Heartless Sky

Seeking solitude, Tory slips out to the barn. She is relieved that the Guardian bond (which previously tethered her to Lionel against her will) has been broken, but she doesn’t understand how or why. Tory is surprised by the arrival of Darius. Darius quickly explains the events that took place while the battle was raging: he and Gabriel (the twins’ half-brother) travelled to a magical cave where Darius negotiated a bargain with fate. His side of the deal broke the Star Crossed curse which had previously kept he and Tory apart. Darius also explains that he is not married to Mildred, since Gabriel intervened using magic to prevent the wedding. Relieved and overjoyed to be reunited, Darius and Tory have sex in the barn.

Back at the Palace of Souls (the traditional home of the ruler of Solaria), Lionel is enraged. During the battle, Tory cut off his hand. He is furious that the severing of the Guardian bond empowered her to lash out against him. Lavinia (the Shadow Princess) no longer occupies Clara’s physical form (due to Orion’s intervention); she exists in a shadowy, enigmatic state and Lionel cannot control her the way he formerly controlled Clara and Tory.

Lionel demands that anyone associated with the rebellion be found, vowing that “now the public was going to learn the price of crossing their king in the most public and gruesome ways I could imagine” (68).

Lionel learns that Darius was involved with the revolt and did not actually marry Mildred; having been betrayed by his own son makes him even angrier. Lavinia explains that she was once a Nymph princess who brokered a deal with Lionel’s ancestor as part of a plot to unseat a Vega queen. Lionel’s ancestor betrayed her and Lavinia insists that she is still owed an Acrux king. Since Lionel has been betrayed by Darius, she suggests he father a new child with her, who will represent a powerful fusion of their magical powers.

Lionel agrees to the plan, believing that he will be able to dominate Lavinia and ensure her obedience. He tells her that they need to first reassert their authority over the kingdom, and she readily agrees.

In the morning, Gabriel arrives and informs Orion that Darius has returned. When Orion sees Darius and Tory together, he realizes that the Star-Crossed curse has been broken. He is confused about how Darius could have achieved this, and he also feels unsure about what will happen to his relationship with Darius now that their own bond is broken (Orion was previously Guardian bonded to Darius). Moreover, Orion is “Power Shamed”: because he went to jail for the crime of having coerced Darcy into a sexual relationship (a false charge), he is bound by a magical curse that leads most Fae to react to him with disgust and loathing. Darcy, Tory, and the other Heirs are not subject to the curse because they know him and trust him, but the other rebels treat him with revulsion and disdain. Orion watches from a distance as Darius joyfully reunites with the Heirs and the Vega twins.

To distract himself, Orion focuses on an important task: preparing an elixir that is necessary to induct individuals into the Zodiac Guild. Orion has recently been magically appointed as the head of the Zodiac Guild (a secret society charged with protecting a magical talisman known as the Imperial Star). Orion is in the process of reestablishing the Guild and preparing for the initiation ritual. With encouragement from Gabriel, Orion decides to travel to the Wasted Mountain to retrieve a plant that is necessary for the elixir. Darcy travels to the mountain with him. They begin collecting ingredients but are interrupted when they catch sight of three Nymphs nearby.

Darcy and Orion successfully fight and kill the Nymphs together. The fight leads to an argument about Orion’s overprotective nature, which culminates in them confessing their fears of losing one another and reaffirming their love. They have passionate sex on the mountainside. Afterward, they find the ingredient Orion was seeking. They officially get back together before preparing to return to The Burrows.

Max shows Caleb and Seth a propaganda article announcing that their younger siblings have been named the new Heirs to the Celestial Council (replacing the three young men). The article paints the Vega twins as manipulative seductresses who used dark magic and sex to corrupt the original Heirs. Max, Caleb, and Seth are shocked because they know their families would not abandon their claims as Heirs and willingly replace them with their younger siblings. They conclude that their families must be being coerced by Lionel into naming new heirs.

Max, Caleb, and Seth wake up Darius. They discuss the situation and Caleb reveals he can use a magical device to summon his mother for a secret meeting (they have set up this protocol in case of emergencies). He hopes to learn more from her. In front of all the rebels, Darcy declares that Orion is her boyfriend. This makes many of the rebels uncomfortable. Seth gloats, believing his efforts to make Orion jealous have played a significant role in this outcome.

Caleb slips away and magically summons his mother. She confirms that the families of the Heirs are feigning loyalty to Lionel to protect their families and gives Caleb an enchanted journal that will allow them to pass covert information. When Caleb returns to The Burrows, Seth meets him outside. They engage in a playful fight but are interrupted when they enter the barn and discover the mutilated bodies of rebel guards hanging from the rafters.

Seth and Caleb rush into the Burrows and tell Darcy, Tory and the others about the murdered guards. As news of the murder spreads, many of the rebels begin to panic. Hamish announces that a Cyclops Interrogation—a magical process to read minds—will be conducted on everyone in The Burrows. While waiting, Seth confides in Darcy about the sexual tension between he and Caleb. He hopes to bait Caleb into revealing his attraction, but Darcy suggests that he simply disclose his feelings instead.

Darius has noticed that Tory seemed panicked by the prospect of the Cyclops Interrogation. He alludes to the abuse and torture she suffered at the hands of Lionel and his henchman, Vard, noting that “I know how the idea of anyone else getting into your head must make you feel” (144). She has a panic attack, and Darius tries to calm her, but she recoils from his touch. Max and Darcy arrive, and the former uses his magical Siren abilities to soothe her.

Darius expresses his guilt for everything Tory has suffered at his father’s hands, but Darcy urges him not to blame himself. When Darcy and Tory are alone together, they discuss their gratitude for Darius breaking the Guardian Bond between Tory and Lionel (although they remain unclear on how he was able to do so). Darcy tells Tory that Lavinia placed a curse on her during the battle. However, since the curse’s mark subsequently vanished from her arm, they conclude that the curse has somehow been lifted.

Darius arranges to have Tory and Darcy excused from the Cyclops Interrogation, which yields no clues about the murderer. They discuss the possibility that the murderer could be a Nymph disguised as a Fae, and recall Diego. Diego was a student at the zodiac Academy and a loyal friend and ally to the twins: he died protecting them. However, Diego was also a Nymph who successfully concealed his identity and passed as a Fae. Their former professor, Brian Washer, arrives at The Burrows, announcing he has quit his job at Zodiac Academy. Darcy becomes fed up with the rebels shunning Orion and publicly declares that he is not a criminal and only lied to protect her. However, the rebels continue to ignore Orion.

Later, the group decides to use Diego’s magical hat to learn more about Lavinia (the hat can reveal Diego’s memories and other past events; it was the tool the twins previously used to learn that Lavinia tried to usurp the throne from one of their ancestors). They witness Diego’s abusive upbringing, his uncle Alejandro forcing him to infiltrate Zodiac Academy in disguise, and his uncle and mother confessing they personally killed the Vegas’ parents on Lionel’s behalf. They also see how Diego was implicated in the murder of Professor Astrum (a former mentor to the twins). Finally, they watch Diego’s internal conflict over betraying the twins, his change of heart, and his decision to sacrifice his life to save Darcy. Moved by his sacrifice, Tory, Darcy and their allies vow to destroy Lavinia and Alejandro.

e book would be helpful but has no way of accessing it (anyone associated with the rebellion will immediately be captured by Lionel’s forces if they leave the rebel sanctuary). He ponders how he might get it, but is distracted by a sexual encounter with Darcy, wherein she reiterates her love for him and that she sees him as an equal.

Later, Hamish asks Orion to step down as Guild Master, arguing that no one will join a guild led by a Power Shamed Fae (power shamed refers to the curse that lingers over Orion because he has been accused of a grave crime). Tory staunchly defends Orion right to remain Guild Master, but Orion himself feels conflicted. He knows he has inherited the right to be Guild Master from his father, but he agrees that it might be better to let Hamish assume the position.

Darius reflects on the secret deal he made in the cave, on the day of the battle: in exchange for protecting the twins and severing the magical bonds (including the Guardian Bond and the Star-Crossed curse), he is now fated to die in one year. He has been secretly training Xavier to eventually take his place on the Celestial Council (without disclosing this to anyone). His newfound happiness with Tory is bittersweet but he resolves “I would have to fit as much love and lust and pleasure into that time as I could while aiming to wipe my father from this world” (255). In the middle of the night, he and Tory hear a scream and rush out of their bedroom.

The residents of the Burrows are horrified to find another mutilated body. Discussion begins about who might be responsible, but Gabriel pulls Darius aside and confronts him about a different topic: Gabriel’s magical abilities have revealed the truth about Darius’s bargain and Gabriel knows that Darius is now fated to die in less than one year. Gabriel is horrified, knowing that Darius’s death will devastate Tory; Darius admits that he should probably not be cultivating a relationship, but can’t stop himself. Understanding the need to focus on the war against Lionel, Gabriel agrees to keep the secret.

Suddenly, Gabriel has a magical vision: Lionel has ordered a violent attack on the students at Zodiac Academy who are part of the Pegasus Order (every Fae is a member of an Order, which determines their powers and magical abilities). Xavier (Darius’s younger brother) is a Pegasus and became close with these students during his time at the Academy. Gabriel foresees that Darius and Xavier need to go to the Academy and intervene in the attack. He also urges Darius to retrieve Orion’s magical tools from the Academy.

Darius and Xavier rush to Zodiac Academy, but their arrival triggers a magical alarm, alerting Lionel. To create a diversion, Darius transforms into his Dragon form and battles his father. Xavier, with the help of a Pegasus named Tyler Corbin, manages to evacuate most of the herd (the group of Pegasus Fae) by transporting them with stardust. However, Xavier realizes his crush, Sofia, is missing. Tyler informs him that she is being held captive in Orion’s former office. Determined to save her, Xavier and Tyler race across campus toward Jupiter Hall.

The battle between Darius and Lionel intensifies. Darius gains the upper hand and is on the verge of killing his father when Lavinia intervenes. She attacks Darius with powerful magic, and Darius is forced to retreat. Before fleeing the academy, he retrieves Orion’s magic equipment and several items the twins left behind. With Lavinia in pursuit, he escapes to rejoin Xavier.

Xavier and Tyler reach Orion’s office and rescue Sofia. Xavier grabs some of Orion’s books, including the rare Stones of the Sky book. Xavier, Tyler, and Sofia escape with help from Darius and make it back to The Burrows. Darius is seriously wounded and Tyler and Xavier work together to use magic to heal him. The rescued Pegasus herd is welcomed into the rebel sanctuary, and Orion is overjoyed to have his books and magic equipment back. After the near-death experience, Xavier resolves to finally confess his feelings to Sofia. Orion explains that while interrogations have continued, nothing has been uncovered about the mysterious murders.