Furyborn

***Furyborn*** is the first novel in *The Empirium Trilogy*. It was written by Claire Legrand, and was originally published on May 22, 2018 by Sourcebooks Fire. The next book in the series is *Kingsbane*.

## Summary

"When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed... unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable – until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world — and of each other."

## Dedication

"*For Brittany, who knew Celdaria first*"

The book is dedicated to Brittany Cicero, who read through the first draft of *Furyborn*.

## Plot

### An End and a Beginning

Simon listens as Queen Rielle gives birth to his kingdom's princess. What might have been a joyous occasion is tempered by their harsh reality: the Gate has fallen, King Audric is dead, and Corien- the leader of the angels- is on his way to Celdaria. And all because of Rielle, the long feared Blood Queen.

On top of all that is the fact that the empirium is eating away at Rielle's mind and body; she will not have much longer to live. Despite her dreadful condition, Rielle understands that she has done deplorable acts against her own kind. While she does not ask for Simon's forgiveness, she does make one final request: bring her daughter to Borsvall where they might seek asylum. Rielle gives Simon one last parting remark of confidence before placing a pendant around her daughter's neck and leaving to confront Corien.

While Rielle deals with the angel, Simon taps into his marque magic and creates a portal that will transport him and the baby to Borsvall. During this process, an oddly familiar voice goads him on. Unfortunately, Simon does not get to complete his Queen's request; just as Rielle dies violently, her last act of magic winds up changing his spell, thrusting Simon and the princess into a ring of darkness.

### Chapter 1

Two years beforehand, Rielle sits in Taliesin's office. She discusses a few recent events with him: the murder of a Borsvall royal, slave rebellions, and strange storms that have been appearing out of season in countries as far away as Ventera and Astavar. Taken individually, these events might not mean anything, but together they could be signs that the Queens of Prophecy are going to appear soon.

Taliesin brushes off her concerns, instead focusing on where she got this information. Rielle admits that she snuck into Audric's office and happened to read some reports that had been left out on his desk. Taliesin gently but firmly reminds Rielle that she and Audric are no longer children; behaviors that were acceptable in their youth will be scrutinized now.

Changing the subject, Talisin brings up the Boon Chase and Rielle's participation in it. Or, to be more precise, that both he and her father agree that she should not take part. Rielle points out that if it was up to her father, she would be kept locked up or in a drugged-induced sleep for days. Taliesin agrees with her assessment, but he believes that the only reason Armand keeps such a tight leash on her is out of love.

What Taliesin sees as love, Rielle sees as imprisonment. Needing an outlet for her frustration, Rielle grabs a nearby candle, the wick immediately bursting into flames. As other candles follow suit, Taliesin grabs his shield. Placing a reassuring hand on Rielle's shoulder, he begins to recite a prayer. While initially reluctant, Rielle does end up joining him, the prayer calming her down until it leaves her feeling empty.

Soon after the temple bells ring eleven times, an acolyte enters the office with some worrying news: Ludivine Sauvillier has fainted on temple grounds. Suspecting that she and Rielle are up to something, Taliesin sends Rielle one last veiled warning before leaving. While Taliesin is busy tending to her friend, Rielle sneaks out of the temple, climbs onto her horse, and rides to the city's gates.

### Chapter 2

Over one thousand years in the future, Eliana the bounty hunter is in the middle of tracking down an infamous Red Crown rebel when she hears a scream. Screams are not that unusual in the slums of Orline, but this one makes Eliana worry. There have been a string of women and girls disappearing, yet any clues as to the how or why behind these disapperences have not been found. Furthermore, rumors have popped up that a hole in the sky has appeared in either Celdaria or the Sunderlands.

Another scream resounds throughout the Barrens, this one accompanied by a strange sensation that leaves a sour feeling within Eliana. As she and her lover, Harkan, discuss whether or not the sensation was caused by an adatrox, a third scream cuts off their conversation. Unable to keep on ignoring the sound of people in danger, Eliana removes one of her daggers from its scabbard and goes to partake in a little detective work.

During her search, Eliana jumps off of a dock, falling about 100 feet but sustaining no injuries. Her nigh invulnerability is something she has had for as long as she can remember. While it is certainly useful in her line of work, it often causes her to act recklessly, a fault that Remy, her younger brother, has to periodically remind her of. Yet, Eliana cannot help but want to show off, in no small part because it keeps her from wondering why she has this ability in the first place.

Using the strange sensation as a guide, Eliana manages to catch up to a group of three masked figures at the edge of a pier. She wonders who they are and if they belong to an organization when her attention is caught by a chilling sight: a group of bound and gagged women and girls, piled at the bottom of a boat. One of the masked figures is standing inside the boat as the other two are handing over another bound girl.

Her anger igniting, Eliana whips out another dagger and proceeds to take down the two kidnappers on the pier. She taunts the third but before she can kill them, two more masked figures emerge, each carrying a small bundle. They toss the bundles towards the figure on the boat before engaging Eliana in a fight. One of them manages to get a couple hits on her, but her healing ability quickly negates all pain. After killing another kidnapper, the sick feeling returns in full force, so much so that it makes Eliana double over. While she is incapacitated, the remaining kidnappers flee on the boat. Eliana tries to go after them but she is stopped by Harkan, who reminds her that pursuing the kidnappers is not their mission.

Later that night, Eliana and Harkan await on top of some houses within Orline's Old Quarter. They have figured out that Quill, they rebel they have been hunting, will be meeting up with a group of Red Crown sympathizers in the courtyard these houses border. Sure enough, Quill, three other rebels and the sympathizers arrive. Unfortunately, the sympathizers in question turn out to be a mother and her three children. Dismayed, Harkan tries to signal to Eliana that they should abort the mission, but Eliana reluctantly signs back that they have to continue. She hates the idea of handing over innocent children to Arkelion, the Lord of Orline, but neither she nor Harkan can afford to let the rebels escape; if Lord Arkelion were to find out that his favorite bounty hunter had let a group of traitors go, there was no telling what would happen to her or her family.

After Eliana and Harkan enter the courtyard, a one-sided fight breaks out between the bounty hunters and the rebels. Within minutes, Quill and the eldest child are incapacitated and the additional rebels killed. In the aftermath of the fight, Eliana sees that one of the rebels killed the mother, presumably as an act of kindness.

Eliana tells Harkan to go fetch a guard. He gives her a look, one that Harkan hopes will someday get her to give up working for the Undying Empire. She just raises an eyebrow at him and Harkan capitulates, leaving the courtyard.

The following afternoon, Eliana and Harkan oversee a double execution. They stand on a balcony within a ruined temple that looks out over a square. The plaza is teeming with Orline citizens and the east end is occupied by Lord Arkelion with an Invictus member at his side. The sight of the Invictus assassin makes Eliana internally squirm. She knows that one day, she will be forced to join the organization that has kept the Empire running, that she will have to face the Emperor himself and become something far worse than a bounty hunter for the very regime that took over her home.

The eldest child and Quill are marched to the gallows with Quill the first to be beheaded. As the child cries for the first time since his capture, Eliana fiddles with the pendent around her neck. Its familiarity helps keep her grounded while dealing with her terrible reality. As the executioner prepares to behead the child, the child makes the Red Crown salute then begins to recite the Sun Queen's prayer. The executioner's sword falls before he can finish. While the citizens of Orline begin to chant for the Empire's glory, Eliana desperately fights back tears.

### Chapter 3

Soon after arriving at her sponsor's tent, Rielle enters the tent only to stop short. Audric is in the middle of changing into his riding gear, the sight of his bare torso leaving her struggling for words. She has been hopelessly in love with him for years, but she knows they cannot be together: Audric is a prince and his hand has already been pledged to Ludivine. Armand has forbidden Rielle from starting a relationship with Audric, fearing that her abilities might overshadow the prince's or she might accidentally kill him. Rielle's kept her desires to herself, but there are moments where even her tight control slips; after waking up from a carnal fantasy, she will sometimes find a broken mirror or freshly lit candles. These incidents just reinforce Armand's warnings about how dangerous her powers are.

After donning their riding gear and covering their faces with veils, Rielle and Audric get on their horses and ride to the starting line. Once all the riders and their sponsors have been announced, King Bastien Courverie makes some opening remarks then resumes his seat. The heralds blow the starting horns twice, signaling twelve masked arbiters to join the riders. After the third blow of the horn, the race officially begins. As the race progresses, one competitor aggressively knocks another racer off their horse. The aggressive competitor should have been disqualified, but the arbiters seemed to have disappeared.

Audric gets ahead of Rielle. She urges her horse onward and manages to catch up to him. Once they have reached a mountain, Rielle is forced to take a different path. After riding along a cliff side, she guides her horse through a forest. When she exists the forest and nears the pass that will lead her back to the city, she spots Audric on the ground, surrounded by seven of the now mask-less arbiters. Each one looks to be from Borsvall and all of them have their weapons raised.

### Chapter 4

After the executions, Eliana walks Harkan home. He wants her to stay with him for a bit. She hesitates at first, but eventually capitulates under the condition that she just wants to rest. They enter Harkan's apartment through his bedroom window and cuddle on his bed. He begins to recite a story in which they and Eliana's family live in Astavar, the last country free from the Empire's rule. It is a story that Eliana has heard so many times that she remembers it perfectly, right down to when she should interject.

This fantasy once consoled her, but as she grew up, she began to regard it as more wishful thinking than an achievable goal. She interrupts Harkan's recitation to point out some logical issues with this dream. Taking off her tunic, she states that she has no place in that dream world before initiating sex with him.

That evening, Eliana returns home to make dinner. Her mother, Rozen, is already at the kitchen table, working on a tinkering job, when Remy joins them. They have heard about the executions; while Rozen is understanding, Remy accuses Eliana of cowardice. Eliana reminds him that her job keeps them fed, sheltered and safe. Remy remains unconvinced, and they argue for a bit more until Eliana gives him one final reminder about the state of their world before electing to ignore him.

Later that night, Eliana is cleaning her weapons in her room when Rozen steps in. Eliana gets up from her work and helps her mother find a seat. Silence descends between them until Rozen breaks down, whispering apologies while weeping into Eliana's shoulder. She regrets teaching Eliana how to be a bounty hunter, and hopes that Eliana will let her know when she needs a break. Eliana soothes Rozen, telling her that she did the right thing, and that she will be fine.

After helping Rozen to her own room, Eliana returns to hers to find Remy sitting on her bed. Taking the space next to him, she hugs Remy fiercely. She could easily crush him, but if given the chance, her frail brother would stand up against the Emperor himself. And yet, for all her strength, she cannot find the courage to rebel against the Empire. As she reflects on this irony, she admits aloud that tracking and killing people is wearing her down. She is afraid that whoever is behind the kidnappings will come for him or Rozen next. Remy does his best to comfort her, even singing one of her favorite childhood lullabys as she drifts to sleep.

A week passes before Eliana receives a note regarding her next mission. The note is concealed between the folds of a party dress. The handwriting is that of Rahzavel, a famous figure within Invictus that has been keeping an eye on her for some time. While the actual message is simple, the subtext is clear: Rahzavel will be arriving in Orline and he wants Eliana to help him capture the Wolf, the Prophet's right hand man. Recent intelligence suggests that the Wolf is somewhere in Orline.

The reward money that Rahzavel offers is huge, both a fortune and the invitation Eliana has long feared. If she accepts this job, it is highly possible that she will be forced into joining Invictus.

Despite her dismissal of Harkan days earlier, Eliana longs for the peaceful fantasy he envisions. So much so that she has accepted more jobs over the past two years than even he is aware of. If this mission is a succes, she might finally have obtained enough money to make their dream a reality.

Throwing the note into the fire, Eliana decides to begin her hunt for the Wolf that very night.

### Chapter 5

Rielle slaps her horse's reins and charges towards Audric. She knows that one of the rules of the race is the forbidden use of weapons, up to and including castings. Without any castings to grant them access to the empirium, even the most powerful elemental is left helpless, Audric included.

Disregarding years of lessons on how to suppress her powers, Rielle lets her abilities lose. Flames blaze their way towards the pass while cracks in the ground open up behind her. Giant boulders roll down both sides of the mountain's pass. They meet in a collision that flings debris everywhere, cutting down several riders in the process. Rielle is tempted to help them, but the sight of Audric battling a firebrand commands her attention.

As she rides towards him, she struggles to stay on her horse. Another assassin uses their metalmaster powers to jerk her horse's bit to and fro. She throws a bolt of sunlight at them. The assassin goes down writhing, their charred body reminding her of her dead mother.

Despite feeling as though she herself is on fire, a dizzy euphoria fills Rielle. She can hardly think or breathe as her power rushes through her.

She hears Audric call her name. Arrows flinging past her, she tries to urge her horse further onward, but Maliya falters. When she looks down, Rielle is horrified to see that Maliya has been brutally burned and is soaked with blood. Dropping the reins, Rielle falls to the ground and frantically crawls away from Maliya as an arrow buries its way into the horse's skull.

The sounds of Audric battling one of the assassins fills Rielle with relief; he did end up bringing two small castings, each in the form of daggers. Searching for a weapon, Rielle realizes that the flames, the ripped earth, and the grotesque state of her horse was her fault. If her father did not think she was an unbalanced murderer before, he sure would now, as would everyone else who hears about what she has done.

In a desperate attempt to stop her magic, she slams her hands to the ground and commands it to cease. Flames shoot out from underneath her palms, blazing their way towards the city. Exhausted, Rielle staggers to her feet when she hears Audric shout a warning at her. Another assassin tries to kill her, but she dodges him in time. Audric leaps in front of Rielle and begins to battle the assassin. He manages to kill them, but yet another takes his place. Knowing that he will not be able to hold out for long, Rielle grabs a misplaced dagger and cuts the assassin's throat.

Rielle attempts to reach the fire she started, begging it to stop. Darkness envelopes her instead. When her legs give out beneath her, Rielle is caught by Audric before she can hit the ground. As unconsciousness claims her, she hears a soft voice whisper an introduction within her mind.

### Chapter 6

Two nights have passed since Eliana accepted the mission. Eliana's usual methods of gathering information and hunting down rebels have failed to help her find the elusive Wolf. She wonders if all of this was just some sort test from Rahzavel, and if the Wolf knows that he is being hunted and is hunting her in turn.

After a third night of failure, Eliana returns home to be greeted with one of her worst fears: Rozen has been taken. Her room is coated with that sour sensation Eliana felt a couple weeks ago. Terror keeps Eliana rooted to one spot until she hears footsteps on the floor above, right around where her own room is.

Unsheathing one of her daggers, Eliana sneaks her way out of Rozen's room and up the stairs. She hides herself behind her bedroom's open door and waits for the intruder to come out. Soon enough, a masked man exits her room. Instinct tells her that this is the Wolf.

She attacks him and he fights her back without much trouble. He shoves her down the stairs, following close behind. Before she can stand up again, he seizes her arms and pushes her over the second floor's rails. She falls two floors, suffering only minor injuries before they quickly heal.

As she stands up to fight the Wolf once again, alarm courses through her: the Wolf has heard the rumors about her incredible resilience to pain and injury. Not only did he believe them, he has just confirmed them to be true.

During their second fight, Eliana goes to strike the Wolf with one of her knives when she sees him point a revolver at her face. He orders her to drop her weapons and move until her back is against a wall. Though infuriated by his unfair advantage, she goes along with his orders. Once she can no longer move backwards, the Wolf removes the rest of her weapons. Holding one of them to her throat, he drops the gun then kicks it to the side. When he orders her to remove her mask, she does so, giving him the hardest smile she can muster.

### Chapter 7

Two days later, Rielle awakes to find herself laying atop Ludivine's bed. Ludivine sits beside her, bringing her up to date on what happened while she was unconscious: Audric is alive and well, but fifteen racers were killed. The assassins and general circumstances of the race are being blamed for their deaths. The fire Rielle created was successfully stopped before it could reach the city. King Bastien intends to interrogate her and has already done so to Armand. The citizens of Âme de la Terre are frightened and are demanding answers.

Ludivine and Rielle briefly argue about Rielle keeping her powers a secret. During a moment of calm, Rielle remembers the voice that spoke to her. She tells Ludivine about it, but Ludivine dismisses it as being part of a fever.

A maid enters Ludivine's apartment to announce that Armand has arrived to escort Rielle to the King. Ludivine and a couple maids quickly dress Rielle. As she embraces her friend, Ludivine whispers some words of encouragement before letting her go.

Taking her father's arm, Rielle exists Ludivine's rooms. Twenty guards accompany them, each one holding a sword. Initially intimidated, Rielle holds her head up high: despite the disaster the race turned into, she did ultimately save Audric's life and she does not regret that. The voice from before reappears to affirm this belief, but when Rielle tries to question its owner, she does not receive a response.

### Chapter 8

Sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, Eliana watches as the Wolf ties her hands to the stair's banister. After the Wolf takes off his mask, Eliana tries to make him angry by insulting his position and reminding him that she is responsible for killing most of his comrades.

Instead of getting angry, the Wolf offers Eliana a deal: if she assists him with his current mission, he will give her information regarding the whereabouts of her mother. As she mulls over his proposal, the Wolf tells her that he will be leaving Orline soon. Should she reject his offer, she will being giving up the opportunity to complete her own mission of capturing him, as well as any assistance in getting Rozen back. While Eliana is afraid of Lord Arkelion, the thought of never seeing her mother again terrifies her more.

Once her bindings are undone, Eliana stands up. Out from the kitchen moves Harkan, with Remy hidden further inside. When she spots them, she tells the Wolf that she will agree to his deal on one condition: Remy and Harkan must join them. The Wolf objects to this, but Eliana stands firm. When she calls him by his moniker, the Wolf tells her that if they are going to be partners then she should call him by his real name, Simon.

Harkan tries to attack Simon, but ends up getting shoved to floor and a boot placed on his throat. After Eliana repeats her conditions, Simon removes his foot, then holds out a hand to Eliana. She hesitates, the thought of Lord Arkelion resurfacing. If he finds out about her defection, she will not be the only one to suffer his retribution. However, with Red Crown's help she could potentially locate Rozen more easily and even relocate to Astavar. As Harkan implores Eliana to change her mind, she grasps Simon's hand, sealing their verbal contract.

### Chapter 9

Rielle's interrogation takes place in the Hall of the Saints. In front of her sit the King and Queen of Celdaria, Ludivine, the Archon, Audric, and the members of the King's counsel, sans Taliesin. Before them stand Armand and the armed guards. The voice returns to comfort Rielle, but with the statues of the Saints staring down at her, Rielle remembers that mind-speak was an ability that only the angels possessed.

Rielle is more comforted by Audric's presence, his body language subtly indicating that he will defend her should anyone try to attack. What worries her is the troubled look King Bastien has, so unlike the King's usually friendly demeanor.

The interrogation reveals a long held secret: when she was five years old, Rielle murdered her mother, Marise Dardenne. It was highly unlikely to be intentional; during an argument with Marise, she felt an overwhelming amount of anger build up within her. It frightened her so much that she ran out of the house, and when she looked back her home was engulfed in flames. Unfortunately, Marise did not manage to escape. Armand was able to rescue Marise from the burning building, but not before she suffered massive burns. The pain made her scream and no matter how much Rielle yelled at her to stop, she kept on going. The only thought Rielle could focus on in that moment was how much she wanted her mother's screams to end. That is when Marise's screams finally stopped at the expense of her life.

King Bastien understands that while her intent might not have been murder, the result was the same. The conspiracy of silence surrounding her erratic abilities had put all of them in danger, an act that could be considered treasonous. He brings up the multiple uses of elemental power that she displayed during the race, calling into question the extent to which her powers can go.

At this point, Ludivine's father, Lord Dervin Sauvillier, interjects with a question of his own: did she enjoy using her powers in such destructive ways? Rielle hesitates to answer at first, a fact that Dervin points out as troubling. Prodded into speaking, Rielle makes it clear that she did not enjoy the pain she caused, least of all what she did to her mother. Yet, she reminds Lord Dervin about one of the Saints' teachings: elementals should delight in the gifts that had been given to them by God. Audric supports her argument, adding that those with powerful gifts should not deny or ignore them, especially when they are dangerous. If Rielle did not have confirmation that he forgives her for her deception, she does now and the relief of it leaves her weightless.

Lord Dervin counters that Audric is able to consistently control his massive sunspinner power whereas Rielle clearly could not. Unable to stop herself, Rielle retorts that the challenge of restraining such an immense power is far more difficult for her precisely because she is more powerful than the Prince. Her audacity to proclaim such a thing keeps everyone silent until King Bastien speaks. He states Aryava's prophecy and its most popular interpretation: two Queens of considerable power will one day appear, and their arrival will presage the fall of the Gate and the angels' return. Since Rielle's powers seem to surpass those of even the Saints, King Bastien feels it necessary to determine if she is one of the Queens that Aryava foretold. If so, is she the Queen of light or the Queen of blood?

It is a question that Rielle has asked herself many times, and her fear of the answer has kept her from asking her father or mentor outright. However they go about determining an answer, Rielle understands that the outcome will shape her future.

### Chapter 10

As Eliana reminisces about her father, she prepares herself for Lord Arkelion's party. Dressed in the gown the Lord sent her, she hides several knives under the skirt before turning to Remy. She already gave Remy instructions on what to do while she assists Simon and she has him recite them back to her. Harkan enters her room then dismisses Remy. Once they are alone, Harkan asks Eliana to reassure him that she is not making some terrible mistake. She cannot do that which does oddly help him feel better.

Later that night at the Lord's palace, Eliana counts the number of adatrox guarding the ballroom while pretending to drink some wine. She spots 35, but knows that there are more stationed around various areas of the palace.

After the palace's clock tower strikes midnight, Eliana waits five minutes before winding her way through the crowd. She slips out of the ballroom, through various sitting rooms then into a servants' passage. Following the passage downward, she eventually enters a hallway that is currently being used for storage. By this point, she wonders if Simon will betray her at the last minute. Resolving herself to take him down with her should that be case, Eliana makes her way to a small supply yard. Simon is already there, dressed up in an adatrox uniform that she stole. He follows her out of the yard to the third floor of the palace, continuing until they reach a room that displays various portraits of Empire officials. Conceding the role of guide to Simon, Eliana follows him until they stop in front of the entrance to the maidensfold.

It is here where Simon explains that he has been tasked with retrieving one of the women inside, though he does not say why. He knocks on the door and two adatrox answer. Eliana lets Simon shove her into the foyer. Once they are both inside, he kills both adatrox with a sword then kicks the door closed. A passing concubine spots this, running off into the maidensfold while shouting warnings to anyone who will hear. Two more adatrox arrive, both Eliana and Simon finishing them off quickly. As one of them dies, Eliana's eyes meets those of the adatrox, their gaze sharpening for an instant before going blank. For a reason she cannot explain, Eliana felt as though some unknown presence was watching her in that moment.

The sound of dueling swords leads Eliana into one of the bathing rooms. A group of concubines are huddled in the back corner as they watch Simon try to fight off three adatrox. Eliana defeats one of them before knocking out another, one of the concubines fleeing from the bathing room. As she ponders why Simon is on this mission, one of the adatrox manages to get the better of Eliana. Before they can bring their sword down, a concubine uses a necklace to strangle Eliana's attacker.

Simon rushes over and grasps one of that concubine's wrists. Leading the woman towards the entrance of the maidensfold, the concubine looks over her shoulder at Eliana and introduces herself as Navi. However, Eliana's attention is caught by the movement of a figure jumping down from the roof to the terrace. It is Rahzavel, the last person Eliana wants to see.

### Chapter 11

Two hours after the start of her interrogation, King Batien calls for a recess. Rielle's guards escort her to an antechamber where she falls exhausted onto the nearest chair she sees. She is about to drift off to sleep when Audric arrives. Fully alert now, Rielle makes a formal apology to Audric for keeping him in the dark. Audric explicitly states that he forgives her and understands why she had not said anything. When he criticizes Taliesin and Armand for being cowardly, Rielle states that her happiness is not as important as the safety of other people. Audric firmly disagrees with that sentiment, telling her words she has not heard before: her well-being is just as important as any other's.

The moment is interrupted when Ludivine enters the room. Both she and Audric summarize the King and his counsel's verdict: Rielle will undergo seven trails. Each one will be centered around one of the elements, with the dual purpose of testing her control and her loyalty to Celdaria. Should she refuse to partake in these trials, the King will be forced to declare her a threat. However, if she passes, then she will live out the rest of her life serving the crown and, eventually, King Audric and his future wife, Queen Ludivine. It is a thought that leaves Rielle conflicted.

A guard appears, stating that the King wants to see Rielle again. When she returns to the Hall of the Saints, Rielle ruminates over this sudden flip of her situation. For years, her powers have felt more like a burden than a gift. Now she has been given the opportunity to be revered and loved for those same powers. It is enough to bring tears to her eyes, though she does not let them fall.

After King Bastien explains the purpose of the trials and the fate that should befall her should she fail, the voice swiftly returns, urging Rielle not to accept the council's offer. Ignoring the voice, Rielle tells the council that she will partake in these trials and prove herself trustworthy. With a torn expression, King Bastien announces the beginning of the trails.

### Chapter 12

Despite all her training, Eliana knows that she is no match for Rahzavel. Though she sprints through the maidensfold, Rahzavel quickly catches up to her. Brandishing an adatrox sword, Eliana engages in a sword fight with her pursuer. The fight slowly wears her out while Rahzavel maintains his energy. Casting aside the sword, Eliana begins flinging random objects at him in desperation. Rahzavel dodges them with ease, laughing at her all the while.

Their fight brings them back to the bathing room. Rahzavel continues to taunt Eliana for her foolishness. Through sheer bad luck, Eliana slips on the wet floor, her head colliding with a table. Too dazed to stand up quickly, Eliana watches as Rahzavel straddles her and begins to cut through her skin. Panic shooting through her, she struggles to get out from under him. Rahzavel muses over her defection while she bleeds, but his babbling ceases when he notices the impossible: the cuts are disappearing, healing far quicker than they reasonably should. His gaze meets Eliana's, the usual bloodlust present within his eyes being replaced with confusion, wonder, and even fear.

Simon appears and manages to get Rahzavel off of Eliana. He subtly directs their fight onto the terrace. Eliana rushes to Simon's side and successfully helps him shove Rahzavel over the railing.

Alarm bells begin ringing. Simon, Eliana and Navi run through the palace, fighting off adatrox along the way. They manage to escape by jumping off a terrace that overlooks a garden. Foregoing more battle with the adatrox, they run until they find themselves in the Old Quarter. Passing by a statue of the Emperor's Admiral, Harkan readies a bombardier and kills off the adatrox pursuing them.

Reuniting with her brother, Eliana and Harkan get into a brief argument: Eliana wants to stay and help Harkan fight off more adatrox, but he urges her to leave, a sentiment Simon shares. Though she deplores the thought of leaving Harkan behind, Eliana knows he can take care of himself whereas Remy lacks any sort of battle experience. As she takes Remy's hand and runs away, an explosion goes off behind them. She tries to listen for any sign that Harkan survived, but none come.

Coming across a group of horses, the group takes two of them. Navi and Remy ride on one horse with Simon and Eliana taking another. As Navi attempts to calm Remy down, Eliana demands some answers from Simon. He explains that Navi is a Princess of Astavar. She has important information that her kingdom needs or else the last piece of free land will fall to the Undying Empire. Muttering the Sun Queen's prayer, Eliana can only watch as she leaves her home behind.

### Chapter 13

The day after her interrogation, Rielle slowly awakes due to the voice's urging. Her movements are sluggish from the drug she had been given that morning, as per the Archon's decision. During her slumber, she had been moved to a mountainside where the earth trial would take place.

Far above her stands Grand Magister Florimond and eleven acolyates from the Holdfast, each one tasked with using the mountain and their earthshaker magic to flatten Rielle. Her mind finally catching up to her awakening body, Rielle darts down the mountain. The earthshakers start an avalanche and opens up a chasm. Rielle attempts to jump over it but fails, barely managing to grasp its edge in time. As she hangs there, Rielle wonders if she will die here, in a poorly executed trial with no fanfare, her life and those of her father and Taliesin forfeited as though they had meant nothing.

Determined not to let that happen, Rielle uses all of her strength to push herself up and out of the chasm. With the voice encourging her, she continues to run down the path. More cracks in the ground appear, though she successfully manages to jump over each one. However, when she reaches the end of the mountain path, all she sees before her is a canyon. With the avalanche catching up and the earthshakers doing all they can to use the ground against her, Rielle sees no other option than to use her powers.

Turning to face the avalanche, Rielle plants her feet on the ground and raises her hands. A sheet of rock forms a wall in front of her just as the sea of snow crashes into it. Hands pressed against the rock wall, she pleads with the mountain to cease its assault. Whether due to her pleas or just good timing on Florimond's part, all ice, snow and earth stop dead and the earthshakers begin to reform the mountain.

Dropping to her knees, Rielle whispers the number of trails she still has left. As the pain from her exertions fully hits her, the voice reassures her that it will be there when she awakes.

### Chapter 14

Two days has passed since their hasty flight from Lord Arkelion's palace. When they first had a chance to rest, Remy asked where Harkan was. Though she tried to assure Remy that he would be fine, Remy is smart enough to understand that Harkan's survival is slim to none; he is most likely dead. Since then, Remy has not spoken a word.

Leaning against an oak, Eliana watches and listens for any possible enemies, a knife in hand. As worry for her mother and Harkan bubble up inside her, so do tears. She prevents them from falling before glancing at Simon, who sits not too far from her, also staring out into the forest. She contemplates attacking him, though she dismisses it quickly; she cannot use his skills and knowledge to rescue her mother if he is dead.

Behind her, she can hear Navi gently cajole Remy from his self-imposed silence. It does end up working eventually: Remy talks about how he likes to write stories about the Old World, back when magic was still around and Queen Rielle was still alive.

As their conversation continues, Eliana finds herself unable to listen. She does look back to see Navi and Remy sitting next to one another, one of Navi's arms around her brother's shoulders. When she catches sight of Eliana, the compassionate look Navi gives her makes Eliana want to hit her square in the jaw. Her daydream is quickly interrupted when she notices that Simon is gone.

His disappearance could be for a completely innocent reason, but the dread slowly crawling through her says otherwise. As Navi and Remy keep talking, Eliana creeps away from their makeshift camp; without Simon as their guide, they will quickly become lost. She makes it a few steps forward when a woman sneaks up behind her and hits her on the head with a knife's handle.

### Chapter 15

During her slumber, Rielle realizes that the voice in her head is not only a voice, but a presence with a man as its center. When she asks the man who they are, the man introduces himself as Corien. His presence comforts her, to the point where she smiles during her sleep. The Archon notices and prods her to wakefulness. With the Archon stand ten members of the holy guard.

A page appears to tell them that King Bastien is ready to see them. As the Archon and the guards escort Rielle to the Council Hall, Rielle darkly notes that everyone seems to fear she will loose control. Corien basically confirms that some of her peers think she might. That he seems to know this for a fact makes Rielle suspect that he used mind-speak to see into her peer's heads. Remembering once again that angels had the ability to read minds, Rielle demands Corien to tell her his secrets. He side steps the question by notifying her that she has arrived at the Council Hall.

Inside the Hall, seated at a large table, are King Bastien, Queen Genoveve, Grand Magister Florimond, Armand, and several other members of the King's Privy Council. The King exchanges pleasantries that Rielle is unconvinced are sincere. She apologizes for her rudeness but Queen Genoveve is quick to remind Rielle about how her deception put Audric and Ludivine's lives in danger. Angered at the accusation that she does not care about their safety, Rielle starts a retort that is interrupted by the arrival of Audric and Ludivine.

Happy to see her, Audric and Ludivine support Rielle throughout the rest of the meeting. Audric and Ludivine both propose that the rest of the trials be made public: civilians should see Rielle use her magic and gain their trust. Though she has yet to complete the trials, Audric firmly believes that Rielle is the long awaited Sun Queen. Too many odd happenings have been occurring around the world in far too short a time. It is entirely possible that the prophecy Aryava told so long ago is now coming to pass. If Rielle is to repair the Gate and defeat the angels, then she will need all the support she can get.

The King and Queen do not want to put the people's safety at risk should Rielle's magic go haywire, but Rielle points out that they have plenty of well-trained elementals around that can always nullify any threat she might present to the public. Though the Queen remains skeptical, King Bastien relents, ultimately seeing their logic.

### Chapter 16

When Eliana awakes, she finds herself laying naked beneath a quilt, her clothes and knives having been confiscated. Simon sits nearby nursing a glass of alcohol. He throws some clothes her way and, while she dresses, Simon explains that Navi and Remy are safe. She was tended to by a colleague of his named Aster, who noticed that she had not obtained any wounds. Though a bit unnerved that her secret might have been revealed, Eliana brushes it off through teasing Simon.

Upon exiting the room, Eliana and Simon walk through a hallway until they reach a platform. Eliana is amazed to see a large sprawling pit span out from beneath her. As she mentally tallies up just how many people it holds, Simon states that this is Crown's Hollow, one of many encampments belonging to Red Crown. He orders her to follow him and threatens her harm should she brag about how many of their people she has killed. The ferocity in his is voice is enough to unbalance her, but only for a moment.

Simon walks her through a crowd of downtrodden refugees, stopping once in awhile to chat with some of them. Eliana guesses that he is trying to get her to see the error of her ways, and she does have to keep reminding herself not to look too hard at their miserable state. During their walk, she covertly listens in on various conversations being held by some rebels. She pieces together that there is an Empire outpost not too far from Crown's Hollow that the rebels are planning to raid tomorrow morning.

After being directed to a nearby room, Eliana meets Patrik Cavaserra, the overseer of Crown's Hollow, as well as his husband, Hob, and the rebel who had knocked her unconscious. Patrik is friendly though he warns her not to start any fights. If she does, he will not hesitate to hurt or kill her. Once the pecking order has been firmly established, Patrik invites her to join them for dinner.

### Chapter 17

Six days have passed since the earth trial, during which Rielle has been taking brutal training lessons from Armand. The lessons usually consist of an obstacle course with Rielle carrying a bag of heavy stones on her back. Armand is a harsh instructor, and his lessons worsen Rielle's resentment towards him.

After failing to best Armand in a mock sword fight, Rielle's frustrations bubble up and she and her father have a short spat. Armand reminds Rielle that these trials are only going to get harder. If she does not get stronger, if she fails the trials, it is not just her life that will end but also his and Taliesin's. Rielle is already aware of this, but Armand is not convinced that she fully grasps what is at stake.

Taking a seat on the ground, Armand instructs her to sit and drink some water. Rielle obeys, observing her father as she does. She realizes that she has not seen her father truly happy since Marise's death. In an attempt to cheer him up, she sings a lullaby that Marise used to console her with. It does not work, for Armand says nothing expect to tell her to get back to her lesson.

Later that day, Rielle stands in a tent, awaiting the start of the water trial. Though she cannot see them, she can hear the sounds of thousands of people outside. As Rielle fights the urge to fiddle with the cloak that hides her costume, Taliesin enters to offer her his support. Sloane Belounnon, his sister, does as well, much to Rielle's surprise.

After Evyline notifies her that they are ready to begin, Rielle exits the tent and walks to the edge of a pier that juts out into the bay. While the horns sound, Corien makes his presence known. He attempts to get Rielle to understand that she is just playing right into the Council's hands. Rielle remains steadfast in her convictions, about making them understand that they have no reason to fear her.

Undoing the ties on her cloak, Rielle reveals her costume to the public right as the third blast from the horn sounds. Taking a deep breath, she dives into the slowly churning ocean.

### Chapter 18

Having finished her meal, Eliana sits in front of a small fire with Remy at her side. She cleans her knives while Remy reads his notebook; Navi had told him a legend about Saint Tameryn and he wrote it down for safe keeping. Navi appears at that moment to chat with Remy, but Eliana is not having any of it. She vents at Navi about her grievances against Astavar; how they left the people of Ventera at the Empire's nonexistent mercy, how her family let Ventera's king and queen get slaughtered. Navi does not deny any of it, justifying it as her family and people doing what was necessary to protect themselves and their loved ones. When Navi points out that Eliana has been doing the exact same thing, Eliana removes herself from the fireside, Remy in tow.

She brings them to their bedroom, but despite her best efforts, she is unable to sleep. She returns to where Patrik and Hob are. As Patrik prepares some potatoes, Hob writes down something into his own notebook. Taking up her seat at the hearth once again, Eliana is startled when she hears Simon speak up. He has already been there for some time, another glass of alcohol in hand.

A small girl appears in the doorway. Her name is Linnet, one refugee child out of many. Hob has gotten in the habit of collecting the sordid tales of any refugee willing to tell them, and she has come to tell him her's. Simon forces Eliana to listen to Linnet's story, most likely in an attempt to get her to understand the costs of the war that is currently waging. Throughout Linnet's tale, Eliana grows increasingly more uncomfortable, having to constantly remind herself that she is the Dread of Orline. When Linnet starts calling for her mother, Eliana bolts up from her seat and hastily leaves the room.

Simon catches up to her and walks her to her room. Forcing tears, she continues the charade of the contrite bounty hunter. The sight of her crying, combined with her beauty, has a subtle effect on Simon. Eliana enters her room, leaving Simon behind, and spools her features into a hard mask. Wiping away her tears, she wakes Remy under the pretense that they are going to assist Simon in another mission.

### Chapter 19

The rules of the water trial are simple: a replica of Saint Nerida's trident has been split into three pieces. Each piece lies at the bottom of the bay. If Rielle can find the pieces and put the replica together, she will pass. The hitch is that Grand Magister Rosier and his acolytes will be using their waterworker power to pit the ocean against her.

As Rielle struggles against the roiling waves, she remembers a day long ago when Taliesin had shoved her young head underwater. It had been a test to see if she could control her powers. During her time underwater, she had glanced at specks of the empirium, a revelation that had left Taliesin in awe. In the present, she repeats what she did back then and manages to see the empirium once more, if for only a moment. Now focused, Rielle creates a thin pocket of air around her body then dives deeper to find the first part.

Finding the trident's head, she cuts her hand on one of its prongs, but is able to grasp it nevertheless. Next is the sapphire, hidden away in a ship. Here she gets entangled with a school of jellyfish. She gets stung several times, breaking her focus and shattering the air bubble. Using the trident's head, she slashes through the marine-life and barely makes it to the surface once again. Figuring there is no way she can recreate the air bubble, she repeatedly dives into the water, desperately searching for the last piece. It is not until a sunspinner's ray of light catches the trident's staff that Rielle knows where it is. Thankfully, it is far closer to the shore than the other parts had been.

On her way to the staff, Rielle parts the water without realizing it, creating a column of water that moves with her. When she reaches the staff, she hastily assembles the replica before basking in the fact that she was able to manage such a feat. Her elation is soon shattered when she remembers just what this might look like to the people up above. Terror breaks her focus and the sea comes crashing down around her. Corien, who had been supporting her since the start of the trial, urges her to rise, grudgingly telling her that Audric and Ludivine are anxiously awaiting her return.

With one last gasp of strength, Rielle swims furiously to the surface. Raising the trident above her, the spectator's erupt into loud cheers and hollers. She reaches the pier to the delight of Audric and Ludivine. The Magisterial Council is there as well as the Archon, whose features remain unreadable. Walking up to the Archon, Rielle hands over the trident while giving a cheeky remark.

### Chapter 20

Escaping Crown's Hollow had been easy enough, much to Eliana's dismay. The two mile trek had proved uneventful, and she and Remy had made good time, arriving just before dawn. Though Remy did not seem to believe her story, he had not argued. Now though, as they watch an official envoy arrive at the outpost, Eliana tells Remy the truth: she is here to trade information about Red Crown in exchange for help with finding their mother and getting Remy to Astavar.

Upset at her deception, Remy attempts to run back to Crown's Hollow, but is stopped by Lord Morbrae, an Empire royal. As adatrox surround her, Eliana states her purpose. A tense moment passes before Lord Morbrae signals the adatrox to lower their guns. He escorts her into the outpost, walking her through the prison section as a reminder for her to be on her best behavior. He takes her to a small room that serves as her prison cell. He has her hand over her knives before leaving her to wait for his summons.

Two hours later, Eliana is seated in Lord Morbrae's dining room. As she eats, she informs him about Crown's Hollow as well as the rebel's plans to storm the outpost. She does not divulge everything, letting the Lord know in no uncertain terms that if he wants to hear the rest of it, he has to promise to keep her brother, mother, and herself safe. Her daring makes Lord Morbrae threaten her, but Eliana calls his bluff: the intelligence she carries includes knowledge about some secret mission that Red Crown is planning to undertake, one that could turn this war around to the rebel's favor.

Lord Morbrae does not respond at first, instead moving from the dining table to a red armchair. He orders her to satisfy him, though he has little hope that partaking in carnal pleasure will keep the incessant hunger at bay. Standing up, Eliana obeys and straddles his lap, dissociating her mind from her body. However, when her eyes meet Lord Morbrae's, she feels a strange presence leap out from his black eyes and into her mind. Before she can fully comprehend what is going on, she finds herself standing in front of the Undying Emperor.

### Chapter 21

A week has passed since Rielle under went the water trial. On the eve of the next one, she sneaks into Queen Genoveve's private parlor with the help of Evyline. She takes a seat on a footstool, her nerves regarding the next test bubbling up to the surface. Despite her nerves, she realizes for the first time since this whole ordeal started that change is upon her: people have been raising banners for the Sun Queen, for her.

Setting aside her anxious flutterings, Rielle gazes up at the parlor's ceiling. Depicted in splendid detail are images of various godsbeasts, one of which is the chavaile, Rielle's favorite since childhood. She recalls a fond memory of Marise telling her a story about the chavaile. It is one that she did not realize she had until Corien had brought it to the forefront of her mind. She unwittingly asks him aloud how he was able to do that, gaining the attention of Queen Genoveve.

Rielle and the Queen have a discussion under the bestiary; Rielle admits that the weight of the trials and its implications are slowly getting to her. Queen Genoveve invites Rielle to sit beside her on a settee, which Rielle obliges. The Queen offers to pray with her to Saint Grimvald for the success of tomorrows trial. Despite the Queen's misgivings about her, she does include words of encouragement for Rielle.

The next morning, Rielle waits in a tent while last minute preparations for the metal trial are underway. Miren stops by to give Rielle a message from Taliesin before leaving. Corien pops up once again and their brief conversation ends with Rielle stating that there is a long conversation awaiting him once the trial is over.

The trial turns out to be a maze with a horrifying twist: at three different points in the maze are cages containing three orphan children. The Archon repeats Rielle's parting remark from a week before. Without any hesitation, Rielle begins the metal trial.

### Chapter 22

The Emperor himself seems to be surprised at Eliana's intrusion. Intrigued, he moves closer to her to get a better look. Whatever he sees enrages him, and he demands to know her location.

A shudder breaks the illusion. Eliana is back at the outpost, still on Lord Morbrae's lap. Scrambling away from him, Lord Morbrae begins to move as the Emperor had, his voice even partially sounding like him. Lord Morbrae does not get much closer before a blast sounds: Remy was able to get back to Crown's Hollow, warn them what had happened, and now the rebels are bombing the place.

Eliana manages to give Lord Morbrae a fatal wound before meeting up with Simon in the hall. As they run out of the outpost, Eliana mentions the prison and tries to convince him to save them. Unfortunately, they cannot: the rebels have set up bombardiers around the building, and if they are not out in five minutes, they will be crushed in the resulting rubble. Without much time left, Simon forces Eliana to leave the prisoners behind. During their escape, Lord Morbrae appears unscathed, much to Eliana's shock. They manage to leave the Lord behind, barely making it outside the outpost and into a ravine before the bombardiers go off.

The screams of the prisoners ring in Eliana's ears. She tries to get Simon to help the survivors, but Simon is merciless. He explains that Red Crown's original plan was to rescue the prisoners before blowing up the outpost, but due to Eliana going rogue, they are now forced to kill everyone in case they might have seen her or heard anything she had to say. As shoots ring out and more prisoners are killed, Simon underscores the point that the price she payed for going against their plans resulted in their deaths.

Navi appears on horseback, Remy sitting behind her. She reports that Crown's Hollow is being attacked by a group of adatrox. It is unlikely that many will make it out of alive for the exits have been blocked. The news horrifies Eliana into action. Mounting one of two horses that stand nearby, she rides to Crown's Hollow. Simon catches up to her and forces her to return with him. She ignores him, grabbing a couple bombardiers and throws them towards the adatrox. When they go off, the blast is enough to throw her into a tree, knocking her unconscious.

### Chapter 23

Once in the maze pit, Rielle makes her way to the first trapped child, dodging hazards while she does. Corien is there in her mind, a persistent encouraging presence. When she gets to the child, she sees that his cage is slowly shrinking. Furious at the Archon for this cruelty, she forces the cage to unlock with her magic. A door opens above them, revealing two metalmasters. Rielle hands over the orphan before proceeding to the next one.

The metalmasters work hard to obstruct her way, but Rielle makes short work of their obstacles. She makes it to the second child and frees her. Just as soon as the child is safe in one of the metelmaster's arms, the cage the orphan was in tumbles far below. She manages to catch herself before hitting the ground.

As her strength begins to wane, Rielle makes it to the final cage. She grabs the child and jumps off of the cage's platform, landing on the ground with a shutter. When she stands, she sees that the cage and all the hazards that had populated the maze have been turned into thousands of swords. They are all pointing at Rielle and they race to where she stands.

Her terror momentarily roots her to the spot, until the child recites the Sun Queen's prayer. The knowledge that she may be the Sun Queen, that this power is hers, renews her confidence. All the things she has yet to do fill her mind: complete the trials, solve Princess Runa's murder, confess her love to Audric, get some answers from Corien.

Raising her hands, she closes her eyes and relates a silent command. When she opens them, all the swords have stopped their advance, one of them inches from her face. The swords drop to the ground in a giant clatter the same time her arms drop to her sides. As cheers erupt from the stands, Rielle gives the spectators a satisfied smile.

### Chapter 24

When Eliana regains consciousness, she desperately calls for Remy. Navi sits beside her, reassuring Eliana that both she and her brother are safe. Unfortunately, the blast from the bombardiers burned most of her back. They are just a three days ride away from Rinthos. Patrik stayed with the refugees in order to evacuate whomever he could. Hob joined her and Navi with the intent to obtain supplies for any survivors. Simon managed to get her knives back, and Remy is currently protecting them. There is a rebel hideout in Rinthos where they will be able to get higher quality medicines for Eliana's burns, though Navi doubts they will heel cleanly.

Exhausted, Eliana asks she be left alone. Navi stays near her, but keeps quiet while Eliana tries to get some sleep. She is unable to, so she tells Navi about Lord Morbrae's miraculous recovery, how she came into contact with the Emperor himself despite him living so far away. And, more impossibly, that he had recognized her.

At this, Simon perks up from his resting place and hastily goes to her side. He demands to know if she told the Emperor where she was. Eliana tells him the truth- that she did not- which makes him relieved.

While dreaming, Eliana envisions herself as the last person alive. A lone ruler in a world where the earth has been scorched, and behind her head shines a brilliant halo.

### Chapter 25

Two nights since the metal trial, Rielle lies in bed. She initiates a discussion with Corien, determined to get some answers. She does receive some: Corien is a being with a physical form. He thinks of himself as Rielle's ally, and even hopes to become more than that. And he confirms that he is an angel. Rielle refuses to believe this at first; everyone knows that the angels were cast away into the Deep by the Saints themselves. However, the fact that Corien is here must mean the Gate is weakening.

Corien changes the subject to Rielle's situation. He warns her that this whole Sun Queen business is a farce. Once everyone realizes her true nature, public opinion will turn on her so quickly she will not know what do to.

Having heard enough, Rielle orders him to get out of her head and he immediately obeys. Her cry makes Evyline burst into her room. Rielle plays it off like she had a nightmare. When Evyline goes to get her some comfort food, Rielle tries to reassure herself that there are no angels any longer, repeating it over and over again like a litany.

It does not work. She cannot sleep for the rest of the night. The next night finds herself ruminating on Corien's words. The hollowness she feels makes her yearn for company, but Corien seems to have abandoned her for the time being. Restless and on edge, Rielle leaves her room and goes for a nighttime walk through Baingarde, secretly hoping to bump into Corien all the while.

### Chapter 26

Eliana and company make their way to Sanctuary, a hidden city in Rinthos. During the journey, she kept wondering if she might be the same as Lord Morbrae or is turning into something like him. She has managed to keep such thoughts from consuming her, mostly by worrying what will happen once Simon, Navi and the others find out about her healing ability.

They reach a chamber, marked only by a door in the wall. Simon knocks, speaking a password in Old Celdarian. Camille, the owner of the place, gives Hob and Navi an enthusiastic greeting and a hostile one towards Eliana. She tells them the bathing rooms have been prepared. Hob and Simon take one room and Eliana, Navi, and Remy take another.

Though Eliana desperately wants to get the muck and grime off of her, she hesitates, knowing that Navi will want to take a look at her back. Her hedging makes Navi suspicious and the two argue briefly before Eliana realizes that she does want to tell someone and relents. Much to Eliana's relief, Navi promises to keep the knowledge of Eliana's healing powers to herself. She picks up on one of Eliana's underlying misgivings: that this power means that she and the Empire's men are similar beings. Both she and Remy reassure Eliana that she is vastly different from them.

Navi goes on to tell Eliana about her experiences in Lord Arkelion's palace. The Empire's men never seemed to quite fit in the world and all of them had black eyes. She saw men indulge in copious amounts of food and sex but never felt sated. Sometimes she would be asked to hurt and maim them but their wounds would always heal within seconds. Just like Eliana did with Lord Morbrae, Navi would often experience visions and images when with Lord Arkelion. However, these visions were always of blood and revenge, leaving her feeling unsettled. All of these factors combined convince Remy that the Empire's men are actually angels, hiding in plain sight.

### Chapter 27

Rielle's nighttime wondering leads her to the gardens. She reminisces about her childhood with Audric and Ludivine, how they would play around here.

Dismissing Evyline, she continues on alone, letting her feet take her to the seeing pools. Across the pools is a shirtless Audric, practicing his swordplay. She calls out to him before crossing the pools to join him.

Audric and Rielle discuss what it means to be human and to have such incredible power. As their conversation progresses, they get increasingly closer and closer to one another. It is not until Rielle brushes her lips against his cheek and Audric is kissing her hair that she remembers Audric's engagement. Rielle breaks away from him to ask him in what way Ludivine means to him. Audric confirms that he does love Ludivine but not as his fiance. Knowing they may never have another chance, Rielle and Audric begin to have sex. They get as far as Audric caressing her thighs when they are found by Lord Dervin and his hounds.

### Chapter 28

Annoyed by Remy's remark, Eliana tries to play it off as just another one of his theories. She believes that the stories of the Old World are simply fairy tales that people use to help them cope with their reality. However, Remy makes a point that Eliana cannot refute: the fact of her own body's ability to heal incredibly fast. Still, Eliana does not want to accept that the Empire is run by angels. If that is the case, then humanity is utterly doomed.

As for Eliana's unique power, Navi suggests that she may be a marque. Remy does not think so as she lacks the telltale markings that every marque possessed.

Their musings are interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door, courtesy of Simon. Eliana begins to threaten Navi who cuts her off. If Remy's theory proves true, then they will both need all the allies and friends they can gather. Wanting to start fresh, she asks Eliana if she is willing to trust and befriend her. Eliana admits that all she can do is try which Navi happily accepts.

Simon knocks once again and Eliana goes to see what he wants. When she opens the door, she is greeted by a bare-chested Simon. The sight flusters her, momentarily rendering her speechless. It is not just his good looks and her loneliness that holds her tongue. It is the odd sensation that she feels whenever he is around, the same one she felt when standing in front of the Emperor: a feeling that she is home.

### Chapter 29

The next evening, Rielle is in the House of Night, studying for the shadow trial. When she exits the archives, she sees Ludivine, waiting patiently for her on a settee in the hallway. Though she tries to avoid her, Ludivine insists on having Rielle join her for a walk. Knowing that she has no good excuse not to, Rielle lets Ludivine take her hand and guide her through and out of the temple. They pass by many citizens and courtiers, with Ludivine making a point to greet and chat with as many of them as possible.

By the time they reach an apartment complex, Rielle's nerves are more frayed than ever. She believes being paraded around was Ludivine's way of punishing her for being with Audric. As Ludivine guides Rielle further into the city, she clears up several misconceptions: what she just did was show everyone that they are still friends, that she still supports her despite the gossip. Ludivine does love Audric, but only as a close friend. She has known that Rielle and Audric have been hopelessly in love with each other for some time, but she has not said anything because she found their unresolved tension amusing. True, she wishes that they had all talked it out like adults, but what is done is done.

Relieved that her closest friend does not resent her, Rielle gives Ludivine a fierce hug. Ludivine warns Rielle that she will have to be on her best behavior, now more so then ever. And she wants to be sure that she is protected, which is why she has lead Rielle to see Audric's personal healer to buy a contraceptive tonic.

Ludivine's knock is answered by Garver Randell, who greets them and ushers them inside. He tells his son to grab some powder for her. His son readily grabs Rielle's medicine and is ecstatic to learn who she is. When Rielle asks for his name, he introduces himself as Simon.

### Chapter 30

After being startled awake by a nightmare, Eliana leaves Remy behind in their shared room to seek some comfort. She goes to Navi who correctly guesses why Eliana looks so wary. Navi sits on her bed and, as she paces the room, Eliana explains that she had dreamed about the disaster at the Empire outpost. How the prisoners had screamed her name and she had found her mother there, just as dead as the others. Eliana then explains how she was able to work as the Dread all these years: she believed a monster lived where her heart is. Nowadays, she has trouble thinking that there is anything good about herself, that there is any hope that this war humans have undertaken is going to be overturned. Navi listens to it all, giving her new found friend the best advice she can alongside a comforting touch.

Come morning, Eliana still has her doubts about her own humanity. Deciding to distract herself with her usual routine, Eliana exits Navi's room to go find the kitchens. Her plan is cut off before it can begin when she runs into Camille, who has a mission for her. Laenys, one of her workers, was abducted a few days ago. She was not the only one either: just like in Orline, women and girls have been disappearing. At first, just one. By now, several each week. Camille suspects that a cult of angel worshipers called Fidelia is behind the kidnappings. She has heard the rumors of Eliana's apparent invulnerability and she wants her to use this power to find Laenys, throwing in the possibility that she might be able to rescue Rozen as well.

Though initially hesitant to take the job, Eliana ends up accepting. Not just so she can possibly find her mother, but also to figure out why Fidelia has been taking these women and for what purpose. Since Fidelia is set to appear soon, Eliana plans to take up the hunt that very night.

### Chapter 31

On the day of the shadow trial, Rielle is awaiting the final blow of the starting horn when Corien's presence reappears in her head. She attempts to confirm that it is him but before she can, the horn's third blow rings out. Shadowcasters, twelve strong, raise their hands in unison. Each one stands on top of a tall wooden platform, overseeing the arena chosen for Rielle's test. They create a multitude of creatures made of shadows, aiming them right at Rielle.

Rielle had planned for this. Instead of fighting off the creatures, she keeps herself from attacking them. Despite the pain and discomfort, she lets the shadowcasters do as they please. When the time is right, she recites the Sun Rite then gathers a bunch of sunlight into her palms. She slams them against the ground, dissolving the shadows and even throwing the shadowcasters off their platforms. As she stands, battered and proud, the crowd cheers for her as she literally shines; her costume has tiny mirrors embroidered into the fabric, and she has trapped the sunlight to keep it reflecting off of them.

Gathering up the discarded shadow creatures, she creates a dragon. She sends it to where the Archon is surveying her trail. The dragon is so close to the Archon that part of it can taste his skin. Rielle realizes that she could kill him, and Corien tries to goad her into it. However, at the sight of Ludivine and Audric racing towards her, she stops herself from going down that route, snuffing out the dragon instead. This angers Corien, for he believes that everyone else is beneath her, that she is restricting herself for people who will never understand what she truly is. Rielle does not respond to his comments, telling him instead that he will obey her.

### Chapter 32

After preparing for another hunt, Eliana leaves Camille's apartment to enter Sanctuary. She surveys most of the city's floors before she settles down at a table with a mug of ale. From her vantage point, she can still see plenty of the floor, perfect for spotting any would be kidnappers. She waits for about an hour before she notices three women vanish in the blink of an eye. Just like what happened when her mother disappeared, Eliana senses that same unpleasant sensation and sour smell, far stronger than it had been in Orline.

A hooded figure catches her attention. Rising, she attempts to follow it, but the unpleasant sensation makes her nauseous enough that doing so is difficult. She does not get very far before Simon and Navi show up. As Simon restrains her, Eliana explains Camille's request and her own hope of rescuing her mother.

The sickness she feels makes her fall, but Simon catches her, keeping her upright. He demands she describe what is happening to her. Eliana ignores him, too focused on the one lead she finally has, but not so focused that Simon's uncharacteristic attentiveness slips past her. When she asks him why he is so hellbent on keeping her around, Simon hesitates.

Rahzavel answers in his place: Eliana is special and he intends to keep her for himself. As Eliana and Simon look at the assassin in dumbstruck horror, Rahzavel unsheathes his sword and swings at Eliana.

### Chapter 33

King Bastien enters the council hall in a fury. Rielle hastily raises from her seat while the King demands to know her thinking. She explains that she wanted to show the citizens that she has complete control over her abilities, enough so that she can easily restrain a deadly threat. Queen Genoveve believes that she just wanted a chance to show off, eliciting a chuckle of agreement from Corien within Rielle's head.

The Archon asks Rielle a pointed question: was she going to kill him? He could feel the empirium's wrath- Rielle's wrath- within that dragon. Rielle admits that she did want to scare him, which makes Lord Dervin exasperatedly wonder if she is truly fit to be around the public. The Archon ignores him, stating that Rielle certainly did frighten him, enough so that he wonders if she would have gone through with it. And, deep down, he is right: if given the chance to relive the shadow trial, Rielle knows that she might have changed her mind and killed him right then and there. Though she does not let any of her true intentions show outwardly, the Archon flashes her a small smile, as if he can read her thoughts.

A page enters the council hall with a message from the Celdarian-Borsvall border: three outposts have been attacked, with a total of seventy-three soldiers killed. Two soldiers from each location survived, managing to flee south to nearby villages. King Bastien begins to read some of the details, but stops himself. Audric takes the message from him and picks up where his father left off. Taking the note back, King Bastien crumples the paper and gets into a short argument with Audric about whether or not the attacks are connected to the prophecy. King Bastien vehemently disagrees with Audric on this, cutting off the discussion there.

As the Magisterial Council dissolves, Audric whispers to Rielle and Ludivine that they need to talk in private. Queen Genoveve attempts to keep him there, but Audric loudly rebukes her. The Queen's expression is enough to make Rielle suppress laughter, up until they are all ensconced in Audric's rooms. After she lets her mirth out, Rielle, Ludivine and Audric have a serious discussion concerning their exact relationship. Audric does genuinely want to be lovers with Rielle and Ludivine is willing to help keep their affair a secret despite what the gossips might say. However, if Lord Dervin were to find out about Rielle and Audric's relationship, then he might just get angry enough to rescind military aid. They cannot afford to lose his support when someone or something is attacking their borders.

Though Rielle is impatient to begin their affair, she ultimately understands his point of view. Ludivine tries to reassure Rielle, but Rielle cuts her off before exiting Audric's rooms, wanting to be alone.

### Chapter 34

Eliana dodges Rahzavel's blade, falling into Navi's arms in the process. As Simon defends Eliana and Navi, the two rebels attempt to retreat to Camille's apartments. They do not get very far before a body flies through the air, knocking the both of them to the ground. Navi hits her head hard enough against a stair that it knocks her temporarily unconscious.

Rahzavel swipes his blade across Eliana's back a couple times before she can stop him. Gritting her teeth, she turns onto her back and blocks his next strike with Arabeth. After plunging the dagger into his thigh, she manages to get out from under him and back onto her feet. Using whatever knives she can find, she fights Rahzavel as best as she can until the nauseating feeling comes back. As she falls to her knees, Rahzavel jeers, riling up the gathered crowd. A now conscious Navi arrives at Eliana's side and tries to get her on her feet, but Eliana can only warn her about Fidelia.

Simon falls onto Rahzavel feet first, then resumes his fight with the assassin. When Simon looks back at Eliana, their gazes lock for an instant, within which Eliana gets a strange feeling of déjà vu. The shared moment snaps when Simon yells at them to run, returning Eliana to reality. She rushes up the stairs, hastily making an escape plan: grab Remy, disguise themselves, then leave for Astavar.

The unpleasant sensation knocks her to the ground again. Navi goes to help but is stopped short. As a gloved hand presses a cloth against Eliana's mouth, she sees Navi's unconscious body be scooped up by a cloaked figure. The last thing she hears is her abductor reciting some kind of prayer before she passes out.

### Chapter 35

Within a dream, Rielle sits upon a throne made with the bones of those who have kept her caged. Rising from it, she begins to walk for centuries. Voices speak to her in a language she does not recognize but can nevertheless understand. She tires of their presence since she cannot see or touch them. Thankfully, she finally returns to the throne, collapsing onto it in relief. Corien arrives, first as a shadow, then becoming corporeal enough to kiss her. As he caresses her body, he states that this endless darkness is where the angels have lived since their banishment. And, if she has the will for it, where they will escape from.

Rielle awakes sharply in the middle of pleasuring herself. When she finishes, she realizes that Evyline is not nearby. Sitting up, she calls out to Evyline when a blunt object slams into the back of her head. When she falls to the floor, she spots Evyline's inert body on the other side of the room. Gloved hands blindfold her, then force her to drink a sleeping drought. As her consciousness fades, a familiar voice instructs her attackers to leave her alive.

When she regains consciousness, Rielle finds herself standing on a mountaintop, her feet near the edge of a cliff. The familiar voice lets out a mocking remark before shoving her over the cliff's edge. As she falls, Corien begs her to fight, the other voices from her dream screaming in terror along with him. Her attempts to reach the empirium prove futile: whatever she was drugged with has formed an invisible wall between her and her powers. Rielle can only shut her eyes, think of her loved ones, and desperately wish for help as her death nears.

Help arrives in the form of a chavaile, who catches her midfall. Though stunned at first, Rielle's wits slowly return as she settles herself on the godsbeast. She finishes her prayer to the empirium as the chavaile ascends.

### Chapter 36

When Eliana awakes, she is greeted with the sight of plain, gray cell. The only light that enters it is from a slit between the cell's door and the floor. As memories of what happened in Sanctuary come flooding back, she approaches the cell door and begins to pound on it while demanding answers. Knowing she will heal in seconds, she keeps on hitting the door until her hands are raw and her toes are bloody. Realizing that she might be in the same place as Rozen, she calls for her mother until her voice finally gives out.

Navi's screams jolt Eliana awake. Though she calls for her friend, Eliana does not receive a response. Instead, Navi's cries for death join other shrieks, these more beast than man. Returning to her corner, she shivers as the screams continue; in this place, she is not the Dread of Orline, just Eliana.

Some time later, after being given a tray of food, Eliana ignores the meal in favor of using the tray as a practice weapon. She jokingly calls the tray Arabeth the Second when a voice from behind her compliments the name. Startled, Eliana throws the tray through a transparent figure in the shape of a tall woman. Mistaking her as a Fidelia opperative, Eliana orders the woman to leave. The woman corrects Eliana's misconception: she is not part of Fidelia, far from it. She works alongside the Prophet and has heard that Simon managed to finally find her.

Throughout their conversation, Eliana feels nauseous whenever the women touches her and the women keeps calling her "my queen". When asked for answers, the women draws herself up to her full height before explaining: she is a wraith named Zahra who has come to take Eliana- the last of House Courverie and the long awaited Sun Queen- back home at last.

### Chapter 37

The chavaile flies uninterrupted until Rielle begins to retch. Settling down on a rocky clifftop, the chavaile watches as Rielle slides off of its back and vomits up the poison. Whatever it was has left her entire body feeling sore.

She greets the chavaile, who seems intelligent enough to understand her words. Exhausted, she falls to the ground, shivering in her nightgown. The chavaile wraps itself around Rielle, protecting her from the cold mountain winds and giving her a chance to catch up on some sleep. Some time later, Rielle wakes up, her mind and body now clear from the poison. She recalls the sensation of being pushed, and the owner to the voice of her attempted murderer. Mounting the chavaile, she commands it to fly her back to Baingarde.

When she arrives, Rielle sees that her father is organizing a search party with Audric getting ready to join. Next to him is Ludivine and not far away from them is Lord Dervin, her attacker. The chavaile touches down and Rielle dismounts without waiting for it to settle. Storming up to Lord Dervin, she uses the wind to create an invisible noose around his neck. She slams him against Baingarde's front doors and orders him to admit to what he has done. Under threat of death, Lord Dervin hastily confesses to drugging Rielle and throwing her off a cliff.

This is not enough to satisfy Rielle. A part of her still wants to kill him, something that Corien picks up on. He tries to get her to lean into this impulse, but Audric manages to talk her out of it. Having regained control, Rielle focuses on the Archon instead. Walking up to him, she asks him to accompany her to the Firmament where she might pray to Saint Ghovan and to the wind for saving her life. After she explains the empirium sent the chavaile, the Archon takes her arm, whispering to her warning that the empirium may not save her next time.

### Chapter 38

Sinking to the floor in disbelief, Eliana listens as Zahra explains that she is here to help her escape. Right now, the wraith is using her powers to get the members of Fidelia to forget she is even here. Once the guard shift has changed, she will escort Eliana out of Fidelia's lair. Afterwords, the members of Red Crown will do what they can to bring her to Celdaria, their most important mission.

During their conversation, Zahra lets slip that Simon had notified everyone to keep a look out for Rozen. This makes it clear to Eliana that Simon knew about Fidelia all along and chose to keep silent. She vows to kill him when she next sees him.

In an effort to make Eliana understand why she is so important, Zahra decides to show her a vision. Eliana accepts on the condition that Zahra help her rescue Navi. Zahra agrees and, using her mind-speak powers, shows Eliana a scene from over 1,000 years ago. Eliana sees Zahra as she once was: a fully corporeal angel, tall and strong. She also sees the Emperor, back when he was only known as Corien. With him is the Blood Queen herself, in all her horrifying beauty, stitching together a corpse back into a whole body. When Eliana asks what they are doing, Zahra explains that Corien's goal is to resurrect his fallen comrades once again. The Fall of the Blood Queen undid much of their previous work and he hopes to continue where he and Rielle left off, except this time Eliana will be by his side.

Eliana sees most of her own features in Rielle's, confirming that the Blood Queen is indeed her birth mother. Not only that, but Remy's theory about the Empire being full of angels is true. Through her tears, Eliana wonders aloud how she ended up here if she was born so long ago. Zahra does not answer and when she tries to defend her choice, Eliana waves her hand, silencing the wraith. Once she has emptied herself of tears, Eliana rises to her feet. Though she still thinks all of this is some bizarre hallucination due to Fidelia's drugs, Eliana has no choice but to go along with Zahra's plan.

### Chapter 39

Rielle is waiting in the Council Hall when King Bastien and his council burst in. Much to Rielle's shock, Armand heads straight towards her, pulling her in fierce embrace. She tears up, unable to remember the last time he comforted her like this. The King gets her attention and, with her father by her side, Rielle turns to King Bastien. The King states that Lord Dervin has been placed under house arrest for attempted assassination, as has his accomplices.

King Bastien gives the floor to the Archon, who announces the end of the trials. Both he and the Magisterial Council are satisfied with her efforts thus far, and this latest event- surviving a fall from a mountain by summoning a winged godsbeast- is being counted towards the wind trial. Though elated at the prospect of not having to undergo any more arduous trials, Rielle understands that four trials may not be enough to convince the public. Plus, she has not faced the one element most personal to her: fire. At Corien's prodding, Taliesin says exactly what Rielle herself is thinking. Startled, Rielle orders Corien not to prod into anyone else's head. Unaware of this, Audric asks her if she truly wants this to which Rielle affirms her choice.

That evening, Rielle is pacing in her rooms when Ludivine enters, looking worse for ware. While she wishes that Rielle had not tried to murder her father, Ludivine is glad that he is not allowed near Baingarde anymore. Rielle brings Ludivine to her bed and snugglings up beside her when Audric enters the room. Though initially hesitant to join, Rielle and Ludivine manage to convince him to get under the covers with them. As one of Audric's hands brushes against hers, the three long time friends soon fall asleep.

The next day, Rielle visits Garver to seek treatment for the poison. Though displeased that she waited so long to see him, he waves his usual fee on the condition that she seek him out sooner. While they chat, Audric teaches Simon where the chavaile, who Rielle has named Atheria, likes to be petted. Rielle explains to Garver that Atheria generally only likes to be touched by her or Audric, though now she seems to have included Simon.

### Chapter 40

The door to Eliana's cell opens. As Zahra takes control of the guard's mind, Eliana takes two keys from the keyring the man holds. She runs until she spots an alcove, one that leads to a supply closet, where she waits for Zahra. Once the wraith arrives, Eliana enters the closet to search for her weapons. She finds a create with her gear and knives, sans Arabeth. After strapping on her gear, she feels more like herself. Zahra points out the pendent of the Lightbringer to her, which reminds Eliana of what Zahra told her about her birth parents. Placing her pendent around her neck, Eliana and Zahra return to the corridor.

They make their way to Navi's cell. To Eliana's horror, Fidelia has already begun their experiments on her friend. She situates Navi so one of her friend's arms is around her neck. Zahra admits that she does not have the strength left to hide their presence and she is not certain when it will return. With Navi in tow, Eliana and Zahra make their way to a yard surrounded by stone walls. It is here that Eliana learns that it has been eleven days since she and Navi were captured.

Zahra warns Eliana that Semyaza- a wraith that works for Fidelia- has found out about their escape. While they discuss what to do next, an explosion busts a giant hole in the western wall. A diversion handily offered to them, Zahra takes the opportunity to deal with Semyaza while Eliana runs with Navi across the yard. They make it to the eastern gate when a Fidelia guard drops down in front of them, a revolver at the ready. Noticing someone behind the guard, Eliana pretends to be forlorn about being caught while Simon- decked out in his Wolf garb- steals up behind the guard and kills him with Arabeth.

Despite knowing what he kept from her, Eliana thanks Simon for his help. He cleans Arabeth before handing it over to Eliana. She in turn has him carry Navi, and, together, they run out of the yard. Simon assures Eliana that Remy is safe and waiting for them. Eliana thinks to herself that, once they get to where he is, she will force Simon to spill his secrets.

### Chapter 41

After having spent all day studying, Rielle drags herself up to her rooms. When she enters the bathing room, she sees Audric, casually sitting on a settee. Once Evyline has exited the her apartments, Rielle locks the entrance just as Audric enters the main room. The tension in the air is palpable as Audric laments over Rielle's situation: once she becomes Sun Queen, Audric will be forced to send the woman he loves into danger. Her heart pounding, Rielle points out that the whole reason she has been undergoing these trials is precisely for that reason. Even ignoring that, she would gladly go into battle for him and her country without hesitation.

Unable to withstand it any longer, Audric gives Rielle a fierce kiss which she eagerly accepts. As their love making continues, however, Rielle's powers makes the fire in the fireplace pop and her rooms shake. She forces herself to stop midway, asking Audric to leave. He does not at first, instead wanting to know what the tremor was all about. With tears flowing down her cheeks, Rielle lays out the refrain she has been hearing throughout the years: that she is too dangerous, and she might kill him if they become a couple. Taking her face in his heads, Audric firmly but gently reassures Rielle that she deserves happiness just as much as anyone.

Consoled for now, Rielle kisses Audric, inviting him to her bed. They restart having intercourse and, once finished, Rielle drowns in Audric's love. Looking at the fire, she contentedly falls asleep without any fear or thought of Corien.

### Chapter 42

Once she has arrived at the Red Crown safe house, Eliana rushes to her brother, gathering him in a fierce hug. Trying to ignore Zahra's words currently bouncing in her head, Eliana turns to Hob for information. Hob catches her up on what she has missed: Camille and her people are safe. Simon was not able to kill Rahzavel, but at least he will not be a problem for the time being. Unfortunately, he does not have any idea what Fidelia did to Navi. Eliana does not know any more than he does, which Hob takes in stride.

After changing out of her prison garb, Eliana exists the safe house to watch and wait for Simon. Zahra pops up out of nowhere, startling Eliana. While she is grateful for Zahra's help, Eliana does not want to believe that she is the Blood Queen's daughter, and does not wish to discuss it. Zahra accepts this, but warns her that it will have to be talked about at some point.

With that cleared up, Eliana questions Zahra about Navi's condition. Apparently, the Empire has been undertaking various experiments since the Fall of the Blood Queen. With Fidelia's help, they have created an army of crawlers, monsters that were once women and girls who have since had been experimented upon. Though the Empire already has adatrox, Zahra understands that this is less about building up more of his army than it is psychological warfare: the Emperor will continue to think up new horrors until humanity has completely surrendered.

Zahra interrupts her explanations once she sense Simon's presence. She can tell that Simon's mind has been broken that she cannot read it at all. Zahra urges Eliana to stay away from him; she does not trust a man with so many secrets. Eliana stands firm as Simon enters her field of vision. Asking him to follow her, they both walk into the woods until the safe house is a few hundred yards away. She confronts him about his lies regarding her mother's disappearance, and he willingly offers up information. He did know about Fidelia as well as her heritage. He had heard the rumors about her invincibility and had gone to confirm them. Once he knew for sure that she was the long lost Sun Queen, it became his mission to keep her safe, with escorting Navi to Astavar becoming secondary. He knows that Eliana's power has been keeping her from being severely injured, and guesses that, deep down inside her, she believes what they are saying about her parentage is true.

Remy's scream echos through the forest. Flickers of light filter through the trees as the safe house burns. Eliana can her Rahzavel crowing at her, goading her into showing herself.

### Chapter 43

The day of the fire trial has arrived. When Rielle steps out of the preparation tent, she is greeted by a cacophony of spectators, all crowded around a large maze made of wood and stone. Stairs rise up from the maze to a platform where Sloane and Archon await. In Sloane's hand is Taliesin's shield.

Terror creeping through her veins, Rielle learns that Taliesin has been physically restrained. If she runs into a dead end, firebrand acolytes will set fire to that section of the maze. Without his casting, Taliesin will be defenseless. Rielle accosts the Archon, who makes it clear that this was Taliesin's idea: for her to confront the death of her mother by saving someone from fire.

After a third blast from the starting horn rings out, Rielle shoots a quick, desperate look at Sloane before descending the stairs and entering the maze.

### Chapter 44

Eliana starts to race back to the safe house only to be abruptly restrained by Simon. As her anger rises, Simon taunts her, trying to get her latent powers to rise. She slips out of his grasp with a knee to his groin.

On their way to the safe house, Eliana and Zahra slip past a wild-eyed Rahzavel. When the arrive, the flames have already eaten away at enough of it to loosen some rafters. Wrapping her jacket around her hand, Eliana directs Remy and Hob to force the basement door open while she pulls. While this is going on, Simon is fighting Rahzavel.

Once the door is open, Eliana helps Remy out, then takes Navi from Hob. Hob exits the burning building before placing Navi over his shoulder. Zahra warns Eliana that they have to leave soon, for Simon will not be able to fight off Rahzavel for long, and her own strength is waning. Eliana makes the call to head for the Narrow Sea, to which Hob agrees. As the group runs away, Eliana forces herself to keep her face forward, shame swelling within her.

### Chapter 45

Rielle steps into the burning maze. The ash from the fire reminds her of her mother's death and she stops, struggling to breathe. She panics, calling Corien with her mind but he doesn't respond.

Remembering a lesson from Taliesin, she uses prayer to steady her mind. She sees the gold of the empirium rise up and guide her in the right direction. At the center of the maze, where she finds a replica of her childhood home where her mother had died.

She finds Taliesin tied up inside the house. The house is collapsing around them. He tells her she has to put the fire out. They say the Fire Rite together and she sees gold everywhere. She blinks and the fire is gone - replaced by long feathers of vibrant colors.

With the fire now out, Rielle suddenly hears warning horns and the crowd screaming in terror. She feels Corien.

### Chapter 46

Eliana, Navi, Hob, Remy, and Zahra move north through the forest. Eliana tells the rest of the group about Zahra. Remy immediately recognizes that Zahra is a wraith.

A group of soldiers come and threaten the party. Navi recognizes their leader, Malik, her brother and prince of Astavar. They reunite happily.

Eliana and Malik stand on a cliff overlooking the Narrow Sea. The Empire fleet is visible on the far horizon. Malik explains that they've arranged for a smuggler's ship to take them. Eliana accuses Astavar of doing nothing when Ventera fell. A scout comes and tells them that Simon is alive but Rahzavel has taken him captive on a warship.

Eliana decides she will save Simon instead of going with the others on the ship. She asks Malik to take Remy, Navi, and Hob to Astavar.

### Chapter 47

Rielle leaves Taliesin in the house and runs out of the maze. She finds the stands are destroyed and many now dead spectators. Rielle finds Sloane, who is fighting a uniformed archer. As the archer dies, a shadow leaves his eyes and his eyes turn from gray to brown. Rielle notices the attackers are wearing Sauvillier colors and realizes that Corien is controlling them.

Sauvillier metalmasters attack a group of people, including Simon and Garver. Audric stands in front of them, casting a shield of light to protect everyone, but he is being pushed back. Rielle attacks the metalmasters that Audric was fighting. Ludivine gets attacked and falls off the cliff's edge.

Rielle, grieving, seeks out Corien. Corien uses King Bastien, Lord Dervin and Rielle's father as leverage, trying to get her to come with him. When he threatens Auderic, Rielle lets her power loose in anger. The blast severely burns Corien, who crawls away, but kills the others in the cave.

### Chapter 48

Eliana swims to the ship with Simon and boards. Zahra hides Eliana from the adatrox and they find Simon. Suddenly, Rahzavel emerges from the shadows. Simon tells her to run but she refuses. Zahra enters Rahzavel, allowing Eliana to slash his throat.

They hear explosions, as the fleet battles with Astavar.

Simon has been blinded from the poison gas. He explains her that he was supposed to bring her to safety from Celdaria but something happened and they got separated.

### Chapter 49

Rielle is being crowned as Sun Queen on the solstice. As the Archon performs the ceremony, he is interrupted by a cry from the back of the hall. Ludivine, wearing a tattered cloak comes and grasps Rielle's hands.

Ludivine speaks into Rielle's mind while addressing the crowd. She explains that Rielle's power had resurrected her from the fall. The crowd kneels and praises Rielle. Rielle realizes Ludivine is actually an angel.

### Chapter 50

Eliana, Simon, and Zahra jump into a lifeboat. Adatrox shoot at them as they row away. They make it to some ice and climb out.

The Empire fleet has formed a long line. They open their hulls and suddenly, crawlers gallop out, crying shrilly. The Astavari ships shoot their cannons at the approaching crawlers.

As they are attacked by the crawlers, Eliana asks Zahra to inform the fleet they are coming. One of the crawlers pins Simon to the ice. When Eliana sees her face, she realizes it is Rozen. As the crawler dies, it becomes more human and recognizes Eliana. Rozen begs Eliana to kill her and so she does.

Eliana becomes enraged and suddenly sees everything at once. The water rumbles, the ice cracks, and there are noises and lights. Simon suddenly pulls her back and tells her to stop. Eliana opens her eyes and sees lightning blasting the crawlers, whirlpools sucking warships underwater. She doesn't understand how she is doing this or how to stop. Simon pulls her in and tells her to think of home.

### Chapter 51

Rielle and Audric go to Ludivine's rooms. Rielle has told Audric that Ludivine is an angel.

Ludivine explains that she came to protect Rielle. The original Ludivine had died when she was sixteen from a fever and the angel had entered her mind to take her place. The Gate has been weakening and angels have been able to cross it. The first and strongest to come was Corien. Ludivine and Corien have been watching Rielle since her power surged when she was five. Corien wants revenge on the humans.

Two weeks pass. The funeral procession for King Bastien goes through the city and to the catacombs.

### Chapter 52

Eliana wakes up in a bed. Simon is sitting near her in a chair. She has managed to save Astavar and destroy the Empire fleet and has been asleep for three days.

Simon swears to protect Eliana. As the daughter of the Blood Queen, she's the only person who can defeat the Empire. After creating the storm, she cannot deny it.

Zahra brings a message from Prince Malik - his father, the King, wants to discuss what to do next. They will need to fight the Empire. Eliana is worried she will fail or become like her mother. But she readies herself to speak with the kings.

## Characters

* Rielle Dardenne
* Eliana Ferracora
* Remy Ferracora
* Rozen Ferracora
* Ioseph Ferracora
* Corien
* Harkan
* Audric Courverie
* Bastien Courverie
* Genoveve Courverie
* Ludivine Sauvillier
* Dervin Sauvillier
* Garver Randell
* Simon Randell
* Zahra
* Navana Amaruk
* Malik Amaruk
* Hob Cavaserra
* Patrik Cavaserra
* Taliesin Belounnon
* Sloane Belounnon
* Miren Ballastier
* Rahzavel
* Armand Dardenne
* Evyline
* Lord Arkelion
* Archon
* Odo Laroche
* Quill
* Atheria
* Maliya
* Lord Morbrae
* Linnet
* Brydia Florimond
* Aster
* Marigold
* Grand Magister Rosier
* Camille
* Semyaza

### Mentioned

* The Prophet
* Ilmaire Lysleva
* Runa Lysleva
* Hallvard Lysleva
* Merovec Sauvillier
* Marise Dardenne
* Aryava
* Saint Ghovan
* Saint Grimvald
* Saint Katell
* Saint Marzana
* Saint Nerida
* Saint Tameryn
* Saint Tokazi
* Laenys
* Will

## Cover Gallery

Hardcover 2018 (English)Paperback 2019 (English)Kindle 2018 (English)
Chapter SamplerPaperback 2017 (English)
Advanced Readers CopyPaperback 2019 (Spanish) - Part 1Paperback 2019 (Spanish) - Part 2Hardcover 2019 (German)Paperback 2018 (Turkish)Hardcover 2019 (Czech)Hardcover 2019 (Russian)Paperback 2020 (Romanian)
## Trailers

FURYBORN Book Trailer Meet the Sun QueenFURYBORN Book Trailer Meet the Blood Queen
## Trivia

* Both Rielle and Eliana have twenty-six chapters.
* The 2019 paperback edition includes the prologue from *Kingsbane*.
* The 2018 chapter sampler contains the first four chapters.
* The Spanish translation was split into two parts.
* Legrand's favorite part of *Furyborn* is Chapter 41.

## References

1. ↑ Legrand, Claire (May 22, 2018). ***Furyborn***. Sourcebooks Fire. ISBN 9781492656623. pg. 292.
2. ↑ The official website lists the release date as April 2, 2019. This is incorrect.
3. ↑ Furyborn - Claire Legrand. Sourcebooks Fire. Retrieved on February 6, 2020.
4. ↑ Legrand, Claire (May 22, 2018). ***Furyborn***. Sourcebooks Fire. ISBN 9781492656623. pg. 500.
5. ↑ Judith Plant (June 10, 2018). Claire Legrand Discusses & Signs Furyborn At Mysterious Galaxy Books. The Nerdy Book Fairy. Retrieved on February 13, 2021.