The War of Two Queens

As Poppy prepares for battle, Valyn enters and compares her appearance to a painting of Lailah, the Goddess of Peace and Vengeance. Valyn admits he knew the truth about Isbeth but remained silent. He explains that he and Eloana withheld the truth for fear of what it might mean for Atlantia. Though Poppy remains angry at him, Valyn says he wants to air things out between them as there might not be another opportunity. Poppy then rides out to lead the army. She joins Kieran and notices Hisa sharing a tender moment with the wolven general, Lizeth.

Poppy, along with Emil and Kieran, journeys toward Oak Ambler. Though not visibly accompanied by her full forces, the wolven are spread out through the forest, ready to deal with any hidden soldiers. On the way, Poppy meets a group of mortals who fled Oak Ambler. They ask her to find their children taken during the Rites, and she promises to do what she can to find them. However, Kieran warns her that saving everyone might not be possible.

As Poppy nears the city, the confrontation with Oak Ambler’s forces begins. The Rise, a massive fortified wall, looms ahead, and Poppy requests to speak with the commander. Commander Forsyth eventually appears, mocks her request to allow the citizens to leave freely, and accuses her of spreading chaos. He refers to her as “the Harbinger,” showing that he believes in the prophecy of her as the bringer of death and destruction. Poppy demands they open the gates, but Forsyth refuses, confident in the impenetrability of the Rise.

The draken, led by Nithe, Reaver, and Aurelia, descend upon Oak Ambler. They unleash fire that obliterates the Rise’s defenses and incinerates the guards and soldiers. As the gates fall and the smoke clears, Poppy sees thousands of citizens emerging from the city, seeking safety. Many carry their children, the elderly, and the injured. She directs them toward Massene for protection.

Meanwhile, the wolven and Atlantian armies press toward the wealthier parts of Oak Ambler, where they encounter more resistance. A volley of arrows rains down on them, which is cleared by the draken’s fire. They face soldiers entrenched near the inner Rise, where the Ascended are hiding. Poppy commands the draken to destroy the inner wall, exposing Castle Redrock.

In the castle courtyard, Poppy and her forces confront a group of soldiers still guarding the castle doors. She lets her aura shine as she declares that the Ascended are the true enemy, not her. This display causes the soldiers to surrender. Poppy, Kieran, and their group descend into the underground chambers of Castle Redrock and discover a gruesome scene: The guards meant to protect the chambers have been slaughtered and have wounds that Poppy recognizes as the work of the Craven.

Poppy, Kieran, and the others confront a group of Craven beneath Castle Redrock. Mist fills the hallway, something Poppy recalls Vikter once theorized was connected to the Craven. Despite Poppy’s warnings, Arden, one of the wolven, charges into the mist and is overwhelmed. Poppy, Kieran, and Emil fight off the Craven, but it is too late to save Arden. Poppy tries to use her Primal powers to revive him but fails.

As they regroup, the team discovers the Ascended had turned several servants into Craven to serve as a trap and fled the city. They also find a chamber filled with the bodies of young women and a message in blood: “All you will liberate is death” (31). At the Temple of Theon, Poppy confronts the priests, who reveal their fanatical belief in serving the “True King,” which Poppy and Valyn suspect to be Malec. Poppy is concerned that Isbeth may have found where Malec was entombed and revived him. She also demands the whereabouts of the children taken in the Rite, and one of the Priestesses offers to lead them to the children.

Poppy and the others follow the Priestess through underground tunnels beneath the Temple to a mass grave of the taken children. All are drained of blood, and some are still dressed in the ceremonial clothing of the Rite. The Priestess explains that the children served a purpose for the True King. Her lack of remorse fuels Poppy’s anger, but Kieran stops her from wasting her energy on the deluded woman. Poppy orders Reaver to burn down the Temple while she and the soldiers deal with the remaining Priests.

In the aftermath of the battle, Poppy helps tend to the wounded. In his human form, Reaver comes to talk to her about what happened. He compares her inability not to act to the Consort. When Poppy asks why the Consort is asleep and Nyktos isn’t, Reaver replies that it’s the only way she could be stopped from acting.

Reaver explains that the Consort’s rage, stemming from the loss of her sons, is so intense that she must remain asleep to prevent a resulting catastrophe. Kieran arrives, and they have a light-hearted moment where Reaver teases the wolven about his appearance. However, the levity is short-lived, as Kieran informs Poppy that Perry was injured. Despite Kieran’s concern about her exhausting herself from healing others earlier, Poppy insists on helping.

Later, when Poppy tries to sleep, she is haunted by the idea that, like Isbeth, she could become a monster driven by rage and revenge. This prompts her to ask Kieran that, if she ever becomes a threat, she needs him to stop her, even if it means imprisoning her with bone chains like those used on Malec. Though reluctant, Kieran ultimately agrees to the request.

Poppy prepares to address the people of Oak Ambler in the aftermath of the siege. She speaks to her advisors, including General Cyr, about allowing the people to leave if they wish. Although some argue against it, she insists that people should be allowed to make their own choices and that gaining their trust is crucial.

After addressing the people, Poppy meets with the generals to discuss the upcoming journey to Carsodonia. She realizes that finding Casteel in such a big city will be impossible without help. Sven, an expert in Primal magic, mentions a spell that could narrow down his location. The spell needs Casteel’s blood and an item that is important to him, for which Poppy uses a wooden horse Malik made. As they finalize their plans, Tawny, Poppy’s old friend from Masadonia, arrives, accompanied by Gianna Davenwell, a wolven from Atlantia.

Poppy embraces Tawny but notices that she feels cold and her eyes are nearly white. She tells Poppy she has something she needs to say to her in private, and they retreat to a different room, joined by Kieran and Delano, who are unwilling to leave Poppy alone. Tawny explains that she was dying until she saw Vikter in what seemed like a dream. Vikter, now a viktor, explained that viktors are souls reborn to protect or guide individuals destined for great change. He also confirmed some of Poppy’s suspicions, such as that the goddess Aios intervened to save her in the Skotos Mountains.

He also gave Tawny a longer version of the prophecy, which she recites to Poppy. It references two daughters, one with blood full of fire and the other with blood full of ash and ice, who would remake the realms. Tawny tells Poppy that Vikter mentioned the Consort’s name is powerful enough to bring down mountains and stars when spoken by the right person. Tawny concludes by saying that she’s somewhere between life and death, but Poppy reassures her that they will figure it out. They say goodbye to each other, and Poppy rides out of Oak Ambler for Carsodonia with Kieran and their companions.

In a dream state, Casteel reunites with Poppy in the cavern. She tells him she’s close to rescuing him, and Kieran and Reaver are with her. Casteel is reluctant to give her details about his imprisonment, but Poppy insists she’s not afraid. He tells her he’s being held underground in a tunnel system and that Isbeth is a “demis,” a false god. They share a final passionate kiss before the dream unravels, and Casteel wakes in his cell.

Poppy, after waking, shares what she learned with Kieran and Reaver, and the latter explains the weaknesses of demis. As they continue their journey, they encounter mist in the Blood Forest.

Meanwhile, Isbeth and Callum arrive to torment Casteel again, and he tries to fight back by stabbing Isbeth with the bone he sharpened. Though the attack doesn’t kill her, it enrages her. She gives him a small amount of blood, just enough to keep him from death, but not enough to sate his growing hunger.