Empire of the Damned

The second installment of the Empire of the Vampire series continues the story of Gabriel de León, a paleblood (half-human, half-vampire) warrior and former member of the Silver Order of San Michon, as he recounts his past to a vampire historian while imprisoned in the fortress of Sul Adair.

In the frame narrative, the vampire Marquis Jean-François Chastain resumes interrogating Gabriel on behalf of Empress Margot Chastain, who seeks to learn the fate of Dior Lachance, the Holy Grail of San Michon, a girl whose sacred blood can heal any wound and burn vampires to ash. Gabriel has been starved for six nights as punishment for attacking Jean-François. Now bathed and fed, Gabriel cooperates, though he quietly maps the château's layout for a potential escape.

Gabriel's story begins in the aftermath of a massacre at the monastery of San Michon, where he killed his former mentor Abbot Greyhand and several other silversaints—holy warriors of the Silver Order, palebloods trained to hunt vampires—to prevent them from sacrificing Dior in a ritual to end daysdeath, the supernatural eclipse that has blotted out the sun for over a decade. Gabriel retrieves his enchanted but broken sword Ashdrinker, reaffirms his vow to protect Dior, and descends to the valley, where they meet his vampire sister Celene.

Celene insists they travel to the Nightstone Mountains to seek an ancient vampire named Jènoah, who she believes can help end daysdeath. Gabriel resists, and the siblings fight until Dior intervenes at knifepoint, brokering a truce. The trio sets out southward along the Mère River, Celene guiding them while Gabriel trains Dior in swordfighting. They encounter Gabriel's former apprentice Lachlan á Craeg, a silversaint who reports that the Dyvok have conquered the Ossian capital of Dún Maergenn and that Château Aveléne, home of Gabriel's dearest friends Aaron de Coste and Baptiste Sa-Ismael, has been destroyed.

At Aveléne's ruins, the group rescues children from a Dyvok slave wagon and fights Dyvok highbloods, powerful full-blood vampire nobles, including Kiara the Wolfmother. A mountain lioness rescues Gabriel from drowning during the battle. At dusk, the lioness transforms into Phoebe á Dúnnsair, a duskdancer (shapeshifter) of the Ossian Highlands. Phoebe swears a blood oath to protect Dior and joins the group. Gabriel sends Lachlan to escort the rescued children to San Michon, separating his apprentice from Dior.

After a grueling trek, the party reaches Cairnhaem, Jènoah's fortress-cathedral, only to find it abandoned: Jènoah took his own life centuries ago. They discover a partially destroyed prophetic verse about ending daysdeath. Celene reveals the history of the Esani, a secretive order of vampires who believe they can save their souls by consuming other vampires in a ritual called communion. Fabién Voss, the Forever King, nearly exterminated the Esani centuries ago. Only four survivors remain, including Mother Maryn, the eldest, who sleeps beneath Dún Maergenn.

Voss and Dyvok forces converge on Cairnhaem. During preparations for battle, Gabriel strikes Dior, an act later revealed to have been partly caused by Celene secretly amplifying his emotions with a stolen vampire ability. The battle is brutal: Kiara smashes the bridge, sending the Terrors, the Forever King's eldest daughters, into the chasm. Celene saves Dior from falling but deliberately drops Gabriel into the abyss. Kiara captures the unconscious Dior and departs for Dún Maergenn.

The narrative splits. Jean-François descends to a second prison to interrogate Celene, who is trapped behind an underground river. Celene reveals she left a blood-moth hidden on Dior's skin, allowing her to witness everything that befalls the Grail. Through this device, Celene narrates Dior's captivity.

During the journey south, Dior discovers that her holy blood breaks the vampire thrall-bond when she heals the wounded kennelboy Joaquin Marenn. She is brought before Nikita the Blackheart, the Priori (ruling head) of Blood Dyvok, and his ancient sister Lilidh, the Heartless, at Dún Maergenn. The Dyvok regime feeds the elderly to feral vampires, auctions the young as currency, and processes the dead as food for the remaining population. Kiara presents Aaron de Coste, now a fledgling vampire turned during the attack on Aveléne, as a gift to Nikita. Lilidh claims Dior and forces her to drink vampire blood, but Dior's divine blood renders her immune to thralldom. She plays the dutiful thrall while secretly building a resistance network, aided by Reyne á Maergenn, the fifthborn daughter of the slain Duchess Niamh Nineswords, disguised as a maidservant.

Meanwhile, Gabriel survives his fall, rescued by Phoebe. They journey to Redwatch, where an old comrade provides a horse and supplies. Gabriel is captured by Lachlan and Valya d'Naél, an inquisitor of the Holy Inquisition who previously tortured Gabriel and Dior, but is rescued by Phoebe. The pair shelter at a ruined château called Ravenspire, where they share their deepest losses and become lovers. Gabriel discovers that drinking Phoebe's blood grants him extraordinary strength due to the corrupted magic of daysdeath. Lachlan tracks them to Ravenspire and shoots Phoebe with silvershot that lodges in her chest, poisoning her. Gabriel reveals the full truth about Dior to Lachlan, then rides north into the Moonsthrone Mountains seeking Phoebe's aunt Cinna, a healer, who saves Phoebe at the sacred Wintermoot gathering.

Gabriel and Phoebe ask the assembled Highland clans to march on Dún Maergenn. The clans, bound by a standing truce with the Dyvok, refuse until Gabriel inadvertently reveals that the Dyvok have been stealing and drinking duskdancer blood, which grants vampires enormously amplified power and explains their rapid conquest of the Ossian homeland. The revelation unites the fractured clans for war.

Inside Dún Maergenn, Dior's conspiracy advances. She and Reyne discover a hidden vault beneath the Mothermaid's Sepulcher containing the full text of the shattered prophecy from Cairnhaem, along with something in a deeper chamber that horrifies them. Before Dior can act, her plot is betrayed by Isla á Cuinn, who was never truly thralled but has been Nikita's willing spy. Nikita murders Dior's allies.

Celene arrives at Gabriel's camp before the assault. The Highland army attacks at dawn, and Dior's blood, secretly poured into the soldiers' morning liquor by Joaquin, frees hundreds of thralls on the outer walls. Kiara, alienated by her father Nikita's cruelty, frees Dior and Reyne from the dungeons before Lilidh kills her. Lachlan arrives with remnants of the Silver Order, turning the tide. Gabriel and Celene destroy the Terrors, while Baptiste breaks his beloved Aaron free of Nikita's thrall by recounting their shared memories. Baptiste then smashes Nikita's skull, destroying the Blackheart.

In the tomb beneath the Sepulcher, Lilidh pursues Dior and Reyne onto holy ground. Prince, Lilidh's one-eyed wolf, is revealed to be Connor á Lachlainn, Phoebe's husband, kept alive as a blood source. Connor attacks Lilidh, decapitating her as she rips out his heart, but Lilidh survives because her heart was torn out centuries ago. Gabriel and Celene reach the tomb but turn on each other over Celene's consumption of their father Wulfric. In their distraction, the mortally wounded Lilidh rises and snaps Dior's neck. Dior destroys Lilidh with a final strike, but it is too late. Dior Lachance dies.

She is buried as San Dior in the Mothermaid's silver coffin. Gabriel vanishes without attending her funeral. Celene descends alone into the vault and discovers the truth: The Redeemer's dying words were not a blessing but a curse that created the first five vampires from the priests who executed him.

The frame narrative concludes with two revelations. The young thrall "Dario" serving Jean-François is actually Joaquin in disguise, planted as a mole, and an escape plan is in motion. In her underground cell, Celene reveals that Mother Maryn, the eldest of the Esani, awakened from her centuries-long sleep, roused by ancient blood during the battle. In the final lines, Celene reveals that Dior Lachance opened her eyes. She is not dead.