A Shadow in the Ember

Sera enters her room, which is opulent and spacious, with elegant furnishings and a beautiful bathing chamber. She is initially surprised by the grandeur, but appreciates the comfort. Aios explains Ash values his privacy and, for the sake of safety, prefers to keep Sera nearby; his room joins with hers. Aios offers to arrange food and clothing, and once she leaves, Sera steps out onto her balcony. From there, she looks over the city of Lethe. She notices trees on the other side of the courtyard with blood-colored, heart-shaped leaves.

Once Aios returns with food and a robe, Sera eats and takes a bath. As she bathes, Ash enters and offers to help with her wounds by Tavius. He asks about her life over the past three years, after his refusal to make her his Consort. They then talk about Sera’s training. When she asks why Ash ignored the other summons, he is confused, and she realizes the priests never attempted any summons after the first. When he asks why she would have tried again, she lies about being too embarrassed to tell anyone what happened. He says the refusal wasn’t personal. They continue to argue, and when Sera says Ash can’t possibly know what she felt, he says he can because of his ability to sense emotions.

Ash explains he rarely uses his ability to sense emotions intentionally due to its intrusiveness. He sensed Sera was afraid to be his Consort, but she insists she chose to fulfill her destiny; however, he argues her family wouldn’t have let her refuse even if she wanted to. Sera realizes she never had a choice in the matter, and grudgingly respects Ash for not wanting to force her into the ancient deal. She questions why he asked for a Consort when he could have asked for anything. He says the answer is complicated, and they should discuss it later. Irritated, Sera attempts to seduce Ash, who replies he is interested in their attraction. They banter and share a passionate moment.

Afterward, Ash tends to Sera, and they discuss the impaled gods on his palace walls. He says another Primal was responsible. He offers Sera whiskey and explains other Primals push him because he’s the Primal of Death. Ash reveals his father, Eythos, was the Primal of Death who made the ancient deal with her ancestor, “[demanding] the first female of the bloodline as a Consort” (322).

Ash explains that after his father died, the duties of the Primal of Death passed to him, including the ancient deal regarding Sera. Realizing how little of a choice he had in the situation, she starts to see him in a different light, which frustrates her. He tasked a godling (a child of a god and a human) with watching her, and the godling informed him of the murders in the city. While Ash acknowledges the gods responsible might have been looking for Sera, as all the victims were descendants of gods. When she asks why he sent someone to watch her, he doesn’t answer, but warns her that her life will be more dangerous now that she’s his Consort.

Later, Sera stands on her balcony and considers her situation. While Ash isn’t responsible for the ancient deal, she still has to kill him to save her kingdom from the Rot. She considers the destruction that might follow his death and potential replacement. Aios arrives with food and clothes, drawing Sera from her thoughts. While she eats, Sera asks Aios to explain godlings. Aios reveals godlings experience the Culling (rapid maturity, a transformation into godhood). To survive, they need to feed from the blood of gods. All gods require blood to survive, but Primals only need it if they’re weakened and unable to heal themselves.

Once Sera dresses and tries to leave, she is startled to find Ector guarding her door. He insists he’s there for her safety, but she’s frustrated that he is preventing her from leaving her room.

Davina, a draken, visits Sera and brings her food. She calls her “meyaah Liessa,” which means “my Queen” (342). Sera asks about Ash’s whereabouts, and Davina explains he’s dealing with Shades, souls that refuse to move on and become trapped in the Dying Woods. She then leaves, preventing Sera from asking more questions. The other gods who bring Sera her meals won’t answer her either, and Ash does not return. She’s irritated by Ector’s continued presence.

Eventually, Saion offers Sera breakfast and a chance to leave her room. They go to a beautiful dining area with a glass ceiling, where Ash is waiting. He gives Sera another shadowstone dagger and matching sheathe as a gift, and apologizes for keeping her locked in her room. She asks about him visiting loved ones who have passed away. Ash says he can’t, that as the Primal of Death, he risks destroying judged souls. While Sera eats, he explains Primals can be weakened in various ways and become feral if starved. However, he refuses to feed on mortal blood; it is later revealed that Kolis once forced him to feed until his victim died. Sera pushes, only for him to shut down the conversation. A young draken named Jadis appears, and she ends up asleep in Sera’s lap. Ash explains she’s Nektas’s daughter, making her the youngest draken. He explains the draken’s role in guarding Primals, though they cannot attack another Primal to do so. When Sera asks if they would have attacked her for accidentally stabbing him, he says the injury wasn’t severe enough. With breakfast finished, Ash tells her that they should continue talking somewhere with fewer things she can break.

As they walk through the palace, Ash and Sera discuss her future. He explains some rules for her safety: She can go anywhere in the palace, but not the woods without him. If he has unexpected visitors, she must stay in her quarters. Sera can go to the city of Lethe with an escort once she is introduced as Ash’s Consort. In two weeks, Ash will hold a celebration to announce her as his Consort. When she asks if she’ll be Ascended like the Chosen, he refutes this. Sera questions if there has ever been a mortal Consort before her, and Ash replies there hasn’t, but he won’t force her to remain in the Shadowlands for eternity. The conversation turns personal when the pair look at portraits of Ash’s parents, and he claims love is a dangerous risk, recounting how his parents’ love led to their deaths. Sera argues that love is beautiful, and Ash reveals his rules are in place to protect her from the same fate as his mother, Mycella.

Sera reflects on what she learned about Ash’s family. She also wonders how Ash would react to her power of revival. Later, she experiences a headache and spits out more blood. Sera considers trying to recreate the remedy that Sir Holland gave her but can’t remember the herbs. She attends a gathering in the throne room, during which a mortal informs Ash of a missing woman, Gemma, who is new to Lethe. The news causes Ash to give a look to Saion and another god, Rhain, who both excuse themselves. When Sera asks Ector about the look, he is evasive and leads her out of the throne room. He tells her that a visitor has arrived, and instructs her to stay in the library while Ash meets with the woman. Frustrated and jealous, Sera sneaks out of the library and witnesses Ash talking with Veses, the Primal of Rites and Prosperity. Sera is uncomfortable with their interaction and leaves the palace, heading for the woods at the courtyard’s edge. An injured silver hawk crashes through the trees and interrupts her thoughts. When she reaches out to it, she heals its injuries. Afterward, Sera realizes the surrounding grass resembles that affected by the Rot. She is distracted and barely notices the Hunters approaching.

Sera is confused by the presence of the Hunters, considering Ash suggested they were looking for him in the mortal realm. Despite her attempts to evade, they notice her. The Hunters prepare to attack, but Sera strikes first, taking them on one by one with her shadowstone dagger; one scratches her arm. During the battle, something drags one of the Hunters into the ground. Sera believes the pale creature that emerges is a shade. More spawn from the ground and surround her. Before she can be overwhelmed, Ash arrives and eliminates the creatures. He admonishes Sera for entering the woods, saying the creatures were not shades: They were gods entombed in the woods as punishment for atrocities, their blood soaked into the red trees. Ash notices Sera’s injury before she collapses.

Sera wakes up in a foggy state. The draken Nektas, in his god form, tells her that she was poisoned by the Hunter, and Ash used an antidote to save her life. He disagreed with the decision, as he believes Ash would be better off if she were dead—which would free him of the ancient deal. Sera says Ash only saved her because he felt obligated to, but Nektas disagrees. Ash eventually arrives, and he and Sera talk. She asks why the Hunters were present, but he doesn’t know. He also doesn’t know why the imprisoned gods escaped. When Ash asks why Sera was in the woods, she admits to her jealousy and loneliness, and he admits he’s been avoiding her because of his own attraction. This leads to them lying in Sera’s bed. Ash confesses he’s never had sex with anyone because he thinks it’s too risky. When Sera asks why he’s finally decided to take a risk, he says he can’t help himself this time.

Aios and Sera discuss her recent injury from the Hunter. Sera asks Aios about the Primal Veses and her connection to Ash. Aios explains Veses is fixated on Ash because she can’t have him. She mentions Veses hasn’t always been like this, that she is old enough that she should retire from her position. She is interrupted by two newcomers, Bele and Rhahar. They discuss the upcoming coronation, and Bele notes how unusually violent Sera is for a Consort. Sera asks if she should be worried about the ceremony, and Aios tells her not to show fear.

Sera reflects on Aios’s advice as she’s measured for a coronation gown by a seamstress named Erlina. Erlina shares the reactions of the people in Lethe: They see the Primal of Death taking a mortal as his Consort to be acknowledgment of their worth, and they hope he will be happy. She reveals she is a Chosen, but did not Ascend and will not explain why. Ash later explains it is because none of the Chosen have Ascended in centuries, as they are taken to Iliseeum to be used however the gods want. He and Sera argue about why Kolis would allow this to happen, and Ash says she understands less of the situation than she believes. He explains he’s been hiding as many Chosen as he can in Lethe, and the missing woman, Gemma, is one of them.

Sera is troubled by the cruelty of the gods, particularly Kolis, and wonders what she’s saving her kingdom from. Ultimately, she decides the Chosen and Iliseeum’s politics are not her responsibility. Unable to sleep, she goes to the balcony to find Ash. They talk, and Ash reveals Bele is responsible for smuggling the Chosen to safety. He shares the complexity of his role in judging souls, the ambiguity of morality, and the darkness that once consumed him. Sera admits to her own darkness, and their conversation takes a sensual turn. As she explores Ash’s body, he explains the tattooed marks on his skin are blood drops, each representing someone whose life was lost due to his decisions. The moment turns playful, banishing Sera’s dark thoughts.

Sera wakes in Ash’s embrace and realizes something has shifted between them. Rather than just attraction, she notes growing understanding. She tries to bury her feelings and acknowledges she still has a job to do. Sera finds Jadis asleep on her and Ash’s feet. Jadis’s father, Nektas, is perched on the balcony railing. He now approves of Sera because she gives Ash peace.

After Ash awakens, he tells Sera that she needs to remain hidden before being announced as his Consort. She says she doesn’t want to be confined to her room. They argue about her safety, and Sera grapples with her past, self-worth, and acceptance of death. Ash leaves, and Sera accompanies Ector on a walk through the courtyard. When she discovers he knew Ash’s parents, she asks why his father would make the ancient deal. Ector says he never would have remarried, so there was another reason for his decision. They are interrupted by guards who brought an injured Gemma with them. The gods try to heal her, but she dies. Sera finally decides to act, using her power to revive Gemma. Ash arrives and is shocked by Sera’s power, calling it an “ember of life” (466).

Once Gemma is confirmed alive, Ash warns everyone in the room not to speak of Sera’s power; he also calls for the palace walls to be guarded. Sera questions the sudden panic, and everyone tells her that they felt her “ripple of power” (468)—which means others will, too. Ash says he felt her power before, but never figured out where it came from. He believes this power is what the Hunters were searching for, as were the murderous gods in the mortal realm. He demands to know why Sera never told him about her power, and she replies it was because he’s the Primal of Death. She also confesses she used her power to revive the dead before. Ash reveals the source of this power is his father, the original Primal of Life, before it was taken by his twin, Kolis.

In Ash’s war room, Sera learns of the Primals of Life and Death, Eythos and Kolis. Kolis fell in love with a mortal woman named Sotoria. He pursued her, she fell to her death, and he begged his brother Eythos to revive her. Eythos refused, as her soul had already passed on. This led to Kolis discovering a way to switch places with his brother, making himself the Primal of Life. Consequently, numerous gods died, and natural disasters plagued the mortal realm. Sotoria returned distraught and angry at being interrupted from her rest. When she eventually died again, Eythos protected her soul by marking it for reincarnation. In the following years, Kolis searched for each reincarnated Sotoria, but she remained out of his reach. Kolis killed Ash’s mother and destroyed her soul in retribution. His stolen power is failing, which is why none of the Chosen can Ascend. This is also why the Rot is overtaking the world. Sera is left reeling with the knowledge that the Rot is tied to her own life, the ember of life. She finally confesses to Ash that she was trained to become his Consort and kill him. Ash—whom she sees as his true self Nyktos—reacts in anger, but is interrupted by news of an imminent siege.