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)
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.