“You will bow before your Queen. Or you will bleed before her. It is your choice.”
REVIEW
Would I read it again? Yes No Maybe
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SUMMARY
Book Three of Blood and Ash series. Click here for Book Two; or here for Book One.
TL/DR: Lots of confusion continues over who/what Poppy is. Final answer: what we are told at the end of the book is that her mother is Queen Isbeth and her father is Nykto’s son, Ires.
Poppy is attacked by Atlantians, ends with her almost dying, Cas Ascends her. Now she has even more abilities. Poppy and Cas take the thrones and now they are King and Queen.
Queen Isbeth kills Ian and takes Cas as a prisoner. Malek isn’t a prisoner after all. Poppy speaks with Nyktos and then Nektas. She asks for the Drakens' help to defeat the Ascended.
Picking up right where Book 2 ended - Queen Eloana and Cas are still kneeling. The Wolven, minus Alastir, are protecting Poppy. The Atlantians are protecting Queen Eloana and King Valyn. It’s a hot mess.
Kieran starts growling at Cas. There is a Wolven advancing on Naill and Emil. Eloana says the bonds have all broken that’s why Kieran has turned on Cas. Alasir, who hasn’t shifted, says he can feel the Primal notam. Eloana says that Poppy has the blood of a god in her, that she is descended from a deity. That her blood usurps any other bond for the Wolven. They are now all bonded to her. Poppy demands all the Wolven stand down, she tells them all to stop, that they will not attack anyone. They immediately stop. Most of the Wolven disperse except for Delano, Kieran, and Jasper. Jasper shifts and tells Cas he can take Poppy back to his house to clean her up from being stoned.
They realize Beckett is missing, Cas tells Delano to go find him and sends Naill and Emil with him. Cas tells the guards to seize Alastir (Beckett is his nephew). Alastir is like um excuse me, you don’t have that authority. Cas is like well, my mom just said my wife is the Queen, so that makes me King, bitch. His dad says well hang on, just because your mom did that, doesn’t mean anything. There would need to be a coronation and to see if anyone contest her crown. Jasper is like you serious? No one can compete with her, you all know that. Valyn agrees that Alastir should be held, if for no other reason, then for his safety because Kieran, Jasper, or Cas look like they want to kill him. Alastir is all like boohoo Cas this hurts my feelings, you know I love you like a son, but soon everyone will see it's not me that is the threat. Poppy feels his determination and starts to yell at Cas, but Alastir yells “Protect the King and Queen”, Valyn and Eloana tell their guards to stand down, but they aren’t listening to them. The guards fired arrows at the Wolven first. They leak this gray substance and make it appear as if they are dead, they turn gray and hard as stone. The guards start firing at Cas, his parents are fighting back, Eloana throwing elbows, Valyn stabbing people, all while Eloana is screaming at them to stop. For some reason, the guards are listening to Alastir and not the King and Queen. Cas goes down and appears dead. And then … It's over. Poppy can’t control her rage. As Poppy is seeking her vengeance, she sees and hears a woman say “It wasn’t supposed to be this way” and then watches her (with hair like moonlight) sink her hands into the ground, she starts screaming, and the ground opens up with bones coming out. The woman says “I am done with this, all of this”, Poppy thinks “So am I”. She sees Alastir farther away and turns her attention to him. He tells her he has never been the threat to Atlantia, she is. Then something hits her in the back of the head and she goes down.
She wakes up in a crypt, with her wrists and legs wrapped in bones and vines - they are bones of deities. They kind of feed off the eather in her blood and are unbreakable by her. If she pulls on them, they tighten, and can even squeeze hard enough to amputate body parts. Commander Jansen is there with her. She thought he had died but he escaped from the Ascended. Also, surprise. He’s a changeling. He can shift into other people. He has been masquerading as Beckett since they left Spessa’s End. Poor Beckett is dead. Jensen said it was an accident but was necessary.
Jansen, Alastir, and the other Protectors think that Poppy is too big of a threat to be able to live. She mouths off to Jansen and he knocks her unconscious. She wakes up to Alastir. He tells her that she is descended from Nyktos, and in turn, descended from overthrown King Malec. Alastir tells her that Malec was able to sense emotions, use those emotions against people, and heal them. She questions what he is going to do with her and he says he is going to give her back to the Ascended. He believes that they will kill her because Poppy will start killing them unless she is restrained. He tells her that he was there the night her parents died. He knew Cora and Leo. But unfortunately, they made the mistake of telling him what Poppy could do and he knew he couldn’t let them live. So when the Craven attacked, he didn’t attempt to help. He told her that he didn’t lead them there, the Dark One did. She says Cas didn’t have anything to do with this. He said I never said Cas. He also tells her that her mother was one of the Queens Handmaidens, aka personal guard. Alastir believes that Poppy is dangerous because of the god blood in her. That the deities had trouble controlling their emotions and so will she.
He says they were warned about her a long time ago, “written in the bones of your namesake” before the gods went to sleep. “With the last Chosen blood spilled, the great conspirator birthed from the flesh and fire of the Primals will awaken as the Harbinger and the Bringer of Death and Destruction to the lands gifted by the gods. Beware, for the end will come from the west to destroy the east and lay waste to all which lies between.”
They drug her so they can transport her from Crypt of the Forgotten Ones, deep within Skotos mountains, to the remains of the city of Irelone. She wakes up tied to a slab with more bones and vines. Jansen is there and he gags her because she is pissing him off. An Ascended lady shows up, confirms that it is The Maiden, tells Poppy not to worry, they are taking her home and then that lady is impaled by a bolt. Poppy sees something big and white streak past - Delano. Then Kieran is there. He is trying to rip the bones and vines off. Poppy asks about Cas - Kieran says he is currently disemboweling someone. Jasper? Taking out his anger on some Descenters with Emil and Naill. And then she sees King Valyn there, fighting alongside them, fighting for her. A Descenter tries to sneak up on Kieran and then Cas is there.
Kieran tells her after they woke up from being drugged/shot with arrows, Cas knew more in his guard had to be involved, he used compulsion and threats, and found out their plan. She has been gone for 6 days and 8 hours. Kieran gets her free and asks her to sit this out, first she says no but then she agrees, until she sees Cas about to kill Jansen. She made him a promise to kill him. Cas hands her his sword and she stabs Jansen and then is ripped backwards. Another Protector had shot her with a crossbow.
The bolt went through her chest, hitting an artery and her lung. Cas tries to tell her she’ll be okay, but she knows she is dying. Kieran is trying to tell him that Cas giving her his blood is not going to work. Valyn shows up and Cas tells him to get away, and Jasper pushes him back. Cas cries, which makes me cry. There’s a bunch of lightning, the ground has roots coming out of it, trying to wrap around Poppy. A blood tree sprouts up right around them. Cas says he can’t lose her, he won’t. Ask Kieran to pull the bolt because he can’t. Kieran is like ok fuck we are doing this ok. Valyn is yelling telling Cas he can’t do this, tells the guards to seize them. Cas says I will rip all of your hearts out if you come near me. The Wolven will not allow anyone near them. Kieran pulls the bolt out and Cas bites her. Poppy's last thought is oh god he is going to Ascend me.
When she woke up, all she knew was that she was so thirsty…not hungry. She sees a male slumped in a chair. He notices that she is awake and says “I can still feel your notam”. She pounces. She’s really strong and really fast and the male has a hard time holding her back. She is just about to connect with his throat when another arm wraps around her dragging her away. That voice says “You don’t want him. He won’t be as tasty. You want me.” She recognizes the scent and she senses that the one she almost bit is not mortal, but something else, something that belongs to her.
Cas drags her away from Kieran and bites his own wrist for her to drink. Kieran tells him that her eyes are not black but still green. Cas inspects her mouth and notices she doesn’t have fangs. Cas tells her whatever she wants, he will give it to her. She keeps drinking and Kieran tells her he needs to stop her because she is taking too much. Cas' blood awakens a new hunger in her. She is still drinking and then they start having sex. Kieran comes over and makes Poppy stop feeding and holds her jaw away from Cas … while they are fucking …
Once they are done, Kieran lets go of Poppy and leaves the room. Poppy finally becomes aware of what is going on, and who she is, and Cas. After another fuck, she FINALLY tells Cas she loves him (Cas has already told her at least 3 times now), and then wonders how she ascended without being an Ascended. She goes out on the balcony, buck naked, to see if the sun would kill her. It doesn’t but then Delano sees her naked. Second Wolven in like 10 minutes.
Kieran comes in and they all talk about what has happened in the last few days. They tell Poppy that the bonds between the Altantians and Wolven are broken but neither one seem upset about it. Cas says it's a relief to know that Kieran will do everything he can to protect Poppy, as will the rest of the Wolven.
Cas tells Poppy he drained her completely of blood and gave her his. She doesn’t feel mortal to him anymore. She feels … other.
Poppy knows that Cas had caught up with Alastir before he came to rescue her. She assumes that he is dead. But Cas had just imprisoned him so that Poppy could do the honors.
Cas also tells her that his dad was escorted back to Atlantia by Emil and a few others and is being “held”. She asks if that's necessary and he says his dad will have assumed that Cas Ascended Poppy into a vampry and he would have come directly back to them trying to kill Poppy, but Cas says “he would have died trying”.
When they go to leave, Poppy hoists herself onto Setti without using the stirrup. Kieran had already said she felt stronger and Cas wants to test that theory, He tells Poppy to punch him. She doesn’t want to so he eggs her on by starting to tell Kieran and Niall about Miss Willas diary, so Poppy punches him. Cas confirms she is definitely stronger.
The tops of the trees around the forest in the cabin where Poppy was staying are all deformed. All bent weird like a giant hand was pushing them into the ground. They said a huge storm must have come through because they aren’t usually like that. Once they moved into the mist around the Skotos they noticed that all the golden trees of Aios have become blood trees.
Poppy dreams she is back in the crypt and the dead are now talking to her. She starts saying “I’m not a monster” in her dream and she hears a voice, that sounds like Delano, saying “You’re not. You are meyaah Leissa. Wake up.” Then she hears Cas telling her to wake up, she is safe, he has her. She wakes up and asks if she was screaming, and he said no but she was squirming and flinching. He said Kieran and Delano kept looking back at her and then Delano started howling so Cas woke her up.
They are at the Cliffs of Ione, at a Temple of Saion. Emil is there and Guardians that Cas trusts, and a dozen Wolven traveled with them. Emil tells them that a handful of Atlantians and mortals found their way there in an attempt to free Alastir, and those who weren’t killed, are with Alastir for Cas to enjoy.
Emil gives Poppy back her dagger that he found at the Temple
Quentyn is there. He is nervous and sad because he didn't know what Beckett was going to do and he would have stopped him if he did. Cas and Poppy tell him that Beckett was innocent, that he was murdered in Spessas End. Quentyn gets real sad and Poppy can tell he is trying to hold it together but was going to fail so she touches him and pushes happy thoughts at him. Quentyn relaxes and tells Poppy that her eyes are glowing, silvery light throughout her irises.
They go to see Valyn and he is absolutely shocked that Poppy is alive and not a vampry. Poppy starts to comment and ask about who Alastir said she was related to but Valyn stops her. Says he wants to wait until Eloana is present. He is trying to protect her from a history that has haunted them for centuries.
Poppy thinks she hears Kieran’s voice in her head.
Cas kills all those who came with Alastir but stops short of killing him. Poppy finishes the job. Then Kieran starts howling and hundreds of Wolven answer his call and come and … eat … the traitors. Remember, Alastir was a Wolven before he betrayed Malec (he was Malec’s bonded Wolven). Once he broke that bond, he could no longer shift into a Wolven.
They head back into Saion’s Cove, heading to Jasper’s compound. Once they arrive in the city, hundreds of people fill the streets shouting that Casteel has returned and many of them cried. But as they get closer to Jaspers, the Atlantians turn into Wolven. They kneel and start shouting “Liessa! Meyaah Liessa!” Poppy asks Cas what it means and he says its old Atlantian, language of the gods, it means My Queen.
Cas goes to talk to his dad and Kieran stays with Poppy. She asks him about when she heard him in her head. He said you spoke that outloud…and she’s like nope I didn’t and you were in your Wolven form, how would you have answered me? They then test it out and yup, they can communicate telepathically.
Kieran hears a noise outside and tells Poppy to stay put…of course she doesn’t. They argue because he doesn’t want her to fight because Cas would be mad if something happens to her and she’s their Queen. She says if she just sits there and lets people fight for her, what kind of Queen would that make her. There are a bunch of dudes there with Descenter masks on. There is one guy on the wall holding the same type of chains. Poppy doesn’t feel anything from the dozen men who have shown up to kill her. But Kieran said they aren’t Ascended, mortal, or Atlantians. She does feel something from the guy chilling on the wall - he’s not like the others. He runs his mouth for a bit but the most important thing he says is “you should never have survived that night in Lockswood”. Lockswood is the village where Poppy’s family was attacked by Craven. Poppy rips the mask off one of them - it has no face. Kieran tells her it's a Gyrm. Cas dad appears, he pulls out his sword and starts toward Poppy, but jerks her away and stabs a Gyrm behind her. He looks at her in surprise and is like did you think I was going to stab you?
Valyn tells them that the Descenters weren’t the first people to wear those masks - the Unseen were.
SIDE NOTES
Hisa Fa-Mar - Commander of the Crown Guard.
Unseen - Ancient brotherhood to serve as a network of spies to crush any rebellion before it started. They were supposed to protect the deities. They attacked anyone that they believed was a threat to the deities. They eventually turned on the deities. They are also responsible for vandalism around Atlantia. Homes and crops are being burnt. Poppy believes they are doing this, even though their objective is to protect Atlantia, but they are trying to create unrest, to get people upset with the current King and Queen.
Gyrm - created from the soil of the gods and from eather. Used to do the bidding of those who summoned them. Once they serve their purpose, whatever is holding the soil is destroyed by fire.
Iliseeum - Land of the Gods realm. Where they rest..
Shadowlands - Where the Abyss is and how the Vale is accessed.
In this book - Nyktos is known as the God of Life and Death. Rules both realms. Jansen said he is known as the Asher, One who is Blessed, Bringer of Death and the Guardian of Souls; that he rules over the Land of the Dead and is the Primal God of Common Men and Endings. Jasper has never heard of him being called the first two and he isn’t the Primal God of whatever. Jasper tells her that Nyktos has a consort. No one knows her name and no one talks about her.
The Gyrms are old magic. Jasper mentions there are only a few very old Elementals who would even know how to use such magic if they managed to get their hands dirt, blood and or bones. One of those old elementals is Wilhelmina..Willa…Colyns. Remember Poppy's favorite book that Cas brought with them when they left Solis? Miss Willa Colyn's diary? Cas about dies from amusement while Poppy from embarrassment. Jasper says Willa is a changeling bloodline he believes. One of the oldest that is still alive, she is one of Atlantia’s Elders. The Elders form a Council, who help rule alongside the King and Queen if needed. Such as a major decision or something major happens.
Where would you get dirt, blood, or bones? From Iliseeum. Jasper tells them that Iliseeum lies beyond the Mountains of Nyktos. It's protected by mist on land and the sea is too rough for travel. Jasper tells Poppy that she is probably the only one who could travel through the mountains and mist because she has the blood of a god in her.
Jasper tells them you get to Iliseeum by traveling under the mountains - through the tunnel systems. The same tunnel systems that Cas, Kieran, and Malik frequently explored and tried to map as children. Cas tells her the next day, they must have gotten close so many times, but they would suddenly get a feeling like they needed to be at home, so they’d turn around.
Cas and Poppy talk. Cas tells her she is the true Queen of Atlantia but he understands if she doesn’t want that. If she doesn’t, they can’t stay there. The Wolven, and some Atlantians, have already accepted her as the true Queen. If she chooses to not take the throne, they would have to leave to not cause a division. She doesn’t want Cas to lose his home. But she doesn’t want to be a Queen and she doesn’t think Cas wants to be King either. Cas tells her they don’t have to make a decision today, but they need to make one soon.
During their conversation, Delano shows up. Says there has been an accident in town. A little girl jumped out in front of a wagon and basically, it sounds like her head was half smashed. Her dad had heard through the grapevine what Poppy was able to do for Beckett and he wants to see if she can help. Cas hesitates and Poppy says if I can help, I’m going to try. They ride to where the little girl is. There’s a crowd. The Healer says there is nothing to be done, the child is almost gone. Poppy leans down and touches her and starts glowing. She can barely feel anything from the child but she just keeps thinking that this little girl needs to live. After a minute, Cas softly calls her name and Poppy is like shush I can do this. After a few more minutes, the little girl says “mama?”. Everybody who is there, Atlantian, mortal, and Wolven, all bow to Poppy (including Cas). Cas says they think she is a goddess. After (and after they fuck in a garden) - they walk around Saion’s Cove so Poppy can actually see it. Poppy now has a following when she goes out. Either Cas or Kieran are right next to her. Delano is close by. And four other Wolven are lurking around. After a bit, some of the Royal Guards show up to follow as well.
They go to a museum and Poppy sees a drawing of Nyktos sitting on his throne with two large cats resting at his feet. She asks if those cats are supposed to be cave cats, because they look like them. She tells them that she has seen one once - in a cave at the Queens palace. They tell her that's impossible because cave cats have been extinct for thousands of years. Casteel tells her that the painting is supposed to depict Nyktos and his two children that he had with his Consort. Poppy asked if they could shift into cats? And what are their names? They tell her they don’t know - just like with the Consort. Not much is known.
They end up at the beach in the evening and Delano asks if she would like to join a wedding celebration, it's for some Wolven, so she would definitely be welcome. They go and Delano asks her to dance. She isn’t sure she should but Cas tells her she can do whatever she wants, so she gets up and dances with Delano. But she is passed around and dances with pretty much every Wolven there until she is returned to Kieran. After a few minutes, Cas gets jealous, and comes and steals her back. Poppy just people watches and notices that the party has turned into … well a sex party. They’re all breaking up and hooking up. Cas tells her that Wolven don’t mind public displays of affection. She watches Kieran get head from a girl (Lyra). This might not seem like an important detail but it will be.
The next day, they go see the King and Queen. But first, Poppy wants to meet Kieran’s mom, Kirha. When they walk around the corner, Kieran is sitting with his mom and Poppy feels a splash of surprise from Kieran but she has no idea why. Kirha is super sweet, giving Poppy a big hug. Kieran says he will go with them to see Cas’s parents. They are also escorted by several Wolven.
When they arrive, Eloana jumps up and runs to hug Cas. They hug for a bit and then Cas introduces them, officially, to his wife. It's not the best greeting. Eloana looks shocked, then she they argue over the fact that Cas Ascended Poppy. It’s just not a great first meeting of the mother-in-law. Poppy cops an attitude. King causes her the Maiden which makes Cas get fired up. They all eventually calm down, Eloana apologizes and realizes that they got off on the wrong foot. They sit down but Kieran remains standing, right behind Poppy, with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Ready to be confused? Eloana and Valyn tell Poppy that the only explanation for her powers is that Malec is her father. But then proceed to tell her that isn’t possible because Eloana entombed him with the bone restraints 400 years ago. She put him in what is now the Blood Forest. They believe that the Ascended dug him up, and possibly used him to procreate. And they have no idea who her mother is. They also tell her that they knew that Alastir had found a descendant of Malec’s and that he had … disposed of them. This really pisses off Cas. Poppy calms him down, reminding him that his parents are not responsible for Alastir’s actions and anyways, what’s done is done.
Eloana asks Poppy to go for a walk alone with her, which Cas immediately doesn’t like, which upsets his mom. She seems offended that Cas would think she would harm Poppy….apparently she hasn’t been reading the same book…
They went for a walk but Kieran wasn’t far behind.
Eloana tells her that Queen Ileana is called the Queen of Blood and Ash, which confuses Poppy because that’s what Atlantians say (“From blood and ash, we will rise”). She says that Ascended called themselves Blood and Ash first because of the importance of blood and what remains after destruction. But that Atlantians say it because from the blood of those the Ascended have killed, from the ash of what they have destroyed, Atlantia will still rise.
Eloana and Poppy talk about Malec. She tells her that he wasn’t a bad person or a bad ruler. It was only towards the end of the relationship she noticed something changing in him. He was a deity, the most powerful one. She hunted him down and put him in the bone chains because she believed he would seek revenge against her and the Council. He couldn’t believe that he could be overthrown. Eloana asks if they plan to free Malik and how are they going to do this. Poppy tells her the plan - give the Ascended an ultimanum. They give up Malik, agree to stop making more vampires, to stop killing, and give up some land, or they will go to war. Cas and Poppy both believe the Ascended will cooperate because if the people of Solis find out that the Chosen Maiden is now married, and not a Craven, to The Dark One - then their whole empire of lies will start to fall.
Eloana tells her that Valyn and the Council want to go to war. In fact, they are readying their troops now. Eloana doesn’t necessarily want to but….everyone has decided and the only people who can stop it now are the King and Queen. Poppy realizes she is saying that she can’t stop this but if someone else ruled, they could. They don’t have much time, days, maybe a week, before war will begin. She begs Poppy to travel to Evaemon, meet more people, she wants Poppy to love Atlantia as much as she does. She wants her to take the crown because she loves it not just to stop the Ascended.
Cas and Valyn come around the corner followed by Vonetta. She has traveled from Spessa’s End to deliver a message. A convoy of Ascended arrived at Spessas End and are requesting an audience with Poppy. Not just any Ascended - but her brother, Ian.
Poppy slightly loses it. She gets really pissed, starts to glow, and is unknowingly calling the Wolven. Cas helps calm her down before her anger can trigger the Wolven to attack. Vonetta says Ian says he has a message, and will only talk to his sister. That he isn’t there for bloodshed but to help prevent a war. He’s also there with 100 Ascended guards. Poppy wants to leave immediately. Eloana and Valyn try to convince them not to - there are other things more important like the kingdom. It could be a trap. But Poppy says she can’t do anything, or think of, anything else until she sees Ian. Cas agrees to leave for Spessa’s End immediately. Jasper says about a dozen or more Wolven will travel with them for protection.
They arrive at Spessa's End and have a few hours to rest (or do other things…) before nightfall.
Ian arrives with some Royal Guards. Poppy is upset to discover that he really has Ascended. He comes to her with a message - The Queen wants to meet with them, in a fortnight, at a neutral location (Oak Ambler). They want to prevent war. Ian tells her that what the Queen has created, Revenants, are not like anything else and that even with all the Wolven in the world, Poppy will never beat them. Before he leaves, Ian asks to hug Poppy. She agrees and as he hugs her he whispers in her ear “I know the truth. Wake Nyktos. Only his guards can stop the Blood Crown.”
Poppy is happy to realize that Ian is still in there somewhere. Ian had told her that the Ascended know that Atlantia is moving armies in and that Atlantia will not win. If King Valyn finds out that the Ascended already know his secret plans, he will attack sooner. Poppy knows what she and Cas have to do. They have to take the Crown. Cas and Poppy will travel to Evaemon tomorrow, take the Crown, then travel to Iliseeum and wake Nyktos.
Poppy wants to ride into Evaemon on her own horse so Emil gets one for her. On the way there, they are attacked by some more people in masks that they call the Unseen and Gyrms. They are quickly becoming outnumbered and Poppy is like nope, not today motherfuckers and she taps into her godlike abilities with the eather and just destroys all of them. She says obviously someone knew they would be traveling this way and they want to stop her from taking the crown.
When they arrive at the royal palace, we get to meet Raul, a cranky old dude that’s in charge of the stables (and probably other things), and Perry, a younger dude who has a crush on Delano.
Poppy and Cas go into the palace and Poppy claims her rightful title. Only one member of the council objects and Cas basically tells him to shut it. Then King Valyn and Queen Eloana do the little ceremony thing and pass on their titles to Poppy and Cas who are now Queen Penallaphe and King Casteel. (by the way important note, she comes first, because she holds more power, because she is the daughter of Malec)
The new King and Queen meet with the council and let them know of their plans to travel to Iliseeum to wake Nyktos and then travel to Oak Ambler to meet with the Ascended. The council thinks all of this is not a great idea.
Guess who is part of the council and is fully supportive of Poppy and Cas? Miss Willa Colyns. The writer of the diary and she just so happens to be the lady in the Red Pearl that told Poppy what room to go in. Poppy asks her why she sent her to Cas’ room that night. She said because Poppy wasn’t the only one there seeking something. Cas was seeking shelter, whether he knew it or not. Someone to share his desires, love, and pain. They both found what they were looking for that night. Willa also admits to being a Seer and tells Poppy that Atlantians don’t believe in prophecies because they believe that the future isn’t written in stone. She also says “What is written in bone is different, and what is not believed should not be ignored.” “You are not the great conspirator, but one of two who will stand between what has awakened and the retribution it seeks to reap against man and god.”
Willa introduces them to the people - calls Cas the King of Blood and Ash and Poppy the Queen of Flesh and Fire.
The next day they head to Iliseeum. Cas, Poppy, Kieran, Vonetta, Emil, and Delano. They travel through the tunnels under the mountains and once they reach the end, Poppy goes first. They believe she will be able to pass through the mist that protects the mountains since she has Nyktos blood in her. She is able to pass through and helps the others. Once they near the Temple, there are little earthquakes that open geysers and shoot out dirt. But what crawls out of those holes are armed skeletons who can shoot snakes out of their mouths. Nightmare fuel. They are fighting them but they are getting faster. Poppy uses the eather to destroy them. They reach the Temple and notice a huge stone statue of a Draken. Except, it's not a statue. The stone starts breaking and an eye opens up. He looks right at Poppy and smells her. As they are staring at the Draken, Poppy feels a presence behind her and turns around and it's Nyktos.
After a tense greeting, Nyktos invites only Poppy into the Temple and tells the Draken (Nektas) to make sure everyone else behaves.
Nyktos tells her that Aios was awake and that's who Poppy saw in the Blood Forest.
That his Consort sleeps but fitfully. He also seems entertained by Poppy and says that she is so much like her, and that “she” will be thrilled to learn this.
That the gods that currently sleep are not the first gods. The first gods are the Primals. They were the ones who created everything. He says that they were once the rulers and protectors of mortals but that they became twisted, uncontrollable, and corrupt. And that Nyktos and friends had to stop them. But after that happened, a lot of mortals died, and then they didn’t trust the gods so much. So the gods and mortals entered into a treaty. None of the gods that entered that treaty could enter the mortal realm without weakening greatly and “resorting to what is forbidden to ensure their strength”. That is why Nyktos and his Consort have not helped the mortals against the Ascended. He says that only gods born within the mortal realm can retain their powers there. Nyktos is a Primal, which means Poppy has Primal blood. So he cannot help her. She says she doesn’t want HIS help, just his guards. That the Ascended have been making Revenants. Ash..excuse me, Nyktos, gets very mad about this and says “What you face is a greater evil that should not be, and I…I am sorry that you will see what is to come”. He tells her that they need to leave because if they don't leave soon, they won’t be able to. She says but…can we have your Draken? He says “You were born of flesh with the fire of the gods in your blood. You are a Bringer of Life and a Bringer of Death. You are the Queen of Flesh and Fire, due more than one Crown, one kingdom. What you seek, you already have. You always had the power in you.”
The plan is that Kieran, Cas, Poppy, and Delano will travel by ship to Oak Ambler, while a bigger convoy goes by land. The Ascended will assume they will travel by land so they will be paying attention to them and not to who is coming in by ship.
They dock, disguise themselves, and head into the city. They plan on sneaking into the Castle and surprising the Blood Crown. They sneak into the castle and they pass a room with a very large cage, with a very large cat inside of it. It's the cave cat that Poppy says she used to see all the time when she stayed at the capital. A cave cat that Cas and Kieran were very insistent was extinct. Poppy is drawn to the cage. Kieran and Cas are trying to hurry her along but she makes her way to the cage, and despite Cas yelling not to, sticks her hand in the cage to pet it. When she does, it starts shuddering, and transforms into a dude. As quickly as he shifts humans, he shifts back into a cat. They are all like WTF just happened. Poppy doesn’t want to leave him, but they gotta keep going, so they promise to come back for him.
They make their way down a hall and run into a young woman who says she will be their escort. Delano attempts to stab her but she subdues him. Ian shows up, tells her to let Delano go, they aren’t supposed to hurt anyone. The Blood Crown has discovered Vonetta and Co. and have escorted them to the castle. They are escorted to the Great Hall where they see the other group and Tawny. Who hasn’t Ascended.
Queen Ileana enters with a surprise guest.
Malik.
Alive and well.
Important things taken from this conversation without having to spell out every single word.
Malik isn’t a prisoner.
Illeana was always wanting Poppy to be Queen of Atlantia…just married to Malik instead.
The young woman who was their escort, is a Revenant. And Illeana demonstrates what that is by having her murdered in front of them. Except, she doesn't stay dead. She comes back.
Revenants are made, so Illeana says, by using the third sons and daughters and the blood of a King, or one destined to be one. Which was Malik.
Malik is in love with this particular young woman.
Illeana is Poppy's birth mother.
She also isn’t a vampry…nor is her real name Illeana. It's Isbeth. In case we’ve forgotten, Isbeth was the mistress of King Malec who started this whole fkin mess by Ascending her. Why isn’t she a vampry? Because Malec was a deity, and when a deity ascends a mortal, they become something else. Like an Ascended but also…not.
Since she is Isbeth, that means that Cas’ parents have known all along. And lied.
Malec was a god since he was Nykto's son. Everyone believed Malec to be a deity but nope. Nykto is a Primal and Malec was his son, so he's a god. Because he Ascended Isbeth, she also became a god (so she says).
Isbeth and Malec had a son.
Malec had hidden Isbeth out of Atlantia, He was supposed to meet her with their son. But they never came. She found out that Malec was exiled and assumes her son is dead.
She wants Poppy to claim Atlantia in Isbeth’s name. She wants some of her people to go into Atlantia and she wants the people of Atlantia to swear allegiance to her. She wants King Valyn and Queen Eloana to be tried for treason.
Poppy refuses to agree with her demands so she kills Ian.
Poppy uses her eather to kill the royal guards and then heads for Isbeth. But Isbeth is older and knows how to use her magic more than Poppy. She turns it back onto Poppy and is suffocating her without laying a hand on her. Lyra shifts and makes a move towards Isbeth, but Isbeth takes her down. Cas starts losing it, begging Isbeth to stop. Tells her she can have Atlantia, she can have whatever she wants, just stop what she’s doing. Cas says if you want to control Poppy, then you want him, he will go willingly, just stop killing her. Poppy eventually passes out but not before hearing “Malik, retrieve your brother”.
When Poppy wakes, they are in the woods outside of the Rise. Lyra is dead, Tawny is wounded, and Cas isn’t with them. Poppy loses it. Her eather whips out and starts towards the Rise to destroy it. Kieran and Vonetta try to stop her but she pushes them away. The Handmaiden is there. Tells Poppy to stop because these people are innocent and the Blood Crown has already left for the capital with her new “pet” (Cas). She tells Poppy that unless Poppy comes with the “fire of the gods” she won’t be a match for what the Queen has. Aka … she needs the Draken.
Poppy realized what Nytkos had meant - she always had the power within her. She doesn’t need permission to use them. She can command them.
They return home and Poppy confronts Eloana. Eloana admits she did know who and what Isbeth was and yes, they had her son killed. Alastir actually did. Poppy tells her the plan is to go summon the Draken and then send the Blood Crown a message. She asks Hisa to tell them when and where to meet, and that Poppy will only talk with Queen Isbeth or King Jalara (her husband).
Kieran, Hisa, and Poppy make their way back to Iliseeum. When they arrive, they see a man, Nektas in his mortal form. Netkas asks her if she is ready to bear the weight of two crowns and if she is able to return what was taken from them and help the Consort wake. Poppy asks what was taken? Malec’s twin, Ires. He was awakened and summoned and took Nektas’ daughter, Jadis, with them. They know he lives but has no idea where he is. Nektas tells Poppy she is Ires’ daughter, not Malec’s. She asks if he could shift forms, and he confirms that both Ires and Malec could shift into large cats. Poppy realizes that is who she saw in the cage.
After she summons the Draken, they head home, and then meet with the Blood Crown in the woods outside of Oak Ambler again. King Jalara is there, with some royal guards and one Revenant. They swap insults back and forth and then Poppy cuts his head off. She kills the rest of the guards and leaves the Revenant alive. She tells him to send a message back to her mother - she killed Jalara as payback for Isbeth killing Ian. But if anyone touches Casteel, if anyone kills him, she will level every single one of Isbeth's cities, she will kill Malec for she knows he is alive and where he is, and then she will spend thousands of years torturing Isbeth to death.