Oathbound

Erebus is a demon who has gone by many names across many centuries. He was once the ferrier of souls in the Welsh otherworld, where gods and the dead were said to live. In Arthur’s time, he was known as the Shadow King and ruled over all demons on the demon plane. When Arthur took his powers and his crown, the King was prevented from returning to the demon realm, and the members of his Shadow Court ultimately abandoned him. Since this time, he has been wandering the human plane, changing his identity, and plotting to get his crown back.

Even when hiding his true nature, Erebus is cruel, inflicting pain on the Legendborn he trains and the people on whom he experiments. He is known for his selfish nature and singular focus on returning to power. He agrees to train Bree only so he can kill her when she is most powerful. As a demon, he is also crafty, and tricks Bree into making more bargains than she wants so she can be in his debt. Though Bree hates him, she acknowledges his cleverness about human nature. Erebus is the clear antagonist of Oathbound, whose selfishness and love of power contrast with Bree’s selflessness and love of justice.

Nick Davis is one of Bree’s love interests and narrates one chapter in Oathbound. Nick was born believing he was the Scion of Arthur, as his father was before him. At the end of the first novel in the series, he learns that his ancestor, who was said to be Arthur’s son, was actually the son of Guinevere, Arthur’s queen, and Lancelot, Arthur’s right-hand man. Before this, Nick had immense privilege within both the real world and that of the Order. However, even as the heir apparent, Nick underwent extreme training from early childhood to ensure he could properly use Arthur’s powers if he were awakened. His father, Lord Martin Davis, was cruel and cold, caring more about their family’s supposed inheritance from Arthur than anything else. Nick was trained by Erebus, who inflicted other abuse on him. Some of the worst of Nick’s abuse was when Erebus turned Selwyn—Nick’s bonded Kingsmage, who was sworn to protect him—against him.

It is clear to many of his friends that Nick suffered serious trauma growing up, yet he tries to hide it from everyone, wearing what he calls “masks” to prove he is fine. Nick often comes off as cool and collected, but people like William, Bree, and Sel can see a darker side he refuses to show. In Oathbound, Nick begins to learn about his magical inheritance. Nick is curious and intellectual, and he uses these traits to research the history of the Order, giving him more ammunition on how to destroy it. In spite of Nick’s great privilege, he also has a strong sense of justice and is willing to give up his privilege to do what is right. He is one of the few people who speak against the racism and misogyny in the Order and the real world. Yet he is also a caring and considerate friend who goes out of his way and risks his life to save the people who are most important to him.

Zoe and Elijah’s father entrusted their care and training to Erebus, whom they follow blindly toward the beginning of the novel, treating him like their king. These twins are balanced cambions, a rare form of cambion that is exactly half-human and half-demon. The twins have Rootcrafters in their family on their human side, yet they have been taught to hate the magic of the Legendborn, as it directly opposes their demon existence.

Zoe and Elijah stick together as much as they can, though Zoe is much more critical of Erebus and the demon world he commands. While Elijah will do anything for Erebus, Zoe is easily persuaded to go against him when she recognizes that Erebus is hurting others. Though part-demon, the twins also exist in the human world, where they face racism as Black teenagers. Zoe prefers the demon, where hierarchies are not based on race. As the novel progresses, Zoe gets closer to Bree, and they become good friends even though their communities are at war. Zoe also helps Bree to recognize that she can’t solve the world’s problems singlehandedly.

Mariah is a Rootcrafter and a classmate of Bree’s at the university. She helps introduce Bree to the world of Rootcrafting. Mariah also narrates several chapters in Oathbound, showing the Rootcrafters’ perspective on Bree’s adventures. Like Bree, Mariah is a Medium, though she specializes in sensing where death has been rather than communicating with her ancestors. In Bloodmarked, she introduces Bree to her family of Rootcrafters at Volition, a former plantation that Rootcrafters have reclaimed as a space to hide from their enemies and practice magic. The Grand Dame of this branch of Rootcrafters, Aunt Lucille, reads auras and acts as a matriarch to the Rootcrafters of the area. Her wife, Hazel, is a healer and helps other Rootcrafters connect with their magical selves, and she was close with Bree’s mother, Faye. They are distantly related to Valechaz, another balanced cambion who was born into enslavement hundreds of years ago. Though Valec’s motives are often in question as a demon, he has attempted to distance himself from the world of his Nightshade father and tries to help humans brokering bargains at the Crossroads Lounge. While these Rootcrafters have some of their own agendas, they are fiercely loyal to Bree and mainly concerned with her well-being. They treat Bree like family but also see her as a chosen one and hope she will fight to eliminate their enemy, the Hunter. As Rootcrafters, Mariah, Lu, Hazel, and others face discrimination in the magical community, where groups like the Order try to exploit their powers, and demons wish to consume their powers for their own gain.

William, Bree’s friend and the Scion of Gawain, narrates several chapters in Oathbound. William is one of Bree’s most loyal allies, sharing her sense of justice and denouncing the Order’s cruelty. He is a natural healer as a medical student, and his powers are only enhanced by his inheritance from Gawain. This often comes in handy when he has to tend to his friends, whom he treats as patients. Yet in helping others, William often fails to understand when he needs help. Will has many of his own traumas and has trouble separating his human life from his magical life.

Larkin Douglas is a powerful Merlin and a member of the Mageguard, who protect the High Council of Regents. Much like Will, he cares about rules and order, but is willing to bend the rules if he notices they are hurting others. He helps Bree and Will escape from the Institute in Bloodmarked and has a particular interest in helping Bree as he plans to be sworn in as her Kingsmage. In Oathbound, they play an important role in helping return the missing Rootcrafter girls, and they tell the story from the point of view of those inside the Order. In the chapters William narrates, Deonn also explores the growing romance between Will and Lark.

Natasia Kane is another narrator in Oathbound and the mother of Selwyn Kane. She is a powerful Merlin who was Oathed to be the Kingsmage of Martin Davis, Nick’s father, but she began to succumb to her demonia and lose her humanity. As a scientist, Natasia experimented and was able to fend off her demonia with the help of her best friend, an herbalist and Rootcrafter named Faye Matthews. Natasia had a special bond with Faye, whom she didn’t know was a Scion of Arthur until long after her death. Natasia promised to look after Faye’s daughter and husband, and even came to console Bree in the hospital the night Faye died. Natasia was imprisoned by the Order but escaped, while they told her son that she had died in battle. When she tried to visit Selwyn, Natasia was attacked by other Merlins who told that they would kill Sel if she visited again. She has hidden in the Appalachian mountains since escaping from the Order, constantly moving for fear of being found, unaware that her old friend Erebus has kept tabs on her all those years. She tries desperately to help Selwyn when Erebus brings him to her, not wanting her son to endure what she has. Yet her promise to Faye outweighs her promises to her son, and she is willing to protect Bree even if it means stopping Selwyn.