Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Millie engages with the other Revenants and screams at Poppy to get the dagger out of Malec’s chest and get to Isbeth. When she can’t, Millie goes. Just as she finally reaches Malec and gets her hand around the dagger’s hilt, Isbeth blasts her with eather and she dies.
She gets up after Poppy calls to the Consort and then watches Poppy take out the dakkais and Isbeth. In the confusion afterward, Millie sneaks away.
We know that Malik went after her.
Eventually, she finds that out, too, because she shows up at Wayfair with him. When she discovers that Poppy is in stasis, she’s concerned. She visits with her for a while but ultimately leaves.
Wait until she discovers what Poppy has turned into…
QUEEN ELOANA DA’NEER
Becomes Queen Mother Eloana Da’Neer
Click here to see an image by art.bymikki of Eloana and Valyn full size.
Hair: Onyx-colored.
Eyes: The color of cool amber honey.
Facial features: Proud jaw.
Personality: Frenetic. Cautious. Strong.
Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Always has what’s best for the kingdom in mind. Finds it hard to talk about her missing son. Calls Casteel “Hawke.” Worries greatly for her people—to the point it sometimes overshadows hope. Doesn’t talk about Malec much. Prone to stabbing Valyn. Has killed to keep Iliseeum’s location a secret. Poisoned Isbeth with belladonna. Entombed Malec.
Background: Elemental Atlantian. Was young when she became Queen. Her bonded wolven died during the war. Was married to Malec.
Family: Ex-husband = Malec. Husband = Valyn. Sons = Malik and Casteel. Brother = Hawkethrone †.
Eloana is not only the Queen Mother of Atlantia’s current King, she is also a pivotal piece of the gears that were set in motion where Isbeth is concerned. Malec had an affair with Isbeth when he was married to Eloana. Eloana thought he hung the moon but soon realized that Isbeth wasn’t like his other mistresses—she was his heartmate.
ELOANA’S JOURNEY TO DATE:
After Poppy is attacked at the Chambers of Nyktos, Eloana walks into the Temple and sees what Poppy has done. She asks what Hawke has brought back to Atlantia with him and then tells the onlookers to bow to their new Queen.
When Poppy insists that none of what’s going on is her, Eloana tells her that she may not have realized she summoned the wolven, but she did. Many shifted without warning. She then turns her attention to Cas and tells him that he needs to care why the wolven are acting as they are, declaring that the bonds between the wolven and their Elemental Atlantians have been broken. She goes on to tell Poppy that the godly blood in her supersedes any oaths between the wolven and their bonded Elemental Atlantians, and that’s why the bonds broke.
The attack on Poppy shocks Eloana, and she tells Poppy that she’s not a Soul Eater and that her attackers should have known exactly what she was when they saw the eather in her blood become visible.
As discussions of Malik arise, Eloana wonders aloud if the marriage between Hawke and Poppy is a ploy—she knew her son’s original plan.
When Alastir attacks, Eloana is stunned once again when Cas is hit with arrows. She commands the Crown Guards to stand down. She doesn’t understand why they would go after her child—their Prince and now-destined King.
Alastir and his cohorts abscond with Poppy. I imagine Eloana assisted with those who were poisoned by the shadowshade.
After Poppy and Cas go through their harrowing ordeal and return to Atlantia, Eloana welcomes Hawke at Cove Palace but then sees the differences in Poppy. She knows she was Ascended and stares in disbelief because she’s not a vampry. Everything brings up a slurry of emotions for Eloana, things I felt in my vision: relief, joy, love, and sorrow.
Having had time to think about what happened with Alastir, Eloana explains that she thinks he believed the Royals would support his plan to be rid of Poppy, which was what he meant when he cried “It’s not too late” at the Chambers. Eloana can’t help but keep bringing up Poppy’s Ascension, and Poppy gives her a piece of her mind for disrespecting her. Eloana apologizes and is surprised by Poppy’s understanding.
Eloana and Poppy discuss Poppy’s heritage. Eloana confirms that Poppy does share abilities with Malec and remarks that she even looks like him. She assumes that Malec must be her father, though there are some things about that hypothesis that don’t add up.
She tries to soften the blow of the news to Poppy by telling her that Cora could still be her mother, just not mortal. However, she realizes that Alastir would have known, therefore making that untrue.
She reveals that she knew Alastir had found someone he believed to be Malec’s descendant but didn’t know anything about her and had no idea that Poppy was the one he’d spoken of.
After additional thought, Eloana later reveals that it’s impossible for Malec to be Poppy’s father because she found him after the war and entombed him in bone chains under the Blood Forest, which was four hundred years ago. It would have only taken two hundred for him to become weak enough to die, so he would have been dead long before Poppy was born. However, she theorizes that maybe the Blood Crown discovered where Malec was entombed and helped him rise. They then hypothesize that Poppy must be Nyktos’s great-granddaughter.