Throne of the Fallen

Camilla arrives at Malice Isle. Blade, the vampire who’d kidnapped her, drags her before Zarus. When the vampire prince touches her, Camilla loses all bodily autonomy and watches in horror as Zarus poises himself to drink her blood. Blade intervenes, counseling Zarus not to anger Envy, because Wrath, Envy’s brother, is seeking an opportunity to attack them. 

Blade ushers Camilla out on Zarus’s command. When they are out of earshot, he confronts her for not putting up more of a fight against Zarus. He tells her to lock the door to her room. Camilla reflects on how Golath had planted the name Prometheus in her mind. She suspects he wanted her to be captured by the vampires. When Blade returns, he offers to bite her so that other vampires—including Zarus—will no longer take an interest in her. When she refuses, he brings her to the dining room.

Envy hurries through Bloodwood Forest, knowing from Golath’s clue that Zarus must die, and Envy must orchestrate a regicide. As he strides along, he comes upon the Curse Tree, planted by the Crone. It hexes the people whose names are carved in its trunk, and Envy sees his true name, Leviaethan, on the trunk. 

He senses a Fae man watching him, and just as he’s about to kill him, Vittoria appears and orders Envy to stop. Envy deduces that the Fae man is a player in Lennox’s game, and Vittoria gave him Envy’s true name as a reward for making a glamour that made the Fae look like Envy. Vittoria propositions Envy, but he turns her down. She then offers to kill the Fae in exchange for Envy’s heart. Envy knows that if the Fae lives, the Curse Tree’s hex will take effect. He accepts her bargain, and Vittoria tears out his heart.

When Camilla arrives at the dining room, she finds vampires “dining” on humans—one of which is Vexley. He offers to marry her again as his succubus lover drags him away. Blade informs Camilla that Vexley has been granted asylum in Malice Isle by the Unseelie King, marking him as a player in Lennox’s game. 

When she finds Vexley again, he tries to ignore her by having sex with the succubus. Camilla is relentless with her questioning, and Vexley eventually admits that his first clue in the game was Camilla’s father’s portal key—one of the two objects he’d used to extort her. He admits to having traded it for his next clue. 

Blade tries to leave with Camilla, but Zarus takes an interest and demands that Camilla stay while Blade is sent away. Zarus perches her on his lap as he sits on the throne. As he is about to bite her neck, Envy steals her from him.

Envy and Zarus have a standoff over Camilla. Envy realizes that Camilla hadn’t believed he would come back for her. He offers a challenge: Zarus’s life for Camilla’s. Zarus accepts. Later, privately, Camilla unleashes her anger on Envy. 

Blade enters to speak with Envy, and Camilla understands that Blade is one of Envy’s spies. Camilla slaps Envy, believing he had her kidnapped, but he denies it. Blade tells them that Zarus plans to poison Envy during their duel. Camilla tells Envy it would be easier to leave her behind, but he knows she is more than she seems. He reminds her that he needs her to win the game.

Camilla watches the challenge unfold in the arena from a royal box she shares with Blade. Alexei arrives and gives her two silver cuffs with rosary peas, which are lethal to vampires. Alexei then explains how Zarus provoked Wrath, leading to the end of his reign. 

As the battle begins, Alexei reassures Camilla that Envy will not lose. Camilla watches as Envy fights off monsters like the Canidae and the Kiadara, while also fighting with Zarus. In the onslaught, Envy never uses his magic.

Envy defeats all the monsters, despite being impaired from his missing heart. He sustains injuries and is infected by hellebane poison. When he incapacitates Zarus, he learns that Lennox promised Zarus one of his daughters in exchange for siding with him. 

Though Zarus tries to forfeit, Envy offers the killing blow to Blade, who takes it. Blade demands the vampires’ allegiance, despite not having the trademark icy blue eyes of vampire royals (his are crimson red). Alexei is the first to bow to him, and the others follow suit.

Camilla paces in her chambers, waiting for Envy to return. However, Vexley and his succubus find him first. He once again presses her to accept his marriage proposal, attempting to take her with him as a consolation prize for losing the game. Furious, Camilla unleashes all the power she’s hidden for years and kills him. Envy enters as Vexley slumps over and, without judgment, offers his hand. She takes it, and he teleports them out of the vampire court.

They arrive at a private cottage in Envy’s circle, where Wolf, an Unseelie Fae, is waiting for them. Wolf says he is only verifying whether certain rumors about Envy are true. He leaves, but Envy is jealous of the fact that Camilla recognized Wolf. 

In the cottage, Envy wonders what Camilla might be as he considers his wounds. Camilla enters, openly admiring Envy’s tattooed House symbol on his back before administering a salve to his wounds. She notices his missing heart, but when she expresses sympathy, Envy is curt with her. When she attempts to leave, he kisses her.

Camilla and Envy share a tender moment, which is bittersweet for Camilla. She knows that Envy is only interested in games, both Lennox’s and the one she and he seem to be playing. She decides to take a bath and, just as she resolves to put distance between them, Envy enters the bathroom. He is unapologetic for changing the dynamic of their game and reignites their flirtation before leaving. Camilla loudly masturbates to taunt him.

No clues have been provided for the next step in Lennox’s game. Envy goes over his encounter with Wolf, looking for a clue in their conversation. Camilla comes to find him while wearing his House colors, which affects him. She solves the clue Wolf provided when he called her “winter lady,” an anagram for “dearly twins.” Envy announces he needs to go to House Envy but Camilla will remain behind. His wording makes it seem as if he is meeting someone, which makes Camilla think of the memory he’d shared of Vittoria.

Camilla decides to go find Wolf and sees him near the edge of Envy’s circle. She confronts him, asking about the message she believes he has for her. He tries to entice her to come to the Unseelie court. 

Wolf asks if she remembers what she is, but she avoids the question. She asks him what the “dearly twins” refers to, and he tells her it’s an old name for the Twin Pillars of Faerie. Wolf demands that Camilla tell him what she is. She tells him that while she might be Fae, she is not part of his court. Wolf reminds her that he isn’t her enemy before letting her go.

Envy calls for Alexei, and together, they clear the bodies of his court members who’d fallen into the memory fog before Vittoria arrives. Alexei suggests Envy stoke more of his sin since he is growing weak and recommends using Camilla and Vittoria for it. Envy orders his servants not to let anyone enter once they close the doors. 

When Vittoria arrives, Envy accepts her proposition to sleep with her, believing it might bring him the next clue. However, Envy can’t get aroused. Vittoria suspects Envy is in love, but he denies it. She spells out a fantasy about him and Camilla to arouse him, and Envy is entranced until he hears a commotion outside his throne room.

Camilla arrives at House Envy, finds the butler, and demands to see Envy. As she follows the butler, she notices the streaks of blood and broken glass throughout. She realizes that Envy has been trying to hide the dire state of his House from everyone. When Camilla hears Vittoria’s voice, she forces her way into the throne room. Jealousy rips through Camilla, but when Envy introduces Vittoria as the “dear twin” of his sister-in-law, Camilla understands he is trying to decipher the next clue. 

Envy orders Alexei to escort Vittoria out and demands to know if Camilla slept with Wolf. She admits to having done so once a long time ago. She realizes he believes history is repeating itself: His mortal lover is once again being charmed by an Unseelie Fae. 

Camilla admits that her mother’s locket wards her against Unseelie males. Envy correctly guesses that she is Fae but assumes that she is Seelie. He admits that he would have slept with Vittoria if it meant getting the next clue, which hurts Camilla. She tells him she’s deciphered the last clue—that it refers to the Twin Pillars—and goads him by stating she’ll return to Wolf. Envy offers to spend the night with her, as per his rule. She accepts.

Camilla and Envy have sex.

During their night together, Envy requests that she use his true name, Leviaethan. Camilla requests to have sex on his throne.