A Shadow in the Ember

As the dakkais climb the wall, Sera and the two gods try to stop them. She uses her shadowstone dagger to kill one that attacks her. When she turns her attention to the fight below, she sees no sign of Ash or his helpers. Despite warnings, Sera decides to enter the fray. With the battle escalating, the drakens finally arrive. Nektas unleashes a fiery attack against the dakkais. Another draken arrives, this one allied with Kolis. Sera and the others escape to relative safety. The enemy draken is downed by Nektas and transforms into his god form. He taunts Ash, saying he “should know better” (510), and Ash decapitates him.

After the battle, Sera is escorted to the palace by Ector and Rhain to await Ash’s return. She is conflicted about her actions, and remains concerned about Ash—who returns injured. He confirms Kolis is the one who ordered the attack, but the Primal of Life doesn’t know Sera is the source of the ember of life. When Sera expresses concern for those who died in the fight, they argue over her intentions. Slowly, the others realize Ash is too weakened to heal himself. Sera offers her blood to feed from. Despite his warning that he might kill her, she consents, and he bites her neck.

As Ash feeds on Sera, the initially painful experience becomes pleasurable. The encounter escalates into sex. Ash seems to struggle with his emotions, but maintains dominance. Sera compares the moment to their meeting by the lake, and knows it can’t last. Afterward, Ash asks if she was trained to seduce him and if her behavior was all an act. Sera feels guilty and says her feelings are real. She tries to leave, but Ash convinces her to stay. He says she has never been a real threat to him, as he will never love her. When they start to become intimate again, she bites his thumb, drawing and tasting blood.

Sera awakens alone in Ash’s room. As she contemplates her situation, she realizes that while he will never love her, she wants to return to their previous friendship. She also grapples with what to do next. Sera considers surrendering to Kolis, even though it would result in her death. She takes a bath, which Ash arranged for her. Paxton, the young man assisting her, tells her that he was taken to the Shadowlands after he attempted to pickpocket Ash. He expresses admiration for Sera’s courage during the attack, but she continues to feel guilty for considering harming Ash. In the bath, she senses an intruder. She tries to react, but the intruder tightens a strip of cloth around her throat.

Sera fights the intruder, breaks free, and uses a wooden stool to knock him unconscious. The intruder is revealed to be the man who reported Gemma missing. Ash arrives, drawn by Sera’s fear. When the intruder stirs, Ector destroys him with a bolt of eather. This eliminates the possibility of questioning him, which angers Ash. As Sera tries to process what happened, Ash comforts her, while Ector, Rhain, and Saion discuss the attack. They argue over the man’s motives and how he reached Sera. They wonder if the attack was retaliation against Sera’s original mission, or if Gemma gave the man information.

Sera suddenly experiences another headache. When pressed, she admits to experiencing headaches and occasional tooth bleeding for a while. Ash brings her the same tea that Sir Holland gave her. He explains Sera is experiencing something like the Culling, despite her being a mortal—likely a side effect of her ember of life. He still plans to make her his Consort, but their relationship will only be a formality to maintain appearances, as he will never trust her again.