The Lion & the Deathless Dark

In the present, Kyrene awakens in a lavish room in Vaktrana, the capital city of the vampiric House of Blood. She instinctively attacks the vampire woman tending to her, but the fight is broken up by the arrival of Septimus, who introduces the woman as his sister, Calista. Kyrene sees that Septimus is severely injured from their battle with the gods Ix and Kajmar, with dark bruises on his throat and red rings darkening his irises. She confronts him, asking why he stopped her from taking a clear shot at the goddess Nyaxia. Septimus agrees to explain everything and leads her to his private chambers to talk.

In his chambers, Septimus reveals that he hates the smell of the cigarillos he chain-smokes, but they slow down the effects of the Bloodborn curse. He confesses that his true goal has always been to kill Nyaxia. He explains that his hatred for her began when he was a child and saw the head of his brother, Gaius, delivered in a box after Gaius did everything right to fulfill Nyaxia’s demands, yet was killed by her anyway. 

Using seer magic, Septimus shows Kyrene that the Vindica Ultis is fated to kill Nyaxia using Shiket’s five remaining swords—Zefiah’s siblings—an act that will restore the sun to the world. To justify the suffering his war has caused, he shows Kyrene visions of other potential futures, all of which end in the world’s destruction by warring gods. He admits to spending a decade orchestrating events to weaken Nyaxia. Their conversation is interrupted by Septimus’s young brother, Alric. Kyrene realizes that Alric is the reason Septimus declared, “[T]his ends with me” (324). He intends to be the last brother sacrificed so Alric is spared.

Kyrene returns to her room and confronts Zefiah, who is furious that Kyrene failed to kill Nyaxia when she had the chance. Zefiah accuses Kyrene of letting her growing feelings for Septimus cloud her judgment and of wanting to be the hero he sees in her. Zefiah declares she will withdraw her magic, conserving her energy so she can guarantee Kyrene a quick death when the time comes. 

Distraught, Kyrene seeks out Septimus and finds him with Alric. They share a vulnerable conversation about their past traumas, and Kyrene tells him about her former pregnancy and the daughter she lost. Septimus reassures her of her strength, and Kyrene tells him Alric is lucky to have a brother like him. Deeply moved, they formally agree to continue their mission to kill Nyaxia together.

After falling asleep on the couch next to Septimus, Kyrene is jolted awake by his guard, Ilia. Ilia reports that the Nightborn army is assaulting Vaktrana, dropping explosive Nightfire all over the city. Septimus realizes the attack is likely retaliation for him manipulating them in the House of Shadow, with their anger probably stoked by Queen Egrette. To protect his family and his city, Septimus sends Alric to a hidden safe room with Ilia. Knowing he is the true target of the invasion, Septimus prepares to flee with Kyrene, hoping to draw the Nightborn forces away from the capital.

Septimus leads Kyrene deep beneath the palace to a series of secret aethergates. They pass his father, the king, who has long since succumbed to the Bloodborn curse and has grown web-like tendrils to protect the castle. Septimus uses his own blood magic to destroy the other gates, ensuring no one can follow them. He and Kyrene escape through the final gate to Hegaella just as it collapses.

Kyrene arrives alone in the ruins of Hegaella. With Zefiah’s magic withdrawn, she struggles to fight off several soulless. Finally, Septimus appears, revealing a monstrous level of power as he uses his own blood as a weapon to slaughter the creatures.

Septimus points to Shiket’s ruined temple, explaining that this is where the five “blades” lie, waiting for the Vindica Ultis to retrieve them. Kyrene sees that Septimus is losing control to his curse. His eyes have turned red with bloodlust, and he warns her to keep away. They are then ambushed by Oraya, the Nightborn queen.

Oraya grievously wounds Septimus. To save him, Kyrene shoves his incapacitated body off a ledge into the ravine below and faces Oraya alone. Though she sustains serious injuries, Kyrene manages to impale Oraya with a piece of gold debris from the temple, still glowing with Shiket’s divine power. As Oraya reels, Septimus reappears and uses his blood magic to briefly restrain her. Kyrene seizes the opening to shatter Oraya’s wing with Zefiah before pushing her off a balcony, where she is swarmed by soulless.

After the fight, Septimus is completely consumed by his curse’s bloodlust. He begs Kyrene to stay away, but she refuses to abandon him. To force him to ingest the calming drug he uses to manage his curse, Kyrene smokes one of his cigarillos herself. She then offers her throat to him, knowing the drug in her blood will pull him back from the brink. He feeds from her, and the intense act—fueled by his bloodlust, the drug, and their repressed desire—becomes highly sexual, culminating in both of them reaching orgasm. Having lost a significant amount of blood, Kyrene collapses into unconsciousness.

Kyrene awakens to Septimus healing her wounds. He is furious, revealing that the Bloodborn curse can be transmitted through feeding if the vampire has lost control, meaning she was in grave danger of being Turned. The risk is even greater when the curse is in its final stages, as his is. Kyrene presses him on how much time he has left; he says only “enough.” Before they can speak further, an army of automatons attacks. The ruined temple collapses under the assault, and Kyrene and Septimus are sent falling.

Kyrene and Septimus survive the fall but are immediately captured by the goddess of machinery, Srana. Srana, now more powerful after absorbing the magic of the dead gods Ix and Kajmar, reveals that she cannot enter the temple of Hegaella herself due to Shiket’s lingering godlight. She therefore intends to mechanically remake Kyrene’s body into a vessel to claim Shiket’s power. Kyrene breaks free and runs into the temple, which is now on fire, hoping to seize the power for herself before Srana can. The temple doors slam shut, trapping her inside alone as she is surrounded by living corpses. She realizes that Srana has reanimated the bodies of Shiket’s followers who died there.

Septimus breaks through a window, willingly entering the deadly, godlight-filled temple to help her. He cuts his own arms, and tendrils emerge from his blood, attacking the corpse-automatons. Despite their combined efforts, they are overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies and dragged into the central courtyard, the site of Shiket’s death. Another automaton approaches, and Kyrene is shocked to see it has Mirie’s face.

Kyrene is furious, realizing Srana “defiled” Mirie’s dead body by turning her into an automaton. Another automaton with Marko’s face pins her down, and the corpse of Valentina approaches, wielding the divine spear that Srana had taken from Kyrene. As Valentina’s corpse prepares to strike, the Nyaxia appears in the sky, and Septimus silently signals to Kyrene to seize the moment. Kyrene wrenches the spear from Valentina’s hands and hurls it at Srana. As the spear flies, Septimus uses his blood magic to give it a final, powerful push, ensuring it strikes and kills the goddess. Srana’s mechanical body shatters into thousands of flaming pieces.

As Srana dies, Septimus embraces Kyrene. When Nyaxia descends on them, Septimus feigns loyalty to her, giving Kyrene time to act on their plan. Kyrene grabs one of Shiket’s five swords from the rubble, but when she strikes Nyaxia, the weapon shatters harmlessly.

Kyrene tries to strike Nyaxia with Zefiah, but the goddess destroys the divine blade. Capturing Kyrene, she begins to choke her. As Septimus begs for Kyrene’s life, Nyaxia mocks his misplaced trust. She then reveals the truth to a horrified Septimus: Kyrene is not the prophesied Vindica Ultis; she was merely the one to kill her.