House of Flame and Shadow Recap
As someone with a terrible memory, who forgets way too many details from series before the new book drops, these recaps are made with me in mind. I may add comments in for myself as I go but I'm uploading them as I know there are probably other people who will also find them useful.
I make my updates very detailed because I think short recaps/summaries of books don't help me at all when it comes to remembering what happened. I kind of need a condensed play-by-play of the whole thing. This is also typed up as I'm reading in real time, so please excuse any spelling errors I miss along the way because I am doing these super quickly and mistakes are bound to happen, even incredibly stupid ones, just based on how quickly I will be typing this up as I go.
This will be updated in real time as I am reading the book when it drops.
House of Flame and Shadow
Two Fae kings are pleading with the Asteri. Morven, King of the Avallen Fae, is Cormac's father and he is insisting he did not know of Cormac's treason.
Rigelus (an Asteri) is in the body of a Fae teenage boy. Hesperus (an Asteri) is in the body of a blond nymph. They argue that he was close to his son and so there must be decay within the royal household, one which they must now get rid of.
Morven insists he knew nothing and that Cormac will not be honored in death - he will receive no burial or grave and his name will be wiped from the records.
Polaris (an Asteri wears the body of an angel) points out there is no body anyway as he burned himself.
Einar, the Autumn King, argues that Bryce likely lured Ruhn into it. Says neither can call themselves his child any more after what they have done.
They inform him that Bryce is no longer in Midgard, so he assumes she is in Hel. They send both Kings out and warn them to tell no one of what they have learnt.
Lidia has been put in charge of interrogating Hunt, Ruhn and Braxian (the Helhound)
Asterian Guards now stand next to the Gate that Bryce went through.
Mount Hermon, the one where Hunt and Shahar once staged their doomed battle of rebellion, now houses scores of new Asteri mech-suits. She believes the choice of where to put them is symbolic.
These suits are better than the hybrids as they don't require someone to operate them. They can hold a single soldier if needed though.
In the catacombs there are a thousand sleeping mystics who have all been tasked with locating Bryce. Lidia is smart enough to note that if the Gates really only opened to Hel, then the Asteri wouldn't be wasting so many recourses on trying to track her down.
Lidia and Pollux head down to where Ruhn, Hunt and Braxian are being held. Hunt and Baxian are dangling in gorsian shackles that slow down their healing. Their wings have been cut off, leaving bloody stumps behind.
Pollux has torn out both Ruhn's lip and eyebrow piercing. He looks at Lidia with nothing but hate.
Lidia keeps attempting to speak to him mind-to-mind but he continues to ignore her.
Part I: The Drop
Chapter 1 - Bryce is being questioned by Amren, with Rhysand and Azriel there too.
Amren asks why she speaks the Old Language and how she came to posses the lost sword Gwydion (Starsword). Bryce tells them the sword is a family heirloom that was brought there by her ancestors 15,000 years ago, same time the Old Language stopped being spoken in Rhys's world.
Rhysand asks how she got to their world. Explains about the Gates in her world that can open to others. She says they mostly opened to Hel but the one she went through somehow sent her here.
Remembers that Rigelus had told her the star on her chest would act as a beacon to her original world and the home of the Starborn people. She tells them about the prophecy of her sword and the missing knife coming together to reunite the Fae of Midgard.
She tells them the sword was brought by either Queen Theia or Prince Pelias - Amren seems to react to the names, as though she recognises them. Admits they once lived in this world.
Amren admits there were once rumors about Fae leaving their world.
Rhysand tells her that he won't look into her mind against her will but that she she doesn 't talk and tell them everything they want to know, then she will be kept locked where she is.
She tries to explain to them who the Asteri are, refering to them as intergalactic parasites. They showed up in her world 15,000 years ago and no one knows where they originated from. She says that they chose Midgard as the place to build an empire and that through a giant rip between worlds, called the Northern Rift, many creatures and races came to Midgard.
After the Asteri arrived the known story is that Hel invaded to try to destroy the new empire but the Asteri united everyone and pushed Hel back. They then repaired the Northern Rift and it's location was permanently Hel and nowhere else.
She says the unofficial story is that the Asteri are immortal beings who are harvesting the magic from the people of Midgard, they feed on them. They call this firstlight and it fuels Midgard. They hand it over when they reach full maturity in what they call the Drop - where some of their firstlight/power is given over.
She tells them of the archive she found that shows that Midgard is not the first place they have done this too. She found only 3 planets/worlds that managed to fight them off - Hel, a planet called Iphraxis and a world once occupies by the original Starborn fae. Bryce believes the world she is currently in, their world, is the third world that fought off the Asteri.
Bryce wants to know how they managed to get rid of the Asteri all those years ago but Rhys insists he has never heard of that occurring. She warns them that the Asteri do remember it and that Rigelus, the leader, is determined to find their world again and punish them for what they did.
Amren tells Rhysand it is in their history but they were knows by another name - the Daglan.
Bryce watches Rhysand teleport or winnow, as they call it. Admits only two fae know how to do it back in her world, but lies and doesn't tell them she can also do it.
Rhysand returns, with the Veritas orb, so that Bryce can show them what kind of weapons the Asteri have and what kind of threat they could pose to his world.
They see the guns and the mechsuits, the boats and everything else and are horrified.
Rhys also gives her a small silver tablet to swallow, that will then allow her to speak their language and also understand it too.
Amren notes that the words tattooed on her back are in the same letters that are in the Book of Breathings. Azriel demands for her to explain or they will kill her.
Chapter 2 - Tharion continues to fight in the Viper Queen's ring, has just fought a minotaur and is injured. The Queen has set up a tub for him with water from the river pumped in so that he doesn't need to leave.
Ariadne, the dragon, is the Queen's other prized fighter now. Tharion is still bitter that she abandoned Bryce and the others when the deathstalker attacked them, but she insists they could handle it themselves. A comment she makes has him thinking she felt like they expected the worst of her so she chose to be that way. He tells her they didn't expect the worst of her.
She helps him clean his wounds and tells him that he can call her Ari, as everyone else does.
He watches her fight against three lion shifters.
Tharion defected from the Blue Court and now his people view him as a traitor and he can't set foot in Istros or he will be killed.
Viper Queen wants to see him - angry his fight only lasted five minutes so Ari has agreed to drag out her fight instead. She offers him more of her venom and he takes it, getting high on it before she takes him to bed.
Ithan, Tristan Flynn, Declan Emmet and his boyfriend Marc are questioning people in the Meat Market to get information on their trapped friends. Ithan wants to try to help Tharion but Tristan doesn't think it is as important as the others, as Tharion chose to defect.
Ithan is frustrated he has to watch over Sigrid Fendyr, the wolf mystic. Sigrid didn't seem to know much about her past so he had filled her in. Her father was Prime Apparent until his sister, Sabine challenged him for it and one. He was believed to be dead but must have been exiled instead and that is when Sigrid would have been born. The three fire sprites (Malana, Sasa and Rithi) go everywhere with Sigrid.
Sigrid mentions that the astronomer used to come here and buy from a satyr who sold salts. She wants to go speak to him but Ithan won't let her.
They can't find out any more information about Bryce, Hunt and Ruhn - all they know is that Hunt & Ruhn are being tortured and Bryce has disappeared. They want to try to rescue them but don't know where they could hide them - possibly the mer ship that picked them up in the Ydra.
Ithan wants them to go and speak to Tharion to find out information on the mer ship and how to find it.
Sigrid is an Alpha who will also live for centuries because she revealed the Astronomer had her make the Drop in her isolation tank.
They are planning to leave the market when they realise more wolves are on the way.
Chapter 3 - Bryce insists she had no idea what the language was of her tattoo, that her friend had it tattooed on her while she was drunk. Rhys thinks she's lying. They bring Nesta to look at the tattoo, she says it is something Made. They leave Bryce by herself.
Back in the market, Sabine and her wolves are after them. They must run for it, agreeing to meet at the Comitium if they are split up as Isaiah Tiberian will hide them. But they run straight into Sabine, who tells Sigrid she looks just like her father.
Chapter 4 - Hunt is in pain and thanks to the halo inked on his brow, he now belongs to the Asteri. But in his mind, he still knows Bryce and she is everything to him. Knows she is his mate and wife. He doesn't think he will make it out alive, but just needs to stay alive long enough to buy Bryce the time she needs.
Pollux comes back in with the Hawk, another members of Sandriel's triarii. Hawk is part angel and part hawk shifter.
Hawk tells Ruhn that Cormac's father has disowned him, as has Ruhn's.
Hunt notices a dark shadow moving in the dark, it is something dark and old and it is watching him. He believes he must be hallucinating.
Ruhn is struggling with the torture. He thought he would handle it better as his own father used to torture him. He hears Lidia calling to him in his mind. She appears before him in his mind, apologising and trying to reach for him but he moves away.
Lidia tries to speak to him, to explain why she is doing the things she is and why she will continue to do them. Can't bear to hear her excuses or have her try to touch him, so leaves the mental haven and goes back to take all the pain they are dealing him instead.
Chapter 5 - Sabine says she knew Sigrid's father had lied about how many children he had. Tells her she will kill Sigrid quickly, which is more than what her sister got.
Sigrid went into the tank for her sister and is furious that Sabine has killed her. Sabine leaps at her so Declan and Flynn both shoot at her. Flynn has shot Sabine's face off, but she will recover and heal from the wound - gives them a chance to get away. But then the Viper Queen shows up.
Lidia is with Rigelus, descending a staircase into the earth beneath the Eternal Palace. They get a metal door made of thick lead. Lidia has been here once before. Inside is a withered human-like form - the Mistress of the Mystics.
Rigelus tells the Mistress that they need Irithys, who is the Sprite Queen. Lidia wants her to come down to the dungeon where Ruhn and the others are, as she says she needs her fire to be used on them. She thinks it will help convince them to talk.
Irithys has been down here for over a century but Rigelus tells Lidia she can have her for a week.
Bryce can hear hissing coming from the grate in the floor of the room she is in. She opens the grate. She sea Sobeks or something similar in the pit. She notices a rock that she could teleport to in the pit and then see if she can find some way out. She has just enough power in her to teleport to it.
The Viper Queen brings Ithan and the others down to see Tharion, who is still high. The Viper Queen told them they could stay here for the night. They don't know what she did with Sabine's pack.
Bryce is out of power, so can't teleport anymore. The creatures shrink back when she reveals her tattoo. She can see two tunnels, when she faces one her tattoo dims and when she turns to the other it lights up. Remembers Rigelus saying the star reaction to people that were loyal to her. So she decides to trust the Star and follow it.
She lowers herself to the ground and the creatures don't attack her.
Ithan asks Tharion what happened to him - he says the River Queen was after him and his choices were death, imprisonment or going to the Viper Queen. He chose the Viper Queen. Ithan explains that Sigrid is Sabine's niece. Also says they were planning to try to free him so he could take them to the Depth Charger and then go save Hunt and Ruhn.
Chapter 6 - Bryce continues walking down the tunnel till she finds a doorway built into a barrier of bars. She goes through it and walks for hours, when she finally takes a break she falls asleep. When she wakes up Nesta is there to escort her back but she runs. Uses some of her magic and ends up causing the tunnel to cave in behind them, so now they both need to follow the tunnel to get out.
Chapter 7 - Lidia carries Irithys in her crystal bubble but doesn't take her down to the dungeons. Takes her to a room where she has an imperial hag chained up, her name is Hilde. She was arrested when she was found with a comm-crystal on her that is used by Ophion rebels. Hilde insists she was framed. Hilde knew Lidia's mother, who was a witch-queen.
Hilde thinks Lidia's mum should have never given her away, as she is a better witch than her sister Hypaxia.
Hilde is the one who put the collar on Irithys, that keeps her under the Asteri control, also did it to the Queen before Irithys. Lidia wants Irithys to use her powers/fire on Hilde but she refuses. So Lidia puts her back in her crystal bubble.
Lidia is the one who planted the comm-crystal on Hilde, as she was sure Irithys hated her enough to agree to use her powers.
Bryce & Nesta reach a gaping chasm with a small bridge crossing it with rushing water below. They're halfway across when they hear the sound of creatures above and below them - bat-lizard creatures. A Middengard Wyrm rises from the water/mud and starts attacking the creatures. Bryce wonders if it originated from Midgard.
Nesta explains to Bryce that her ancestor Theia was High Queen of this world before she left.
Chapter 8 - Hunt is still being watched by the shadows. He realises it is the Prince of the Pit, Apollion, watching him. He asks Apollion if Bryce made it to Hel and finds out that she didn't.
Aidas, Prince of the Chasm, appears and demands to know where Bryce is. He suspects he might already know her whereabouts but isn't willing to share it with Hunt.
Apollion reveals he is watching Hunt because he wants to see if he can really do what he was born to do - the very thing his father brought him into the world to do. Hunt says he has no father, but it is clear Apollion and Aidas know more about him than Hunt does.
Aidas mentions that the black crown Rigelus put on his brow is not knew and has existed for millennia. They tell him to stay alive before they leave.
Tharion wakes up and finds Ithan and the others in his room. They want to know why he went to the Viper Queen for help and not them, and he says if he had the River Queen would have killed them all. He then tells them Cormac is dead and how it happened.
Flynn says they need to find the Depth Charger and then head to the Eternal City. But the Viper Queen doesn't seem eager to let Tharion go. Then Lidia shows up, telling them to put their weapons away and stay put or she'll kill Ruhn.
Chapter 9 - Bryce and Nesta find another two tunnels, and her light guides her to the one on the right - which has drawings of war covering the walls of it. Bryce stops Nesta from entering the tunnels - from her work back home she knows this ancient fae artwork is warning them of traps in the tunnels.
Drawings show a noble fae called Silene.
Nesta uses her silver flame along the wall to activate the mechanisms of the traps and melt them to nothing. They continue walking.
Chapter 10 - Lidia sends Sigrid into a different room but asks the three sprites to stay. She tells them that Ruhn, Hunt and Braxian live but she doesn't know where Bryce is. She tells them she is here to help them rescue Ruhn.
She asks Declan for help, she needs him to hack the cameras again. They don't trust her so she tells them she is Agent Daybright. She tells them they have to help her get Ruhn out because if he dies she will destroy them.
Reveals she was the one who got the Depth Charger to pick Tharion up. She tells him she needs his help, needs him to be her ally on the Depth Charger after she gets Ruhn out. Let's them know to be at Ionia's harbor in two days where a skill will be waiting to take them out to sea. Gives them a white stone to throw in the sea to call the Depth Charger. #
Lidia questions the three sprites about their queen, Irithys. She asks them if she is trustworthy and they say she is.
Chapter 11 - Bryce continues to study the cave carvings - seeing a masked queen with a crown on her head and instruments in her hand (Dread Trove). Sees one image that is very close to the one of the male forging the sword that she saw at the Ballet back in Crescent City. Also saw one of a fae King and Queen sitting on thrones in front of a mountain with 3 stars above it. Underneath the couple it showed a Hel like place.
They've reached the flowing river with no way to get across that they can see.
Nesta tells Bryce how she was born human and then turned Fae against her will. Bryce in turn tells her that her mother was human and her father was Fae.
When Bryce dips her hand into the water, it causes her star to shine brighter. It is guiding her to the water so she follows it, jumping in. She follows it to a small pool off the side of it. Nesta says she should have told her before jumping in so they could have got there without getting wet. When Bryce questions how, she shouts to someone to come out - revealing Azriel has been following them this entire time.
Hunt tells Baxian and Ruhn that Bryce didn't reach Hel.
Chapter 12 - Bryce questions Nesta and Azriel about their world. Asks if they have Vanir here - the magical non-humans like Fae, shifters, mer and more. Nesta says their world has Fae, High Fae and lesser faeries and then people like Azriel who are Illyrian.
Azriel's sword and the dagger seem to call to each other and to Bryce. Bryce falls at one point and cuts her knees and hands. Her knees heal but her hands don't.
She asks them about the Daglan/Asteri. Nesta says she doesn't know much about them but tells her about Lanthys, the creature she killed using her sword Ataraxia.
Nesta asks about the star, about if she has a real star in her. Says it is more like starlight. Nesta asks what's different between Bryce and the Asteri, if they also have stars in them.
They talk about how Truth-Teller and the Starsword seem to be calling to each other. Both are carved from a fallen meteor.
They ask about her tattoo and the language it is in. Says she doesn't know how her friend knew because she died before she could ask her.
Chapter 13 - The Viper Queen finally agrees to meet Ithan. He asks about Sabine - is told she is recovering quickly. He then asks if she plans to hand him and Sigrid over to Sabine, she says it depends on what he can offer her instead.
She agrees to let them all go but only if Ithan agrees to fight in one private fight for her. He agrees.
Lidia is lying about starting her cycle early to get Pollux to go to an event without her. When he leaves she gets her burner phone out and makes a call. Only the second time she has ever had to use it. She tells the person on the other end that she needs all agents ready to go in 3 days. But she is told there isn't anyone to get ready, they've lost too many and even more abandoned them when Agent Silverbrow died. She demands to be put through to Command. She explains the plan she has and where she needs them to be.
Nesta keeps asking questions about the eight-pointed star on Bryce's chest because of the tattoo she once had on her own back that was also of an eight-pointed star. They then come across a massive skeleton of a creature. Then the Middengard Wyrm shows up.
Chapter 14 - Bryce had planned for the Wyrm to show up - her hands hadn't been healing because she'd been purposefully reopening her wounds to leave a trail of blood behind her. She apologises and then runs, leaving Azriel and Nesta to deal with it so she can find what the star is leading her too.
She runs but hear Azriel cry out in pain and then Nesta too.
She finds another carved image that shows a battlefield beyond the walls of a city. Shows Fae fighting flying creatures and other beasts. Sees Fae fighting Fae in the images. It makes her second guess herself and she heads back o help Azriel and Nesta.
She sees Nesta's body in the water and rushes to her, only for Nesta to grab her throat while Azriel places his knife at her back. Asks why they shouldn't kill her and she points out that she came back to help them. Tells them to run but they insist they plan to kill the Wyrm.
Bryce realises they lured her back on purpose. They want to use her blood to lure the wyrm back out, as it fled when it sensed Nesta's powers. It appears but when Nesta fires her powers at it, it merely eats it. Nesta puts a mask on her face despite Azriel warning her not to.
(At this point if you haven't read the ACOTAR series, you might be confused by all of this. I have recaps for all series but I am not explaining anything that SJM doesn't herself explain in this book so if you need more info, check out the other recaps linked at the top and bottom)
Bryce hears a voice in her head telling her that she will die because she is mortal. Then repeats Memento mori over and over again. The Wyrm shows up again but is attacked by the reanimated skeleton of the huge creature they found before.
She watches as Nesta commands the creature to hold the wyrm and then she approaches with her sword and runs up the wyrm's body before burying her sword in it's head and killing it.
Azriel keeps asking Nesta to take off the mask, tells her Cassian waits for her back home. Then mentions other names she doesn't know - Nyx, Gwyn, Emerie, Elain and Feyre. That is what gets the mask to leave her face.
Chapter 15 - Bryce apologises for the trick she pulled with the wyrm. She realises they knew she would go through the grate, had wanted to follow her. Azriel had been the one to cause the cave in so she'd only have one way to go. When she asks why they care, Nesta says it is because she's seen the star on her chest before.
Hunt asks Ruhn to speak to Lidia and he agrees, sleeping so he can go see her on the mental bridge. He tells her he needs to pass along intelligence. Tells her that Bryce never made it to Hel, even though her plan had been to go there to get help from the Princes of Hel.
She tells Ruhn that Bryce must be alive because they're are trying to hunt her down. She says Rigelus must be very scared of Bryce if he is using every mystic to look for her.
She tells him that she is trying to help him but he says he doesn't care, is only there because other people are counting on him. She seems hurt by it, which makes him angry. He tells her that she is dead to him.
Chapter 16 - They reach another large chasm, but the tunnel is narrow so they can't fly across it. She asks about Azriel's shadows and powers, if he could use them to make a bridge. But he can't. However she does realise he may be able to use them to fuel her powers. Asks him to do it so she can use her powers to winnow them all across - it works.
They find another carving, this time of the Cauldron perched on top of the mountain Ramiel. She doesn't know what the Cauldron is, says her world has 5 gods, but no Cauldron. Nesta tells her how being put into the Cauldron turned her into a High Fae.
They tell her about the Dread Trove - three magical objects of immense power, including the mask Nesta wore earlier.
Bryce wonders if the Horn was Made by the Cauldron too. Tells them of the 5 gods - Solas, Ogenas, Cthona, Luna and Urd.
She asks where their souls go when they die and Azriel tells her they return to the Mother. She then explains to them about what happens in her world, with the secondlight and them being made into food for the Asteri.
They ask if that will happen to her but she tells them of how she bargained her soul in exchange for her friends. So doesn't know what will happen to her.
Nesta returns her Bryce's phone to her after she keeps her word and winnowed them all rather than trying to escape again. She shows them a photo of Hunt, tells them he is her mate.
Tharion goes to see Ariadne and demands she not kill Ithan, as he believes she is who he will have to fight. Doesn't agree to it before she leaves.
Bryce is trying to explain to Nesta how a phone works and what photographs are. They keep walking until they come across a metal wall with an eight-pointed star in the middle of it. With more carvings showing two females running on either side of the passage towards it.
Bryce touches the star and the star wall begins to shift and they can hear locks opening before a door in the wall opens up.
Chapter 17 - They go inside and the door shuts behind them and Azriel uses faelight to guide them. Nesta reveals this is the place she saw the star, they are currently in the Prison.
Ithan is preparing for his fight against Ariadne. But the Viper Queen comes in and says she is no longer employed by her, as she received an offer for Ariadne a few hours earlier that she couldn't turn down. Ariadne agreed to the deal, and the Viper Queen believes it is because of what Tharion said to her. Tharion will fight Sigrid instead.
Azriel and Nesta think the door they walked through was a portal that brought them to the Prison. Bryce can see an eight-pointed star in the center of an arena like cavern. Tells them to wait while she approaches it as she can sense wards. This is where Nesta found the Harp.
She tricks Azriel into looking away so she can rush passed the ward line, which he can't cross.
She studies the carvings on the floor, which show the constellations of Midgard. She asks Nesta about the Harp, and learns that it can move you between worlds/places. It is another Made object and it can stop time.
Bryce says the Harp was left there for someone like her to find. The carvings are to tell the story of what happened and to invite someone like her here to find out the truth.
Chapter ends with her stepping on the star.
Chapter 18 - Ruhn is attempting to reach for the weapons and torture devices Baxian has left in the room but they're too far. He asks Hunt to bite off his hand so he can reach further. Baxian offers to do it so Hunt doesn't have to.
Pollux returns to Lidia's room to tell her that they've 'fixed' the Harpy.
When Bryce steps on the star, both it and her chest light up. A hologram of a High Fae female appears - Silene. Azriel notices that she looks like Rhysand's sister.
Silene says she will show them what she learned from her parents. For 5,000 years the High Fae were the Daglan's/Asteri's slaves. Many tried to rebel but nothing worked. They're shown the image of a battlefield strewn with dead bodies.
While the Daglan ruled over them, the High Fae were allowed to rule over the humans. The High Fae paid a Tithe to the Daglan once a year, where they essentially had to give over some of their power in order to feed the Daglan's.
See image of Silene giving her power to an Asteri. They grew to confident thought and didn't realise forces were rising up against them. They then see an image of Theia standing beside the Asteri's/Daglan's throne. Theia is Silene's mother and she served as the Aster's slave for 100 years.
Chapter 19 - Rigelus has been healing the Harpy and only needs one more thing before she should should wake up. But if she wakes up she could reveal the truth about Lidia. Pollux makes Lidia come in the shower with him so he can fuck her.
Ithan tries to refuse to fight Sigrid but it is the only option the Viper Queen will give them.
Theia used her time with the Asteri to learn about the Dread Trove, which included the Mask, the Crown, the Harp and the Horn. So Bryce has part of the Dread Trove inside of her (I'm assuming this means she will be able to use all 4 to get rid of the Asteri). Theia stole them and took them away to Ramiel with her mate Fionn.
Fionn was the first and last High King, Azriel points out that he is Bryce's ancestor.
Theia still needed one last Asteri weapon - the Cauldron. They are then shown an image of Fionn pulling the Starsword from the Cauldron. They then used the Daglan's own weapons against them to take them down. Fionn became High King and Theia his queen. The island they are on, which is now the Prison, became Theia's sanctuary.
The Fae's powers grew once the Daglan were gone and Theia had the power of dusk/twilight.
Theia gave birth to Silene and Helena. Fionn was a lot older and fading away but didn't want to leave the thrown to Theia, he wanted Helena to have it. Theia and her general Pelias did not agree, and felt she was too young.
They are then shown how Fionn died. He was thrown tied and gagged into a bog by a creature resembles the nokk Bryce saw in Jessiba's gallery. Theia and Pelius both watched it happen.
Then the creature gave both the Starsword and Truth-teller to Theia. She took them as well as the Trove.
Helena and Silene both had no interest in ruling. Theia still wasn't happy, even with limitless power and no one to threaten her rule. She remembered how the Daglan had spoken about conquering other worlds and wanted to do the same.
Using the Horn and Harp together, she could open doorways into other worlds but most of her court didn't want to do it. She gathered an army of anyone willing and Pelias guided her to a particular world he told her the Daglan had wanted to conquer but hadn't.
Pelias had lied, he had been looking specifically for worlds where the Daglan still resided. One finally answered him and offered Pelias whatever he wanted as long as he got Theia to open a portal to his world.
They were in this room with the 8 pointed star when Theia finally did it. Bryce sees a red-haired fae standing beside Theia who looks a lot like Bryce's father. When the portal finally opened, Rigelus was waiting on the other side.
Rigelus lies to them, saying he is also a Fae and that they were conquered by the Daglan once themselves. Then all the Fae walked through the portal and into Midgard, bringing the Trove right to them.
But luckily Theia had enough paranoia left to hide the Harp and the Horn. She hid them in a 'pocket of nothingness' where only she could retrieve them. Pelius had already told the Daglan of their existence, so they kept her alive in case she might give away where they were.
Bryce finally gets to see the human civilisation that once thrived on Midgard, Parthos. The humans didn't want them there and tried to fight but were easily slaughtered.
Chapter 20 - Tharion and Sigrid are about to fight. The Viper Queen wants a fight to the death. Ithan manages to knock her down and Tharion watches as he goes in for the final hit.
Silene continues to talk. They were still killing the humans in Midgard when the door between worlds was opened. More Fae appeared, they were taller and similar to them except for all of these Fae could shape shift. These Fae answered to Rigelus and appeared to know him well.
Theia began to only trust Silene and Helena, who had the powers of shadow and starlight.
They then see Helena and Silene creeping through the Asteri's palace back in the Eternal City. They spent over four weeks hiding there to find out the truth. Realised Rigelus and the others were not really Fae, but the Daglan who had conquered the world and fed of the magic of its people. That is when Theia told them both the truth of what happened with the Daglan all those years ago in her own world. She had also kept their old star map that she found. She saw a world on it that had once been overthrown by the Daglan. Theia then used the Harp and Horn to open a portal to Hel, where Aidas came through to speak to her.
Baxian is currently biting off Ruhn's hand (and I'm trying not to vomit!). They finally bite it off, meaning he is out of one set of chains and able to reach an iron poker. But just as they get it, Pollux, Rigelus, and the Hawk walk in and catch them.
Ithan now has to choose between killing Sigrid to save his friends and everyone else or choosing Sigrid. She thanks him for getting her out and he knows he can't kill her, tells the Viper Queen to go fuck herself. Sigrid uses that chance to try and go for his throat, but he manages to block the blow.
He realises she will kill him and he finally fights back, he aims for her shoulder but she moves too fast and his claws punch through her throat.
Chapter 21 - Aidas knew of the Asteri/Daglan and communicated with other worlds to keep track of them. Aidas and Theia talked for days, making plans. They needed to go to Parthos to seek help from the humans who survived and were hiding there. They held a meeting there between humans and Fae. Theia explained all she knew of the Asteri. Then the humans revealed the Asteri had contaminated the water they drank with a parasite. These parasites would then warp their magic.
The Asteri had created the Drop by then as a way to harness more power than the original Tithe. If anyone refused to take part, the parasite would suck them dry and they'd die.
Theia managed to get 10,000 Fae together who were willing to fight. Then she opened a portal to Hel so Aidas and the other Princes could come through with 50,000 soldiers. The Asteri fought back, putting Pelias in charge of their armies.
Theia and Aidas became lovers, Theia told Silene that they were mates. And promised her that one they won the war, she would go to live in Hel with him.
Aidas was back in Hel getting more forces when the Asteri/Daglan came to attack them in the night. Theia refused to open a portal to Hel, saying it was too late. But she gave the Horn to Helena and the Harp & dagger to Silene. She told them to play both the Horn and Harp to open a portal and leave this world. Pelias was planning to try to father children with both of them so they needed to leave.
Before they went, Theia hugged them and plucked the Harp. A star glowed in Theia's chest and then three balls of light drifted from her body, one going into each of her daughters and the third and final one returning back to her own. She'd used the Harp to transfer her magic to them to give them more protection.
The sisters rushed to get back to the place they needed to open the portal, but Fae chased after them trying to escape with them. They quickly played the Harp and Horn and a doorway opened, showing a stone room. Silene played the Harp again but the Horn didn't sound - so she turned and saw Helene watching their people flee from fierce shifter Fae wolves closing in on them. So Helena used the Harp to send Silene to the portal while she went back down the mountain and towards the fight.
Silene watched as Pelias fought her mother, winning before he stuck the Starsword through her head. Silene chose to go through the portal and the close it behind her. Silene then used her magic to carve a map of the cosmos. Then she closed off what this place had once been, except for the lowest parts of it and then trapped a monster here, turning it into the prison it is today.
Silene eventually left to see the world she'd left behind, now divided into Courts. She ended up marrying a High Lord's son who would eventually become High Lord of Night. She brought her first son to the prison when he was born and keyed the wards into his blood. Her son would glow with starlight, which he got from her. She explains to him what she has left here for him, a record of what happened. He is to tell his son who will then tell his son and so on.
This means they are also Rhysand's ancestors, and this is knowledge he should have been told but never was.
Chapter 22 - Rigelus offers them a reprieve if Hunt does something for him. Wants Hunt to use his lightning powers. Rigelus says he will have to extract it then. He shows them a quarts in his hand, which he says is a conduit for magic. Asks again for Hunt to offer up a part of his lightning power and he will spare him and the others from the worse of their suffering. He refuses still and so Rigelus tells him to choose if Ruhn or Baxian dies. He knows he means it, so he gives in and lets him take some of his lightning.
Lidia is planning to help them escape but when she shows up Pollux and the Hawk are still there, Ruhn is missing a hang and all three of the prisoners are unconscious. She has brought a healing potion down to inject into Baxian and Hunt to make their wings grow back within days - lies to Pollux & Hawk by saying it is so they can cut them off again, but she just needs them both to be able to fly to aid their escape.
She makes them both leave and then she releases all three of them. She goes to Ruhn and speak to him in his mind, telling him she has a plan in place to get them out but that the Harpy is close to waking up and so he needs to listen. But he passes out again.
Azriel asks her what happened to the Horn, but Nesta has already figured out it is what her tattoo is made from. Nesta distracts her, because she is a threat to them now. She can open a portal back to her world, which could give Rigelus and the others an opportunity to return to their world and destroy it.
Bryce realises Silene put her power into the very rock of the prison and she pulls it into her own body. Uses her new power to clock the tunnel to stop Azriel from escaping to get reinforcements. They fight before the ground beneath them all caves in.
Chapter 23 - Lidia is hoping Declan got her message and has turned off the cameras, but she can't know for sure. Lidia goes to get Irithys again and tells her she needs her to torture her. She tells Irithys about Hunt and how he befriended a sprite named Lehabah, a descendant of Queen Ranthia Drahl. She asks for her help to free Hunt and his friends.
Says the hag was a test to see if Irithys was as trustworthy as she thought. She asks for Irithys to help her cause a diversion that will help get them out. Irithys asks about the ink that keeps her trapped and Lidia reveals she has bargained with Hilde - if she takes it off for her then she will go free.
Asks about her needing to torture Lidia and she says it is to make it believable. She seems to agree in the end and Hilde is brought down. She removes the tattoo from Irithys, who then immediately kills Hilde.
Then Lidia asks her to burn her enough that she can convince the others that Irithys overpowered her and Hilde when she brought her down to help torture the prisoners. Then she explains what else she needs from her to free the others.
Bryce, Azriel and Nesta have fallen into a secret chamber beneath the star. Here they find a sarcophagus made from clear quartz and inside lays the body of a female. Realises the carvings all showing evil below may have been pointing towards this.
Chapter 24 - The female in the coffin isn't dead, but sleeping - with pale skin, dark hair and red lips (It's giving Snow White). The female opens her eyes to reveal they are blue and glowing. She demands they open the coffin and calls them slaves. They realise the creature is an Asteri/Daglan.
Ithan hadn't meant to kill Sigrid, but he had accidentally beheaded her. The Viper Queen kept her word and let them all go, including Tharion. They leave in a sedan, and the three sprites find them after burning down the Viper Queen's place.
The Asteri asks if Fionn sent him. But then she sees the Starsword and instead asks if Enalius sent them (Check the ACOSF recap for more on him). Theia tricked this Asteri and that is how she ended up trapped here. The Asteri offers to answer Bryce's questions if she lets her out, which she does.
Chapter 25 - The Asteri says her name is Vesperus, Bryce asks if she is related to Hesperus, the Evening Star and she says that she is the Evening Star. Bryce asks where they came from - essentially started to destroy their own planet so had to go in search of others. They called those who travelled between worlds Wayfarers.
When they left their own world, their powers weakened as they were reliant on the magic of their homeland - which is why they then needed the Dread Trove to be Made so they could continue to travel between worlds.
She reveals if they destroy the Cauldron they would destroy this world as they bound the Cauldron with the soul of the world. They gave the worlds they went to kill switches like this.
Bryce asks her how she can undo the parasite in the water that takes their power and forces them to give it to the Asteri. Bryce tells her about how Apollion ate Sirius, and that she knows the Asteri can be killed.
Vesperus says the Asteri left some of their power spread throughout this world but they haven't found it. Some places are better than others to hold magic, places where the veil between worlds is very thin. The prison island is one such place, which is why it is surrounded by mist - which makes Bryce think of the Bone Quarter in her world, which is also surrounded by mist and holds secondlight. The Northern Rift is the same, as well as the riverbank she landed in when she came to this world.
They realise there is a firstlight core hidden below this mountain. As Vesperus summons the magic into her body, Nesta plunges her sword through her chest.
Chapter 26 - Ithan disgusted by what he did.
The sword does little damage to Vesperus, she is already healing. Bryce summons Truth-teller to her, as well as the Starsword. She plunges both into Vesperus, as he magic surges through both blades and meets up. Azriel attempts to use his magic on her but Vesperus absorbs it. Nesta beheads her and then stabs her head over and over again. They manage to kill her.
Tharion and the others meet the small boat at the dock that will take them to the Depth Charger. Ithan says he can't go on, that he has to go back to the City and make it right.
Chapter 27 - Bryce used the magic she has and the quartz of the coffin to open a portal back to what she hopes is Midgard, taking the Starsword and Truth-teller with her.
Part II: The Search
Chapter 28 - Hunt wakes up to find that his wings are growing back. Aidas begins speaking to him in his mind, he can see him in his cat form on the floor. Hunts asks why Rigelus wants his lightning, he tells him it is for the same reason they wanted Sofie Renast's lightning (From start of HOSAB) - to bring the dead back to life.
Hunt asks why they are trying now, as they have had him enslaved for hundreds of years. Aidas says they may have finally figured out what Hunt's father bred him to be, but doesn't explain what he means.
Aidas tells Hunt that they plan to kill Ruhn because it will hurt Bryce and him the most. Hunt asks that if he ever sees Bryce again to tell her... He doesn't end up saying what he needs to say but Aidas knows anyway, that he'd tell her to not return to this world.
Chapter 29 - Bryce lands back in her world, in front of the Autumn King in his study and he already has her in gorsian chains so she can't use her powers. He has both the Starsword and Truth-teller and guesses she was in the world he has wanted to find for a long time.
Chapter 30 - Autumn King locks Bryce in a bedroom without telling her how long she's been gone or if Ruhn & Hunt are still alive. Makes a deal with her, for every one of his questions she answers, he will answer one of hers.
Tells him she went to the Fae's original world and he tells her R&H are alive. She tells him the Fae in that world are stronger than they are because they don't have to give up some of their power to the Asteri like they do in Midgard. He reveals she's been gone 5 days.
She asks why the Asteri are keeping R&H alive and he says it is so they can use them against her. She tells him the dagger is Truth-Teller and the dagger from the prophecy.
She asks about Ophion and he tells her it is pretty much dead because of how low their numbers have gotten. He also reveals Cormac is dead.
Ithan walks further into the House of Flame and Shadow where he is met by Jesiba Roga (Check HOEAB recap for more on her)
Chapter 31 - Jesiba and Ithan sit at a bar in a hall with other creatures including vampyrs and draki. He tells her he needs a necromancer - wants to try to bring Sigrid back from the dead.
Autumn King says he uses the orrery (this came up in HOSAB) to search and try to find the reason for why the Fae bloodlines are weakening. His worry is that if the Fae become too weak, others will take their place and they will be lesser than they are now in this world - part of why he and King Morven wanted her and Cormac to marry.
She asks if it is true the Asteri can't get through the mists around Avallen, he confirms Morven believes they can't.
The Autumn King adjusts a prism device to send sunlight through the orrery's planets. Ruhn told her the that the AK spends all day looking for patterns and she asks what patterns he is looking for. He tells her that he made Ruhn give him a small piece of his starlight before and it allowed him to use the prism device in a new way.
The device can refract light and his other similar device puts it back into one beam. He is trying to add more light when he puts it back into one beam. Basically attempting to make it more powerful. She guesses this interests him as the Asteri are made of light and feed on firstlight so he could possibly use this against them in some way.
She realises he wants to know if her Starborn light is different to the Asteri light and if she can use it to kill them - if he can turn it into a weapon. He asks if she learned about it while she was away and she tells him if he removes her chains then she will show him what she learned.
Bryce tells her father everything she learned about the Asteri and about how they feed off of the Fae's firs and secondlight. He guesses they are weakening over time because the Asteri are taking too much from them.
He tells her she will never understand how the Starsword and dagger work but he does, as he researched them.
Chapter 32 - The Hawk returns to the dungeons, followed by Mordac and a few dreadwolves. The Hawk tells them Rigelus wants to see them all. Ruhn knows they plan to kill him and seems resigned to that fact. They lead them out to the elevator and Lidia is inside, her arm in a sling and recovering from a burn.
Lidia only allows two dreadwolves in the lift with them, doesn't let Mordac in either but tells him to meet them upstairs. Once the elevator closes and begins moving up, Lidia pulls her gun out and shoots the Hawk in the face.
Chapter 33 - Baxian is confused, as they hadn't told him Lidia was Daybright. She shoots the two dreadwolves as well and then tells them they have just under two minutes to escape to a waiting car. She releases them from their gorsian chains.
Ruhn is weak and close to passing out so Lidia has to carry him. They get into the getaway car and she puts Baxian as the gunner, helping to mow down enemies trying to stop them. Declan's voice can be heard over the radio, asking if she can hear him and she confirms she can.
Flynn pulls up in a van next to them, at this point Ruhn is crying. Over the radio different voices can be heard saying they are 'a go' at different places - Alcene, Ravilis, Meridan etc (11 in total). Then Irithys comes on to say she is ready to set fire to the Eternal City.
Every city that they mentioned is a major depot along the railway that moves weapons to the front. Irithys is given the signal to burn the Eternal City down and they hear a blast, followed by more. Each depot is being blown up at the same time.
They make it out of the city. Over the radio Declan tells them that Irithys managed to escape. Mordac and a force of dreadwolves made it out of the gate before it shut behind them and are on their tail.
Chapter 34 - Lidia is driving them towards the water but the road is blocked. She asks Hunt and Baxian to carry Ruhn between them and get to the Depth Charger. Lidia says Mordac will go after her so she can buy them more time. She turns into her deer form, nuzzles into Ruhn's neck for a moment before running off - he says nothing the entire time. After she's gone he touches her neck and says her name. Ruhn realises Lidia has no plans to come with them.
Hunt and Baxian fly them up and Ruhn can see Lidia in deer form being hunted by Mordac and his dreadwolves. Ruhn knows that if they catch Lidia, she'll lose. He demands they put him down but they don't. The higher they get he is able to see that the mountain she's running up suddenly cuts off, leaving a deadly drop to the water below.
Chapter 35 - They make it to the Depth Charger and Tharion is there, Ruhn demands he go and help Lidia.
Lidia makes it to the cliff edge and turns back into her human form. Mordac and the wolves have her trapped at the edge, their guns on her. She knows she'll die if she jumps, but it will be a kinder death than the one she will be given if she's captured. She removes the torque from her neck and tells them to go to hel before racing for the edge of the cliff and jumping off to her death. They shoot at her and a bullet goes through her chest as she falls, laughing as she dies.
Chapter 36 - Jesiba asks Ithan to tell her everything and he does. Jesiba says she will help him if he agrees to work with her as her assistant.
Bryce talks to her dad, asks him if he ever wonders what could have happened if he hadn't sent people to hunt her & her mother down. His answer is every day. She asks why he did it then. That he hit her mother and still feels about about it to this day and yet still hunted them down and then when she showed up years later he was nice to her for a little while before kicking her out.
He tells her that Ruhn and Hunt have escaped the Asteri dungeon. He threatens the boy her mother and step-father Randall have adopted if she doesn't agree to take him to the Fae world she found. He tells her the Starsword is Made but the knife can Unmake things - together they could merge and be used to create a portal to 'nowhere', whatever that means.
She is the first female to have the Starsword as they banned female from the Cave of Princes so they could never claim it.
Chapter 37 - Ruhn refuses to move from Lidia's side and has also refused any healing potions, making them give them all to Lidia instead. The two times he had left Lidia's room, she had flatlined so now he refuses to. He sleeps in the chair.
Tharion had been able to cushion a little of her fall from the cliff, but by then she'd already been shot through the heart. When he'd brought her onto the Depth Charger, she had been dead and the sight had broken a part of Ruhn. The medwitches on the boat had given her healing potions and Hunt had used his lightning powers to restart her heart.
Flynn tries to get him to sleep but he refuses. Tells him the last thing he said to Lidia was that she was dead to him and he had meant it, and yet she'd saved him anyway.
Hunt asks Tharion to help him get in touch with the Ocean Queen, sister to the River Queen. Tharion goes to see Sendes to ask for a favour (she's commander of the ship). She tells him the Ocean Queen is coming to the ship the next day, she has been threatened with war by both the River and Viper Queen for hiding him.
Chapter 38 - Ithan has been working for Jesiba for one day, unpacking a ton of her boxes filled with artifacts and other things. Jesiba has told him how Hunt and the others had managed to escape. Ithan asks her about the books she has that are from the lost library of Parthos. Only one ship managed to escape with books when they came to destroy the library, The Griffin. The Ocean Queen had the mer help them escape. He asks why she has the books but she won't tell him, or tell him why she had the Archesian amulets that Parthos priestesses used to wear.
Jesiba then reveals her true face/look - she appears a lot younger. She says she was cursed by Apollion who found The Griffin when it was escaping. He wanted to know what was so valuable that so many humans sacrificed themselves to try and save it. He didn't believe her when she told him it was knowledge. Cursed her to live completely unchanged until she'd reveal the truth to him. He still believes that the books are a weapon and she'll reveal the truth one day.
Jesiba was a Priestess at Parthos all those years ago. She only got power after Apollion touched her, he had recently consumed Sirius and seemed to accidentally give her some of his magic. She has been alive for 15,000 yet.
Chapter 39 - Bryce goes to her father and tells him what happened the night he had his men track down Bryce's mum and Randall. Randall hadn't picked up a gun in years but did that night and killed her father's chief officer. She says he'd only known her mother for 3 days but already knew he loved her and would do anything for her, says she learnt how to love from him. She was distracting him so she could lock gorsian shackles on his wrists.
He realises she arrived at his home on purpose, to get information from him about the swords as she knows he was researching them. She'd got the shackles off because Ruhn hid a key in his room, as he'd use it back when his father would put the shackles on him and burn him. Now thanks to him she knows what the sword & dagger can do together, and also where to go to learn more about it.
She takes him to the basement and makes him get in the closet there. Then she goes back to his office and uses the magic she got from Silene to shoot starlight at the prism, and rather than a rainbow showing it shows white light turning into shadow. May have dusk powers too now.
Then she uses her light on both prisms at once, pointing them at each other so the light meets and then she steps into it in the very middle. Uses it as a battery to fuel her powers even more. Then uses the boost she has to transport herself 'home', which to her is Hunt.
Lidia finally wakes up and when she sees Ruhn is there she wonders if she is dead. She asks where they are and when he tells her they're on the Depth Charger she quickly jumps out of the bed and runs out. She runs until she finds where the classrooms are and finds a door marked Year Nine, where there are two teenage boys - one with gold hair and blue eyes, the other with dark hair and golden eyes. They look like Lidia and Flynn and Ruhn assume they're her brothers, but she tells them they're her sons.
Chapter 40 - The Ocean Queen arrives to see them. Hunt, Baxian and Tharion all go to meet her.
Lidia wants to meet her children but the director of the school tells her to wait. Her twins are 15 now, called Brann and Actaeon and they have adoptive parents. Lidia agrees to come back at the end of the school day. She faints as she goes to walk away.
Ocean Queen tells Tharion the Viper Queen has put a 3million bounty on him, 5 million if he is brought to her alive. And then the River Queen, her sister, is threatening war with her if she doesn't hand him over. She asks why she shouldn't just hand him over, Bryce then appears in the doorway to tell her that if she does she will have a third queen angry at her because Tharion serves her.
Chapter 41 - Ocean Queen asks who she is and she says she is Queen of the Valbaran Fae. The Ocean Queen says they are all guests on her ship and can't leave until she says they can. Bryce tells the OQ that she went to the Fae's original world. Tells her how the Asteri have poisoned the water. Bryce tells her she wants to fully open the Northern Rift.
Bryce tells them they need to go to Avallen, as she need to do research in their archives about the sword/dagger but lies and says it is to research the First Wars. The OQ asks if Bryce has thought of evacuating as many as she can back to the original Fae world and then closing the portal behind her forever.
The OQ reveals the mer were here before the Asteri, that they had the sea while humans had the land. She agrees to take them to Avallen but that's it. Believes Bryce will soon realise her plan is the only one that will work - leaving with as many as they can.
Chapter 42 - Ruhn comes in, tells them about Lidia having children. Then Bryce explains everything to them about her time away and all she learned. Then she asked them what happened while she was gone.
Bryce reveals she has taken her father's notebook, and will use it to get King Morven to give her what she wants.
Chapter 43 - Lidia sits across from her sons and their mer foster parents - Davit and Renki. The boys know who she is and that she has killed people for the Asteri. Brann seems happier to see than Actaen (Ace) who isn't nice to her.
A messenger comes to Lidia to give her a message from the Ocean Queen asking to see her. She tells Lidia she will leave with the others the next day when they reach Avallen, even though she wants to stay there with her sons.
Ruhn runs into Lidia, asks a little about her children. She hadn't seen them since they were 18 months old. Tells him everything she has done has been for them. She's angry with Ruhn for only wanting to hear her out now that he knows she has kids.
Asks her to tell him her story now, but she says he doesn't deserve to hear it.
Chapter 44 - Jesiba gets a phone call and then tells Ithan to come with her and bring the Godslayer Rifle - the one Bryce used on Micah. She brings him to the Astronomer.
Ruhn and Bryce tell the others about their cousins, who they refer to as the Murder Twins. They can read minds, and do so without asking for permission. Bryce wants to visit the Cave of Princes while she is on Avallen. They agree that Ruhn, Flynn and Declan will go to the archives while Bryce, Hunt and Baxian
Ruhn tells her that the caves can be confusing and that there are mists there and carvings throughout.
Lidia tells them she is going with them, that the Ocean Queen has told her if she doesn't continue her work as Agent Daybright then she will no longer offer her twins protection. The OQ wants her to learn how to take down the new mech-suits.
Lidia and Bryce go to talk to the three sprites, they tell them Irithys is now free and ask if they will go find her. Also agree to fight alongside her against the Asteri in the end.
Bryce tells hunt about the mists in Avallen and thin places that Vesperus told her about, she thinks Avallen might be one like the Prison in the other world was.
The Astronomer is demanding Ithan had Sigrid over, doesn't seem to know she's dead. Then Queen Hypaxia shows up, who is the necromancer Jesiba was planning to use to bring Sigrid back.
Chapter 45 - The Astronomer demands 10 million marks for Sigrid and Jesiba agrees to pay it.
Hypaxia tells them that Morganthia Dragas and her coven staged a coup and now Hypaxia is no longer queen of the Valbaran Witches. In order to escape being executed, Hypaxia has sworn her loyalty to Flame and Shadow.
Lidia meets up with her sons and one of their foster fathers, Davit. She wanted to see them one more time before she goes to Avallen, as she doesn't think she will make it out alive. Ace clearly hates her, while Brann seems more willing to give her a chance. She takes off her ruby ring and gives it to them - it is a family heirloom from her father's side that is worth a lot of money. She says they can sell it to pay for university or anything else they need.
Morganthia first order as queen was to call for Hypaxia's execution. The other was to undo the animation spell for Hypaxia's tutors, who were all ghosts.
Ithan learns Jesiba is second in command at House of Flame and Shadow.
Hypaxia has to go to the Black Dock to swear her oaths to the Under-King.
Jesiba pays the Astronomer to help look for a way to get rid of Apollion's curse on her. He helps as he thinks figuring it out will mean he can find a way to stay young forever too. Jesiba learnt that the Princes of Hel seem scared of dragon fire, so she attempted to buy Ariadne from the Astronomer but he refused. She tells Ithan that the wolves reached Parthos first and were the ones who started killing and burning the library. The packs were led by Asteri-bred bloodhounds. Jesiba reveals the Fendyr line has been carefully bred over the years by the Asteri.
Jesiba believes the Asteri had Micah kill Danika because they couldn't control her they way they wanted.
Chapter 46 - The Depth Charger can't get too close to Avallen, as there seem to be natural wards stopping them from getting too close. When Bryce draws the Starsword is creates a small door in the wall of mist for them to go through. A white boat comes sailing through and they hear the voice of the king welcoming her.
Tharion waits till they are all on the white boat and then jumps down after them, despite being ordered not to leave the Depth Charger.
Chapter 47 - Ithan goes down to the morgue with Hypaxia and Jesiba, so they can resurrect Sigrid.
Bryce and the others are taken to Morven's throne room. The King has the Murder Twins bring out a Fae female, who is Sathia, Flynn's sister.
Chapter 48 - Morven says many Valbaran Fae tried to seek shelter in Avallen but only a few have been granted to stay, but that they had to pay a price to do so. Sathia has refused to pay the price asked of her, which is to agree to breed with one of the Murder Twins (Seamus and Duncan) Flynn's parents have been allowed to stay too. Flynn's family had to leave because the Asteri know he helped with Hunt's rescue and they are not wanted.
Bryce tells him she wants to look through the Archives and Cave of Princes. Also tells him that Sathia will not be forced to marry and will come with them instead. But he keeps refusing, so Tharion says he will marry Sathia.
Hypaxia resurrects Sigrid but it seems to go wrong in some way, turns her into a Reaper instead.
Chapter 49 - Flynn warns Tharion not to marry her, says she is the worst. Also says the Fae don't divorce, that if he left her then she'd never be able to get married again. But he doesn't listen and they get married.
The Under-King shows up in the morgue, who is the one who turned her into a Reaper. Before she goes with the Under-King she tells Ithan that she will never forget that he killed her.
Hypaxia says there may be a way to fix what was done to Sigrid if they can get a thunderbird. Asks where they can find Sofie Renast's body, as she could still bring her back if she hasn't had her Sailing yet. Jesiba finds out that her body is on Avallen with Morven.
Chapter 50 - Flynn says his magic hates Avallen, his sister feels the same way. Doesn't seem to affect anyone else in the same way as them. They are in the Archives, trying to find any information of the sword, knife, the mists, Pelias and Helena, the early days of Avallen and anything regarding the First Wars.
Declan finds a map of Avallen from the First Wars, which shows dozen of islands surrounding it which shouldn't be there. All the islands seemed to disappear 100 years after the First War ended according to other maps they find.
Hunt and Bryce finally have sex again, their powers seem to flow into each other.
Chapter 51 - Bryce, Hunt, Tharion, Baxian and Sathia finally got to the Cave to look for answers. Pelias's tomb and Starsword's resting place should be in the center of the cave.
Morven goes to speak to Ruhn, trying to convince him to marry a female on the island but he walks away. Lidia makes a comment about how Ruhn is a prince and should start behaving like one.
Chapter 52 - Bryce tells them about the Mask, how it can raise people from the dead without the need for a necromancer. Walking through the cave they find a carving on a wall of an eight-pointed star. Follows more carvings, and sees Fae hunting down Theia's pegasuses. The ghouls in the caves seem scared of Bryce and her power.
Ducan and Seamus come to find Ruhn in the archives. They try to get into Lidia's mind but she protects it with a wall of fire. When they leave Ruhn finally speaks to her. She asks how he turned out the way he did when his father is such an asshole, he says Flynn and Dec are the reason. He asks how it went with her sons before she left and she says terribly, that Ace hates her but Brann might be willing to get to know her.
Ithan hears booms above them of loud explosions and goes to Jesiba's office. She's watching a camera feed showing bombs exploding. She says Omega-boats have come to Istros and started firing missiles into Asphodel Meadows.
Chapter 53 - Ithan and Hypaxia head to Asphodel Meadows and try to help some of the survivors.
Bryce and the others have reached an underground river, Baxian and Hunt fly them all across. Sathia asks what she plans to do with the Fae after this and Bryce says she wants nothing to do with them.
Ruhn and Lidia have dinner in silence but he speaks to her before she goes to her room. He asks if she ever planned to meet him that night at the ball. She tells him the Harpy got there before she did. But he asks again if she was going to meet him and she asks if it matters. He steps closer to her, realising how much he wants her. He can tell she wants him too. He kisses her neck, licking up it before she pulls away. He quickly says good night and goes to his room.
Chapter 54 - Lidia and Ruhn are having another silent breakfast together when a Fae male comes in to thank Lidia, says she saved his life. Says he was with his unit in Kelun when she came in to warn them the Hammer was coming, giving them time to escape. He says some of the unit are here, as Cormac convinced them to join the cause but never told anyone that she was who saved them all those years ago.
Lidia finds a scroll called The Roots of Earthen Magic. Talks of how the Fae used their earth magic to find the best places to build. They'd find ley lines and build on them. Avallen was chosen as the stronghold for the Fae, so should be in the most powerful area which doesn't make sense if Flynn and Sathia say the place is dead and rotting to them.
Bryce and the others are in the caves when Morven and the Autumn King find them.
Chapter 55 - Morven has captured Flynn and Declan, using them to get Bryce to do what he wants. Bryce sends a blast of her power at the cave ceiling, caving it in.
Ruhn invites Lidia into his room so they can talk more. Ruhn asks if she knew who he was when they slept together that time and she says she did. He asks about her deal with the Ocean Queen, she says she was scared and young when she made it. She tells him Pollux isn't their father, she basically got pregnant during some sex rite that the stag shifters take part in. She and a male were chosen, but never got to know who each other was.
When she realises she was pregnant she knew she couldn't hand her child over to her father, so she faked her own kidnapping in order to hide the pregnancy. She went to Ophion for help and they took her to the Ocean Queen, who offered protection for her and her children but only if she agreed to turn spy and go back once they were born.
She returned after 2 years, when Pollux confessed his feelings for her and said he'd spent those two years trying to find her. When she goes to leave Ruhn's room, he stops her. Says he doesn't care who she is as long as she is his because he is hers. They kiss and then he leads her to bed. When he pins her hand and she flinches, he realises the things Pollux must have done to her. He asks her to stay with him for the night, but doesn't have sex with her.
Bryce has cut them off from the kings, Flynn, Dec and the Murder twins. She tells the others to jump into the river.
Chapter 56 - Byce and Hunt fight, she thinks he doesn't want to be there and is too scared of what could happen to them. Bryce says she'd rather die trying to defeat the Asteri than not try at all.
Bryce knew where to go because these caves are almost identical to the ones she was in back in the other Fae world. Finds a doorway, right where it was in the other world.
Ruhn still can't find Flynn and Dec, and realises Morven and the Twins are missing too. He realises they must have taken them to the Cave of Princes.
Bryce and the others have found the sarcophagus in Prince Pelias's tomb. She uses her light powers on the carvings and it reveals a hidden illustration. She moves the sarcophagus and finds a hidden staircase beneath it. She says this place was originally built by Helena.
Chapter 57 - They go down the stairs and find another river below where they find a black ewer (jug) and bowl resting on a carving of an 8 pointed star. Bryce reveals these caves are made from black salt. This place can be used to summon demons and communicate with Hel. She thinks she was using this place to mind-speak with Hel, as Starborn can do that.
Bryce tries to drink the salt-laced water alone but Hunt says she can't do it without him. They both drink from it. Both go into a dreamworld where Aidas waits for them, welcoming them to Hel.
Chapter 58 - Ithan has spent two days helping in the Meadows.
Baxian, Tharion and Sathia keep watch over Bryce and Hunts unconscious bodies. Tharion tells Sathia how his sister Lesia died the year before. He agreed to marry Sathia because she is Flynn's sister and he wishes someone would have helped his sister if she would have ever needed it. They see Hunt and Bryce's bodies are now covered in frost and know they've reached Hel.
Bryce and Hunt get on a small boat with Aidas to take them across the river. Apollion is waiting on the other side for them and calls Hunt son.
Chapter 59 - Apollion walks towards them with Thanatos at his side, Prince of the Ravine. They can't be harmed while here, as using black salt means their mind and soul are protected while they are here. Thanatos can smell that Bryce's powers have changed since he last saw her.
Hunt asks them what the crown on his head is, that Rigelus put there. He is told the black crowns were collars in Hel, that the Asteri made so they could enslave them. But the Princes could not be held by the crowns. They thought Hunt also wouldn't be able to be held by them because he was Made by the Princes of Hel.
Aidas tells them how Pelias used the Horn to close the Northern Rift, but it broke before he could completely close it off from Hel. Helena found a way to contact Hel to try and see if they could come back through and attack again, but couldn't do it unless the Rift could be fully opened.
Chapter 60 - Ruhn and Lidia are in the Cave of Princes. Lidia apologises for the night before, for flinching when they were in bed together. Says she shouldn't apologise and that they don't have to do anything she doesn't want to do. She tells him she wants to though, that she wants him all of the time.
Bryce shows them Truth-Teller, that she got it from Theia's home world. Aidas asks if she knows what happened during Silene and Theia's last meeting and she asks him to tell her. He says Theia used the Harp to divide her magic in three to give a big to both Silene and Helena. She didn't keep enough for herself though, which is how Pelias defeated her.
Because Theia made the sword and dagger, they are keyed to her power. So only descendants of Helena with enough of her starlight power can wield the blades. He believes when she attempted to open the portal to Hel, the swords desire to be reunited with the dagger was stronger and that is how she ended up in the Fae world instead.
Bryce reveals she claimed the magic Silene left behind, which must be the power Theia gave her. Aidas says she has two thirds of Theia's power. The third she got through Helena's bloodline and the third she took from Silene. He wonders what her power would look like if she could get the other third. It would be like the 'laser' power she can now use, what Theia called starfire.
Theia transferred the last of her power into the Starsword but Helena removed it somehow. The sword and dagger together can destroy everything.
The Northern and Southern Rift lie atop a bunch of ley lines, which are where the barrier between worlds is weakest - they are thin places. The mists are a sign that somewhere is a thin place.
Bryce needs the third piece of magic to be able to fully use the two blades to take down the Asteri but no one knows where it is. Aidas says Helena and Theia were World-walkers and so is Bryce, which means they can move through the mists with ease.
Aidas says Bryce needs to use the Horn to open the Northern Rift.
Chapter 61 - During the First Wars some of the Princes bred kristallos, a new type of demon that could hunt down the Horn. Aidas tells Hunt he was made by Apollion and Thanatos, to be used as a weapon when Bryce came along - the person who could get the magic and unite the swords. They also made the thunderbirds.
Part of Apollion is in Hunt's blood - his Helfire, which is Hunt's lightning. He says it is capable of killing the Asteri. Apollion used his Helfire to kill Sirius. But Hunt's power is too diluted to be able to kill them.
An angel scientist in the Asteri Archives looked into the origins of thunderbirds and named the project Project Thurr. That eventually led the scientist to the Princes who told him the truth and he agreed to work with them. They used that scientist and Hunt's mother to make Hunt. But the Asteri learnt the scientist had been working with Hel and had him killed, but they didn't know about Hunt's mother or that Hunt existed. His father's name was Hyrieus. Hunt was made to be a power battery for Bryce.
Chapter 62 - Bryce and Hunt wake up to find Morven and the Autumn King have already reached them. She sees Sathia, Flynn, Declan, Tharion and Baxian are all trapped in a ring of fire. When Bryce accuses the Autumn King of killing the last Starborn Prince he doesn't deny it, says he did it because he wanted to end the bloodline.
The twins get into Sathia's mind, make her take Tharion's dagger and hold it to her throat. They tell Bryce to drop the blades or they will make Sathia cut her own throat. She drops them. But when she holds her hands out, the swords fly back to her. Then Bryce runs at her father and the others.
The twins try to get into her mind, and she floods their own with her starfire. She melts their minds, killing them. She transports herself to the Autumn King, crushing his hand in hers, melting it. But the Kings use their powers against her at once and the Autumn King has her backed against the wall about to plunge his sword of flame into her chest. But Ruhn has found them, and he drives the Starsword through his father's heart.
Ruhn tells his father that he lied about what the Oracle said to him all those years ago. Reveals that she never told him he would be a fair and just king but that the royal bloodline would end with Ruhn. He assumed it mean his father's bloodline, but now knows she meant all the male lines. He says the line will end with him because he yields the crown to Bryce. Then he uses the Starsword to behead his father.
Bryce says the sword and dagger prophecy didn't just mean she would unite the Fae, but rather all the people of Midgard can be united against the Asteri. She then kills Morven, making herself Queen of Avallen.
Bryce now needs to find the final piece of Theia's magic to fully be able to use the sword and dagger to open a portal to 'nowhere' and trap the Asteri there. They think Theia used the ley lines to contain the magic, but that it drained the land of its magic and that's why all the islands surrounding it were destroyed.
Bryce notes that the 8 point star on the floor has two slits, one in a different point. She notices they are large enough for the sword and dagger to fit into, as if they are keys to unlock something. She puts the daggers inside, unlocking whatever lies beneath.
Chapter 64 - Morven's castle has been destroyed, turned to rubble as trees and other things grow from it. Bryce wants to get as many people to safety on Avallen as they can.
Lidia tells them if they survive she will not go back to the Ocean Queen. Her enemies will be dead and the OQ shouldn't need her anymore.
Declan suddenly has phone service, and he tells them the Asteri has made their move. Pollux and Mordoc led an attack on every Ophion base and destroyed every single one. Also dispatched the Asterian Guard to Asphodel Meadows and hit it with ten missiles.
Part III: The Ascent
Chapter 65 - Ithan and Hypaxia make it to Avallen but don't know how to get through the mist. But when Hypaxia touches them, they part for her.
Bryce has contacted her family, they are heading to Avallen. Bryce tells hunt they need to go to Nena so she can open the Northern Rift to let Hel in. Bryce also wants to let everyone know that she killed Micah and Hunt killed Sandriel - to show that the Archangels can be killed. She needs to find Jesiba to get the footage of what she did to Micah.
Hunt & Bryce land in front of Ithan and Hypaxia.
Chapter 66 - Everyone meets up - Ithan, Hypaxia, Bryce, Hunt, Ruhn, Flynn, Dex, Tharion, Lidia, Baxian and Sathia. Ithan tells them he needs Sofie's body. He tells them what he did and why he needs the body.
Bryce tells him Sofie's body was in the castle, which is now rubble. Hunt tells them how Rigelus collected his lightning to do a similar thing and maybe they could try that, but they'd need crystals to contain the power. Ruhn says Lidia found some in the archives that they could use.
Bryce tells Ithan and Hypaxia everything she's learnt and everything that has happened. Asks Hypaxia if she can find an antidote for the parasite they put in the water. Tells them to head back to House of Flame and Shadow to start working on it right away. They give them crystals with Hunt's lightning in to take with them.
Chapter 67 - Baxian tells Hunt a little about his childhood. His dad was a captain in Sandriel's 45th and his mother was a Helhound shifter. When he was 8 a mob came for them. His mother was torn to shreds by Helhounds and his father was caught by his own legion and given the Living Death. He died from blood loss from having his wings cut off over and over again.
He was on his own and became known as the Snake. Sandriel heard about him and recruited him.
Hunt asks Baxian to be his second in command and he agrees.
Bryce tells the others her plan, that she Hunt and her parents are heading the Nena to open the Rift. She tells Ruhn to head back to Lunathion with Declan and Flynn to find Isaiah and Naomi and get them to work with them. Baxian will stay behind to help those who come for refuge, and lead while Bryce is gone.
Bryce says she won't give Lidia orders but Lidia says she goes with Ruhn.
Bryce tells Tharion to go to the River Queen to convince her to shelter people Beneath. Sathia says she will go with him.
Ruhn and Lidia talk, she says they went after the Ophion to punish her. She asks how he feels about killing his father, he only worries what his mother will think. She says he will learn to live with it like she did, as she killed her father. She made it look like a rebel attack though.
She confirms she won't go back to the Ocean Queen and he says he is proud of her. She tells him that she sees him, all of him. He leans over to kiss her. But Flynn interrupts to tell them not to fuck next to everyone.
Chapter 68 - Ithan is helping Hypaxia by getting her samples of water. He sees a Reaper and is curious if the parasite dies when they do. Hypaxia tells him to get her a Reaper so she can see, as it could help them if they really do lost the parasite when they die.
Helicopter arrives at Avallen with Bryce's parents, Emile/Cooper, June, Fury and Syrinx.
Chapter 69 - A Reaper arrives at the morgue where Ithan and Hypaxia are working, sent by the Under-King at Jesiba's request. This Reaper was once in the Aux, he was a lion-shifter. He is a bit of a creep to Hypaxia but leaves when she's done with him. She tells Ithan he was right, the Reaper's don't have the parasite.
Fury has brought Bryce all the snow gear they will need to survive in the cold temps of Nena. Bryce gives Fury the photo she has of the four of them - Bryce, Juniper, Fury and Danika. Tells her to keep it safe for her. Then Bryce, Hunt and her parents leave for Nena.
Chapter 70 - Hypaxia has found the antidote. She used the synth one as a template as it and the parasite had things in common. She had to use all of Hunt's lightning to make it, so that means they can't help Sigrid yet. But the antidote isn't perfect, but will have to do for now. It isn't permanent yet, the effects would wear off.
Hypaxia says if he takes it, it will mean he is more powerful than Sabine. He could challenge her if he wanted. He quickly takes the antidote before she can stop him. He tells her it worked, he feels stronger. He can now summon snow.
Bryce and the others reach Nena, but the sentries that should be there aren't. Hunt takes that as a bad sign. Her parents find the the security footage and hit play.
Chapter 71 - Ithan wants to go see the wolves, to tell them about Sigrid and about the antidote and that they have alternatives to being under Sabine's control. Ithan goes to Bryce's apartment and finds the research Danika was doing on the Fendyr line.
Chapter 72 - Bryce, Hunt and her parents get through the gate, after seeing on the feed that the Harpy is there - the weird raised-from-the-dead version of her. The Harpy ate the guards there. They get to the Rift, which has a quartz archway surrounding it.
Ithan makes it to the Den, knowing that only Perry (Black Rose Omega and Amelie's little sister) is on duty at the gates. He tells her he needs to speak to everyone. She lets him in and gathers as many of the wolves as she can in the courtyard. He tells them about the parasite that the Asteri has put in all of them, that reduces all their powers. He then shows off the ice powers he now has and then tells them all about what the Asteri have done. He then tells them about Sigrid, that she is another Fendyr.
The Astronomer and Sabine show up, Sigrid with them.
Chapter 73 - Sabine tells the crowd that he is a liar and a traitor, and says he is responsible for why her niece is now a Reaper. They say he kidnapped her and turned her into a Reaper. Sabine says she can prove it, has the video footage from the Viper Queen showing him killing her. They lie and say they rescued Sigrid from him. Sabine says Sigrid told her she chose to become a Reaper to help protect her people and has come here to be Sabine's heir.
Sabine says Sigrid has defected to Earth and Blood and will stay at the Den now.
The Prime shows up, saying he never approved of any of this. Ithan pulls out the Fendyr sword he took from Bryce's room and kneels before the Prime. He apologises and says he has no plans to try to usurp the Fendyrs. The Prime says what Ithan has told them is true and that Danika was aware of it too, that she hoped they could be better than they have been.
The Prime announces that Ithan is now his heir, nobody else and gives him the Fendyr sword. Tells Sabine she is stripped of her rank, authority and title. While Ithan hesitates in taking the sword, Sabine grabs it and stabs her father, the Prime, in the face with it.
When the Prime falls, Sigrid jumps on him and sucks the firstlight from his body. Sabine then tries to kill him with the sword but he shifts to wolf form and bites the sword to pieces.
Chapter 74 - Sigrid attacks the Astronomer, ripping out his heart and then inhaling his soul/secondlight. Sabina attacks Ithan again and he grabs a piece of the broken sword and stabs her with it. He kills her.
Perry is the first to submit to Ithan as Prime. Amelie is nect.
Chapter 75 - Ruhn is with Lidia, back in the city and attempting to sneak through the city as they try to find Isaiah and Naomi at the Comitium. Lidia says she can lead them to their barracks, as she knows where all the cameras are. She notes that he seems nervous, and he says it is his first mission with his girlfriend and he's trying to impress her.
Tharion sees imperial battleships in the Istros, and many Omega-boats too. Tharion then calls one of the otters to him to deliver a message to the River Queen that he wants to meet with her.
Bryce asks Hunt to give her some of his power so she can open the Rift.
Chapter 76 - She blasts her power at the gate and demands it open, a small sliver appears. The more lightning Hunt gives to her, the bigger the hole becomes. The same thing that happened at the Eternal Palace is happening now, it isn't opening the gate to Hel, it is opening it to the Fae world. When they look through, Nesta is sitting in an armchair by a fireplace staring at them in shock.
Tharion tells the River Queen he was sent by Bryce, who is now Queen of both the Avallen and Valbaran Fae and that she asks for her to allow the people of Crescent City to seek asylum in the Blue Court. They tell her Bryce has the Princes of Hel as her allies. The River Queen's daughter comes in to shout at Tharion, who has brought his new wife with him.
Bryce opened the portal to speak to Nesta, asks her to give her the Mask.
Chapter 77 - Nesta says no and tells her to shut the portal. Bryce begs, says she will return both the Mask and Truth-Teller to her once she has done what she needs with them. Bryce says she brought collateral to prove her intentions. She has her parents step forward, says Nesta can keep them in her world until she returns the Mask.
Bryce then begs Nesta to take her parents even if she won't give her the mask. She begs her to take them and keep her safe for her. Nesta finally gives in and hands over the Mask, then takes Bryce's parents. Then Hunt uses his wind powers to knock her parents through the portal and closing it behind them.
The Harpy sneaks up on them, camouflaged in white.
Chapter 78 - Tharion apologises for what he did to the River Queen's daughter (Does she ever gets a name?!?) He tells her if they take in the people of the city and they manage to bring the Asteri down, he will divorce Sathia and marry her instead. The Queen refuses, says she no longer wants him to marry her daughter.
The River Queen notes he never questioned why she wanted him to find Sofie Renast's body and her brother. She also worries about the Asteri. Her people remember a time before the Asteri and have tried to stop them before, but aren't strong enough. She'd wanted the thunderbird because she thought they might be able to stop the Asteri.
She tells him the Blue Court will help and take people in.
The Harpy has been resurrected but the Asteri didn't use a necromancer, so she has returned with no soul at all. Isaiah, Naomi and the Governor of Valbara (Celestina) arrive. Bryce puts the Mask on and then demands the Harpy stop and kneel, which she does. She then tells the Harpy she can rest now, and she is dead once more.
Chapter 79 - Ruhn and Lidia talk some more. She tells him she didn't feel like she was truly awake until she met him. He kisses her and tells her that he's all in with her, whatever she wants. Lidia then receives a text, saying Pollux has taken her sons.
Isaiah, Celestina and Naomi had been tracking the Harpy, that's how they found them. Hunt is still furious with Celestina for betraying them, and tries to take her out with his lightning but the halo stops him from being able to use his full powers.
Hunt then uses his Helfire power to slice through the halo himself, then does the same for Isaiah's before attacking Celestina again. Hunt wants to kill her but Bryce tells him she doesn't deserve to die. Naomi tells him Celestina regrets what she did and has been trying to make up for it. He finally relents and agrees not to.
Bryce tells them she plans to use the Mask to raise the Fallen, to use them as an Army against the Asteri. Then she says Naomi and Isaiah can lead them. Hunt asks how she can raise them when their bodies are gone, and she points out that the Asteri kept their wings so she thinks a part of their souls will still be attached.
Bryce thinks she can put the Fallen into the mech-suits up on Mount Hermon. Bryce says Celestina will go to Ephraim's fortress and keep him occupied.
Bryce and Hunt once again blast the Rift, this time opening it to Hel.
Chapter 80 - Ithan goes back to Jesiba and asks her to get him a meeting with Under-King so he can speak to his brother. He heard Connor howling to him from the Bone Quarter when he was made Prime and believes he is trying to reach him.
Hypaxia had given the antidote to the wolves before they left.
Jesiba tells him she heard from Bryce, she asked for Ithan to bring the antidote to her the next day at the Eternal City. Asks him to bring wolves with him too.
Ruhn calls Bryce, tells her she needs to come back. He explains Pollux found the Depth Charger as it dropped people off near Avallen and he killed a ton of mer before finding Lidia's sons and taking them. He is now holding them at the palace.
He tells her he, Lidia, Flynn and Dec are heading to the Eternal City.
Chapter 81 - Ithan is on the Black Dock with Hypaxia, each holding a Death Mark. They take the boat to the Under-King. He sits on his throne next to a giant statue of who Ithan assumes is Urd, who has symbols running over her skin like tattoos - which he thinks look familiar.
Hypaxia asks the Under-King why the Repears chose to leave Apollion and join him. Says the Reapers fed on vampyrs in Hel until they left for the real world and so the Reapers followed them. Then they found they liked the taste of the other creatures on Midgard too.
The Under-King originally came from the shifter's world. He then points to the statue of Urd and says she was not a goddess but a force. That she was 'a cauldron of life' and while they call her Urd, she used to be called Wyrd in the other world.
The Under-King gives him 7 minutes to talk to Connor.
Chapter 82 - Ithan realises that Connor can't talk to him. He tells Connor everything that has happened, including him becoming Prime. Connor bows his head at him, a mark of respect to a Prime. Connor shows Ithan that he understands and already knows about the secondlight.
Connor brings a bullet out of his pocket, made of the same metal as a Death Mark. Tries to gesture at Ithan what he wants him to do but the Under-King arrives to say his time is up.
Ithan gets angry and uses his ice powers against the Under-King. Connor steps in his way and then Jesiba tells Hypaxia to 'do it'. She picks up a brazier and hits the frozen Under-King with it, who shatters into pieces.
Chapter 83 - The Under-King is dead and as Hypaxia made the final blow, Jesiba informs her she is now the new head of the House of Flame and Shadow. She tells her to quickly decide what to do with the souls here before Rigelus comes.
Connor tries to talk, Hypaxia orders him to speak which allows him to finally talk. He tells her not to send him and the other souls into the ether. He has them follow him to the Dead Gate and then says the bullet he gave Ithan is one the dead made for Bryce, that can be used with the Godslayer Rifle.
The bullet was crafted to hold the secondlight of the dead. He tells them all the secondlight of the dead can be put in the bullet. He tells Ithan to tell Bryce to make her shot count, then he steps into the archway and fades into light. Ithan captures the secondlight in the bullet.
Tharion and Sathia have made it back to land, where the Viper Queen finds them, with two Fae assassins next to her. Sathia recognises one of them, calls him Colin. Before the Viper Queen can harm them, Ithan and Hypaxia show up.
Chapter 84 - Tharion quickly learns Ithan is now Prime and Hypaxia is now head of Flame and Shadow. The Viper Queen agrees to let Ithan go, then walks away taking her assassins with her.
Sathia explains to Tharion that losing Colin was her Ordeal.
They haven't been able to confirm a rendezvous point with Bryce at the Eternal City. They need to find her before they fight the Asteri because Hypaxia needs to give them the cure for the parasite and Ithan needs to give her the bullet.
Chapter 85 - Bryce, Hunt, Declan, Flynn, Ruhn and Lidia are all in the back of a white van. They are about to start recording something.
They hit record and Bryce introduces herself and then Hunt. And then they say they plan to show them the Republic is not as strong as they've been told. Hunt tells of how he once led the Fallen against the Asteri and Archangels. While they failed then, he tells them it is still worth fighting back. They say what they did to the Asphodel Meadows can't be allowed to happen ever again.
They explain about the parasite in the water to control them and get magic from them because without it the Asteri are nothing. Bryce tells them they can fight back and to prove it she shows them the video of her killing Micah.
They then take refuge in a safe house Lidia showed them. Hunt and Bryce are in bed together. where they say they love each other and he tells her she's his best friend, she says the same to him. Then they have sex and real stars start filling the room around them.
Chapter 86 - Ithan heads back to the Den, but almost all the wolves have left. They don't plan to return for a few months. Perry tells him she dumped the Astronomer and Sabine's bodies in the sewer.
Perry tells him to send word to the wolves, to warn them to find shelter at the Blue Court or find somewhere else to hide. Once the Asteri see him fighting against them, they will go after the wolves as punishment.
Tharion finds a note from Sathia, telling him that she can't leave Colin in the hands of the Viper Queen. Realises she has left him to go save Colin, someone she clearly cares about.
Ruhn is trying to comfort Lidia, who blames herself for her son's being taken. She tells Ruhn she wants him, needs to be able to touch him and not think for a bit. He goes down on her first before they finally have sex.
Chapter 87 - The footage they filmed is dropped, causing chaos and Declan hacked the imperial network and found out the Asteri plan to meet to discuss it.
Ithan buries the old Prime. Then he takes the Godslayer Rifle Jesiba has loaned him and head towards the Eternal City. When he hugs Perry before he leaves, he notes her scent now smells like she never took the antidote at all.
The plan is for them to keep the Asteri distracted with Hel's army so Bryce and Hunt can reach the firstlight core and destroy it. Ruhn and Lidia will try to rescue Ace and Brann, and kill Pollux if they can. Dec's job is to keep the cameras off them and Flynn is the getaway driver.
Bryce and Hunt need to make their way to the throne room, where the Fallen wings are kept.
Chapter 88 - Seems too easy for Bryce, Hunt, Ruhn and Lidia to get into the palace. After Bryce and Hunt leave to go to the throne room, Ruhn kisses Lidia and tells her that he loves her. He doesn't wait for her to respond before they set off to look for her boys.
Hunt finds his Umbra Mortis suit and helmet in the throne room and puts it on. Then Bryce puts the Mask on and can see which wings still hold a trace of soul. She gets them to take flight and then has the wings fly out of the throne room.
Rigelus finds them in the throne room, the Mask seems to be wary of him.
Hel's armies reach the Eternal City.
Rigelus is smiling because he knew the moment they opened the Rift and has been waiting for them this whole time. The Asteri Guard are lying in wait in the Eternal City.
Chapter 89 - Rigelus reveals he had watched them through the Harpy when they were at the Rift. Rigelus knew they'd leave the Rift to Hel open, so he sent forces there with missiles to attack it while the armies are in Midgard. Bryce quickly teleports Hunt and her out of the palace.
Ruhn and Lidia have no luck finding the boys, then she remembers the mystics and so goes down to get their help to find them. She shoots the mystic on the front desk before she has the mystics in the tanks look for her sons. She finds out Pollux has taken them down to where the firstlight core is underneath the castle.
Ruhn knows she isn't thinking clearly and will end up getting herself killed, and her boys too. He clicks the safety off his gun and shoots her in the leg to stop her. She says she will never forgive him for it. He leaves her there, racing ahead to get to Pollux and her boys.
Hel's armies are acting as though the Asterian Guard are managing to push them back, but it is all a ploy. They even have half of Hel's forces at the Rift. Declan whacks all the mech-suits, getting them to stop all at once. Then Bryce uses the Mask to put the souls of the Fallen into the mech-suits. Some even take over corpses on the battlefield. Then the Asteri finally turn up.
Chapter 90 - Rigelus is the only one missing, but the other 5 Asteri are there. Apollion, Aidas and Thanatos are all there. Bryce attacks Polaris and stabs her with the Starsword and Truth-teller. It seems to be slowly opening a portal in her but one that could suck them all in. Hunt needs to stop it, so fires lightning at the blades. Polaris implodes into a tiny black hole the blades created.
Ruhn gets through to Hunt, tells him they need them down at the core. They teleport and find themselves in a corridor filled with enemies, not sure how to win but then a blast of water comes towards them.
Chapter 91 - Tharion is there, helps them get away and says he will find them when he tracks down the antidotes he dropped in the water.
Ruhn is a the core with Pollux, but sees no sign of Ace or Brann. Pollux asks about Lidia's whereabouts. They knew they'd be looking for her sons so made sure the mystics told them a lie. Makes Ruhn follow him as he goes to find Lidia, but she has moved.
Tharion is with Lidia, found her while searching for the antidotes he'd dropped. They overhear Pollux talking to Ruhn and Tharion has to stop her giving them away. Tharion gives her one of the last antidotes.
Bryce and Hunt make it to the core, see the 7 pipes that each represent an Asteri's power level. Two are empty now. Rigelus is beside his, which shows it is filled right to the top.
Chapter 92 - Crystal protects the core, so they need to get through it somehow to destroy it. But first they need to get rid of Rigelus. They distract him long enough for hunt to melt away the crystal to reveal the core.
Ithan is running towards the castle, but a blast sends him flying and destroys the antidotes he has on him.
Lidia decides to fight Pollux herself and tells Ruhn to leave, but he refuses. Pollux learned about her boys from a mer that they caught. Pollux plans to make her watch her boys be killed.
Chapter 93 - Tharion hits Pollux with water at the same time he fires his gun, the bullet hitting Tharion. But Pollux still has the upper hand, so Lidia gets on her knees to beg for their lives, will do whatever he wants.
Ruhn reveals that Lidia is his mate, and says he will exchange himself for Ace and Brann. Speaks to Lidia in his mind, knowing she hates him for shooting her. He tells her that he loves her and will find her in their next life. Then shuts her out so she can't reply.
Chapter 94 - Pollud doesn't take the bait, instead unleashes his power on Brann. But Lidia reaches him in time, covering him before she unleashes her magic. She becomes a ball of fire - and says it is from her bloodline (Aelin's bloodline?). Lidia uses her unleashed full power on Pollux, burns him from inside out. Ace refers to her as mom for the first time. She tells Ruhn to help her boys get out and if he does, she will forgive him for shooting her.
Lidia always knew she had this special power but had kept it hidden. Danika had been the one to find out more about Lidia's family and her father's ancestors. She'd questioned her about elemental powers. Brann's full name is Brannon, named after a Fae King from another world who is said to be a part of her bloodline (Aelin's too).
Lidia goes out to fight, easily killing Mordoc when she sees him. She sees all the missile launchers and plans a way to take them out, but it will kill her as well. She sends out a message to Ruhn in her mind, telling him she loves him too. But before she can do it, the fire sprites beat her to it and destroy them all.
Irithys tells Lidia she could sense her fire powers when she met her. They then all join their fire powers together to fight back more of the enemy.
Ruhn finds the antidote and takes it. Helps Tharion, who is bleeding. Then two guards show up and Ruhn uses his unleashed powers to behead them with his shadows. Ruhn touches Tharion and realises he can heal him. Ithan finds them.
Chapter 95 - Bryce has to teleport them away as she's losing too much strength. But Hunt tells her they only need to hit the crystal one more time to make it all the way through. Ithan finds them, gives Bryce the rifle and tells her about the bullet he was given by Connor. Realises she needs to shoot the core with it.
Can't teleport both of them back so gives Hunt the mask and tells him to escape the castle. She will need to shoot down the tunnel at the core, but it will cost her in the end because Rigelus will be able to kill her when she does it.
When she makes it back she finds all 4 of the Asteri still alive are there. Rigelus warns her that destroying the core will also destroy the world.
Chapter 96 - Bryce remembers the Cauldron and what Vesperus said about them making it a kill switch, realises that is what the core is too. He tells her if she doesn't fire the bullet he will let her go and teach her everything he knows. The tattoo is in the Asteri language. She ignores them and takes the shot.
When Rigelus touches her, she uses him the same way she does Hunt and takes his power. His power is all the firstlight stolen from the people of Midgard. She opens a portal and sends the core into it as well as the Asteri. But she is also pulled into it too.
Chapter 97 - Bryce opened a portal to her own black hole, to swallow the one that came from destroying the core. But it sucked her in too and now she is in space. Watches as Hesperus and Eosphoros get killed by the black hole. Then Austrus is next. Rigelus comes towards her and she grabs him, determined to put them both in the black hole.
Chapter 98 - Hunt is trying to puzzle out why Bryce gave him the Mask, knows it was for a reason. Realises he can wield it for a bit as a little bit of her went into him after they had sex the night before.
A mech-suit shows up and he realises it is Shahar, who is going to help him get Bryce. He gets inside the suit, his wings won't work in space but the suit will. Goes after her, wearing the Mask. He fires the last missile in his suit and Shahar leaves the mech-suit and guides the missile right at Rigelus, sending him into the black hole. (This scene is 100000% giving that scene in Big Hero 6 - if you've seen it, you'll know)
Hunt grabs Bryce and heads back to the portal, which is slowly closing - which means Bryce is dead and not unconscious but he refuses to believe it. Aidas and Apollion hold it open long enough for them to get through.
Then he sees Ruhn, Lidia and all there other friends there. And he says that love is holding the portal open (And, I'm sorry, but I burst out laughing because what?!?)
Chapter 99 - Hunt keeps using his lightning to try to start her heart, but it isn't working. Hypaxia shows up and is willing to try too. Jesiba is willing to give up her immortal life and give it to Bryce instead.
Bryce sees Jesiba in front of her, in a place of light. She asks if they're dead and Jesiba tells her they are. Jesiba tells Bryce she has to return, that she gave her life for Bryce's.
She tells Bryce the Archesian amulet is linked to the world itself and it seems to know she sacrificed herself to save it, so Midgard is allowing this trade to happen. (Look, I'm not even going to pretend to be following any of this or that it makes any sense. I'm just gonna nod my head and go with it)
Jesiba tells her that she has left all the books and her gallery to her. Tells her to go back.
Chapter 100 - Bryce wakes up, kisses Hunt.
Isaiah finds Hunt, tells him that he could lead the angels now. But Hunt doesn't want it, says Isaiah should lead them.
Bryce opens the portal back to Nesta and her parents. She hears that Randall bonded with Rhys because they are both overprotective fathers. Bryce hands over the Mask and Truth-teller. She then gives Nesta the Starsword/Gwydion and says she thinks there was a reason she once had an 8 pointed star tattoo.
Chapter 101 - Ruhn, Lidia and the boys wait on a pier for Renki and Davit to come up from a transport pod. She tells the boys she'd like to see them again. Brann is happy about it, hugs her and calls her badass. Then Brann hugs Ruhn and thanks him too.
Bryce opens the Northern Rift to send the armies of Hel back through it before closing it.
Tharion goes to find his wife and finds Ariadne instead.
Chapter 102 - Bryce invites Fae nobility to her father's home, as well as cameras so she can announce she is ending the royal houses. She gets rid of the monarchy completely. She gives away all her father's homes, making his main villa into an orphanage. They will not have royalty, but have a government instead.
Ruhn has got him and Lidia an apartment, which is one floor below Bryce's. It has a room in it for the boys.
Ithan, Flynn and Declan are at the Den, as the wolves are making their way back. Flynn seems to be into Perry. Ithan thinks he will enjoy being Prime.
Hypaxia is still working on batches of the antidote. They are still working on how to keep the power grid going without relying on firstlight/secondlight. Bryce is opening her own gallery, with the books and has the three fire sprites as her assistants.
Bryce plans to set up a Fae democracy with a senate. Baxian calls them to say that about 24 pegasus have suddenly appeared. Her and Hunt leave to go see them.
And that is the very weird, very anticlimactic end.
I hope this proves useful to someone other than me, especially since I think we will get more Crescent City books, but following other characters. I wrote this in real time as I was reading, so forgive any and all typos, as I'm sure they were numerous.
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