Heir

Quil, Arelia, Sufiyan, and Sirsha sail away from the burning remnants of Navium aboard the stolen ship. Sufiyan threatens to kill Sirsha, believing she did something to his father to obtain his ring. Sirsha, meanwhile, voices her frustrations over being tricked into a hunt that can only result in her death. Quil convinces his friend to stand down and unties her when Kegari Sails appear on the horizon, bearing down on their small vessel. Sirsha insists she can save them, asserting her credentials and expertise as a tracker and revealing her mysterious connection to the mission.

As the Kegari ships close in, Sirsha quickly dons the embroidered robes and gold headdress of a Jaduna sorceress, which she took from her pack. The Jaduna people hail from a distant, little-known land and are known for their powerful magic, and the others are stunned to learn that Sirsha is one of them. She quickly comes up with a cover story for them. The Kegari board the vessel, and Sirsha uses her Jaduna status and sharp tongue to rebuke their questioning and assert her mission as sacred and beyond reproach. However, the Kegari soldiers insist on assigning an escort to “assist” Sirsha in her journey. Despite her protests, Sirsha has no choice but to accept, and she declares that their destination is Jibaut, the very city where the Kegari have stationed their reserve forces.

The group heads toward Jibaut with their Sail escort. The others remain wary of Sirsha, and Quil asks for more information about her mission. When Sirsha is reluctant to reveal anything, Sufiyan tells her that Ruh, one of the first victims, was his younger brother. Sirsha finally admits that she thinks the killer’s trail is leading her to Jibaut but that she can also get the help of a friend, Kade, a dealer of rare books and her last hope for information about the killer. Quil then offers her a tentative truce, recognizing that they must cooperate to survive. The mood aboard the ship lightens as Arelia and Sufiyan warm to Sirsha, though Quil remains guarded.

As the ship approaches Jibaut, Quil receives a cryptic note describing the devastation across the Empire and warning them to stay hidden. Terrified at the news, he climbs onto the deck to vomit, and Sirsha notices that he has a bracelet with a strange aura.

Once ashore, Sirsha separates from the group. However, her departure is shadowed by the oppressive sense of something deeply wrong in Jibaut.

Aboard the Ankanese ship, Aiz forms a tenuous connection with Dolbra, the seer Cero sent her off with. Dolbra says she agreed to help because she had a vision of Aiz embodying Mother Div. She mentions the constellation of The Reaper, but is cut off by the ship’s crew before she can explain what it means.

Later, Aiz examines the book she stole from Tiral again. While she has already read it several times, she discovers a new story, “The Vessel of the Fount,” about Mother Div’s imprisonment “in a place of unending death” (163). The story indicates that the prophecy of the Tel Ilessi cannot be fulfilled until she is released. Aiz believes that this might be the missing Ninth Sacred Tale. Div then speaks again, begging Aiz to release her and promising to amplify her magic if she does. Looking for further clues, Aiz finds the name of the book’s author: Laia of Serra. She decides to track her down for further answers, and the ship takes her to the city of Sadh. However, once she parts ways with Dolbra, Aiz meets resistance to her mission. Neita, a woman who briefly aids Aiz, grows suspicious when Aiz mentions Laia’s name and promptly expels her from the inn. Undeterred, Aiz gathers supplies and information, using cunning and feigned vulnerability to discover that Laia and Tribe Saif—one of several nomadic tribes who travel throughout the Martial Empire—have traveled north toward Nur.

Quil and Sufiyan head out into the Kegari-occupied Jibaut, while Arelia stays behind with the ship. As they navigate the city, Quil continues to struggle with guilt over his inability to protect his loved ones, especially Ilar and Ruh, whose deaths continue to haunt him. He realizes that his bracelet, given to him by Ruh, is missing—stolen by Sirsha when he wasn’t looking.

Determined to gather intelligence on the Kegari reserve forces for the Empire, Quil and Sufiyan attempt to interrogate a Kegari soldier. The encounter goes awry, leaving the soldier dead and Sufiyan shaken after taking a life for the first time. As Quil leads him away, they stumble upon Sirsha in a night market, observing her in a tense conversation with Kade. Though Sirsha pressures him for help, Kade stalls. Quil notices shadowy figures moving in on Sirsha and recognizes them as Jaduna, likely sent to capture or punish her for breaking their rules. Kade then admits that he lured her into a trap. A powerful Jaduna leader arrives—Sirsha’s estranged older sister.

Sirsha is captured, bound, and gagged by the Jaduna, led by her sister, R’zwana. Sirsha’s old friend and former Adah, or soul-mate, J’yan, shows some kindness when he loosens her gag. When they arrive at the compound, R’zwana beats Sirsha in response to her quips. J’yan then admits they’re looking for the same killer but can’t make sense of the magic. R’zwana, still jealous of her younger sister as she was years prior, cuts him off and demands Sirsha’s death by drowning. Sirsha, cornered and unable to use her magic, panics. However, rescue arrives in the form of Quil and Sufiyan, as the pair barges into the Jaduna compound under the guise of diplomatic authority. Quil cites a treaty between the Martials and Jaduna, demanding Sirsha’s release as a citizen of the Empire under her “engagement” to him. R’zwana challenges Quil’s claim, insisting there is no evidence of this engagement. However, Quil says that Sirsha possesses a bracelet belonging to him, which can be verified as proof of their connection. When R’zwana insists that he has no authority, Sufiyan dramatically reveals Quil’s true identity as the crown prince of the Martial Empire.

Aiz finally locates the camp of Tribe Saif at a well along the road outside Sadh. Guided by Mother Div’s voice, Aiz approaches the camp cautiously. Despite initial hostility from the Tribe, Aiz convinces Laia to speak to her by saying that she is searching for knowledge to help her people.

When Laia invites her to share her story, Aiz introduces herself under the alias “Ilar of Ankana.” While she shares a meal with them, Aiz meets Quil, whose quiet demeanor and mysterious nature intrigue her and who she assumes is a translator for the Tribe. She also meets Laia’s young son, Ruh. Mother Div says that gaining Ruh’s trust is key to earning Laia’s favor, and Aiz builds a connection with the boy by offering to let him ride her horse, Tregan. Once Ruh begins to trust her, Laia and the others relax.

When Aiz begins to ask Laia about the “Vessel of the Fount,” Mother Div insists that she not reveal the book. Aiz then tells an altered version of her story, deliberately omitting key details about her identity and mission, including Div’s identity. Laia listens and, although she admits the story sounds familiar, she cannot remember where she has heard it before. She promises to reflect on the tale and seek guidance from other Kehannis when the Tribe reaches Nur for a midwinter festival. In the meantime, she offers Aiz hospitality and safety. While Aiz is frustrated at the prospect of waiting months for answers, Mother Div tells her to be patient and ingratiate herself with the Tribe. Aiz agrees and, noticing Quil’s attention on her, subtly flirts with him.

After revealing his identity and invoking the treaty between the Martials and Jaduna, Quil pressures R’zwana into a reluctant agreement. However, R’zwana seizes the opportunity to humiliate Sirsha, forcing the two into a Jaduna engagement oath that binds them as Adahs—meaning that they are betrothed. Quil reluctantly participates to secure Sirsha’s freedom, and plain coins on chains materialize around their necks as part of the bond. They leave the compound and meet Arelia, who says the Kegari have taken the boat. Their escape is complicated by the arrival of a Kegari patrol led by a mysterious man who briefly captures Quil using unnatural winds and white metal tendrils. He refers to Quil by his preferred name rather than his full one. Sirsha intervenes by hitting the man’s shoulder with a dagger, allowing the group to flee again. When Quil suggests parting ways with Sirsha, she says they can’t; as Adahs, they can’t be physically separated until the bond can be broken.

Seeking a way out, Sirsha leads the group back to Kade’s home, where she threatens him into giving them horses and information on the Kegari forces in the city. When she confronts him about his betrayal, he says that he is protecting her from finding the murderer, which he argues would be a worse fate than letting her sister kill her.

After fleeing Jibaut, Sirsha leads the group deep into the Devanese woods, keeping them ahead of Kegari patrols, R’zwana, and something else stalking them. She’s also frustrated with the mounting pressure of her oath to Elias. When the group stops to rest for the night in a cave, Quil applies a healing poultice to Sirsha’s injuries in a moment of unexpected kindness. They talk about Sirsha’s search for the killer, and she admits that it would be easier if she knew more about her. Realizing that Quil would have known Ruh, she presses Quil on the deaths. Quil, in turn, reveals that the first victim was Ilar, the first girl he loved, and that he found her remains.