Glow

As Slade flies Auren to safety, she remains unconscious. Slade was forced to use his rot power because Auren had lost control of her gold-touch and might have killed everyone in Ranhold. Slade put her into a deathlike state to try to save her. Now, if he can’t pull the rot out of her in time, she might die.

In a flashback, Slade recounts his early years as the son of the abusive and overbearing fae, Lord Stanton, known as “The Breaker” (38). Slade feels sorry for his human mother, Elore, who is bullied by her husband. He says, “It’s not her fault that she’s Orean, and I don’t see why it matters anyway. Just like I don’t know why it matters that Ryatt and I are only half fae” (37-38).

Back in the present, Slade battles through a winter storm, trying to get Auren to shelter before she dies. He vows to be “her shelter” (42). They finally reach Slade’s secret stronghold in Fourth Kingdom—Drollard Village.

In a flashback, Slade recalls the day he first discovered his fae powers. When painful spikes protrude through his skin, he is alarmed that he will be a destroyer like his father. His mother comforts him and says, “No, Slade. Not you. You don’t break things. You protect them” (58).

In the present, Slade tries to draw the rot out of Auren, but a sliver of it refuses to go. Auren seems caught in a dreamless sleep, and Slade is at a loss. Lu, Commander of the Right Flank, arrives with Auren’s faithful friend, Digby. Seeing Slade’s despair, Lu reminds him of all the hard cases he helped in the past, including her. When Slade protests that he can’t remove that final sliver of rot from Auren, Lu says, “We’ve all got a little rotten in us, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. It’s how we’ve survived” (72).

In another flashback, Slade recalls his father’s relentless training regimen. While Stanton was initially proud of his son’s new fae power, he is disappointed that the boy isn’t advancing quickly enough to suit his ambition and threatens him. Slade’s mother tells him that strength isn’t defined by dominance and cruelty.

In the present, Slade is still failing to revive Auren when his younger brother Ryatt arrives with the healer, Hojat. When the latter examines Auren, he discovers that the gold ribbons that previously grew from her back were all chopped off by Midas. Slade is sickened at the sight. Hojat advises him that Auren must be allowed to rest undisturbed because her magic is so depleted.

In Fifth Kingdom, Slade’s commander, Osrik, is leading the army back to their own territory. When they stop to rest, he is informed that another of Midas’s harem, or “saddles” as they are called, is seeking to flee under the army’s protection.

Osrik is offended when he realizes the refugee is Rissa, who was once Auren’s friend but blackmailed her. Rissa defends herself by saying she does not “have the privilege of living [her] life on some moral high ground” (96). Despite his irritation with Rissa, Osrik is also attracted to her.

Four days later, Slade is still hoping that Auren will awaken, but she hasn’t stirred. He is helpless but notices that his rot powers are pressuring him for release. Saddling Argo, Slade flies far from the village where he can safely discharge his magic.

Meanwhile, in Fifth Kingdom, Kaila and her loyal brother Manu are attending the state funeral of the royals killed during Auren’s rampage. The siblings have already found a new puppet king who will do their bidding: Hagan Fulke. Everyone sits through a tediously long ceremony while Kaila hatches a plot to extend her influence over two kingdoms. Kaila intends to use her fae power of projecting voices to sway public opinion in her favor.

When Slade returns to his stronghold, he learns that Auren’s gold has begun seeping from her body even though she is still unconscious. No one is sure when it might harden and destroy those nearby. Slade bundles Auren up and carries her outside through a raging snowstorm. He finds a mountain cave where they can shelter just as Auren begins to stir. To Slade’s alarm, she isn’t acting like herself. She then begins to attack him.

Auren is still caught in the fury of her rampage at Ranhold Castle as she tries to destroy Slade, but he is able to dodge her attack. Rage turns to guilt and self-hatred when Auren belatedly realizes the destruction she caused. She pleads with Slade to punish her through sex. While the two do, in fact, have sex, Slade refuses to use their intimacy as a form of punishment instead of pleasure. Gradually, Auren returns to herself, still regretting her actions. She worries she is a “monster,” but Slade assures her she has become “A fae” (148).