When Do Bryce And Hunt Sleep Together

House of Sky and Breath Recap

I have a really terrible memory and forget way too many details from series when I am reading them, which is why this is a thing. I do it for myself, so sometimes I will highlight thoughts in bold as I am going along-as the main purpose for these recaps is for me to read them over before I get to the next book/also see my thoughts as I was reading. I just upload them here in case they prove useful to other people. But I note down anything I think could be of importance or I know I will forget. Hope this helps someone!

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This was uploaded and edited as I was reading so some of my updates are from when I was in the process of reading – ignore those!

House of Sky and Breath

Prologue – Sofie Renast is in the Kavalla death camps, has been there for two weeks and the guards (dreadwolves) haven’t sniffed her out yet. Half of the Ophion rebel bases have fallen, more will soon. She needs to get to the port of Servant. She can switch between human and Vanir identities as she is a human who made the Drop. Technically makes her Vanir and has a long life span. Did it in an illegal Drop center. Trying to escape with five boys, six girls and her 13 year old brother, Emile.

Parents were captured and killed as rebels, her brother taken. She spent years tracking down her brother to this camp and did terrible things to get the intel. Had to convince Command to let her come, they had listened to Pippa, leader of the elite Lightfall unit, who helped her to get approved for the mission.

Sofie has information in her head that could end the war against the Asteri. Agent Silverbow is waitng for her/them – doesn’t know his real name. Reach Servast, find the boat they need – the Bodegraven. But the dreadwolves have arrived. Tells Silver to take the kids, she will hold them off and join him there.

The Hind (Lidia Cervos) has come with the wolves to stop her escaping.

Sofie isn’t human or a witch; she’s part thunderbird. Her great-hrandmother was one and she mated with a human long ago. The gift had resurfaced in her – can use lightning.

Silver on the boat – been shot with a bullet with a core of gorsian stone, which stifles his magic. Four imperial submersible warships surround the Bodegraven. Silver is in love with Sofie.

Pippa Spetsos stands aboard the rebel ship Orrae, watching the Bodegraven move towards them. Sofie’s brother has the same power as her and it is stronger than hers (Energy is theirs to command). He uses it to take out all the warships.

Sofie is captured by the Hind, who takes her out on a boat with plans to drown her. Wants to know who Sofie shared her intel with, but she keeps saying she has told no one. She is eventually thrown into the sea to drown.

Part 1 – The Chasm

Chapter 1 – At the Crescent City Ballet, Bryce is there to watch Juniper, as the star performer. Find a statue of a Fae there that reminds them of Hunt. It doesn’t say who it depicts, just that it is The Making of the Sword. Says it in the Old Language of the Fae. (SJM never mentions anything unless she’s coming back to it, so this probably is a hint to Hunt’s father)

Bryce now works in the Fae Archives. The attack on the city was 3 months ago.

Hunt still works for the 33rd, as second in command.

Her mum says that she’s noticed things between them are weird – she says that they are together but not together.

Juniper and Fury live together now as a couple.

They’ve made some weird agreement – friends but also more, but without any sex. But, like why Sarah?!? They have another 4 months before they’re allowed to do anything sexual with each other. BUT WHY?!!? Made a bargain with Hunt that rather than dive into bed together they would wait until Winter Solstice to act on their desires. Spend summer and autumn getting to know each other better. Bryce was the one who suggested it but regrets it. BUT LIKE…. WHY?!?!?!?!?! (Think this was the only way for SJM to somehow keep up the sexual tension but it makes no sense to me!)

The star on her chest flares with light from time to time.

Chapter 2 – Attending a get together at Ruhn’s house. Declan is dating Marc Rosarin, a leopard shifter. She regrets the deal and wants to break it but knows Hunt will never let her live it down so she doesn’t give in.

New Archangels have been chosen for Micah and Sandriel’s territories – Ephraim to northern Pangera. And Celestina to Crescent City. Celestina has kept a low profile, she oversees Nena, population of fifty. No one has heard anything bad about her. Celestina would be in charge of him and the 33rd. Doesn’t know if he can trust what they’ve heard about her, expects the worst as she is an Archangel.

Chapter 3 – Ruhn is currently drnk and high as fuck and eating out some faun. Feels slightly bad as he is technically betrothed to Hypaxia Enador. Flynn interrupts, the security system picked up an anomaly, like a storm circling his house. A golden-haired Fae male steps out of the shadows in his doorway and into the party, it is someone Ruhn knows.

Chapter 4 – The Fae is called Cormac, says he was invited. Ruhn knows him but Bryce doesn’t. He says that he is Bryce’s cousin – King Einar is her fathers real name . Says he has come to meet his bride, Bryce. It had been decreed by her father, the Autumn King and his father the King of Avallen Fae. (Keeping it in the family, apparently)

Cormac is the cousin that almost killed Ruhn during his ordeal.

Bryce basically says she isn’t marrying him and then leaves with Hunt. Goes home to find Ithan Holstrom bleeding in her apartment.

Chapter 5 – Tharion is looking for a body, it is Sofie’s body. She was tied to lead blocks and dropped into the water by the Hind. It has been two weeks, needs to find her body/what remains of it.

Tharion slept with the River Queen’s daughter 10 years ago, took her virginity and swore himself to her. Now they are betrothed.

They find the lead blocks, but no one attached to the chains. He notices that the shackles had been unlocked. Doesn’t believe Sofie Renast made it to the seafloor. Queen demands he find Sofie or her brother.

Chapter 6 – Perry Ravenscroft, Amelie’s younger sister, and his packs Omega had him brought to Bryce’s. Has broken ribs and a broken arm. Ithan got kicked out of the Pack by Sabine, and then they beat him. He talked to a reporter about how he helped Bryce during the attack on the city, defended her after Sabine talked shit about her.

Ithan stays the night to recover, sleeps in Bryce’s bed with him. Hunt can’t help but be a little jealous.

Bryce tells Ithan that during the Search, Danika told her Connor and the whole Pack held off the Reapers to buy her time with Danika. They saved Bryce. Ithan tells her that Connor loved her more than anyone and that he thought Bryce was his mate.

A shifters idea of a mate is one’s true love predestined by Urd. To Fae it is a bond deeper than marriage and beyond an individual’s control. Angels use it more lightly, akin to a marriage and matings can be arranged.

Chapter 7 – Ruhn is arguing with his father about Bryce’s engagement. The King says she will arrive willingly at the marriage altar.

Autumn King says Queen Hecuba (The recently deceased witch Queen) had two daughers – Hypaxia and the Hind. Hypaxia’s father was a powerful necromancer, and she has inherited his gifts alongside her mothers. Her older sister was sired by a shape-shifting male, a stag. The Hind didn’t inherit any witch gifts and was handed over to her father’s family.

Chapter 8 – Ithan and Hunt have a little back-and-forth argument. Tells Hunt Connor loved Bryce for 5 years and it took that long for her to agree to go on a date with him. Tells Hunt he is only on month 5, then wishes him luck.

Jesiba tells Bryce to think through the advantages of marrying Cormac Donnall before she refuses.

Chapter 9 – Her star glows in Cormac’s presence, he says it is because their union is predestined. Cormac says the Oracle told him he was destined to unite with a princess with a star in her heart. That their mingling would bring great prosperity to their people.

Celestina finally shows up – meets with Hunt, Isaiah and Naomi (the last of Micah’s triarii). Half of Sandriel’s triarii is being sent to Crescent City to join theirs. Pollux Antonius and Baxian Argos show up, the Hammer and the Helhound.

Chapter 10 – Braxian has a scar snaking down his neck that Hunt gave him 30 years ago. (How do they scar?!? When they can heal and regrow any body part, would they not also heal all scars?) Hunt tackles Pollux to the floor.

Helhound is an angel with the rare ability to shift into a helhound.

Bryce goes to get Hunt out of the cell they put him in after fighting.

Chapter 11 – Tharion hacks into Sofie Renasts email account. Finds an email titled ‘Dusk’s Truth’ where she had said she was working on gaining access. Also another email about Project Thurr. Finds that Danika knew Sofie, and these emails were between the two of them. They swapped emails for 6 months before Danika died.

He finds an abandoned boat abandoned in the Nelthian Marshes, with a life vest from the Bodegraven onboard that smells of a human boy. Believe it is Sofie’s brother. The Ophion had sent Pippa Spetsos and her squadron after the boat/boy. Tharion orders his officers to bring guns and search for the boy and whoever is following him.

Chapter 12 – Tharion comes to speak to them, asking if Danika mentioned a Sofie to them. Tells them about his task of tracking down Sofie and her brother. Bryce wants to help the boy, Hunt wants her to leave it alone. The Asteri will kill them if they hear they are involved with rebels.

Ruhn’s Ordeal was at 27 – sent to Avallen by his father to meet a Fae female from a powerful family his father wanted him to marry. Cormac wanted to marry her too. Neither married her in the end. King Morven (Cormac’s dad) ordered Ruhn to go and retrieve the Starsword from the caves because Declan bragged that he could. Sent Dec, Ruhn and Flynn. Also sent Cormac and twin cousins to hunt them down in the caves. All got lost in the caves, with creatures trying to kill them. Found the sword and managed to pull it from its sheath.

Ruhn tells Bryce that Ithan can come stay with him rather than her.

Chapter 13 – Hunt sleeps in her bed that night, rather than Ithan. Hunt asks her why things are weird between them. Doesn’t get much of an answer.

Bryce meets with Fury, who tells her Ithan always had a thing for Bryce. Tells Fury about Sofie, Emile and everything else. Fury reveals that Danika was a bloodhound, could scent bloodlines and secrets in them. Says Danika learned something big/dangerous about her so she learned something big/dangerous about Danika in return. Doesn’t reveal what it is.

Chapter 14 – The Governor has told Baxian to team up with Hunt, have him show Baxian the ropes.

Ithan talks to Tharion – says Danika was a history major and told him she was doing research on something that could land her in a heap of trouble.

Chapter 15 – Bryce meets up with Ruhn, tells him about Danika being a bloodhound. They get home to find Ithan and Tharion on the sofa with a white cat, they didn’t realise it was Aidas.

Aidas asks why she hasn’t learnt to use her powers yet. Reveals that her light is the same as the last Starborn Queen, Theia. Says he assumes she has Theia’s other gifts too.

Aidas says Prince Pelias was no true prince – he was Theia’s high general and appointed himself prince after he forcibly wed Theia’s daughter Helena. Theai was dead by then, killed by Pelias who stole her blade afterward. Aidas tells Ruhn the sword belongs to her female heir, not him.

Theia’s other daughter got away, vanished into the night and they never learned of her fate. (So she will definitely be showing up at some point) Asks Bryce if she is doing anything to help in this endless war. Says it is the same war he fought 15,000 years ago only renewed and the time is ripe to make a push.

Hunt says Hel is their enemy but Aidas asks who wrote the history – the Asteri. Aidas says the Asteri made scholars and philosophers write down their version of events under threat of death. Erased Theia from the record.

Aidas tells Bryce that Hel’s armies will strike at her command. Aidas basically wants her to rebel against the Asteri, work with the Ophion to do it. Says she doesn’t know any Ophion rebels. He tells her that isn’t true, there’s one behind her. They turn to find Cormac Donnall there – he is Agent Silverbow, the one who was in love with and helping Sofie.

Chapter 16 – Cormac demands to know what they know about Sofie Renast. Cormac is also looking for Emile. Tells them he and Sofie were close, helped her free Emile and made her a promise to look after Emile. They realise he was in love with Sofie.

Pippa is a fanatic on fast track to promotion into Ophion Command. No lines her and her Lightfall soldiers won’t cross. Was responsible for the leopard massacre a year ago – used Vanir kids and babies to lure out their parents and then killed them all. Pippa views Emile as a weapon. Emile was scared of her and fled.

Sofie was an Ophion agent because the Asteri butchered her family, her human one and her thunderbird ancestors. All she wanted to do was find her brother. Tells them the Hind killed Sofie because she had gathered vital intel on the Asteri – something big and war-changing but he doesn’t know what.

Tharion tells Cormac about not being able to find her body, the possibility she may be alive.

Cormac asks about Danika – says her and Sofie knew each other and that Danika set up the safe place for her. Says he knew that and it was why he agreed to marry Bryce.

Danika suspected something about the Asteri and needed someone to go in to confirm it – that person was Sofie. Asked her three years ago but Sofie took a long time to get the information, Danika was dead by the time she did.

Bryce believes Aidas sent Cormac here for a reason – knows Cormac spent years looking up all he could on the Starborn powers, so he can help her unlock her powers.

Bryce wants to make a deal with him. She wants out of the marriage, but knows if they end it too soon her father will find someone else. So they will team up with Tharion to find Emile, help to find out the intel Danika wanted Sofie to learn. But then he will end the engagement when she says it’s time. And also teach her about her magic. He agrees, but engagement will only be broken once his work for Ophion is done as it is the reason he is here in Valbara.

Cormac wants Ruhn to agree to meet him to hear the offer he has for him, gives him a time and place to meet. Thinks they should want to help make the world a better place, to help the humans. Thought they would after what Bryce, Ithan and the others did during the attack on the city.

Chapter 17 – Wonders if Dusk’s Truth is connected to the Lightfall squadron, as lightfall is the same as Dusk. And Project Thurr, thunder god, could be related to thunderbirds.

Hunt tells Bryce he doesn’t know what to do, has seen the horrors on the battlefield. Doesn’t want her spying for the rebels either as he knows what the Hind would do to her if she were caught.

Bryce tells him she wants to try and find Emile separate from Tharion and Cormac. Tells him about how Fury knew something big about Danika and vice versa. This would be the same for them with the Asteri. If they get the intel Sofie learned, then they have something they can use against them too.

Hunt says he wants to see a world without heirarchies and Archangels, but not if achieving it means that they would not live to see it.

Bryce tells him she no longer wants to wait until Winter Solstice and then kisses him. They’re in an alleyway though and risk being seen so Hunt stops it. They need her engagement to Cormac to stay in place, so they can’t be seen kissing.

Chapter 18 – Tharion tells Ithan about how Micah and Sandriel died. That Hunt killed Sandriel for threatening Bryce. That Bryce killed Micah for killing Danika and the Pack. Then tells him everything that happened during the attacks. Tells Ithan to come find him when he makes up his mind about helping, could use his sense of smell to help fine Emile.

Ithan finds Danika’s sword and messes around with it. When he jumps on the coffee table just as Bryce walks in it breaks. They realise it had a secret compartment and they find Danika’s old college papers hidden inside.

Ruhn tells Declan and Flynn everything he has found out so far.

Chapter 19 – Bryce and Ithan look at the papers, which include documents, images, newspaper clipping. All regarding firstlights uses – mainly how it was made into weapons. Also about theories on the origin of worlds and what the Asteri are. The only proof they have that they are what they say they are – beings possessing the force of an entire star who are unaging and undying – is their word. One piece of paper is titled Dusk’s Truth but is blank.

Ruhn goes to meet Cormac. Cormac tells him Sofie was in contact with their most vital spy in the rebellion Agent Daybright. Daybright has direct access to the Asteri – Ophion wonder if Daybright might be one of them. Sofie and Daybright used codes to talk via crystal-fueled radios. They need someone who can mind-speak to be in direct contact with Agent Daybright as Sofie’s old methods may have been intercepted and her codes cracked.

Daybright has fed them info that has led to successful strikes on supply lines, missions and encampments. The info Daybright would give Ruhn could save thousands of lives.

Cormac linked up with Ophion four years ago. He is technically a field commander for them in the northwestern Pangera spy network. Sofie was one of his agents.

Cormac pulls out a small quartz crystal and tosses it to Ruhn. Tells him to try contacting Daybright by holding the crystal, as Daybright has the sister to this comm-crystal. Has same communicative properties as the Gates. It is how all their radios worked – seven crystals hewn from one rock, six in radios and the seventh in Daybright’s radio. Other five were destroyed, only this one and Daybrights remain.

Tells Cormac they suspect Danika might have told Sofie to hide out in the Bone Quarter.

When he asks what intel he should ask Daybright for, Cormac says they’ve been trying to coordinate a hit on the Spine (north-south railway that cuts pangera in half, main artery for supplies in the way). Have heard whispers the Asteri are working on a new mech-suit prototype, designed for Vanir pilots.

Chapter 20 – The River Queen’s daughter comes to see him, she has no mer form and is only a fraction mer. Is an elemental humanoid. Came to see if he wanted to have sex – doesn’t understand why, as they haven’t done that in years. Assumed she’d got bored of him, even if their vows kept them bound together. He denies her and instead invites her on a double date with Bryce and Hunt at some point, she agrees.

Chapter 21 – Hunt and Bryce are talking in bed. Hunt admits it has been six months since he’s had sex – last time was with a nymph at a bar. She tells him hers was a lion shifter in the bathroom of the White Raven. Then she gives him head. Plan to do more but Ithan overhears them and interrupts.

Ithan yells out – ‘Please: have sex a little louder! I didn’t hear everything that time!” – and I’m noting it down because I love him.

Hunt tells her he’s going to fuck her senseless but Ithan shouts – “That sounds medically dangerous” – And so Bryce just goes to sleep instead. (By trying to keep the sexual tension alive, it’s like SJM killed it and the chemistry instead.)

Hunt is in a place between worlds, being spoken to by Apollion, the Prince of the Pit. He has Hunt tied up and asks why he doesn’t use the gifts in his blood to free himself. Apollion had killed and devoured the seventh Asteri. Apollion says his father was the Void, the Being That Existed Before and Chaos was his bride and Apollion’s dam.Tells Hunt he is wasting the gifts he was given, and that he and Bryce’s powers are more similar than they realise. And that they have no idea just what they could do together.

Chapter 22 – Hunt tries to use the crystal that Cormac gave him, gets a response from a female voice. She appears to him as pure flame. He appears to her like a night sky. Gives him the codename Agent Night. Tells him to tell Cormac that safe passage is granted under the cover of the waning moon.

Hunt and Isaiah have been called to a meeting in Celestina’s home. Pollux and Baxian are there – Baxian’s eyes are swollen shut and all of Pollux’s face is bruised. They were at a bar and Pollux says a female was all over him and wanted to fuck him and that she said she wanted to. Baxian says she said no such thing. Pollux took the female to an alley to have sex and says Baxian attacked him. Baxian says the female kept saying no, Pollux says some female say no when they want it. Seems it isn’t the first time Pollux has raped someone. Their fight was filmed and is airing on every news station. Female declined to press charged.

Celestina planned to punish him but the Asteri called and convinced her to give him a second chance. The Asteri want the media to have something else to focus on so Celestina is to mate Ephraim. With two Archangels dead, they need to replenish the ranks. Want them to have their mating ceremony on the Autumnal Equinox.

Celestina tells Hunt she knows about Bryce’s engagement to Crown Prince Cromac of Avallen. Asks how he feels about it, and he says they are taking it day by day. She tells him he is exactly as she thought he’d be. Reveals she was good friends with Shahar. Admits she tried to extract him from the masters who held him after Shahar fell. Tried three times to purchase him but the Asteri denied her.

Chapter 23 – Ithan is with Tharion on the river, they find the body of a selkie female. Seems someone may have tortured her for answers before letting her bleed out. Ithan can smell the kid, Emile on her clothes. And a female. Believes the selkie helped Emile on his way to Lunathion. And then a human woman found the selkie and tortured it for info about Emile – he guesses it was Pippa.

Ruhn and Bryce are heading to the Aux training facility to meet Cormac, supposed to begin her training. Invites Ruhn home to visit her parents when her and Hunt go for Winter Solstice and he agrees. Then Ruhn gets knocked out and dragged away from by a Reaper, who takes him into a sewer.

Chapter 24 – Ruhn can hear Daybright talking to him in his head, doesn’t have the crystal but she felt something and could suddenly talk to him. Believes he is in grave danger. She’s telling him to wake up – he feels like he knows her voice and her scent.

Bryce goes in the sewer after him – finds Ruhn being dragged by two Reapers, three more with them. They tell Bryce they bear a message – five more Reapers come up behind her. Say the Prince of the Pit sent them. Tells her Apollion is ready to strike, wants a worthy opponent this time. Says he wants to face her at her full power, tells her to train harder as he is waiting. Apollion is also hunting the Bone Quarter for Emile, who may also be a worthy opponent.

Cormac appears, begins attacking the Reapers. Tells her to use her light. He tosses her the Starsword, and when she unsheaths it starlight erupts from the blade. Cuts a Reaper with it and it bleeds, then stabs and kills it. Reaper’s shouldn’t be able to be killed. Cormac appears, grabs her and then disappears with her (winnowing?). Transports them to the Aux training center.

Part Two – The Abyss

Chapter 25 – The River Queen has summoned Tharion because she heard he invited her daughter out on a date. Doesn’t think she can handle going Above. (Acts like the daughter is super weak and delicate, so I suspect girlie is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and I now don’t trust her!)

Asks about his progress with Emile and he says he believes he may have finally reached the city. He will continue to look for him.

There are four River Courts, and four river Queens. One for each of the great rivers – Istros, Melanthos, Niveus and Rubellus. The Blue, the Black, the White and the Red.

Tells Tharion that before he asks her daughter on a date Above again, he first needs to witness the disrespect they show the citizens of the Beneath. Punishes him by making him spear trash along the Old Square section of the quay.

Ruhn goes to see his father to ask about the sword. Tells him he was attacked by Reapers and the sword reacted. Doesn’t tell him it was while Bryce was holding it and that it killed the unkillable. Says it glowed and the Reaper’s ran from it.

Autumn King says it is an ancient sword from another world made from the metal of a fallen star – a meteorite. The Autumn King says in ancient times, Starborn rivals would kill each other. Reminds him that Bryce is more powerful than them both – basically suggesting he should kill her.

Chapter 26 – Bryce gets Hunt to meet her at the Black Dock, Cormac is there looking for Emile. Bryce might be able to learn to teleport too, Cormac says he will teach her.

Hunt and Bryce plan to search for Emile using Declan Emmett. Bryce calls Jesiba asks her if she has any Death Marks lying around and says she might – has two they can buy. It is so they can visit the Bone Quarter. Jesiba eludes to knowing info about Danika, asks Bryce to think about why Danika was always poking around the gallery.

Having Declan go through the cameras, try to find where the Reaper’s came from. Also look for Emile. And check the camera footage from the gallery from when Danika was alive. Bryce decides to go down to the gym, Hunt goes after her even though a sunball game is on. Ithan says that Connor would have picked the game. Ruhn asks what Ithan would have picked, he says Bryce.

Chapter 27 – When Hunt goes after her, she’s waiting by the elevator. Jokes that he’s late. Not actually going to the gym, has somewhere else to go first.

Bryce takes him to the Meat Market to look for Emile. Bryce called Juniper and Fury to meet them there. They are going to split up to search and see if Emile is there.

Juniper’s brother was a fighter in the Viper Queens fighting den. Julius – he was talented, the Viper Queen recruited him and promised him riches and everything he could ever want. Then got him addicted to her venom and she put him in a contract he couldn’t get out of. His parents tried everything to get him out but couldn’t. He died in a fight 10 years ago. The Viper Queen’s goons dumped his body on their doorstep with a note that said Memento Mori on it.

Her and Hunt are in the gym working out together. He kisses her then strips off her work out clothes and goes down on her.

Tells Hunt she loves him and then freaks out in her head because she’s never said them to another male and hadn’t even thought them about Hunt, even though she’d known for a while that she loved him. (Did she not tell him she loved him during that scene in Crescent City?!?! I am so confused! It literally said she confessed her last truth to him, three words. It had to be ‘I love you’ given the way he reacted. Did SJM just forget that happened?!?)

He makes her come then tells her he loves her too. But Hunt also thinks about how no one has said those words to him in over 200 years (But didn’t she say them in book one! I AM CONFUSION!!) Shahar never said the words to him, even if he said them to her. Last person to tell him that was his mother.

They talk about it – she admits she’s never said them to anyone romantically before. Asks what she should call him, as boyfriend sounds too young. He suggests mate. She says it is important amongst the fae, a lifetime commitment. But tells him if he isn’t her mate, no one is. They decide on the term mate – because of course they do, this is Maas.

Chapter 28 – Ruhn is back on the mental bridge, Daybright still appearing as a body of flame and him as a body of night, stars and planets. Thanks her for trying to wake him up when the Reapers took him. Says she has information to pass on – the hit on the Spine is a go and the shipment is 3 days from then. Will leave the Eternal City at 6am and will travel to Forvos. It will have the mech-suit prototype on it, as well as fifty crates of brimstone missiles, 112 crates of guns and 500 crates of ammunition. Advises them to destroy everything rather than try to unload anything because if they do they’ll be caught. It will be guarded by 100 wolves and a dozen aerial angel scouts.

Hunt has booked them dinner at a fancy hotel restaurant and a room – so they can finally have sex. But first they have to go visit the Under-King in the Bone Quarter

Cormac, Ithan and Ruhn are going to pass along the intel from Daybright to Orphion.

Chapter 29 – Bryce takes the Starsword with her, Ruhn told her to. They stand on the Black Dock and toss their Death Marks in the water. Baxian shows up while they wait, asks who they are going to see over there. Bryce tells him the Under-King, he tells them they’re the stupidest people he’s ever met if that’s true. Then Hunt and Bryce get on the boat that comes to collect them.

Bryce talks to the Under-King, tells him about the Reapers snatching Ruhn and that she thinks he may have sent them, not Apollion. Says he did not send them. Says they aren’t his Reapers, he has none unaccounted for. Could have come from many other necropolises. She asks if he knows of two humans hiding out here, he says no. She asks if Lehabah is there, he says no and that fire sprites don’t go there because Lowers are of no use – won’t say for what use.

The Under-King feeds on the souls of the dead, those who are worthy and have enough energy. The dead stay there with him for a few centuries and then they are sent through the Dead Gate, their energy used for power/to become secondlight (what firstlight is called when it comes from the dead) The Sleeping City is a comforting lie. Asks why he is telling them this, Hunt realises it is because he doesn’t plan to let them leave alive.

Chapter 30 – Ruhn and Ithan watch as Cormac talks to his contact, who is disguised as a beggar. Dreadwolves are now in the city. Mordoc appears close by, a dreadwolf and second in command to the Hind. Ithan reveals that Mordoc is Danika’s father.

Bryce draws the Starsword, the Under-King calls his ten-foot black dog that is blind – so her light will have no effect on it. The dog is a demon, an experiment of the Prince of the Ravine’s from the First Wars – forgotten and abandoned in Midgard during the aftermath and now his faithful companion and helper. Calls it the Shepherd, helps herd the dead to the gate when they don’t want to go.

Hunt attacks it with lightning but it does nothing. Then the dog’s head splits until it has three heads and then splits entirely until it is three dogs. She makes a run for it back to the river but heads back for Hunt. Then she hits the Dead Gate, dropping the Starsword on impact.

Ithan says it wasn’t spoken of, that Danika refused to acknowledge Mordoc. But some of them were at the Den the only time he came to see her when she was 17, she refused to even see him. Mordoc is a bloodhound too. Ruhn tells Cormac to teleport Ithan out of there – he can only take one at a time.

Mordoc can smell Ruhn, knows they were meeting with an agent. Doesn’t know who he is but says he will remember his smell.

Chapter 31 – Ithan and Ruhn are in a bar, asked him there so it will look like their meeting there was planned. Asks Ithan to move in with him, Dec and Flynn, Ithan says he will think about it. Then the Harpy shows up with the Hind.

Hunt is fighting two of the dogs, which merges back into one. Then they hear a scream through the mist and the dog runs off after Bryce.

Bryce has one dog and two dozen Reapers encircling her. The Reapers are chanting, awakening the Dead Gate and making the crystal of it glow white. Dives for the sword she dropped, but gets scratched by one of the dogs claws.

Hunt drops down by Bryce, wreathed in lightning that has turned blue. It reminds her of the statue she saw at the ballet, of the Fae male posed like an avenging god with his hammer raised to the sky to channel his power. Hunt unleashes his power on the Shepherd but Bryce leaps in front of the blow with the Starsword extended so the lightning hits the sword.

Chapter 32 – The lightning hits the blade, exploding from the metal and flowing up her body. She then attacks the Shepherd, which split into three again. Hits one and the sword pierces its hide as lightning explodes across its body. The beast snaps its tail, hitting Hunt and hurling him into the Dead Gate. He hits the stone and his power fizzes out.

The dog she attacks dies.

Hunt wonders if he can draw energy from the Dead Gate – Apollion had hinted at it, that Hunt is equipped to handle raw energy. Slams his hand on the brass plaque of the Dead Gate.

Bryce watches as light from the gate begins flowing into him and then he sends a bolt of his power at her, telling her to light it up. She funnels the power into the sword, the Shepherd flees. Hunt grabs her, flies with her and then slams into the Shepherd from above. She stabs it with the sword and it explodes into smithereens.

Tharion goes to see the River Queen, tells her they found two more Vanir bodies that morning. One left hanging in an olive grove north of the city, drained and shot like the selkie. The other was crucified on a tree next to him, also shot and throat slit. Both had been tortured. Two human scents found at the scene. He believes Pippa is behind the killings – the style is in line with her Lightfall squad. While talking to the Queen he notes the lightning in the distance.

Tharion comes to help Bryce and Hunt, he’s waiting for them with a wave skimmer to help them get across the river. They are trying to escape but being attacked by sobeks in the water.

Make it back to her apartment. They fill Tharion in on what happened in the Bone Quarter.

Chapter 33 – The Hind says they are to play cards, says she’s introducing herself as Ruhn is her half sister’s fiancé. Says they will play poker as that is what he plays on Tuesday nights – showing that she knows about him. Reveals she knows about the faun he fooled around with at his party. She is trying to get to them both.

The Hind knows a lot about them all – says Ithan is lusting after the female his brother loved. Hind reveals she has looked a the messages between him and Bryce. Hind is trying to rile him up – talking about how he pined for Bryce for years, wished he’d met her first and that she’d realise she is meant to be with him. And that he played sunball hoping she’d notice him. But then his brother died and now he hates himself because he wasn’t there but also because of the traitorous thought he had when hearing the news, that the path to Bryce was now clear. Ithan tells her to shut the fuck up, giving himself away just like she wanted.

Ruhn and Ithan head back to the apartment and tell Bryce, Hunt and Tharion about their run in with The Hind and the Harpy. Hunt is called in by Celestina to be there for Ephraim’s arrival to the Comitium.

Chapter 34 – Ephraim and Celestina have their first meeting as mates, it is awkward. Hunt notes she is extremely nervous and wonders if she has been with a male before or if she even likes males.

Bryce tells Ruhn and Ithan about the Bone Quarter and about the true fate of the dead. Ruhn wonders if the Prince of the Pit pushed them to go there by sending the Reapers, or having them hint Emile and Sophie might be hiding there. As a way to activate their combined powers using the Gate.

Sabine arrives at the door, calls Bryce a cunt and attacks her. Sabine is angry that Bryce has been harbouring Ithan after he was exiled.

Hunt gets a message from Bryce telling him Sabine is there, so he sneaks out of the event. Celestina sees him, sneak off.

Chapter 35 – Ithan throws it in Sabine’s face about Mordoc, asks if she will sleep with him again now he’s back in the city. Bryce finally finds out that Mordoc was Danika’s father. Bryce asks Sabine if Danika was a rebel and she seems surprised by the question. Bryce says Sabine is worried she will use her new princess title to replace Sabine with Holstrom now she has no heir beyond Amelie. And the Den likes Ithan more than her.

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Hunt shows up, tells Sabine to get out. Still refusing but then Baxian appears behind Hunt and she finally leaves.

Ithan finally accepts the offer to move in with Ruhn.

Baxian knew about Mordoc being Danika’s father. After his failed visit to see Danika he returned to Sandriel’s castle and ate a human couple.

Chapter 36 – Ruhn is on the mind bridge again with Day. Tells her they did the intel drop-off and almost got caught by Mordoc, Hind and the Harpy. He says he has had a tough day, she says she has too (is she Celestina? That seems too obvious with all the hints she’s dropping) – Says she works with people who make Mordoc seem sweet and that she’s never had a true friend in her life. She says she has a family, a very influential one.

Ithan heads down to the Istros to send a message to Tharion via otter. Ithan wanted him to take him to the Bone Quarter so he can see if his brother is still there, make sure he hasn’t been fed to the Gate yet. Tharion says no because of river beasts. Instead tells Ithan to go get Gold so they can go visit the mystics instead. He can get answers about his brother and Tharion can ask about Emile.

Chapter 37 –Juniper doesn’t get chosen for principal at the ballet again. Bryce calls to speak to Director Gorgyn of the ballet.

The Harpy comes to get Hunt, says Celestina wants to see him and tells him Ephraim just got done fucking her. Is angry at him for leaving the celebration, as Ephraim saw it as her triarii ditching her to help a Fae. Tells him it will not happen again and says he is to stay in the barracks for the next two weeks. (Hunt didn’t even sign a contract when he agreed to stay on with the 33rd so I’m not sure why he listens. Again, seems a weird way for SJM to continue to keep them from having sex for whatever reason)

Chapter 38 – Tharion, Ithan and Bryce are going to see the mystics. The male who answers wears four rings, each one contains a fire sprite that has been enslaved. Follow him in to find three mystics asleep and submerged in greenish cloudy water with breathing masks strapped to their faces. One male, one female and one that is both as it always was (perfect balance).

Asks the male his name, tells her people call him the Astronomer. Brings up a full holographic replica of their solar system, called an orrery.

Ithan asks about Connor – the Astronomer charges more for the question and has to use bloodsalt. The mystic is searching for Connor, appears to be in Hel. The mystic is talking to Thanatos, Prince of the Ravine, who says Connor isn’t there. Thanatos asks who sent him and he reveals it was a wolf, a mer and half-fae/half-human and Thanatos tells him to let him see them. The mystic’s eyes fly open in the tank.

Chapter 39 – The hologram display now shows Thanatos, who can smell the starlight on Bryce. He says she killed his beloved pet that he intentionally planted in Midgard and it reported to him about all it heard in the Bone Quarter. Tells them Connor remains in the Bone Quarter and an order was dispatched from the dark that he should be left alone for the usual amount of time but can’t say who gave the order. Bryce asks if there is a way to help souls like Connor but he says only the Asteri would know.

Thanatos wants to feast on the mystic. Coats all their submersion tanks in ice and cuts off their respirators. Ithan has to jump down to save the three mystics from drowning.

Bryce tells Tharion she is done working with him. Mordoc finds the three of them in the alley outside the mystics.

Chapter 40 – Bryce forgives Tharion, tells him he is on probation after what happened at the mystics.

Hunt decides to try with Baxian, gets the impression that he’s lonely. Now stuck in the barracks with him for two weeks.

Hunt and Bryce have phone sex.

Tharion goes to see the River Queen, tells her about the Under-King and the truth of what happens to the dead. Asks her if it is true and if she knew, she doesn’t confirm or deny it.

Chapter 41 – Bryce is with Ruhn and Cormac at the Aux training ring, Cormac is trying to teach her to teleport. Declan calls, his program finally analysed the footage from the gallery and found something on Danika.

Finds footage from 2 months before she died. When left alone in the library, Danika had grabbed a book and started taking photos of it. The book is Wolves Through Time: Lineage of the Shifters. She calls Jesiba to ask for the book – has it sent over to her. It contains a family tree going back to when the Northern Rift opened. Gunthar Fendyr is the latest and last name on it – he was the Prime’s father.

The first of the Fendyr line were Niklaus Fendyr and Faris Hvellen. First one they can find any info on in their family line is Katra Fendyr, no history on any of the ones before her.

Bryce has to go and talk to the Prime. Ruhn had called Sabine away for a fake urgent matter to get her out of the Den. The Prime still refers to Bryce as a wolf, same thing he had called her as he watched her during the attack. Prime can’t tell her much about the two names they found. But can tell her why their ancestors names were forgotten. Says they did unspeakable thing during the First Wars, and then allowed themselves to be under Asteri rule. Says they’ve lost who they once were, have become tamed by the Asteri. Said Danika might have lead them back to who they once were. She tells him about Ithan being kicked out of the Pack.

Cormac almost got snared by Mordoc at an intel pickup. The hit on the Spine was successful, they attained the mech-suit prototype. Shipping it to the Coronal Island, to a base on Ydra. Realise the Orphion plan to start something in Crescent City.

Chapter 42 – Juniper trying to contact Bryce because she’s angry that she called Gorgyn to get Juniper made principal. Now everyone knows she got it because Bryce threatened that the Autumn King would pull his donations. Juniper is angry because it means Bryce is the reason she got it and not off her own talent.

Bryce goes to see Celestina, as she needs Hunt for what is to come with the Orphion. Makes a formal request for Hunt, says she needs him for one night. They need to go to Coronal Islands to convince them not to give Pippa free reign to unleash her weapons on Valbara – doesn’t tell Celestina that. She lies and says it is to go home and see her family. Celestina says she can take Hunt with her and then he can stay with her, doesn’t have to stay at the barracks anymore.

Ithan gets a call from the Prime. The Prime offers to make Ithan the Alpha of his own pack, says he senses that he has it in him but he suppressed it so others could lead. Ithan heads back to the place where they saw the Astronomer. No answer but the door is open so he goes inside. Finds the female mystic who tells him the Astronomer put the other two back in but didn’t have the part needed to fix her machine so he is at the Meat Market meeting with the Vper Queen.

Ithan realises that she is a wolf – her parents had no pack, roamed the tundra of Nena with her and her ten siblings. Her gifts showed when she was three, and was sold to the Astronomer by the time she was four. Doesn’t know how long she’s been there and doesn’t have a name/doesn’t know her parents names either. Tells her if she ever wants to get out of there to send word to him. Realises she is an Alpha. He steals the ring box with the Astonomer’s rings inside.

Tharion requests an aquatic team of 25 from the River Queen so he can try to capture Pippa. The Queen says no, says he can go alone.

Ruhn is back on the dream bridge. Tells Day the rebels were successful in their hit on the Spine. Talk for a while when she doubles over, convulsing. He runs for her across the bridge and slams into a wall of black adamant where he feels her left wrist being squeezed by someone wanting her to yield, give herself over to ‘him’. Teeth scraping over her nipple and clamping down – (Really giving me Celestina vibes but again it seems too obvious)

Realised he was seeing that she was being woken with rough sex by someone. Waits there until she comes back. Asks if she’s okay, says she is. Comments that it didn’t seem like she enjoyed it, tells him it is none of his business. Says she hates the male she’s sleeping with and that no one knows it but he disgusts her. They talk for awhile.

Chapter 43 – Hunt, Bryce, Tharion and Ruhn are in a sea cave where the shipment is being unloaded. Cormac had teleported them all there an hour ago. Then Cormac left them to go and talk to Command to convince them to keep Pippa away from the shipment.

Tharion had arrived at the apartment that morning just after Hunt, before he and Bryce could sleep together.

Cormac comes back, says Pippa already has her claws in command, the weapons are hers and she’s in charge of the Valbaran front. Pippa arrives as they unload the suit, wants Hunt to analyse it. Pippa denies that she is behind the murders like they think she is.

Hunt says the suit is made from metal with the same makeup as gorsian stones. Asteri have been researching a way to make gorsian ore absorb magic rather than suppress it. So the suit can draw firstlight from the ground, from all the pipes of it crisscrossing the land. The suits would draw up the firstlight and turn it into weapons – brimstone missiles made right on the spot and so it would never run out of ammo or battery life. Vanir warrior could climb inside and wear it like an exoskeleton.

Hunt says no one should use the suit and that she should tell command to track down the scientists behind it and destroy them and their plans. Pippa says they don’t need Emile now they have something better. Says he is somewhere even Tharion would fear to tread.

Pippa looks at the ship above them where the crew have their backs to them (Five mer and two shifters). There is a human Lightfall squadron on the ship. Pippa gives them a signal and they herd the Vanir crew to the rails and then shoot them all. Says the order to put the crew down came from Command.

Hunt blasts the suit apart using his lightning. Then destroys all the trucks there too. Ophion come running towards them and shoot Cormac with a gorsian bullet so he can’t teleport them out. Bryce uses her powers to give them a chance to escape on a boat.

Bryce doesn’t want to help them anymore, not after seeing what they do to Vanir. Tells Cormac she wants nothing to do with it anymore, or with Tharion and his Queen. Says she’s done with it all.

See Baxian on the cliffs during their escape, tells them to go northward. Realise the Hind must be close by too.

Chapter 44 – Bryce says Cormac needs to teleport them out, that she will take the gorsian bullet out of him so he can. He tells her she can’t, as they are designed to split apart into shrapnel on impact, to ensure the magic is suppressed for as long as possible. He will need surgery to get every shard out.

The Hind is close, has snipers there to prevent them from going airborne.

Tharion finds binoculars on the boat – can see that the Harpy and Pollux are also with the Hind. Tharion orders them into the water, then uses his magic to propel them away just as a torpedo strikes their boat. There are three Omega-boats aiming for them in the water.

Only plan they can come up with is to have Bryce use her powers to blind the people on the boat long enough for them to take it over. But then the Hind leaves the boat, heading towards them in a small boat. She gets close enough to recognise them all.

The Hind pulls out a small white stone, says she showed one to Sofie Renast before she died and made the same demonstration she’s going to show them. Then drops the stone into the water.

Hunt’s lightning is wrapping around his head, above the water so he doesn’t electrocute them all. Hunt signals for Bryce to use her powers to blind the Hind. But before she can something hits her under the water, realises she’s now laying on a boat with the insignia of two entwined fishes on it.

Hunt’s lying beside her, his eyes are filled with pure lightning.

The Hind is making her way back to the Omega-boat.

A dark-haired female is signalling to them from a hatch on the boat they are lying on, telling them to get inside. They can see Pollux and the Harpy heading towards the Hind in a speedboat.

The ship is filled with mer – their Oracle sensed they’d be needed here and so they came. Then saw Bryce’s light and assumed it was a message for them to come.

Hunt’s lightning is still crackling over him like a second skin, can’t seem to get him to calm down. Ruhn talks to Bryce in her mind, tells her he was like this the day he killed Sandriel. That Bryce was in danger then too. Asks him what that means and he tells her it means they are true mates, in the way that Fae are, in their bodies and soul. It is why her scent is different to him now, because their scents have merged. Tells her to calm Hunt down.

Ruhn says Athalar is utterly lethal as a mated male because there’s no mercy in him, he’s gone lethal in a Fae way.

The female who saved them is Commander Sendes, says the mer court she comes from is this one and gestures at the ship they’re on. Sendes says they are on the Depth Charger – one of the six city-ships of the Ocean Queen’s court Beneath.

Chapter 45 – Ithan is being grilled by Declan’s boyfriend Marc about the fact he could be charged for breaking and entering, as well as theft – for what he did to the Astronomer. Marc tells him to return the rings but the box shakes when he does.

Open it to see the four sprites inside the rings. Three of the sprites have female bodies like Lehabah, the fourth one is pure fire and the ring that is rattling. Declan gets a hammer and cracks open three of the rings, then just before he does the same to the fourth one of the sprites shouts ‘Don’t’ but they’re too late.

The fourth ring breaks and out comes a human-sized female. Her eyes blaze crimson. She tells Flynn ‘He is going to find you and kill you.’. And he replies, ‘Good thing a dragon now owes me a debt.’

Ruhn is still in shock that his sister is mated, as it is rare among the Fae. But the fact it is an angel is even stranger (Hunt is Fae, right? Like, what’s not clicking, guys?!?)

Sandes says they are going into the Ravel Canyon. The ship they are on can camouflage as the Ocean Queen imbued her ships with many gifts from the seas. This one has a squid’s ability to blend into it’s surroundings. Glass of the ship is one way and block the light so people can’t see the lights from inside of it. Also can’t be picked up on radar.

They watch as the Omega-boat, the Faustus, drifts right by them.

The Asteri are not aware of the technology they have. They will give them barracks to rest in and then take them wherever they want to go once the Omegas have left the area.

Hunt is still glowing so Bryce asks Sendes if they can go into the bio-dome on the ship for a while. She says they can and closes it off to the public. Then has them clear it and seal the doors so that Bryce and Hunt can have privacy.

Chapter 46 – Hunt can only focus on his power and Bryce right now. His mind is drifting, his magic screaming to be unleashed. Had happened as soon as the Hind appeared and he knew he had to take her out to get Bryce to safety. Had even known it didn’t matter if he killed Cormac, Ruhn or Tharion in the process, as long as she was safe.

Takes him into the garden and then Bryce strips naked before telling him to do the same. She tells him that she’s his mate and he’s hers, then asks him to fuck her. (Great, we couldn’t get just one SJM series where mate doesn’t gets said every two sentences. Miss SJM really said copy, paste and the just change the font!) She knows he needs a way to work off his energy and reassure him that she’s safe.

His lightning and her light merging together (As T.Swift sang: I think I’ve seen this film before. – Again, same story, different fonts!) They fuck, as she comes light blasts out of her. Then Hunt is glowing, he is filled with light and she is radiating the same light too. Their powers seem to merge together.

Then they suddenly find themselves not in the garden anymore, they are somehow in the airlock.

Flynn is talking to the sprites who are triplets called Rithi, Malana and Sasa. They’re descendants of Persina Falath, Lady of Cinders. The dragon is called Ariadne. Dragons are Lowers too, as they aren’t true shifters.

The triplets were bespelled by the Astronomer, who is an ancient sorcerer. He bought them and shoved them into the rings so they can light his way when he descends into Hel. About to say how Ariadne got put into the ring but she cuts the sprite off.

Ithan asks if anything can be done to free the mystics and Ariadne says no. Says the female Ithan spoke to is favoured by him and he will never let her go. She says that he tortures the mystics. He sends them to the deepest parts of Hel where the princes and demons can taunt and scare them. Tells Ithan that what the wolf mystic told him is true, he should find a necromancer if he wants answers about his dead brother (Hypaxia is one but apparently I’m the only one who remembers that).

Flynn tells Ariadne she should shift to her dragon form and run. Reveals she can’t, the tattoo on her means she can’t shift unless he allows it. And even then he can track her wherever he goes.

Bryce and Hunt go to see Cormac in the city-ships hospital – Bryce had managed to teleport them while they were fucking. Cormac thinks she needed Hunt’s power to be able to teleport. Hunt says the Prince of the Pit told him about this, had said Hunt and Bryce hadn’t yet seen what their powers could do together. They think their powers may have merged together.

Sendes appears, says Cormac was talking about someone named Sofie Renast in his delirium. They know the name, as they were summoned to rescue an agent from the North Sea weeks ago and it was her. She says they were too late and Sofie had drowned by the time they picked her up.

Chapter 47 – They go to the morgue to see Sofie’s corpse. Cormac tells them about how he met her during a recon report to Command.

Tharion is looking at the coroner’s files on Sofie. He asks Cormac if he knows what a series of numbers and letters mean, he doesn’t. They were found carved into her upper bicep – they believe Sofie did it to herself while she drowned, so it must be important.

Tharion never knew any of these ships existed. Sendes says they’ve had them for two decades. Tharion thinks the Ocean Queen is using the ships as a way to help overthrow the Asteri, as she aids the rebels. The Ocean Queen remembers a time before the Asteri, when leaders were fairly elected and that is what she wants to achieve again.

Tharion needs the corpse for the River Queen as she wants it. Sendes thinks she could only want it if she planned to use a necromancer to reanimate it. Could use it as a weapon with no conscience or soul.

Day calls Ruhn to the mind bridge, she heard there was an attack on the rebel base on Ydra and that people were killed, and the suit and shipments destroyed. He informs Day that Sofie is dead. When Day talks about creating a world that their children can be free in, Ruhn reveals he can’t have children. She assumes he means he’s infertile but he tells her the truth – that the Oracle told him he would be the last of his bloodline. So he will either die before he can have a child or he’s infertile.

Notes he seems unsettled, offers to tell him a story. Tells him one about a time before Luna hunted the heavens or Solas warmed Cthona’s body. Says there was a young witch in a cottage deep in the woods, beautiful and beloved by her mother. She grew older and stronger but then a wandering prince passed by her clearing one day and wanted to take her as his bride.

She didn’t want the prince but he chased her through the woods, his hounds following. As she ran she pleaded with the forest to help her and it did. It transformed her into a deer, but his hounds caught up with her. So the forest turned her into a fish so she could flee down the mountain streams. The prince built a weir to trap her. Forest turned her into a hawk so she could fly away, but the prince was a skilled archer and fired an iron-tipped arrow at her. Struck her breast and where her blood fell, olive trees sprouted. When her body hit the earth, she was transformed one last time…

Ruhn falls asleep so we don’t hear the end. He wakes up on the couch on the mind bridge, Day asleep across from him, her body veiled with flame. Ruhn knows that story, a princess of fire sleeping and waiting for a knight to wake her. Day wakes up and he asks to hear the end of the story.

She says the forest turned the witch into a monster. One of claws, fangs and bloodlust. She ripped the prince and hounds apart. Then says that’s the end of the story.

Part 3 – The Pit

Chapter 48 – Ruhn gets Dec to try to find information on what they found on Sofie’s arm, but he finds nothing. They’re back in the city and the Hind doesn’t seem to have told anyone about them being rebels.

‘The sex on the ship had been life-altering. Soul-altering’ – because of course it was!

Baxian comes to see them, says he wants in on whatever has them meeting up with Ophion and then blowing their shit up. Bryce lies, says they did it to stop the Ophion before they can do anything to the city. Baxian knows they’re lying, says he is a rebel sympathiser. They continue to lie and refuse to let him join, so he tells them to come find him when they want actual answers.

When Ruhn leaves, Hunt demands to know what she knows about Emile. Says Spetsos gave it away with all her talk about snakes – he realised that Bryce sent Emile to the Viper Queen.

Chapter 49 – Ruhn goes back to his home, where Dec, Flynn and Ithan introduce him to the sprites and Ariadne.

Hunt follows Bryce through the Meat Market. He’s angry at her, she didn’t deny that she had gotten Emile to the Viper Queen. It wasn’t Pippa killing those people to track Emile, it was the Viper Queen’s lackeys. Bryce had told the Viper Queen to find him using any means necessary, but hadn’t realised what they would actually do to find him.

When she’d brought Hunt, Fury and Juniper to the market, she had sent questions to the Viper Queen asking about the search and telling her to stop with the killings. When they told her they still hadn’t found him, she said she knew she had to search the Bone Quarter while the Viper Queen continued searching. Queen ignored her request to stop the killings, killing a few more before eventually finding Emile.

Get to the Viper Queen, Emile is beside her. Bryce gets the Viper Queen to leave so they can speak to him alone. Emile says he doesn’t have any powers, that Sofie downed those ships. Bryce suspected it, but now she is sure. Sofie lied, as she knew the only way Ophion would let her go after her brother was if they thought he had powers and would be of use to them.

Viper Queen’s price for helping her was that Bryce would then owe her a favour. Danika had actually intended for Sofie/Emile to head to the Meat Market and the Viper Queen.

Chapter 50 – Emile has heard of Danika before, Sofie talked about her. Danika found Sofie using her Vanir powers and asked Sofie to do something for her – something Danika couldn’t do because she was too recognisable. Can’t tell them what it was as he didn’t know.

Bryce calls Fury, tells her they’re ready and tells her to bring the car around. Tells Hunt that Fury is the person she can trust to get Emile to his new home. Bryce tells Emile he is not to go by his name anymore, that he is part of the Quinlan-Silago clan now. He will get new documents including birth certificate and adoption papers. Her parents are taking him in.

Bryce and Hunt get into a fight about it – about how she lied to him about it. She storms off and goes to work.

Bryce is called to Ruhn’s – she wonders if she overreacted to Hunt being angry that she didn’t tell him. (Yes, she did. Also, why wouldn’t she tell him?)

Ruhn tells her about Ithan going back to see the Astronomer, finding the wolf mystic and then stealing the rings and freeing the sprites and dragon from them. Asks if they know Lehabah, they don’t but ask what clan she belonged to. Tells them she said she was a descendent of Queen Ranthia Drahl and they tell her a sprite wouldn’t lie about their lineage. They say the Drahl line has long been scattered to the winds and they don’t know how many remain.

As Bryce was a friend to her and Lehabah’s first and final act was to die to save her, they call Bryce an ally of their people in her honor.

They plan to buy them from the Astonomer. The dragon says she is very expensive, more than they could afford. Reveals she was gifted to the Astonomer by an Archangel.

The sprites tell Bryce that she should speak to their queen about Lehabah’s bravery.

Bryce phones Jesiba to ask if she knows the Astronomer, needs her help convincing him to let them buy the sprites and Ariadne. When she gets back to her office, Jesiba has left an envelope which contains an analysis of dragon fire, dating back five thousand years. Dragon fire is one of the few substances proven to harm the Princes of Hel. It can burn even the Prince of Pit.

Chapter 51 – Hunt goes to see Celestina, still upset that Bryce lied to him because he thought they were a team. Celestina gives him a stack of preliminary reports on demon activity at the Northern Rift. Gives no sign she knows anything about what happened with the Hind. Celestina can scent that he and Bryce are now mated.

Hunt then goes to find the Hind, but she pretends like nothing has happened. Then tells him to go see what the Harpy has done near the Angel’s Gate. Hunt finds two Ophion rebels lying facedown on the ground beneath it – they’ve been blood-eagled. The Harpy had sawed through their ribs, cleaving each bone from the spine. Then reached through the incisions and yanked their lungs through them, leaving them as bloody wings draped over their backs. The victims would have been alive while she did it.

Queen Hypaxia shows up at Ruhn’s house.

Chapter 52 – Tharion reports to the River Queen, tells her about the fleet of ships the other Queen has. Demands he find out everything he can about the ships. When he goes back to the surface, Hunt is waiting to talk with him.

Hypaxia can shrink her broom down into a brooch for her to wear. She came so she could speak with Ruhn alone. Needs a favour, for him to give her an escort to the mating celebration in a few weeks. She doesn’t trust her coven, as they were chosen by her mother and she inherited them rather than being allowed to select her own.

She was raised away from the coven, her mother summoned three ancient, wise spirits to teach her. One for battle and physical training, another for maths and science, the other for history/reading/languages. Her mother did the magical training. It estranged them from her mother’s coven. Her gifts of necromancy unnerve them and they don’t really know her.

The coven might think to replace her with her sister, the Hind. She has no witch gifts, making her nothing but a figurehead and allowing her mother’s general, Morganthia to rule. Her mother’s coven want a closer bond to the Asteri, at the cost of their relative autonomy.

Ruhn agrees, plans to have Ithan be her guard.

Tharion and Hunt are walking through the water garden along the river in Moonwood. Tells him about the demon reports he was given, says he wants to pass them along to the Blue Court. Shows Tharion some photos, one of a deathstalker. Deathstalkers are lethal assassins bred by the Prince of the Pit. One was seen in Nena three days ago.

Hunt tells Tharion he knows where Emile is, but says he can’t tell him. Tells him to lie to the queen and be done looking for him. Reveals to him that Emile has no powers. Tharion knows how angry the Queen will be, so decides to continue to pretend to look for Emile for as long as he can.

Chapter 53 – Ithan agrees to guard Hypaxia, but asks if she can use her necromancer powers to contact his brother. She says there is a ritual she can perform but it would have to be on the Autumnal Equinox, when the veil between the realms is thinnest.

Ruhn asks if Hypaxia is okay with the dragon joining her too. His lawyer advised him that he’d need a royal, official reason for commandeering the Astronomer’s slave. Protecting his fiancée would be a good reason.

Bryce finishes work and finds Hunt waiting outside for her. Came to use the archives to look something up. He looks at some recently translated Fae texts on ancient demons. The demons Celestina gave him in her reports are bad news – rare and lethal. A hint that the Prince of the Pit or Aidas is planning something.

Hunt thinks that if Hel is building up its armies, these demons could have been sent to Nena to test its defences.

They talk about everything, both apologise – her for not trusting him, and him for getting so angry over it. Asks how she knew the Viper Queen could find Emile, Bryce says she knew the idea that Emile had powers would motivate her. But also Emile’s scent was found in the marshes, which is full of sobeks – and the Viper Queen can communicate with reptiles.

Bryce only plans for him, Fury and Juniper to know the truth about Emile. Her parents are excited, as they weren’t able to have a kid of their own. He will go by Cooper Silago. She communicated with her mum through the postcards in order to plan it all.

Then Hunt goes down on her in the library. Then they have sex there. (I’ve worked in public libraries, people fucking in them is far too common – the worst is when they do it in the kids play area. Like, are you okay, people?)

Ruhn is called to the mind bridge by Day. Has intel for him that Pippa Spetsos is planning a big retaliation for losing the mech-suit and everything else. Ophion fully supports her. Then her and Ruhn get into a fight. She says if he is not careful he will wind up dead, his only response is ‘so’. They argue, as she basically insinuates he knows nothing of sacrifice.

Chapter 54 – The Autumn King comes to see Bryce at her job. He can scent that she has mated with Athalar. Says he wanted her with Cormac as he is powerful. And he wants her in Avallen because the Asteri can’t pierce its mists without permission because the magic that guards it is so old.

Autumn King learns Bryce believes he killed the last Starborn Prince out of spite. Reveals Bryce doesn’t know what it means to use her household name. She has used the title Princess Bryce Danaan multiple times now. She used his name to get things and can’t undo it. The paperwork to change her official name has already been filed. She will now be an official Fae Princess.

Her father sees the numbers and letters that were on Sofie’s arm and recognises them. Says he knows what she searches for because he has been seeking it for a long time. When she asks what that is, he says ‘The truth’.

Her proof of name change arrives, along with a new scooter registration and a black credit card that would allow her to use her father’s money.

Bryce got Hypaxia’s number from Ruhn, calls her to meet to talk. Tells Hypaxia about her father’s visit and about how she is now officially a princess of the Fae. Asks for her advice on what she should do. Hypaxia thinks only the Asteri can help Bryce. Bryce reveals she knows about Hypaxia’s troubles with her coven.

Hypaxia admits she had visions of a future where witches were returning to power and she got to be with the person she wanted to. But says the relationship isn’t possible anymore because the other person didn’t want to continue it.

The withes aren’t as powerful as they once were. Their mighty bloodlines have been weakening, their magic too. Her coven doesn’t want to look into why, they just want to become even more subservient to the Asteri.

Hypaxia’s undead tutors predate the Asteri’s arrival and were long dead before the Northern Rift opened. They remember the time when Parthos still stood. One of her tutors, Palania was born in the city surrounding it. Hypaxia stopped her mother from going to an eternal resting place like the Bone Quarter, knowing what would happen to her if she did. The place where the dead went before the Asteri was peaceful.

Ithan is standing guard outside the place they’re meeting. Bryce looks up to see a scaled, gray beast jump at Ithan and attack him.

Chapter 55 – The demon has ripped out Ithan’s throat. There is another demon approaching them from behind. Bryce asks Hypaxia to shoot her power into Bryce, needs it to charge her own. She does it, allowing Bryce to teleport to Ithan, grabbing the gun from him and firing at the nearest demon.

Then Bryce teleports bit by bit until the other demon follows her, so Hypaxia can jump from her broom and slam her knife into its head.

Isaiah shows up, Hunt soon after. The demons that attacked them were deathstalkers.

Hypaxia helps to heal Ithan, has him taken to the witches’ embassy so she can tend to him until he’s conscious.

Bryce tells Hunt about how she could teleport thanks to using Hypaxia’s powers. Ariadne was supposed to be there with Ithan, but she’d been on the rooftops and has now escaped.

They wonder if Hypaxia’s coven could have sent the demons to kill her, believing that people would think they were sent after Bryce. As Bryce had pissed Hel off during the attack.

Ruhn reveals to Hunt that the Autumn King called him, congratulates Hunt. Now that Bryce has been using her royal name, she had now accepted the position of princess. As her mate, that makes Hunt son-in-law to the Autumn King, and Ruhn’s brother.

Chapter 56 – Ithan wakes up in the witches embassy. Hypaxia is in a chair beside him. Tells Hypaxia he heard what she told Bryce about her mum, wants her to do the same to Connor—ensure he doesn’t go to one of the sleeping realms. He tells Hypaxia about the wolf mystic, asks if there is anything she can do.

Flynn, Dec and Tharion come to see him. Flynn and Dec have been coming to check on him often. (Loving the bromance between Ithan, Dec and Flynn. Love Flynn in general!)

Tharion and Hypaxia had met at the Summit and are now friends.

Tharion goes to Ruhn’s, wants to know if he can stay at his house.

Chapter 57 – Hunt and Bryce make it back to the apartment and he asks if she’s okay about the princess thing, she begins crying. Says she can’t handle being a princess, because now the King owns her. Could sign her marriage documents to Cormac without her permission if he wanted to.

Ruhn once again called to the bridge by Day. He is still angry with her, the way she practically said he was worthless and knew nothing of real sacrifice the last time they saw each other. He tells her they’re friends and can forgive her if she buys him a beer. She says she will when she comes to visit. Assumes she’s joking and asks her when, but she says on the Autumnal Equinox.

She tells him she could attend the ball for the Archangels and then meet him somewhere. Tells her he is also attending, and it is a masked ball, so he could meet her there. Tells her to meet him at the fountain on the conservatory on the rooftop garden of the Comitium at midnight on the night of the ball. If he thinks she’s there, he will call her Day, and she will answer with Night.

Chapter 58 – Hunt is in a tux, getting ready for the Equinox party. Cormac is her official escort to the party. The King has sent her order after order – telling her what she’s to wear, how to behave and what to eat.

Ruhn agreed to go with Hypaxia as her date to the party. The River Queen’s daughter wishes to meet Hypaxia.

Bryce arrives with Hunt and Cormac, ignoring her father’s attempt to greet her and snubbing him in front of everyone. She goes up to Celestina and Ephraim to congratulate them. They extend the same to her. She thanks them and says her and Prince Hunt will be very happy together. She has now made a public declaration that her and Hunt are mates and that he is a Prince of the Fae. She tells them Cormac is with her as a friend that night, nothing more.

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The Asteri join the celebration via vidchat.

Chapter 59 – The Asteri congratulate Ephraim and Celestina. Then Hunt and Bryce, as they somehow already know. Cormac is angry with Bryce, as she broke their deal. Tells her he won’t forget it. According to Fae law, Bryce is now Hunt’s property. Hunt tells Bryce: ‘Everything that ever happened to me, it was all so I could meet you, Quinlan. Be here with you. I’m yours. Forever.’

Ruhn and Hypaxis dance together, she’s distracted as she is looking for her sister, the Hind. This will be the first time she meets her. Ruhn offers to go with her. Hypaxia tells the Hammer to leave and he does. Ruhn makes his escape to, so he can get to the fountain on time to meet Day. Person he sees is the Harpy.

Chapter 60 – Ruhn is confused, but calls the Harpy Day and is relieved when she doesn’t know what it means.

Hunt and Bryce sneak off to a closet to fuck. It is locked, but they break it open. Inside, they find Celestina having sex with Hypaxia.

Celestina had encouraged Hypaxia’s engagement to Ruhn, thought she could marry him in a political sense but hey could continue their relationship. But then she was mated to Ephraim and had no choice but to say yes.

Hypaxia and Bryce leave Hunt and Celestina to talk. She tells him there’s a fine line between mate and slave. Hunt says he knows, but Bryce is worth it.

Tharion and the River Queen’s daughter (Will this woman ever get a name!?! There has to be a reason she’s not telling us) He decides he doesn’t want to string her along anymore. Gets her to dance with one of the guards and then goes to the bar, orders a drink and begins flirting with someone else.

Chapter 61 – Ithan is with Hypaxia, so she can contact Connor. She has arranged seven candles on the ground, using a knife to draw lines between them (a six-pointed star). Tells Ithan that no matter what he sees or hears, he is to stay on his side of the candles.

Ruhn goes to see Day on the bridge. Day admits she was at the party, saw him there and the threat of the Harpy and so stayed away. She knows who he is, who he really is. He kisses her; she kisses him back. Tells him she’s sorry and then vanishes.

Bryce and Hunt go back to the apartment. Hunt is out here massaging her feet, kissing them and nipping her toes. (Again, WHY SARAH?!?! JUST WHY?!?!) Asks her if they’re essentially married now, and she jokes she doesn’t have ring. Says he will get her one.

This man says: “These little toes make me think some dirty things, Quinlan’, and she straight up asks if he has a toe fetish and he says no. Hunt, my guy, you’re lying to yourself. You’re lying to Bryce. You’re lying to ME! PUT DOWN THE FOOT! (Again, if I have to know this about him, so do you!)

They have sex again – if you’ve read one SJM sex scene, you’ve read this one. Bryce accidentally transports them to the roof.

Chapter 62 – Hypaxia continues her chanting, says she can feel a presence and that someone is coming. Tells him his brother’s spirit is strong. Light explodes from the star and when it clears they find the Under-King in the center of the star, not Connor.

Under-King says Connor is well cared for, but whether he remains that way is up to Ithan. The King doesn’t tell him what that means, says he wants to play a game with them first as he is curious about Hypaxia’s abilities.

Bryce is dreaming, but knows she is really seeing and speaking to Apollion who appears before her. Tells her they are in Parthos, or what remains of it. Apollion says he chose this moment to speak with her as Aidas is busy readying Hel’s armies, as he would not like it if he know Apollion was speaking to her.

Apollion tells her that Theia was Aidas’s great love – says that is why he killed Pelias and devoured Sirius (the 7th Asteri), did it for his brother. Tells her Theia was allied with them against the Asteri. Bryce asks if he sent the Reapers that time they took Ruhn but he denies it.

Apollion says Hel is ready to finish the war, tells her to use the Horn using Hunt’s powers and open the doors to Hel. She refuses. He says he is disappointed and she should come find him once she learns the truth.

Came to speak to her tonight because the veil between worlds is thinnest, so that allowed him to. She points out he spoke to Hunt before and he says it is because Hunt was bred to be receptive to his kind – that is why he is so good at hunting them.

Hypaxia and Ithan are still in the orchard, but the Under-King has vanished. They can hear the hunting hounds of the House of Flame and Shadow.

Chapter 63 – Bryce is at the training center with Hunt, Ruhn , Tharion, Declan and Cormac, telling them about her encounter with Apollion. She doesn’t tell Hunt what Apollion said about him being bred. She is practising teleporting using Hunt’s powers. When she does it in front of Tharion he grabs her and kisses her before she can teleport away, as she’s slowing after each time she teleports. Her power drains away quickly.

They believe her teleporting is different to Cormac’s. Her power came from the Gate and so it needs to be powered up. It relies on firstlight or other forms of energy because she’s basically a Gate. But the Gates can store the power indefinitely and hers wears off.

Cormac says he can get over her ending the engagement without telling him, if she promises not to keep things from him again. She tells him there is nothing else she’s hiding/lying about, but he catches a look between her and Hunt (as she’s technically lying about Emile). He teleports behind her and holds a knife to her throat.

Cormac demands that she tell him what she’s hiding or he’ll cut off her head. Bryce knows that if he tries to hurt her, then Hunt and the others will attack him. Tells him about Emile, that she found him with the Viper Queen but lies and says the Queen sent him somewhere safe but she doesn’t know where. Tells him the truth about Emile having no powers.

Ithan and Hypaxia show up to the training center-explain how the Under-King toyed with them, trapping them in the orchard with his dogs. Took this long for Hypaxia to find a way out of the wards that wouldn’t kill them. Inform Hunt that the Under-King wants to see Bryce at Urd’s Temple and if she doesn’t go, then he will send Connor and the rest of the Pack through the Gate and make them into secondlight.

Chapter 64 – Tharion is at the Meat Market, hears people gossiping about Celestina already being pregnant. He is there to keep up the ruse that he is looking for Emile. Tharion had fucked the leopard shifter in the garden at the party, the River Queen and her daughter don’t know yet. He overhears someone talking about the dragon and thinks he could offer her as a gift to the Queen as an apology if she finds out.

Tharion gets Flynn to come to meet him, tells him he thinks he knows where Ariadne is. They go down to see the Viper Queen. Ariadne sought the Queen out and asked for asylum and they have reached a bargain.

Tharion goes to speak with the Queen in private—sees the Harpy doing drugs. Asks the Viper Queen if she’s heard anything about Ophion or Pippa and what they might be up to. She says that will cost him – tells him she doesn’t own the dragon; she fights for her in exchange for part of the profits. So she needs his help in getting them to say the dragon is fighting as a matter of imperial security, so she can keep her there.

Viper Queen warns him that Ariadne can turn him to ashes if he tries to take her to the Blue Court.

He agrees to help her keep the dragon. When he asks her to tell him what Pippa is up to she tells him to call his friends and find out. So he does, one after the other but none of them answer.

Flynn tells Ariadne he’s not done with her, will come back for her-angry at her for abandoning them.

Bryce, Ruhn, Hunt and Hypaxia head to the Temple-those were the four people the King had permitted to come. The King is sitting on the throne in the Temple waiting for them. He tells them the Reaper’s that came after them weren’t sent by Apollion, but came from the Eternal City.

Under-King tells Hypaxia she did a good job getting through his labyrinth of spells and that the House of Flame and Shadow would welcome her.

Bryce asks if he knows what the sequence from Sofie’s arm means, but he doesn’t know. Tells her to ask ‘them’—pointing to where Pippa and her Lightfall soldiers are now entering the temple courtyard.

Ruhn blocks the doors to the temple to give them time. The Under-King reveals Pippa came to him when she arrived in the city and knelt before him. He told Pippa about his run in with Hunt and Bryce, says they came to a deal—basically will let Pippa and her soldiers kill them so they don’t know it is him.

Bryce tells Hunt to give her his power, and he does. She tells him they need reinforcements. Then she teleports out of there. Then comes back to attempt to teleport them out of there. Hunt tells her to take Hypaxia first, then Ruhn and then him.

Takes Hypaxia. Comes back for Ruhn. Hunt left alone as the doors start to cave in under Pippa’s attacks. Just as the doors fly open, Pollux appears and begins killing rebels, along with Mordoc, the dreadwolves and the Hind.

Bryce appears beside him, she collapses. She’s tapped out of energy and can’t take another charge right then. Her body can’t take it. Bryce bought them time by using the Gates dial pad to broadcast a report that Ophion was sacking Urd’s Temple, knowing a unit would be sent there to stop them.

Baxian appears behind Urd’s throne and motions for them to come before vanishing behind it. Hunt has to pick up Bryce and make a run for it. She’s bleeding from her nose. Realises the back of the throne hides a doorway and stairwell.

Baxian heard about the unit being sent to the Temple, assumed they were there. Researched the Temple and found rumors of this hidden door. Says it must have been used by a priestess recently as he could scent her over the alley and fake wall that leads in there. They’re heading towards the catacombs.

Bryce drops out of Hunt’s arms and aims her rifle at Baxian. Doesn’t know why he keeps popping up, doesn’t buy that he isn’t working for the Hind or the Asteri. He answers ‘Through love, all is possible’ – moves his collar aside and shows that he has that tattooed over his heart in Danika’s handwriting. Tells her that Danika was his mate.

Chapter 65 – Bryce calls him a liar but he insists he loved her more than anything. Bryce says he’s lying, that Danika would have told her (Danika was 23, but she was out here hiding every secret known to man, doing the absolute most—did she ever sleep?) Baxian insists he met Danika two years before she died and they had those years together. Bryce still tries to deny it, but then remembers she teased Danika about the fact she hadn’t gone on a date in two years.

Hunt realises that is why Baxian’s behaviour changed after Hunt left. He had met Danika. Tells them Danika changed everything for him. They met after a gathering of wolves, Pangeran and Valbaran. The Prime sent Danika as his emissary. Baxian wasn’t there, but Danika sought him out afterwards because she was researching shifter ancestry and his was unique.

She’d found a family tree from an ancient bloodline that could be traced to him as the last living descendant. Danika wanted to know where they came from, all of them. Believes she was killed because of that research.

Once she met Baxian, she wanted to find a way into a world where they could be together—as Sandriel, Sabine and the Asteri would never let them be together. They could rarely get away, would meet at a hotel in Forvos one every two months.

Asks him what he knows about Sofie and Danika. Danika learned about Sofie while researching thunderbird lineage. Confirmed what she’d found by tracking Sofie down, as she could scent it on her. He thinks Danika had theories about thunderbirds and their power, isn’t sure what.

Bryce shows him the sequence Sofie carved in her arm and he recognises it—says it’s a system of numbering room in the Asteri Archives. He knows that because he was the one who gave it to Danika.

Sandriel would have Baxian escort her on her visits to the Asteri palace. When they took her to the archives, he saw them go through that door. When she came out, she was pale. So he noted down the sequence of numbers on the door and gave them to Danika. He says she obsessed over it—had theories she said would alter their world. She gave Sofie the information and wanted her to sneak in to investigate. Took Sofie three years to get in to the archives and that room. She ran to Kavalla soon after.

Everything in their archives is kept top secret. If any of it is digitised, then it is encrypted—can use Dec to try to find the information.

Hunt and Bryce go back to Ruhn’s to fill them in and get Dec to help. Dec says he can’t hack the archival system, it is too secure. But can hack the camera system in the Eternal Palace—could confirm if Sofie ever got access to the room.

They find the footage of Sofie at Door Seven-Eta-Dot-Three-Alpha-Omega, she is in there for 15 minutes before she returns. Carried nothing in and nothing out but her face is pale when she leaves. Footage is 2 months old, from just before she went to Kavalla.

Bryce says they need to go to the Eternal City and get into the Archives.

Ithan asks about Tharion and the River Queen’s daughter. Asks if he loves her, and he says no. So he asks why he got engaged to her—Tharion says it is because he was stupid and horny, wanted to fuck her so badly that he swore himself to her with the plan to undo it the next day. But wasn’t able to.

Tharion asks if Ithan is seeing anyone and Ithan asks if Ruhn told him about his past. Tharion says: ‘About you having a thing for Bryce? No´ Ithan asks how he knew then and he responds: “She’s Bryce. Everyone has got a thing for her” (Because it isn’t a SJM female lead unless every male she encounters wants to fuck her! Again: Copy & paste!)

Tharion warns him to solve any unresolved business he has before they go to the Eternal City, just in case. Ithan leaves, telling Tharion that there is something he needs to do.

Chapter 66 – Bryce goes to see Fury, who tells her she’s a fucking idiot for wanting to get into the archives. Bryce needs her help, as Fury has been to the palace before. Fury agrees to get whatever intel she can, then plans to take Juniper out of the city. Agrees to take Syrinx with her.

Tharion goes to see the River Queen’s daughter – already knows he wants to end the betrothal. Has always known because if he wanted to marry her, he’d have acted by now. She’s angry, tells him to come Beneath with him but he refuses. Knows he has only about thirty minutes to find some way to stop the River Queen coming for him and dragging him below.

Ithan goes to see the Prime, Sabine is also there. Tells him about the Astonomer keeping a wolf as a mystic. Asks them to help her. Sabine then leaves the room. The Prime asks Ithan what the wolf looked like, he tells him. Then he asks if her scent was of snow and embers—when Ithan asks how he knew that, the Prime reveals Sabine is not the only Fendyr heir (this wolf is one).

Chapter 67 – Tharion goes to see the Viper Queen to tell her he wants to be one of her fighters. Says he will sell himself to her, would rather be a slave to her than be forced to stay Beneath and be used to breed royal offspring. Tells him there is another way-he can defect. Agrees to do that, then she tells him to drink her blood, which he does. Gives her some kind of power/control over him that he can feel.

Ithan is worried he has put the mystic wolf in danger now because he believes Sabine may know and will want to kill her. Decides he can’t go with them to Pangera, needs to stay so he can guard the wolf.

Ruhn goes to see Day, who says she can’t see him anymore. Tells him that kiss between them was dangerous and reckless and can’t happen again. The male who pulled her from the dream bridge would kill Ruhn if he finds out, and would make her watch. Asks Day if she can leave him, but she says no, that his fate is bound to hers. But Ruhn argues that her fate is bound to his.

Day finishes her story about the witch who fell to earth. Says she remained a monster for hundreds of years and forgot she was once a witch. A warrior arrived in the forest one day, and she planned to kill him but he was not afraid of her. The warrior loved her and that love transformed her back into a witch, where they lived in the forest for the rest of their lives.

Decide to have sex (mind sex? Who even knows at this point.).

Then he tells her they plan to get into the Asteri Archives because the intel Sofie possessed is likely in one of the rooms there. Tells her they could use a distraction, for attention to be elsewhere while they break in. Just before the male pulls her out of the mind bridge, she tells Ruhn that ‘they know. The dungeons—’ but is pulled out before she can finish the sentence.

Chapter 68 – Ruhn tells Bryce about Day. Wants to break into the palace not only to get into the archives but also to save her. Tells them he is going with them so he can rescue her, will separate from them to do it.

Fury has dropped off a hand-drawn map of the crystal palace. They need to create a distraction so the Asteri are busy looking elsewhere while they break in.

They call Cormac, who comes over with Tharion. Cormac has heard Pippa is planning a raid on the Pangeran lab where the Asteri made the mech prototype. She wants the plans and to get the scientists who created it, so she can build new ones. Need her to move sooner – Tharion says they could initiate the raid, so Pippa and her soldiers will come after then. Then they can blow it up when Pippa, Ophion and the dreadwolves sent after them all arrive.

The lab is 20 miles north of the Eternal City.

Declan will hack the security cameras in the palace and turn them away while they are in there.

Bryce calls Juniper and leaves a message. Apologises for everything and tells her she loves her. Then takes a photo with her of her, Danika, Juniper and Fury.

Chapter 69 – Ruhn goes and finds Cormac in a bar, tells him they can start over when this is finished. Can decide who they want to be, separate of their fathers.

Hunt goes to his room in the barracks to round up all his knives and guns that he keeps there. Also puts on his Umbra Mortis helmet.

Celestina is by the elevators. Tells him that she hopes he’ll come to her if he needs an ally, but he notes that she’s acting a little weird.

Chapter 70 – Tharion and Cormac are on their way to the lab for the raid. Both wearing imperial uniform. They’d got across the ocean using the Depth Charger’s submersible-pod. Tharion contacted Sendes, and she had sent it for him. Tharion only has 5 hours left before he needs to submerge or be stuck human.

They arrive and Cormac says Pippa, and her team are already there, hiding in the trees. Dec had spent the day before planting information on rebel networks—letting them know that the anti-Ophion rebels who destroyed the shipment on Ydra were now making a move on the lab.

Bryce, Hunt and Ruhn are at the Eternal City. Cormac has studied how to get between the lab and them so he can let them know when the distraction has started, as well as teleport them inside the palace. Then he teleports Hunt into the castle.

Before they make their move, Ruhn tells Bryce that he thinks it is time the Autumn King’s reign ends. Ruhn says he will back Bryce in a coup, wants her as Autumn Queen. But she insists he should be King, but he says she has more power and the Fae will respect that.

When Cormac transports her, he tells her Ruhn is right. Realises the Oracle didn’t mean their union in marriage would bring prosperity to their people. She meant their union as allies.

Hunt is in the palace, brings back memories of when he was trapped there being tortured. Then Bryce and Ruhn are both transported to him and they are ready to set their plan into action. Send Declan the signal and Cormac/Tharion begin their attack on the lab.

Hunt gives Bryce his power, and she teleports into the archives.

Chapter 71 – Bryce finds herself in a stairwell, follows it down until she finds herself in a 70ft long hallway. Only thing in it are crystal pipes shooting upward into the ceiling with plaques beneath them, small black screens beside the plaques.

There are 7 pipes. She reads one plaque and it says Hesperus, the Evening Star. Next one is Polaris, the North Star. Each pipes plaque has the name of an Asteri on it – Eosphoros, Octartis, Austrus, Sirius, Regulus.

Sees firstlight shooting up six of the pipes. The black screens come to life and contain reading – one says ‘Rigelus power level: 65%’. Realises that the Asteri feeds on firstlight. The palace is made of the same quartz as the Gates in Crescent City, so it can fuel and harness the firstlight.

The Asteri are the ones using the power all the people of Midgard give over during the Drop and as secondlight. This is what Sofie had found out. If they prevent the Asteri being able to get any firstlight then they can destroy them.

Chapter 72 – Ruhn gets restless, says he is going to make a head start on trying to get to Day.

Bryce runs back up the stairwell to the door, ready to teleport back to Hunt, when she notices the door handle gleaming. Goes to investigate first. Finds herself in the main archives hallway and runs through the library, finding door after door. She stops at one that is named Dusk.

Hunt gets a message from Dec telling him Bryce is safe, that she slipped into a room called Dusk and that he will keep Hunt posted.

Ruhn is caught by Mordoc.

Cormac and Tharion make it into the lab, and Cormac begins killing the scientists and engineers that he finds there. Tharion notes Cormac has gone rogue, lied when he said he would try to limit casualties.

Then Imperial Vanir reinforcements arrive. Pippa shoots at Cormac, he teleports too slowly and gets hit with a bullet. Cormac tells Tharion to leave; and he realises that Cormac never intended to make it out of the lab alive.

Bryce enters the room and finds a round table with seven seats around it. There is a projector in the middle of the table. The walls are covered in star-maps of constellations and solar systems. Looks at one and sees a system she doesn’t know—five planets orbiting a sun. One planet is listed as habitable and is labelled Rentharr. Conq. A.E. 14000. – assumes conq means conquered. There is another note next to it that says: A bellicose aquatic people. Primordial land life. Little supply. Terminated A.E. 14007.

Another star map says Iphraxia. Conq. A.E 680. Lost A.E 720 because the people figured out their methods and they lost people to their unified front and had to evacuate.

Bryce reads the notes on them all, of all the solar systems and planets the Asteri have conquered.

Then she finds the Midgard map which says it was conquered in A.E 17003. She doesn’t know what A.E. means. Notes on Midgard say it is the most ideal location but indigenous life is not sustainable, but it would be good for colonisation. Notes they have contacted others to share their bounties. All the different creatures in Crescent City had been lured here from other planets/worlds.

She turns on the projector to find a 3D map of the cosmos, marked with digital notes. Finds Hel on the map and a note that it was lost in A.E. 17001. The note for that says it is filled with mighty creatures who saw through their traps. The warring factions of Hel came together to fight against the Asteri. The Asteri weren’t able to beat them so abandoned their world, but were chased because the princes of Hel had learned from capturing Asteri lieutenants how to travel between realms.

Hel found them on Midgard in 17002 and tried to warn the people there who the Asteri really were. Then had a war that lasted until 17003 and Hel were defeated. Shut them off from Midgard because they developed attachments to the colonists there-she realises they mean Aidas who fell in love with Theia.

Bryce realises Apollion was telling the truth. They rid their world of the Asteri but went after them to stop them from doing the same to another planet. Hel hasn’t stopped trying to save them for 15 thousand years.

Bryce is trying to find the origin of the Asteri, their home planet. But she is caught by Rigelus, who says she won’t find it as even they have forgotten where their old planet was.

Chapter 73 – Bryce asks why they do it and he says they are gods/higher beings. That they can’t be blamed for how they get their source of nutrition. Rigelus says he knew she would come, that he had hoped and planned it. He wants her there so she can reopen the Rifts.

Tells her she is Starborn and has the Horn bound to her. Her that her ancestors wielded the Horn and another Fae object that allowed them to enter this world—says they were stolen from the Asteri.

He tells her Midgard is a base, and they opened the doors to other worlds so they could bring their citizens here. They believed they were coming to conquer new worlds, not realising the Asteri were conquering them. But also opened doors to other worlds so they could continue conquering planets. Queen Theia and her two daughters realised what they were doing though and found where they’d hidden access points in their world. They then shut the gates to stop the Asteri from being able to invade any other worlds, keeping the Asteri trapped on Midgard.

“Look, I already did the whole villain monologuing thing with Micah this spring, so cut to the chase” – Oh, so SJM now realises how terrible that whole thing was then? Good for her, does that mean we won’t get it here?!?

He tells her that Danika had realised that the shifters are Fae, not the same kind as hers though. (Bryce’s Fae clearly came from the ACOTAR world and the shifter Fae came from ToG world)

Her Fae came from a land rich with magic, and the Starborn bloodline came from a small isle that was a few miles from the mainland. Her isle was in near-permanent twilight (Dusk). But says only a few in her world could shift to an animal form. The shifters come from another Fae planet—all the Fae in that world shared their form with an animal and the mer descended from them. They don’t have pointed ears here because it was bred out of them.

Did it so they could lie to them about what they are, make enemies of each other. If they both knew they were Fae then they might unify against the Asteri. (This reasoning is dumb. They could literally still decide to unify against them?!?)

Project Thurr – Thurr was the last time someone got as far as Danika in learning the truth. It didn’t end well for them. (Hunt’s daddy?)

Reveals that he was the one who pointed Micah towards synth and Danika, so Micah would kill her for them. Bryce transports back to Hunt, only to find him on his knees, hands behind his head and bound with gorsian manacles. Bryce is caught the Harpy.

Chapter 74 – Tharion tries to run but is stopped by someone in a mech-suit. Cormac is shot again, Tharion runs. Five of the Asteri arrive. Then Cormac erupts into a ball of fire, consuming Pippa and then the mech-suit. The fire grows bigger and Tharion runs. Tharion is half a mile away when the building explodes, with Cormac inside it.

Ruhn is slumped on the cell floor, having been beaten by Mordoc. Bryce and Hunt are brought in. Mordoc has been following their movements for a long time, Rigelus asked him to, as he has a special interest in them. He says it is because Hunt’s scent is wrong, doesn’t smell like any angel Mordoc has ever met (Because his Fae! Come on guys!)

Mordoc leaves and the Harpy goes to torture Ruhn but the Hind appears and attacks her.

Chapter 75 – Ruhn finally realises that Day is the Hind/Lidia Cervos. He recognised her scent that first time on the bridge because she is related to Hypaxia. The Harpy and the Hind fight. She gets the Harpy close enough to Ruhn that he can grab her ankle and pull her over. She manages to kill the Harpy.

Lidia unlocks Ruhn’s chains, tells him he needs to leave. She had tried to warn Ruhn that she believed Rigelus wanted them to come here, but she was interrupted. By the time she could contact him again she knew warning them off would give her away. (Why would it? If they decided not to come there, why would anyone know it was her?! It would make more sense that they just decided it wasn’t worth the risk)

Says she didn’t kill Sofie, she was the one who called the city-ship to save her, but they were too late. Shows Ruhn a white stone, they are calling stones. The Ocean Queen enchanted them and they summon whatever city-ship is closest to them when dropped in the water—that was what she dropped in the water that day in Ydra, and the reason the ship came to save them. Ruhn says Sofie drowned because of her, that people have died at her hands.

Hind hears Pollux coming. Tells Bryce they need it to look real, can’t find out she’s a double agent. Bryce then punches her in the face. Bryce is attacking her when Pollux arrives. Ruhn swears he sees the Hind whisper something in her ear before Pollux grabs her.

The Hind picks up a sword, uses it to threaten Ruhn to stay back against the wall while Pollux deals with Bryce. All three of them are chained back up and forced out of the cell.

Hunt reaches for Bryce’s hand and realises her manacles aren’t locked. She’s just holding them in place. The Hind hadn’t secured them. Hunt realises Bryce, the Hind and he all know the same thing—Bryce has the information they need and she has to get out. Hunt realises he is holding her hand for the last time.

Ruhn is blocking out all the Hinds/Lidia’s attempts to talk to him via his mind. Pollux notices him staring at the Hind, so he grips her by the throat and kisses under her ear. Ruhn realises that Pollux hurts her, and she endures it time after time because it is the only way she can continue to feed the rebels intel.

Being led down a hall with a quartz Gate at the end of it. Then into a throne room where Rigelus sits on his throne. Tells Bryce she is going to pay for killing another angel.

Chapter 76 – Hunt’s severed wings are still mounted on the wall above the Asteri’s thrones. Shahar’s are displayed above his. Baxian and Mordoc enter the throne room to join the Hind and the Hammer.

Bryce starts talking—saying about how the Asteri are parasites who trick them into the drop so they can feed off their firstlight. And then do the same to secondlight when they die. He realises she’s saying it out loud so her companions will know – Dec is monitoring the cameras. When she tries to explain about destroying the core of firstlight beneath the planet, he silences her.

Rigelus reveals he knew Cormac was with them, and that he is now dead—that’s where the other Asteri have gone. Cormac incinerated himself and the lab, killing Pippa as well. Rigelus says he might call the Autumn King there, that he was good at using his fire on Ruhn when he was a boy. That Ruhn has so many tattoos because they hide the scars.

Bryce tells Rigelus she will open a portal for him if he lets Hunt and Ruhn go and agrees to leave them unharmed forever. Hunt finally realises that is why they lured them here, because Rigelus says he couldn’t just snatch them off the streets. (But why not? They’re supposed to be sooooo powerful, so why not?!?)

Rigelus reveals he came to Bryce’s apartment disguised as Aidas that night he encouraged them to join the rebels. He also sent the Reapers—the Bone Quarter was to test her true power.

Hunt tries to lie and say they aren’t rebels and that Celestina can vouch for them. But he says Celestina reported to him that Hunt lied about going to visit Bryce’s family. And also reported about seeing him leave the barracks heavily armed the other night.

Rigelus says the star on her chest is a beacon to the world where she came from—and it glows when near Fae who have undiluted bloodlines from that world (like Cormac). Tells her the star will lead them back to that world, where they overthrew his brethren who once ruled it. They want revenge—their initial attempt was foiled by Bryce’s ancestor, who also bore the star on her chest.

Once again says she will help if he lets Hunt and Ruhn go. Says he agrees and tells her to say goodbye. Hunt hugs Bryce and whispers in her ear and then he says: ‘I love you. I wish I’d said it more. But I love you, Quinland and… Our love is stronger than time, greater than any distance. Our love spans across stars and worlds. I will find you again. I promise.”

Hunt had whispered in her ear, telling him to leave them. Ruhn whispers to her that he lied to the King about what the Oracle saw for him—tells her how she said he’d be the last of the royal line. But maybe she hadn’t seen Bryce. Tells Bryce she needs to live, and she has to be Queen.

Then tells her to take the Starsword when she goes. While hugging them, she has unlocked both their chains using the key the Hind slipped to her. Ruhn has told Hunt the signal. Ruhn tells Bryce she needs to go to Hel through the Gate and bring their armies back to fight them. Then tell her if Apollion’s cost is too high, she should not return to their world.

Ruhn gives the signal: Long live the queen. And then she grabs his sword and blasts Rigelus with her starlight. Hunt hurls his power at Rigelus too.

Bryce makes a run for it, Rigelus is chasing after her. She’s running for the arch so she can open a gate to take her to Hel. As she runs, Hunt blasts his power into her back where the Horn is. She blasts her power into the Gate, but uses a blast right from her star tattoo (Bestie clearly didn’t listen when Rigelus told her it was a beacon to her HOME WORLD – she just opened a portal to the ACOTAR realm not Hel, I’m sure of it) and then tries to transport to it. But there are wards around it. She transports behind Rigelus and then blasts him in the face with her powers before finally running through the Gate.

Chapter 77 – Hunt has a gorsian stone gag and gorsian chains around his wrists and neck. Baxian and Ruhn are also held the same way.

Rigelus puts Hunt on his knees before the Gate, then lays a glowing hand on his brow. The Asteri’s putting a new halo tattoo across his brow. Taking away his powers.

Chapter 78 – Bryce has woken up on a grassy lawn and realises she is in a city. A male voice speaks to her in a language she doesn’t understand, but she knows he is essentially warning her not to move. Then she is dragged up by a winged male, who is beautiful. She asks to be taken to Aidas. The male’s eyes widen when he sees the Starsword. He has scarred hands – Az!!! Makes her put on a blindfold and then he flies with her.

Sets her on a chair somewhere. She notes it smells pleasant. He keeps trying to talk to her in a language she doesn’t understand. Continues to ask to see Aidas, and that her world is in grave danger. She finally pulls off her blindfold. The Inner Circle walk in, but Bryce doesn’t know that. They are all speaking the same language that she can’t understand.

Bryce uses the one other language she knows—ancient language of the Fae, of the Starborn to once again ask if this is Hel and if she can see Aidas. Amren looks at the sword and speaks to Az, has him draw his knife. It is the twin to the Starsword (I knew it!) As he draws it the Starsword begins to glow with white light and the knife with dark light. The Starsword is Gwydion.

Amren finally responds to Bryce, saying no one has spoken the Ancient language here in 15,000 years. Tells Bryce she doesn’t know who Aidas is. Tells her she is not in Hel. Then Feyre and Rhys arrive, and Bryce notes Ruhn looks almost exactly like this new male (Rhys) except this males skin is browner.

She tells Amren she didn’t mean to come here, that she meant to go to Hel. Tells them her mate is in grave danger and she needs to get help for him and her world. Rhysand introduces himself to her. (CC3 is gonna be messy!)

Epilogue – Ithan is outside the Astronomer’s building, has heard no news about the others. Gets a call from Flynn who tells him Ruhn and Hunt have been taken prisoner by the Asteri, Dec saw it on the feeds. Tharion is now on the Depth Charger pod and called to tell Dec that Cormac is dead. Ithan asks about Bryce, Flynn tells him she disappeared but Ithan needs to come hear it from Dec.

Ithan breaks into the Astonomer’s again, needs to go see Declan but refuses to leave the wolf mystic behind. Pleads with her to wake up. Epilogue ends with the wolf’s eyes opening.

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHEN