spark to a dual-natured.
Kieran trails Poppy when she realizes that Vessa had to be the one to call the storm. They come upon her using dark magic, and Kieran warns Poppy to be careful. She kills Vessa. Later, Reaver tells Kieran that he’s wrong if he thinks Nyktos was the Primal of Life and Death and stresses the difference between surviving any injury and coming back to life when talking about the Revenants. Kieran realizes that only Malec could have shared the knowledge of how to use such magic with Isbeth, who then shared it with Vessa to create the storm—however, we later learn that he wasn’t the only one who could have shared such things. Callum could have, as well.
Kieran tells Poppy they lost the draken and that it isn’t only her burden to bear. He adds that there was no way she could have known that Vessa was capable of something like that. Nobody could have. When talk turns to the fact that Poppy cannot heal the wolven, Kieran reassures her that it’s okay. Everybody dies eventually.
During the Council meeting reception, Kieran points out the generals to Poppy and then joins her during the briefing. Gayla La’Sere asks how they can expect people to fight back, and Kieran replies that they can’t until the mortals know they have support from the Atlantians. He insists the mortals will find the strength to fight once they’re assured that Atlantia is not the enemy, and they reinforce that they mean to help disband the Blood Crown and stop the Rite.
They journey through the Pinelands to Oak Ambler, and Kieran sees a group leaving the city. They stop to talk to some, and several reveal that their children were taken. When Poppy makes promises to some of the parents, Kieran warns her that it wasn’t a good idea.
Poppy tries to gain entrance to assist the residents attempting to leave, but the Rise Guards don’t believe she is who she claims to be. Once she neutralizes them, Kieran comforts her by telling her they will save thousands. They enter the battle, and Kieran shields Poppy from a volley of arrows. When only a small number of soldiers remain, Kieran attempts to get them to surrender.
Once inside the chambers under Castle Redrock, they battle the Craven. Kieran is furious that the Ascended turned the stronghold’s servants. Poppy’s fury matches his, and she orders him and the others to find the vamprys and bring them to her.
Outside the chamber of drained Chosen, Kieran doesn’t stop Poppy from seeing it. He understands that she needs to grasp the gravity of the situation—until some of the bodies start to twitch. He urges her out, and she doesn’t stop him. When he tells her they’ll turn, she acknowledges it, but he can see the sorrow in her. Emil leaves them to take care of it.
They finally receive word that some chambers full of white-robed figures were found, and know it’s the Priests and Priestesses. Priest Framont tells Poppy it’s time for her to fulfill her purpose, and Kieran orders their people to guard the Temple tunnels immediately.
When Vonetta joins them with a Priestess, Kieran is shocked to discover that she’s an Ascended. But not as surprised as he is when they enter a room filled with stalactites created from blood, and a floor littered with bones. When Poppy goes to kill the Priestess, Kieran stops her, telling her that it’s not worth the depletion of her energy and power. Ultimately, they find seventy-one bodies from the last two Rites in the room, and countless other remains from previous Rites.
It breaks my heart to think of so many children being slaughtered. And for what? The god complexes of a group of people who never would have come into existence if not for the greed and selfishness of a single moment in time? It’s nearly unfathomable.
Kieran retrieves Poppy to help heal Perry after he takes an arrow to the shoulder in Massene, and Reaver informs him of Poppy’s dizzy spell. Concerned, he suggests that she sit out the healing and let it happen naturally, and then asks her if she needs to feed. When she insists that she’s fine and they go to Perry, it’s to find Delano reading my journal that he took from Poppy’s cabin on the ship—much to Kieran’s amusement. Again, I say everyone should read it. Delano may even discover some new ways to please his partner, given the things I reveal in there about some of my most sensual and incredible threesomes and foursomes. But I digress…
Curled up with Poppy in his wolven form as he has taken to doing of late, Kieran wakes to Poppy’s silent screams through the notam and unconsciously shifts to comfort her. He wraps her in his arms, and when she asks him to promise to kill her if she becomes a monster because she knows that Cas will never be able to do it, it both angers and saddens him. He tells her she doesn’t give herself enough credit and would never let things get that far. Eventually, however, he agrees to her demands.
When Poppy has an idea about possibly using Primal magic to help locate Cas, they talk to Perry about what his father may have divulged. One of the items needed for the spell is a cherished possession of the one they wish to find. Kieran immediately thinks of Poppy but then quickly adds that he doesn’t consider her a thing. He knows that distinction is important to her, just as it is with Cas, and he feels bad for even saying it like he did. When Poppy reveals the carved horse she’s been carrying around, it brings back memories, as Malik made one for Kieran, too.
When Gianna and Tawny approach Poppy at the encampment later, Tawny tells them about her dream of Vikter and what she learned about the viktors. When she gets to the bit about the Arae and Mount Lotho, Kieran reveals that it’s been written that Lotho is in Iliseeum. As Tawny reveals more, Kieran wonders why Vikter didn’t tell anyone about his role or motivations, but then learns that viktors can’t. While protecting their charges, they cannot reveal their reasons.
As Tawny reveals the longer prophecy, Kieran assumes the once-promised King mentioned is Malik. They discuss more about what each of the lines could mean. Tawny reveals that Vikter had one other thing he wanted her to pass along, but she was to tell only Poppy. Kieran doesn’t like it and makes his unease known but ultimately lets the women speak.
Pseudo plan made, Kieran, Reaver, and Poppy head out for the capital. After Poppy dream walks with Cas again, she discusses what he told her with Kieran and Reaver. They talk about demis—amidst the usual bickering between Reaver and Kieran—and try to unravel what the legend about the demis means and how it could work in their favor if Isbeth is, indeed, a demis.
Later that night, after a Craven attack and Kieran discovering that Poppy needs to feed, discussions lead to them talking about Cas and whether his captors would allow him to feed. Kieran reveals that they let him the last time they held him and comments that it’s been forty days at most since he last fed. When he finally goes to feed her, cutting his wrist with a two-inch slice, he orders her to drink and not sip and tells her not to feel ashamed. When she drinks, he lets some spicy memories slip to tease her, utterly embarrassing Poppy yet taking her mind off the act. Poppy heals his cut when she’s finished, and Kieran is amused that she won’t acknowledge what he revealed—that he knows she watched him and Lyra at the wolven wedding, and that he watched her and Cas in return.
On their journey later, they discuss the differences in class and things between Atlantia and Solis and then talk about Lasania. He wonders where he’s heard the name before. They then talk about the differences between the mortal realm now versus when Reaver was last in it, and the draken tells them that the Consort was born there as the true heir and Princess. Kieran is shocked to learn that the Consort was partly mortal.
