The Blood Traitor (the Prison Healer, #3)

The third and final installment in the Prison Healer trilogy is set in Wenderall, a fantasy continent of eight kingdoms where the Vallentis family rules Evalon and the Corentine descendants have long sought to reclaim the throne they believe was stolen from their ancestor, Torvin. In the previous book, Kiva Corentine's sister Zuleeka used an ancient dagger called the Eye of the Gods to steal Crown Prince Jaren Vallentis's elemental magic and seize the Evalonian throne alongside Princess Mirryn Vallentis, who betrayed her own family. Kiva, who had fallen in love with Jaren while secretly spying for her family, tried to stop Zuleeka but failed. Zuleeka then drugged Kiva and shipped her back to Zalindov, the brutal death prison where Kiva spent the previous decade.

A prologue set years earlier reveals that Tilda Corentine, the Rebel Queen and Kiva's mother, discovered that Zuleeka had been killing people with inherited death magic while Tilda took the blame. Horrified, Tilda confided in her closest adviser, Galdric Shaw, and they devised a secret plan.

Kiva awakens in Zalindov burning with fever, severely addicted to angeldust, the drug the transfer guards used to keep her sedated. Cresta Voss, a fellow prisoner and former rebel informant, nurses Kiva through weeks of agonizing withdrawal while keeping her alive in the tunnels, the prison's deadliest work assignment. During time locked together in the Abyss, a pitch-black isolation cell, Cresta challenges Kiva to reclaim her will to live. Kiva resolves to fight for the people she loves: Jaren, his cousin Caldon, Tipp, a young boy who had served as her assistant in Zalindov's infirmary, the guard Naari, and her brother Torell.

Mirraven soldiers escort Kiva north to Blackmount Castle in Zadria, Mirraven's capital, where King Navok reveals a devastating truth: he intends to marry Kiva, not Zuleeka. Their mother Tilda had offered a daughter to Navok as part of a deal to ally the rebels with Mirraven's forces, and Navok insisted on Kiva specifically. When Kiva cannot summon her healing magic on command, Navok has his anomaly Xuru—an elemental fire-wielder, one of Wenderall's rare individuals with innate magical powers—burn her shoulder. Kiva's lady's maid then reveals herself as Ashlyn Vallentis, Caldon's older sister and general of Evalon's armies, who has been spying on Navok for months. Ashlyn orchestrates their escape along with Galdric, who had been held in Navok's dungeon. Galdric reveals he can "windfunnel," transporting people through the sky at extraordinary speed, and launches all three hundreds of miles to Stoneforge, Evalon's northern military base.

At Stoneforge, Kiva finds Jaren, Caldon, Naari, Tipp, Torell, and Cresta. The reunion is painful: Jaren walks past Kiva without a word. Caldon embraces her and explains that Jaren hates himself more than anyone. Kiva learns that Jaren's father, King Stellan, died during the turmoil, and Naari lies in a magical coma from Zuleeka's death magic. Jaren demands Kiva heal Naari, but her power fails completely.

Galdric provides critical revelations: every atrocity attributed to the Rebel Queen was actually Zuleeka's doing, and Kiva's healing magic can permanently destroy Zuleeka's death magic. He also reveals the Hand of the Gods, four ancient elemental rings that, combined with both Vallentis and Corentine magic, can grant elemental powers to anyone. The ancient queen Sarana Vallentis separated the rings and hid them across four kingdoms to prevent misuse. Galdric claims Navok tortured this knowledge from him. Kiva realizes the Hand could restore Jaren's stolen magic, and the group sets out to retrieve the rings.

That night, Kiva confronts her fear of her own power and heals Naari in a blaze of golden light. Her magic responds to love rather than conscious command, a breakthrough Jaren later helps refine. Over weeks of travel, the group collects rings from three kingdoms. In the kingdom of Jiirva, they must survive the Arzavaar, a deadly arena trial against six warrior-women, during which Kiva kills an opponent to save Naari, an act that haunts her. In the kingdom of Hadris, a Mystican, or mind-reading fortune-teller, named Zofia Sage holds the second ring and forces Kiva to choose between two fears as payment: kiss Jaren or drink a vial of angeldust. Refusing to impose a kiss on someone she believes wants nothing to do with her, Kiva drinks the drug and endures a night of delirium during which she unknowingly confesses her love for Jaren while he listens from across the room.

On a treacherous salt mountain in the kingdom of Valorn, Jaren engineers a private climb with Kiva. After a near-fatal fall, they confront their feelings. Jaren confesses he was never angry about her lies, only that she never trusted him enough to tell the truth. They declare their love, kiss in the rain, and retrieve the third ring from a cave at the summit.

Ashlyn arrives with urgent news: Navok's anomalies have infiltrated Vallenia, Evalon's capital, coerced into fighting by the kidnapping of their families. The group splits, with Ashlyn, Torell, and Eidran, a Royal Guard and expert spy, racing to defend the capital. In the kingdom of Arden, Queen Lorah reveals in the forest capital of Nerine that Sarana never gave the fourth ring away: it is the Royal Signet, currently in the possession of Jaren's family at the River Palace.

Kiva and her companions arrive at Vallenia to find the palace ablaze with battle. In the queen's chambers, Kiva frees Queen Ariana, Jaren's mother; Mirryn; and Jaren's younger brother Oriel from Zuleeka's shadow magic. But Galdric enters with Navok, who holds Tipp at knifepoint. Galdric reveals his betrayal: he was never Navok's prisoner but his partner, having orchestrated the entire quest so Kiva would collect the rings and use the Hand on him. He confesses to poisoning Caldon with necros adder venom and declares him dead.

Navok threatens Tipp's life unless Kiva uses the Hand. Ariana hands over the Signet and glances subtly at Kiva's amulet, confirming what Kiva has suspected: the four rings were always fakes, rigged by Sarana as a lethal trap. When Kiva places the fake rings on her own fingers and presses her glowing palm to Galdric's chest, ancient fire consumes him instantly. The real Hand of the Gods was melted down and reforged into the Vallentis amulet Kiva has worn around her neck all along.

Kiva sprints to the bridge where Jaren fights, slams the amulet against his chest, and channels her healing magic through it. The crest cracks apart as Jaren's elemental powers surge back to life. Cresta then steps forward beside Princess Serafine, Navok's sister, and reveals her true identity: she is Crestoria Kildarion, also Navok's sister, long believed dead. She challenges Navok to a blood duel under Mirraven law and drives her sword through his chest, claiming the throne.

Zuleeka emerges from hiding, drawn by Kiva's golden glow, and attacks with waves of shadow magic. Kiva meets every strike with healing light until her power seems to overwhelm the darkness. But Zuleeka pulls out the Eye of the Gods and throws it at Jaren. Kiva dives into the blade's path, taking it in the stomach. The dagger drains her healing magic permanently. With her last strength, Kiva rips the blade free and slashes Zuleeka's cheek, and the Eye destroys the death magic on contact. The shadows vanish forever.

Kiva wakes nearly a week later to find Caldon alive beside her. Zofia had given Tipp a vial of antidote with cryptic instructions weeks earlier, and Tipp forced it down Caldon's throat after the poisoning. Kiva accepts the permanent loss of her magic, telling Jaren she made the choice willingly. She resolves to study at Silverthorn Academy as she always dreamed.

One month later, Kiva travels to Zalindov for two final acts. She and Torell watch as their unrepentant sister is transferred into the prison for life. Jaren presents Warden Rooke, Zalindov's brutal longtime overseer, with a letter from all eight kingdom rulers, stripping his position and sentencing him to imprisonment. Reforms follow: prisoners will eventually earn their freedom rather than serving automatic death sentences. As Kiva looks up at Zalindov's walls, she realizes the prison no longer holds power over her. She turns to Jaren and asks what happens next. He leans close and whispers: "Now, we dream."