In the Veins of the Drowning

Imogen dreams of a woman floating on the sea’s surface and a starving monster lurking below. The monster rushes to the surface with unquenchable hunger for the woman. When Imogen wakes on board a ship headed for Varya, she becomes nauseous. Agatha informs her it is a symptom of the blood bond. She will be sick for a few days until it settles. In the meantime, she must remain close to Theodore or the sickness will be worse.

Agatha’s lover, Commander Lachlan, isn’t fond of Imogen. He suspects she’s trying to take advantage of Theodore to make herself queen. Imogen learns that the blood bond is synonymous with marriage outside of the isle of Seraf, meaning she and Theodore are wed. She also learns he has a fiancée he’s supposed to meet upon returning to Varya.

When Agatha learns that Imogen will see the Mage Seer to have their bond severed, she protests vehemently. Even Lachlan insists the bond be severed at the castle instead of the Mage Seer’s hut. When Imogen asks, Agatha informs her that she nearly died when she was sent to the Mage Seer’s hut to have her blood bond with Lachlan severed.