The Primal of Blood and Bone

Several mortals and Atlantians die in the sea-attack. Back at Wayfair, Poppy teaches Kieran how to utilize his power of life to heal the injured. Cas worries Poppy is spreading herself too thin, since she lost a lot of eather during the battle at sea.

Later, when Cas and Poppy are alone in their chambers, they are hit by another quake. Poppy tells Cas that the quake indicates that one of the gods who helped them is dead. Afterwards, Poppy and Cas find solace in each other by making love.

Reaver visits the royal chambers with a message, enraging Cas to such an extent that Cas transforms into his cave cat form before Poppy’s disbelieving eyes. Poppy is speechless because theoretically Deminyen Primals—who are like the Ancients, rather than true Primals—should not be able to shapeshift so quickly after Ascension. As Cas turns on Reaver, Poppy pets Cas’s soft fur, asking him to return to her. The great cat licks her hand, and shifts back to Cas. As the two hug, Reaver dryly reminds them that it is not a great idea for the Queen of Gods, who is about to visit, to find Cas and Poppy mid-coitus.

Poppy and Cas scramble to their feet as they realize Seraphena is on her way to visit them. Cas asks Reaver to summon Kieran.

Sera’s presence announces itself through a warm breeze that smells of fresh lilacs. She steps out of a portal, dressed in a simple black tunic over breeches and boots. Poppy notes that she looks exactly like Millicent, which makes Poppy feel a little jealous.

Despite Cas and Kieran’s protective stances around Poppy, Sera approaches her and touches her forehead to her granddaughter’s. She playfully refers to Cas and Kieran as Poppy’s “husbands.” She tells the trio she is there because she is very concerned about the events in the mortal realm. Rhahar, one of the two Gods who helped the Atlantians during the leviathan attack, has died, after pushing his cousin Saion out of harm’s way and taking Kolis’s lightning bolt on himself.

Sera explains that Rhahar sacrificed his life to save not just his cousin, but their entire realm. Since Saion is a god of the Court of the Sea, his death would have meant the realm being submerged under water. Sera thanks Poppy for bringing her sons—Ires and Malec—home. As Sera relives the pain of separation from her sons, Poppy senses the rage in her emotions, enough to destroy realms. Poppy can tell the rage is why people say Sera is more impetuous than Poppy.

Poppy seizes Sera’s hand to bring her back. Sera tells Poppy that Kolis has nearly regained his corporeal form. As of now, he is feeding on hordes of Ascended and Revenants in Pensdurth to regain his strength. Poppy has to be the one to kill Kolis. Cas dislikes the suggestion, and speaks testily with Sera. Sera likes his protectiveness toward his heartmate, but reminds him that Poppy, as the Primal of Life and Death, needs no protection.

Sera and Nyktos would have fought Kolis themselves, but as Primals of a Court who are imbalanced in the mortal realm, they may end up destroying the world in the process. However, Sera will send Attes—who does not have a Court—to aid Poppy in her battle against Kolis. Just then, Reaver arrives, requesting Sera to awaken Jadis.

Cas, Poppy, and Sera shadowstep to Ironspire. As they await Reaver, Poppy asks Sera about Cas’s lineage. Sera reluctantly reveals that Cas is descended from Attes and his brother Kyn, the God of Peace and Vengeance. Attes was forced to kill Kyn, who was loyal to Kolis. Attes, Kyn, and Poppy are tied in mysterious ways, but it is best that Attes does the rest of the explaining.

After Reaver flies in, the group descend to the catacombs to break Jadis out of her tomb. Sera places both her and Poppy’s hands over the stone. It takes a while, but the stone cracks, revealing a tiny, scarred Jadis. When Jadis transforms into her human form, Sera is shocked to see the wounds all over her body—signs that Isbeth tortured her. A traumatized Jadis weeps, telling Sera she does not want to wake up. Sera hugs and comforts the young draken. On Sera’s command, Reaver takes Jadis to Ileesium to heal.

Sera asks Poppy for a private word, but Cas refuses. Poppy agrees that Sera can be frank in Cas’s presence. Sera acquiesces. Giving Poppy a brief overview of her history, Sera explains how both she and Poppy are from the Miriel bloodline—the first mortals created by Ethyos. Sotoria, a second daughter of the bloodline and the ancestor of both Sera and Poppy, caught the eye of Kolis. Kolis chased an unwilling Sotoria, who fell to her death from the Cliffs of Sorrow. Defying the natural order, Kolis had Sotoria resurrected; she chose death again rather than submit to him. Since Kolis cursed Sotoria with rebirth till she agrees to serve him, Sotoria has seen many lives. She was also reborn in Sera.

Sera removed Sotoria’s essence from herself, hiding it in the indestructible Star Diamond. However, Kolis eventually stole the Star Diamond and Sotoria’s soul was released. By the time Sera and Nyktos learned the prophecy around their descendant, Sera was already pregnant with Ires and Malec. Sera and Nyktos chose not to have subsequent children so as not to expand their bloodline and cause Sotoria to be reborn. Ires and Malec too were not supposed to procreate, but Ires was forced into sexual encounters with Isbeth. Millicent and Poppy were conceived, even though Sera and Nyktos had not willed it. This means that Poppy, the second daughter of Ires and Isbeth, is Sotoria reborn.

Sera’s words—“It’s true. You are Sotoria” (881)—send ripples of revulsion through Poppy. Poppy recalls her dreams of imprisonment, violation, and the golden cage—and now recognizes them as memories of Sotoria. As Poppy recounts her terrible dreams, Cas begins to transform into his primal self, his bones glowing silver under crimson shadows. Sera chides Cas that his potential reaction is the reason she had wanted to speak to Poppy alone. Cas calms down and admits his mistake. However, he wants to make it clear that Poppy is her own person, not Sotoria. Sera agrees, telling Cas and Poppy that though Poppy contains Sotoria’s soul, she is a separate individual.

The reason Poppy has the power to kill Kolis is that Kolis loves Sotoria. Love is a fatal weakness in a Primal, one which the object of their affection can use to stab them dead through the heart. Sera reiterates her point that Poppy must fight Kolis alone, since the Joining will not protect Cas and Kieran from Kolis. As the true Primal of Death, Kolis has the power to sever any bond, including that of the Joining.

Sera tells Poppy she must control her emotions around Kolis, since he can sense her heightened feelings. She gives Poppy a dagger of Ancient bone with a moon-shaped pommel, so she can kill Kolis. Poppy surprises Sera and Cas by her ability to touch the bone without it burning her. Sera is sure Poppy’s unique ability has a portentous meaning, which will reveal itself in time.

Poppy wants to know if the dagger can kill a Fate. Sera is sure it can. Like Poppy, Sera too feels that the Fates cannot be trusted. Sera hugs Poppy and leaves, asking Cas to promise to protect Poppy. Cas asks Poppy about her plans to kill a Fate. Poppy tells him that she does intend to carry out her plan, though she does not reveal that the first on her list is Lirian.

Poppy seeks out Cas for lovemaking. Uncharacteristically, Cas refuses, shocking Poppy. She asks him if he refuses her because she is Sotoria. Cas responds in the affirmative.

Cas’s yes stuns Poppy. However, he explains that it does not mean that he is repulsed by Poppy; rather, he wants her to first share her feelings about being Sotoria. Poppy counters that they need to talk about Cas’s feelings, starting with his strange new dynamic with Kieran. Cas refuses as he thinks the current discussion is more pressing. Poppy and Cas argue. Poppy tells Cas that sometimes she thinks he is not Casteel anymore, sensing a dark, angry primal force in him.

When Poppy is alone in Wayfair, she recalls Sera’s words about hiding Sotoria’s soul in the Star Diamond. The fact that Poppy is Sotoria reborn indicates that someone freed Sotoria’s soul from the diamond. Poppy knows that someone is Isbeth, her own mother. To confirm this hunch, Poppy visits the vault in the castle, home of the treasures of the Blood Crown. She finds the broken diamond in a glass jewelry case. Poppy sits in the dark, reflecting on Isbeth’s malice. The knowledge that her mother was so cruel nearly brings on another panic attack, but Poppy forces herself to stay together for the sake of those she loves.