A Shadow in the Ember

The figures are dead-looking people with sewn mouths. Sera asks what they are, and Ash replies they are Gyrms, Hunters, that are looking for something. The Hunters attack Sera and Ash. Although he tells her to leave, she stays to help him fight. She smells stale lilacs again, like she did before Andreia Joanis’s revival. Ash and Sera continue to banter, and he reveals the only way to kill Hunters is to cut off their heads or stab them in the heart. A snake emerges from one of the Hunter’s mouths, the only animal that scares Sera. After the fight, Ash reveals the snake’s bite is toxic, and Sera knocks herself unconscious in her haste to get away from the last snake.

When Sera comes to, she asks if a revived Andreia turned into a Gyrm. Ash says this wasn’t the case, but doesn’t know the truth. He explains Gyrms were once mortals who swore servitude to gods. Sera questions why the Hunters came for them, and Ash admits he has many enemies. He reveals some Primals are significantly younger than she suspects. She questions why he is still present despite her being unharmed, and he asks her the same question.

Sera considers Ash’s question and acknowledges her attraction to him. They talk about their past experiences with needing to kill others. This leads to Ash admitting the first person he had to kill was a friend, which he regrets despite not having a choice. As they grow closer, Ash compares Sera to a beautiful, deadly flower that grows in the Shadowlands. She asks what the Shadowlands are like, and he replies they are like the woods they are currently in. He then admits he wants to kiss her. Sera hesitates but ultimately reciprocates.

Sera and Ash share a passionate kiss that escalates, fueled by their curiosity and longing for connection. Her feelings of empowerment and impulsivity grow as the encounter progresses. Ash finally exhibits restraint and expresses concern about the consequences of their actions. The pair decide to stop, and the encounter ends with a bittersweet sense of loss and uncertainty. Sera laments that she is still technically a stranger to Ash because he never asked for her name.

Ezra tells Sera about a protest-turned-riot in Croft’s Cross against the Crown’s handling of the Rot. Guards escalated the situation, killing six people and injuring others. Sera is distracted by thoughts of Ash, but asks what Tavius will do regarding the Rot; he is currently ignoring the situation. Ezra admits Sera would be a better heir. The sisters prepare to leave the palace, and Sera goes to the kitchens for food to give to people in need. The cook, Orlano, is busy preparing for the coming Rite of Ascension—in which Kolis, the Primal of Life, Ascends (immortalizes) the Chosen (children born with eather, divine essence)—but lets her take food that would go unnoticed. When Sera leaves, she reflects that the opulence of the Rite is only to keep up appearances.

As Sera heads to local farms with her gathered supplies, she sees the Rot has spread further into the fields. She smells stale lilacs again. She looks back at the city and wonders what will happen should the Rot reach the sea. Sera reaches the farm of the Masseys, a family dealing with the spread of Rot, and offers them food; they refuse. She then moves on to the Coupers, but discovers the family, including the two children, took their own lives due to their dire circumstances.

Sera walks through the palace, disturbed by the contrast between the lavish preparations for the Rite and the deaths of the Couper family. She is determined to confront her stepfather, King Ernald, about the tragedy. She faces resistance from the Royal Guards when she tries to enter the King’s presence, but forces them to let her pass. Inside the King’s chamber, Sera finds him and Tavius. She confronts them about the common people’s desperation and urges her stepfather to help. A heated argument follows, highlighting the men’s indifference to the plight of the people. When Tavius insults Sera, she retaliates, and the argument comes to blows. The King intervenes, reprimands both children, and tells Tavius to leave the room. Father and daughter talk, and Sera realizes he is concerned about the Rot, but remains overly patient in finding a solution.

When Sera leaves, she hears a voice calling for help and discovers a servant girl who seems to be in trouble. When she enters the room to help, the door locks behind them. The girl apologizes, and Sera realizes she’s walked into a trap.

In the room, Sera is ambushed by several guards who say they were paid to kill her without question. She defends herself and ultimately kills them. She asks the servant girl if she knows who paid the guards. The girl says she doesn’t know, and wasn’t part of the plan until the guards tricked her into going into the room as well.

The door crashes open, and several guards enter, along with an unknown god. Sera notes he has face paint that mimics the burns she saw around Andreia Joanis’s eyes. The Queen appears as well. Sera says she’s innocent, and while the Queen doesn’t believe her, she cannot say as much in front of a god.

Later, Ezra asks if Sera thinks Tavius was behind the attack. When Sera affirms this suspicion, Ezra questions if he’s “idiotic enough to kill the one thing that can stop the rot” (215). She notes his lack of money for bribes because of his affair with a recent widow named Anneka. The sisters also debate what should be done about the servant girl. Ezra reveals the visiting god is Callum, a member of the Court of the Primal of Life, and is likely present because of the coming Rite. When the sisters part, Sera sees another god who seems to be waiting for her. He introduces himself as Ector, and gives her an ornate dagger made of shadowstone. Sera is touched because she’s never been given a gift before. She realizes it was Ash who sent it to her.

Sera’s old nursemaid Odetta dies, and she goes to Stonehill for her funeral. During the cremation, she thinks about how Odetta was like family to her. Still, Odetta prepared Sera for the death, so she does not cry.

Sera wakes before the Rite feeling ill. Sir Holland asks if Odetta’s death is affecting her, and when she refutes this, he gives her an herbal remedy. He then compares Sera to the mythical figure Sotoria. He says Sotoria’s story is more complicated than Sera believes, that the god who fell in love with her was obsessed with reviving her when she eventually died. Sir Holland states Sotoria’s determination upon being revived is why he compares Sera to her. Sera drifts off but later wakes feeling better. However, when brushing her teeth, she finds herself spitting out blood.

Sera goes to the Sun Temple to watch the Rite. She muses whether or not the nobility in attendance care about people like the Coupers. When she sees the Queen smiling at Ezra, she wonders what her life would’ve been like if she hadn’t been born the Maiden. After Kolis, the Primal of Life, Ascends the Chosen, he looks directly at Sera.

At night, after the Rite, Ezra comes to Sera in the Primal Gardens. She’s covered in blood but insists she isn’t injured. She says her companion Marisol got caught in a riot while trying to help a child and died from a head wound. Ezra begs Sera to bring her back to life.

Ezra knows Sera can bring creatures back from the dead. Sera counters that the cat she brought back to life long ago died again not long after, but Ezra insists this wasn’t because of a lack of ability. She begs Sera to revive Marisol, and when Sera realizes her stepsister is in love with Marisol, she finally agrees. When Sera attempts to use her power, she is surprised to see eather emanate from her hands. Eventually, Marisol awakens, and Sera is relieved that she doesn’t share Andreia’s fangs. After telling Marisol that she was only injured, Sera and Ezra step away to talk. Ezra thanks Sera, hugging her and insisting she’s not a failure. As Sera leaves, she remembers Odetta’s warning that she should never use her gift on a human.

Sera lays in bed and grapples with her actions, thinking they might attract the attention of the Primal of Death. The eather that accompanied the revival puzzles her. She’s woken by Tavius, who taunts her. When Sera reaches for her dagger, she finds he’s taken it. When she tries to grab it, he pins her down. Tavius calls her weak and says she’ll have to respect him now that their father suddenly died. He sent Sir Holland away to the Vodina Isles, and Sera realizes she’s in a precarious position. He says that while she failed at being the Maiden, she is still the last of the Mierel bloodline, which makes her a danger to his reign. When she says he’ll never be her king, Tavius says she’ll be punished for treason. He calls in guards, who lead Sera to the Great Hall. There, he orders her to be bound, as he plans to whip her.

Before her whipping, Sera promises retribution. Tavius begins to whip her, but she notes his weakness. The Queen and Ezra enter the Great Hall, both shouting and questioning what he’s doing. He shouts about their lack of respect but is interrupted by a powerful force which shakes the room. Eather rises from the floor, and the Primal of Death appears.

Sera realizes the Primal of Death is Ash. When Tavius asks who he is, the Primal lists his titles, including “Asher,” with his true name being Nyktos. As the humans in the room all bow, Ash and the god Ector survey the situation, noting Tavius’s whip drew no blood. Ector and another god, Saion, release Sera from her bonds. Ash demands to know who is responsible. The servant girl who lured Sera into the original ambush points out the guards involved, and Ash causes them to crumble into ashes with a look. The last guard attempts to shoot with his bow, but Ash kills him by tearing open his neck. He then proceeds to threaten Tavius. While the Queen begs for his life, Ezra counters that her brother has always been a monster. When Sera tells Ash to let Tavius go, he complies, but says he still claims his soul for eternal punishment. He gives Sera his sword, which she uses along with the whip to kill her stepbrother herself. She insists Ezra take the throne.

Ash tells Ector and Saion to clear the room. Once he and Sera are alone, she tries to punch him. He sidesteps and restrains her, and she forces herself to calm down. They argue, and Ash reveals he always knew her identity. When Sera calls him out for not fulfilling his end of her kingdom’s ancient deal, he says this is why he’s present now.

Sera realizes Ash is taking her as his Consort to protect her from facing execution for killing Tavius. She claims she suffered because he refused to claim her, while he counters she kept her freedom. He would not have claimed her had her situation not changed. Sera wants to say goodbye to her family, but he says he’ll kill the Queen if he sees her again. Once Ash promises to inform her family of her whereabouts, she takes his hand, and they are drawn into a mist of eather.

When Sera comes to, she’s behind Ash on a horse. They travel through the forest outside the palace, and he says he will do what he can to protect her family. He reveals he knew she was in danger due to a connection formed by the ancient deal and him tasting her blood during their first kiss. When Sera asks why Ash didn’t tell her who he was, he counters by asking if she would have been attracted to him otherwise. She doesn’t answer, as she is conflicted about her feelings.

Ash and Sera arrive at the lake, and he explains it is a gateway to the Shadowlands, which is why Sera found it comforting, yet others stayed away. He acknowledges he should have revealed his true identity earlier but admits he enjoyed their time together without the weight of their obligations. He takes her through the gateway into the Shadowlands.