A Soul of Ash and Blood

In the flashback timeline, the group arrives in New Haven, a town wholly controlled by Descenters and Atlantians, though the Ascended assume otherwise. Poppy observes the small trading town with bewilderment, which pleases and saddens Cas, who knows Poppy hasn’t seen much of the world. Delano Amicu, Elijah Payne, and Naill (all Atlantians and Cas’s closest friends) meet with Cas while Kieran guards Poppy. Warmed by their presence, Cas remembers how many people rely on him to rescue Malik and avoid war with Solis. He feels duty-bound to continue his original plan to use Poppy as a bargaining chip. Even as he presents confidence and reassures his friends that everything will go according to plan, Cas contemplates ways to save Poppy. He tells the others that he plans on revealing the truth to Poppy. At the same time, they travel the following morning, and he firmly instructs them not to intervene when Poppy inevitably becomes violent. The others heard about Jericho’s hand, and they swear not to touch Poppy. They plan on killing the other guards traveling with Poppy, not wanting Cas to feel the weight of guilt any more than is necessary.

Cas checks on Poppy in her room at an inn in New Haven, where the group will rest for the night. Seeing her stand with her dagger at the ready, Cas realizes how on edge Poppy feels. Poppy confesses she stayed awake knowing Cas would visit her, and she wants to explain her empath abilities. Poppy talks Cas through her power and how it works while referencing a Maiden who had the same skills before her. She feels other people’s physical and emotional pain, and through touch, she can soothe their discomfort. Although Queen Ileana forbids Poppy from using her power or talking to others about it, Poppy feels unnatural trying to block out emotions. She confesses using her abilities to help mortals bit by Craven die with dignity.

Further enamored with Poppy, Cas stands to leave as guilt eats away at him. Poppy stops him and asks him to stay the night. Cas asserts that he has a tentative grip on his limitations as is, and if he doesn’t leave, Poppy will lose her virginity. Poppy admits that she knows what she asks of Cas as she allows her robe to drop to the floor. Seeing Poppy naked, Cas realizes that he belongs to her.

Cas hastily approaches Poppy, kissing her passionately. Poppy removes his clothes, and Cas performs oral sex on Poppy. They have penetrative sex. Because Poppy is inexperienced, Cas attempts to move gently and slowly; however, Cas loses control of himself when Poppy nears orgasm. He nearly feeds from her, barely stopping himself as they both finish. Cas makes Poppy promise that whatever happens in the future, she will know their lovemaking is real.

Cas cleans Poppy with a damp cloth, recognizing the irony that he wants to erase the brief pain he caused her while he intends on causing her exponentially more pain the following day. Poppy stares at Cas’s nude body and asks about his scars. They each share stories from childhood, talking about their brothers.

Cas realizes he cannot surrender Poppy to the Blood Crown, as they will use her and change her into something cold and cruel against her will. At the same time, Cas realizes he is no better than Queen Ileana or the other Ascended as he also intends to use Poppy for his political purposes. Again, Cas thinks of a way to keep Poppy with him while avoiding war with Solis, but he cannot devise a reasonable path forward.

Elijah summons Cas in the middle of the night for an emergency meeting. Orion, an Atlantian guard loyal to King Valyn, arrives with a letter from Emil for Cas. Though the letter is encrypted, Cas can tell by the broken and resealed covering that Orion read the note. It warns that King Valyn is currently en route to New Haven. When Orion explains the King’s plan to confirm Poppy’s capture, kill her, and send her to Queen Ileana in pieces, Cas smashes his hand through Orion’s chest and rips out his heart. When Delano, Elijah, and the others describe Valyn’s plan as vicious and brutal, Cas explains that Valyn is a grieving father. Cas plans to meet his father at Berkton, cutting him off before he reaches New Haven. With Delano and Kieran’s protection, he will leave Poppy in New Haven for a night while he deals with his father. Elijah warns Cas that his command of the Atlantians in New Haven is slipping away; they believe Cas has fallen in love with The Maiden and is compromised. Elijah explains how hard it is for the Atlantians to see Poppy in their reclaimed town. Cas understands, reassuring Elijah of his loyalty.

Naill bursts into the meeting room, explaining that two of the remaining Solis guards are attempting to run away with Poppy. They all saw Kieran in his wolven form. Cas immediately knows that whatever romantic relationship he has built with Poppy is over. Kieran, Delano, and Cas rush to the stables where the guards have Poppy. Poppy addresses Cas as “Hawke” as he shoots and kills the remaining guards. He forces himself to feel nothing. Jericho asks to kill Poppy, and Cas replies, “We need her alive” (582).

Poppy stares at Cas, confused. Cas attempts to bring Poppy to her room, where they can talk privately, but she refuses to budge. Cas senses that Poppy feels cornered and worries she will lash out at the Atlantians and Wolven close to her. Cas tries to explain that their relations earlier in the evening have nothing to do with his intentions to capture her. Poppy doesn’t realize Cas is the Dark One, Prince Casteel, but she believes he works for him. Cas exploits this gap in her knowledge while enlightening Poppy. He confesses to ordering Rylan’s death to get close to Poppy and to watching her for longer than she watched him.

Poppy throws her dagger at Cas, who catches it just before it lands in his chest. She then steals a sword and slashes Jericho, who repeatedly insults Poppy. Cas physically fights Poppy, keeping her focus on him rather than the others, who would gladly kill her. Cas attempts to make sexual puns as Poppy kicks him. Elijah prevents the others from stepping in, recognizing that the fight is as much of a lover’s spat as a fight between kingdoms. Eventually, Poppy submits to Cas’s restraining hold, which brings Cas both sadness and relief.

Delano secures Poppy in the dungeon, much to Cas’s chagrin. Kieran argues with Cas about his relationship with Poppy. He establishes the divide Cas creates within the Atlantian kingdom: Kieran, Delano, Naill, Emil, and all the others will support Cas should he disagree with Valyn. The Atlantians need to remain united.

Cas visits Poppy in her cell. Smelling her blood, Cas realizes Poppy is wounded. He sends for antiseptic and bandages, only tending to Poppy’s injury after much resistance from her. Cas explains the truth of the known world to Poppy: The Ascended are vampry who control their people through religion, feed on children and infants, and are responsible for creating Craven. He tells her that the Atlantians were not defeated during the War of Two Kings, though they retreated to save all of humanity. Queen Eloana and King Valyn are alive, and the Atlantian community thrives. Cas fails to tell Poppy his true identity, and Poppy continues to assume Cas works for the Dark One. Poppy refuses to believe a word Cas tells her.

Cas accuses Poppy of not wanting to believe the truth because that would make her brother a monster. He shares a few details about his time being held captive by the Blood Crown, including how his blood was drained and used to Ascend mortals. He details the unnecessary extra cruelty he suffered, comparing his experience to Poppy’s mistreatment by Duke Teerman. Cas wants to explain more to Poppy, but he must meet with his father to prevent him from killing Poppy. As he parts, he tells Poppy, “Not everything was a lie” (614).

In the present timeline, Cas gently touches Poppy’s arms as she sleeps. He confesses being greedy and selfish, not admitting to being the Dark One because he wanted to believe he still had a chance with Poppy. Though he now understands his feelings, he didn’t know he had a profound love for Poppy then. Cas recalls not feeling worthy of love from anyone at this time.

Cas recalls meeting Alastir, not Valyn, at Berkton. He convinced Alastir that he had complete control of the situation, and Alastir didn’t argue with him. Cas struggles to reconcile the two sides of Alastir he knew—one whom he thought of as a second father and the other who kidnapped Poppy, harmed her, and attempted to sell her back to Solis. Cas realizes that he would have killed his father had Valyn attempted to hurt Poppy in New Haven, so he is grateful for Alastir. Still, he cannot forgive Alastir’s betrayal.

Cas refers to Poppy’s stabbing him in his story. Kieran, he explains, would have killed anyone else who harmed Cas, but he knew, even before Cas, of Cas’s love for Poppy.

Cas hears the wolven howl on his return trip to New Haven. Instinctually, he knows their cries mean Poppy was attacked and is wounded. He sends Kieran ahead, pushing Setti to sprint as fast as possible. Kieran tends to a fatally injured Poppy in a private chamber. Elijah explains that Poppy saved Delano’s life, though he doesn’t know why, as other wolven attacked her. Knowing she will die, Cas uses compulsion to force Poppy to drink his blood. Atlantian blood has healing properties, and although feeding it to a mortal is illegal, Cas refuses to watch Poppy die.

Healed, Poppy describes feeling detached from her body. She asks if she will turn into a vampry, revealing she is starting to believe Cas’s explanation of the Ascended and Atlantians. Poppy momentarily grows overwhelmed with lust, another side effect of drinking Cas’s blood. She attempts to seduce Cas, but he refuses to touch he while she is under the influence of his blood. When her desire passes, she recalls Kieran calling Cas “Casteel,” not “Hawke,” and Poppy realizes Cas is the Dark One. Recalling Cas’s sadness and guilt when thinking about his brother, Poppy discovers that Prince Malik is his brother. Cas asks Poppy not to call him the Dark One, because the Ascended gave him that nickname.

Poppy grows frantic. Though Cas attempts to restrain her, she begs him to let her go. He relents, apologizing for his deceit. Worried about Poppy’s erratic heart rate, Cas considers using compulsion to calm Poppy. Instead, Poppy quickly grabs her dagger and stabs Cas in the chest. She apologizes profusely as Cas falls to the ground. Poppy runs for the door.

Cas orders Kieran to stand down when he shifts into his wolven form and prepares to chase after Poppy. Though Poppy stabbed Cas in the heart, his Atlantian blood heals him quickly. He runs after Poppy and finds her in the snowy woods. Cas remembers Shea, his former, cherished fiancée, whom he killed when she betrayed Malik to save Cas from Solis. His predatory instinct to kill Shea returns as he approaches Poppy. He bites her neck and feeds on her, which causes both of them to feel sensual desire again. Cas tastes Atlantian eather (power) in Poppy’s blood. He requires Poppy to verbally consent before he rips her clothes off and has passionate sex with her in the snow. Knowing she is near completion, Cas slows and attempts to force Poppy to say his real name, not Hawke. She refuses, escaping from under Cas and mounting him from the top. Cas forgets his request, giving in to Poppy’s power and dominance.

After, Poppy apologizes to Cas for stabbing him. Poppy soothes the lingering pain in Cas’s chest by touching him. Cas feels unworthy of Poppy. He plans on bringing her home to Atlantia.

Cas asks Kieran to guard Poppy while he kills the group of mortals, Atlantians, and wolven who attacked Poppy. Kieran smugly takes credit for accurately predicting Cas’s feelings for Poppy, though Cas denies being in love with her.

Cas stabs each betrayer through the chest, pinning them to the wall in the Inn’s great hall. Mr. Tulis, the mortal who pleaded to save his third son, is among them. Cas saves Jericho for last, torturing him. Jericho constantly curses Cas, declaring that Poppy will never be safe in Atlantia. Cas whispers the truth about Poppy’s blood and his plans for her. Finally realizing his error, Jericho goes quiet as Cas pins him to the wall, allowing him to live in agony.

Kieran reports that Poppy is very tired, a common side effect after feeding and being fed on. He helped her out of a bathtub while explaining how wolven celebrate their scars, and Cas feels thankful for his best friend. Cas intends to wed Poppy, though he won’t force her into a marriage. As Cas’s wife, Poppy will, theoretically, be safer as they travel to Atlantia. He doesn’t intend for the marriage to last any longer than necessary. Kieran and Cas realize they can never return Poppy to the Ascended as they will weaponize her. However, they know that by having Poppy expose the secrets of the Ascended, the mortal people will rise against the Blood Crown.

Poppy scorns Cas, though she doesn’t indicate she will become violent again. She points out that Cas is no better than the Ascended for caging and controlling her. Although Poppy initially refuses to eat dinner with Cas, she gives in, realizing the citizens of New Haven need to see her publicly protected by Cas so she can move with more freedom around the territory.

Poppy refuses to eat in the dining room after seeing the gory, horrifying scene in the great hall. Cas is astonished that Poppy feels sympathy for the people who ruthlessly tried to kill her without dignity. She explains that two wrongs don’t make a right. Cas mulls this over as he encourages Poppy to eat, bargaining with her through information about their plans.

Cas explains to the others that Poppy is half-Atlantian. He plans on returning to Atlantia to marry her. Shocked, Poppy stares speechlessly at Cas.

In the present timeline, Cas drifts to sleep as he finishes orating his and Poppy’s love story. He senses danger before he wakes, realizing an intruder stands over him. A Revenant attacks Cas with daggers made from the bones of ancient ones. The man strikes Cas in the chest, exactly where Poppy stabbed him in New Haven. Cas feels his skin burn, and unable to breathe or call for help, he watches the Revenant approach Poppy. He remembers Vikter’s warning about momentary distractions stealing everything valuable from him. Cas feels a primal energy surge within him, and he shapeshifts into a large cave cat. Cas attacks the Revenant, ripping his limbs from his body before snapping his neck.

Unable to recall who he is, Cas approaches Poppy, instinctually sensing that she is someone important who belongs to him. Kieran and Emil enter the bedchamber. Having joined with Kieran, Cas understands he is not someone to harm. However, he doesn’t remember Emil and moves to attack the Atlantian. Kieran speaks with Cas telepathically, instructing Emil to keep the others away. Kieran calls Cas by his name, teaching him how to shift back into his Atlantian form. Kieran and Cas discuss Cas’s new ability, believing it stems from Poppy’s shared Primal blood. Poppy will likely also be able to shapeshift when she wakes, most likely into a cave cat. Cas senses that something within his blood inhibits the new ability, though he’s unsure what it could be.

Cas and Kieran focus on cleaning the bedchamber, not wanting Poppy to wake up to a mess. When the ground rumbles, Cas and Kieran know Poppy will soon wake. Cas holds her hand and prays that she will remember herself, him, and Kieran. Poppy’s eyes flutter open, the green coloration of her eyes wholly replaced with molten silver.