Bonded Fate Summary
Prologue: Dyna
Nine years ago, Dyna is forced to watch as her brother Thane and father Baden are brutally attacked by the Shadow. The Shadow turns its attention on her mother when she cries out in anguish from outside their house, and Baden orders Dyna to hide with her sister Leyla as he runs to aid his wife. Dyna, unwilling to be left behind while her parents face the Shadow, tucks Lyra into her cradle, and runs out into the night after her father. She finds her Grandmother Leyla is still alive, but her mother has perished and her father is fighting the Shadow, with the help of several council members. Fearing for their lives, all of the council members flee until the only remaining people are Baden and Lady Samira. Dyna desperately tries to stop her father from sacrificing himself to defeat the demon, but it is too late, and he begs her to flee in his last moments.
Chapter 1: Dynalya
Dyna cannot believe what Cassiel has told her. They are Blood Bonded. Not only does this mean they are married, but it means that Cassiel has been lying to her. She is humiliated when she thinks of all the emotions Cassiel must have felt from her, and questions if any of his kind actions have been merely out of obligation. Dyna keeps this new revelation a secret from Zev, not ready to face all the repercussions of her bond with Cassiel.
Chapter 2: Lucenna
Lucenna is still on the run from the Enforcers she attracted in Corron with her spells, and with the help of her brother, Lucien, she has nearly made it to the Port of Azure. She plans to find a far seer in the Moors to help her find the location of Mount Ida and the Moonstone, thus allowing her and the Liberation to end the Mage Code and stand against the Archmage who has oppressed the women of Magos for so long. But before she is able to flee Azure, she finds herself surrounded by mages, intent on bringing her back to Magos.
Chapter 3: Cassiel
Cassiel flies high above the clouds, pondering the guilt and self hatred he feels after deceiving Dyna for so long. As he flies, he sees a sudden crack of thunder and lightning, despite the otherwise clear skies, and is knocked out of the air.
Chapter 4: Dynalya
Cassiel breaks his fall from the skies at the last moment, and the Guardians are all perplexed by the unnatural storm that has suddenly come upon them. Rawn realizes it must be a mage battle, and Dyna runs to Lucenna’s aid despite the imminent danger. They arrive at the battle to find Lucenna outnumbered, but holding her own as she wields multiple elements at a time. Zev and Rawn jump into the fight alongside Lucenna, while Cassiel remains behind to guard Dyna.
Chapter 5: Zev
The attacking mages reveal that they are after Lucenna because she is a Princess of the Magos Empire, but Dyna and the Guardians are unwilling to allow her to be taken, and Rawn uses a powerful spell to defeat the remaining mages. Zev finds the victory bittersweet, almost wishing that he had died in battle to finally put an end to the Madness that claws at him every day. They discover Lucenna’s tent, magicked with Stardust, as she sleeps and recovers from the large amounts of Essence she used during the battle.
Chapter 6: Von
The camp begins to return to normal life after the catastrophic attempt to kidnap Dyna; Von and Elon train together, Len regains her strength after her nearly fatal injury from Rawn’s arrow, and Geon continues to keep the secret of Von and Yavi’s romantic relationship. The spy Novo returns alone after being sent with Bouvier to place bounty rewards around the kingdom for Dyna’s capture, sharing that Bouvier was captured by the Azure Guard when they tried to leave the Blue Capital city. Von and Len leave to try to free Bouvier, and Elon and Novo set off to track and hopefully capture the Maiden.
Chapter 7: Lucenna
Lucenna awakes to many frantic messages from her brother, and finds that not only has she survived the battle, but she now has four new guests with Dyna and her Guardians. Lucenna is inclined to trust Dyna, another female sorceress who has no doubt faced the harmful ways of mages. Cassiel and Lucenna meet each other with extreme hostility, and Lucenna is wary of what all of the Guardians might demand of her in return for saving her life. As they tell her of the battle and she relives the feeling of her Essence being siphoned away by one of the mages, she loses control and unleashes her power inside the tent.
Chapter 8: Zev
Dyna runs towards Lucenna as she loses control, breaking through the storm unleashed by her Essence, and Zev is filled with rage when he realizes the mage siphoned Lucenna. When Dyna begins to explain the truth of mage history to Rawn and Cassiel, Lucenna is filled with sadness and anger, and banishes everyone from her tent.
As they camp outside Lucenna’s tent, Zev begins to realize that it is no longer necessary for him to protect Dyna. She travels with a powerful elf and Celestial Prince, but Zev has nearly killed her twice when he has lost control in his wolf form. Dyna also insists that Lucenna be given the option to join their quest, giving her a place to be safe from the Enforcer mages and a way to search for her missing Moonstone.
Chapter 9: Dynalya
Lucenna overhears the Guardians discussing their path forward, and realizes they are headed towards the same place—the Saxe Fjord. She seeks grindylow scales to trade for knowledge from the Druid, and suggests that they all continue on together. After debating the merits of traveling together or separately, Dyna’s curiosity about the knowledge the Druid might offer wins out, and she decides they will travel alongside Lucenna, despite Rawn’s warnings of the danger ahead.
Chapter 10: Dynalya
Dyna enters the tent to inform Lucenna of their decision, and is amazed to find her using a magical crystal orb to speak to Lucien. As she examines the tent, Dyna discovers that Lucenna has one of Cassiel’s black feathers, given in a trade for a tracking spell when she was kidnapped in Corron, and immediately feels guilty that Cassiel has broken yet another Celestial law for her sake. Dyna confesses that she is constantly afraid of those who are stronger than her and disappointed in her weak Essence, but Lucenna insists that she is a sorceress with her own unique powers and can learn to be strong, if she chooses to. Lucenna begins teaching Dyna about how to use her Essence, and Dyna realizes she has not only gained a teacher, but a true friend.
Chapter 11: Cassiel
Rawn and Cassiel agree to train Dyna with sword and bow, but Zev firmly believes that magic should be enough to defend herself. Zev, in a moment of vulnerability, admits to Cassiel that he constantly hears the whispers of the Madness, and doesn’t want Dyna to experience what it is like to take a life or to no longer need his protection. Zev nearly loses control and shifts into his wolf form, but Cassiel shocks him by punching him and disrupting his shift. Despite Cassiel’s best effort to comfort Zev and reassure him that Dyna will always need him, Zev continues to unravel as he loses sight of himself.
Chapter 12: Dynalya
After two days of training, Dyna has made no progress on the Levitation spell that Lucenna is trying to teach her. Growing frustrated, Dyna accepts Cassiel’s offer to teach her how to defend herself with the knives he gifted her, although there is still much tension between them. As their training concludes and they barely exchange any words, Dyna’s anger at their situation overwhelms her and she wills the wooden ball straight towards Cassiel’s face—and to both of their surprise, it finally levitates! Cassiel believes Dyna’s anger is because of the unwanted Blood Bond, but she explains that she is hurt that Cassiel lied to her. Cassiel promises to do all he can to break the Blood Bond and frees Dyna of all obligations to him, leaving her hurt by his angry words and confused why the now silent bonds brings her so much sadness.
Chapter 13: Cassiel
The Guardians prepare to enter the fjord, but they each struggle with much inner turmoil. Cassiel mourns his silent bond with Dyna, Zev fights against his insecurities
and the growing Madness, and Rawn misses his wife and son, who he has not seen in twenty years. It seems that only Dyna and Lucenna are content with their journey, as Dyna is finally starting to make progress with her magic. Zev, Cassiel and Rawn are left to commiserate together while Lucenna and Dyna take a walk through the forest, accompanied by Fair for extra safety. While they await the return of Lucenna and Dyna, Cassiel feels a sudden pulse of fear from Dyna, and they hear Fair neighing in distress.
Chapter 14: Dynalya
Dyna walks with Lucenna through the woods, enjoying her time with another woman and grateful for the companionship. She notices a fox ensnared in a trap and pauses to save him, healing his leg in the process. The fox runs away, and she looks up to to see they have been found by Tarn’s men, Elon and Novo. Lucenna fearlessly stands against their attackers to protect Dyna. She matches Elon spell for spell, and just as she reaches her limits, the Guardians arrive and leap into the attack. As Tarn’s men are now outnumbered, they are forced to retreat, but leave behind promises that they will not stop trying to take Dyna. The encounter only makes Lucenna question the real reason Dyna is constantly at risk of being captured.
Chapter 15: Von
Von and Len arrive at the Blue Capital, hoping to sneak in unseen to rescue Bouvier from imprisonment. He is shocked to see the King of Azure has posted decrees abolishing slavery and demanding that masters pay their slaves wages for their years of service. While King Lenneus is powerful, Von believes that life-servants are a holy law and not under the power of man to change, and the only one who can release him from servitude is his master, Tarn. Von and Len find a pub to stay in for the night while they put their rescue plan into motion, but Von is unsettled to find that the dreaded Skelling Mercenaries, or Skulls, have also arrived at the pub and are on the hunt as well.
Chapter 16: Von
With the presence of the Skulls, Von and Len must speed up their escape plan, and Von sneaks into the prison while Len covers him from above with her unmatched skill as an archer. They blow open Bouvier’s cell, and as they fight their way out of the prison, Von and Bouvier come face to face with the Skull mercenaries. As they fight with everything they have against the deadly mercenaries, Len comes to their aid and tips the fight in their favor. They narrowly escape the mercenaries, but Von is left with a lingering suspicion that he vaguely recognizes one of the mercenaries.
Chapter 17: Zev
As the companions talk while they travel towards the fjords, they begin to share information and resources with each other. Lucenna spells everyone’s bags with Stardust, and shares that she is pursued by Enforcers, mages who are tasked with returning sorceresses to Magos. She saved Dyna from a similar fate by breaking the tracking spell a mage had placed on her, and they realize the spell did not come from an Enforcer, but from Dalton, the mage in Tarn’s service. They form a plan to steal the grindylow scales when they arrive at the fjords tomorrow, requiring each person to contribute their own strength and skill, including Dyna’s newfound ability to levitate.
Chapter 18: Dynalya
Lucenna and Dyna grow even closer as they share stories of their families and childhood, and Lucenna finally allows Dyna to meet Luicen. He is beyond shocked to learn that Dyna is a direct descendant of Azeran Astron, confirming his belief that the legends of Azeran’s escape after the war are true. He believes Dyna’s distinct red hair comes from Azeran’s wife, Helia of House Fuego, and he is filled with eager questions about her upbringing in North Star, which she is happy to share. Before they end their conversation, Lucien introduces himself with his full title: Lucien of House Astron, heir of Galveston Astron, ascent head of the Lunar Guild in the Magos Empire. Lucenna also uses her full title to introduce herself, Lucenna of House Astron, daughter of Galveston Astron, sorceress of the Lunar Guild, confirming that she is a descendant of Andrez Astron, the only brother of Azeran and the one who betrayed him.
Chapter 19: Zev
Zev reviews his part in their plan while Lucenna and Dyna are locked in secret conversation behind the dome of protection, but Zev is barely able to concentrate when the Madness begins to show him vivid memories of the horrible things he has done. The memories he sees are memories from the Other, which he usually can never remember, and he is sickened to realize that the Madness is able torture him with these scenes. He pushes the awful memories to the side when the group is ready to approach the grindylows in the fjord, but he knows it is only a matter of time before they take over completely.
Chapter 20: Zev
Dyna and Lucenna wait on the shore to draw the grindylows out, while Zev takes the boat into the middle of the fjord to dive for the scales as soon as the grindylows are distracted. Zev is quickly spotted and attacked by the grindylows, but Rawn protects Zev from above with his arrows while Zev fights his way to safety, and Cassiel assists Dyna and Lucenna on shore as they are nearly overrun by the horde. Rawn is dragged below the water, and Zev realizes he should have heeded the elf’s warnings of the dangers of the fjord. With Cassiel’s help, he is able to swim out to save Rawn, but Zev is left at the center of a mass of grindylows. He is exhausted from fighting the Madness for so long, and while he continues to fight against the grindylows, he finds himself hoping that he will surrender to death in the fjord and be freed of his guilt and regret.
Chapter 21: Dynalya
In a panic to save Zev, Dyna cannot grasp her depleting power to levitate him from the fjord. Cassiel sets aside all of the tense emotions between them, insisting he believes that she is capable and powerful enough to save Zev, and gives her several of his feathers to enhance the power she has always had. She is overcome by power and levitates Zev to safety on land, then unleashes a wave of green flame that decimates the grindylows and leaves her nearly depleted. With her last strength, she heals Zev’s nearly fatal wounds and fades into unconsciousness, haunted by nightmares from her past.
Chapter 22: Cassiel
Having narrowly escaped death in the fjord, the Guardians retreat to their campsite as Dyna recovers from her wounds, still unconscious. Her wounds have become infected and her condition worsens, but Zev remains in his wolf form and will only allow Lucenna near her, refusing Cassiel’s offers to heal her with his blood. As they exhaust all of their options and grow desperate, they are visited by delegates of the faerie court whose land they are on. Princess Keenali of the Morphos Court offers to take Dyna to King Dagden’s fae court, where they have the power to heal her, and the Guardians reluctantly allow the fae to take her as she is barely hours from death.
Chapter 23: Von
Von returns from a successful rescue mission, only to find that Elon has returned as well, although he has not been successful in his second attempt to capture the Maiden. Elon followed the Guardians after their fight in the woods, witnessing their attack on the grindylows and Dyna’s immense display of power. Von also shares his report on their mission, including his suspicion that one of the Skulls they encountered was from Old Tanzanite Keep. Tarn, mulling over both reports, realizes that their rescue mission has only raised the suspicion of the Azure Guard as to who Dyna is and why they have placed bounties on her. They must move quickly if they are to find Dyna before the Azure Guard.
Dismissed from Tarn’s tent, Von returns to his own tent to find Yavi, driven by his love and passion for the woman who makes him feel most at home. They make love, and afterwards he confirms that Yavi is still taking her brew to prevent them from having a child, which would certainly go against Tarn’s rule. Yavi seems upset by this question, but confirms that she has been taking her tea. Von dreams of a life with Yavi in a world where they are happy and free, and can grow a family together filled with love.
Chapter 24: Dynalya
Dyna awakens to find Princess Keena tending to her wounds, and she learns she is in the Phantasmic Moors, part of the court of King Dagden, ruler of the Wild Fae. Keena reassures her that her friends are close to arriving at the fae court, and insists that Dyna should clean up before they arrive. As Dyna prepares to bathe and dress, she feels something in her boot—a hidden grindylow scale that must have fallen in during the attack.
Chapter 25: Cassiel
The Guardians arrive to find the court is busy with preparations for a wedding that evening, celebrating the union of King Dagden and Princess Calixta that will bring together the Court of the Moors and the Court of the Saxe Sea. Keena brings them to a fully healed Dyna, who has no memory of being ill, but is ecstatic to share the good news that she has found a grindylow scale hiding in her boot. King Dagden welcomes them all to his court and grants their request to meet the Druid, which is now possible thanks to Dyna’s discovery of the grindylow scale in her boot. They split up to find the Druid, but Dyna is not ready to confront Zev about what happened at the fjord and instead chooses to set off on her own, with Cassiel trailing behind.
Chapter 26: Dynalya
The hypnotic music and dance of the fae court draws Dyna in, entrancing her mind as she searches for the Druid. When she bumps into one of the fae and spills his wine over his jacket, she promises to clean the jacket and return it to him. He introduces himself as Aston and his blue fox as Azulo, and Dyna realizes the fox is none other than the fox she saved in the woods earlier in their journey. Just as Dyna starts to consider making a deal with Aston to find the Druid in exchange for a favor of his choosing, a possessive Cassiel appears and stops her from making a potentially grave mistake. Aston departs, but leaves his jacket with Dyna to fulfill her early promise.
Left alone with Cassiel, she realizes he has drunk the faerie wine and unearthed desires he has been denying himself. They dance around the warring emotions that they both feel, and Cassiel questions if Dyna truly hates him, or just the bond that ties them together. Before he can give in to his desires and finally kiss Dyna, she slaps him and he believes it means that she hates who he is. Rawn appears and Cassiel leaves him with Dyna, who knows there are so many things she wishes to tell him but cannot while he is in this state.
Chapter 27: Zev
Zev wanders through the faerie revelry, becoming intoxicated by the attention of a beautiful fae named Richël and the wine she offers him. Richël is not a beautiful fae, but a bloodsucking nightwalker, and Zev recklessly drinks the wine and willingly follows her to her tent, despite the protests of his wolf. Lucenna arrives to find the nightwalker feeding on Zev, and she kills the Richël and questions Zev’s sanity by allowing himself to be in such a dangerous situation. He knows what he has done borders on insanity, and worst of all has endangered them all by pinning the death of a member of the fae court on Lucenna.
Chapter 28: Lucenna
As soon as Lucenna realizes what she has done, guards appear to take them to King Dagden to face their consequences. Once the Guardians are all gathered before the king, Richël’s nightwalker sisters demand blood as payment for the murder, and tensions rise even more as Cassiel draws his divine sword. Rawn suggests that the nightwalkers take Lucenna’s most prized possession instead of her life, and she is gutted when she realizes Rawn intends to hand over their only grindylow scale and with it, her hopes of saving the sorceresses of the Magos Empire.
Chapter 29: Lucenna
In her fury over losing the grindylow scale, Lucenna tells the group that the situation is Zev’s fault for spending his evening with the dangerous nightwalker, and Dyna realizes Zev must have put his life in danger on purpose. Lucenna tells them that by losing the scale, she has lost her chance to take down the Mage Code of Law, a horrific law of oppression that has been kept secret from everyone outside of Magos. The Mage Code prevents sorceresses from learning spells or leaving Magos, allowing their fathers and husbands to forcibly take their Essence for themselves and sell them off in marriage, and is what sparked the War of the Guilds.
Before the war, Azeran fell in love with a Sun Guild sorceress, but the Mage Code forbid anyone from marrying someone outside of their own guild. They chose to elope together, but the Archmage hunted them down and forced Azeran to watch as he siphoned his wife. This sparked the fires of the rebellion, pitting the Lunar and Sun Guilds against the Archmage and the Earth Guild. Azeran and his mages came close to overpowering the Archmage, but ultimately lost the war when he was betrayed by his own brother, Andrez. Azeran and Reyes, leader of the Sun Guild, fled and founded two sanctuary villages for mages: North Star in the south east of Azure, and Söl Aubade Village in the north west of the United Crown.
Lucenna ran from Magos to escape the harsh life imposed by the Mage Code, but the Enforcers have been unrelenting in their pursuit of her because of how rare her Essence is: she is Transcendent, able to wield power from all three guilds. Because of this, she is promised to marry Prince Everest of House Terra, the heir apparent to the Magos Empire and future Archmage, and will be forced to bear royal children as his Queen Consort. Everest found Lucenna trying to escape on the eve of their wedding, and instead of calling the guards, he let her go with a promise. “When it is finished, I will find you.
Lucenna hopes to find Mount Ida and the missing Moonstone to restore the Lũna Medallion, giving the growing rebellion, called the Liberation, a better chance at overthrowing the Archmage. Just as Dyna is about to tell Lucenna that their journeys align more than any of them realized, Princess Keena arrives with their belongings and the news that the night’s events have freed the Druid from service to the king. The group decides to wait one night so Dyna can fulfill her promise of returning the fae’s jacket in the morning, and then plan to set off after the Druid.
After an exhausting day, Dyna is still bothered by one question—what allowed her to display such great power at the fjord? Lucenna tells her that Celestial feathers are conduits, enhancing the true power that Dyna holds, which must be blocked by some sort of barrier.
Chapter 30: Zev
As maybe the only person who can understand the pain and self hatred Zev feels, Cassiel goes after him and demands to know why he tried to sacrifice himself to the nightwalker. Zev ignores the question, instead asking Cassiel what he has done to Dyna to make her glow like a Celestial. Cassiel will not answer, and Zev begs him to end his life if he ever gives in to the Madness, and to go on protecting Dyna after he is gone.
Chapter 31: Dynalya
The tension between Dyna and Cassiel reaches a boiling point, and together they spar as they finally air their frustrations. Dyna is shocked to find that when she stabs Cassiel, she feels the wound in her leg as if she had been stabbed. While neither Dyna or Cassiel are sure what this means, they agree to work together to figure out their bond and return to a tentative friendship. Cassiel shares with Dyna that his father means to make him King, and she realizes that as Cassiel’s Blood Bonded she is now Princess Consort of Hilos, and the future High Queen.
When Dyna returns to the fae market to find Aston and return his jacket, no one seems to have heard of a fae matching his description. Keena helps them search the market, and while they are there she helps Dyna find the perfect weapon—a bow with a bowstring enchanted to never snap—from a bowyer who suggests they check with his neighbor, who spent the night with Aston.
Chapter 32: Dynalya
After an unsuccessful search for Aston, Dyna returns to camp and decides it’s finally time to tell Lucenna about their journey to Mount Ida and the map she believes will take them there. Zev and Cassiel are less than pleased that Dyna has shared their quest with Lucenna, and Lucenna is uncertain if it is safe for her to join the group.
Chapter 33: Lucenna
Sensing an opportunity to teach Dyna a lesson, Lucenna steals the journal away and hides from the rest of the group, while Dyna is distraught at her betrayal. Dyna finally locates Lucenna with her Essence, but finds herself forced to challenge Lucenna on her own when Lucenna ensnares the rest of the Guardians.
Chapter 34: Dynalya
Dyna believes she is not powerful enough to face Lucenna on her own, so she takes a feather from Cassiel and attacks Lucenna with her now enhanced powers. Lucenna taunts Dyna throughout their fight, accusing her of not acknowledging her true reason for seeking Mount Ida. As she reaches her breaking point, she finally admits her true motivation: she is afraid that she is not enough to save herself or her family. Convinced she has finally embraced an important part of herself, Lucenna comforts Dyna and releases the other Guardians.
Chapter 35: Zev
Zev continues to struggle with the aftermath of the fight at the fjord, and barely talks to anyone besides Cassiel. When Cassiel questions his selfish reasons for seeking Mount Ida, he knows his true reason: such a dangerous quest gives him a chance at a final and permanent escape from the Madness. While the Madness still lurks, Zev finally feels a little relief at his self confession, and he transforms back to his human self.
Chapter 36: Von
It has been years since Tarn has slept, and yet he still refuses to stop taking the Witch’s Brew for even one night. Tarn is furious to find that Len has kept one of the pamphlets from the city, announcing the abolishment of slavery, and he reminds them that they will be his slaves eternally, regardless of what the king decrees. Yavi is overjoyed to learn that they are free, but realizes that Von has known about the king’s decree for days, and kept it a secret from her. Hurt and angry that Von has lied to her, Yavi realizes that Von wants to stay in Tarn’s camp despite their potential freedom, and they will never truly be free.
Chapter 37: Cassiel
As they continue traveling overnight to the Port of Azure, Dyna is awoken by Cassiel’s feelings of worry. He admits to Dyna that he is worried about Zev, who chose to stay behind at the fjord instead of fighting his way back. They go on to discuss Lucien, who Dyna emphatically denies feeling any romantic feelings for, as well as Cassiel’s true reason for traveling to Mount Ida: he is searching for his mother. As they have their first honest conversation in a long time, both Cassiel and Dyna find themselves feeling a little affection towards each other, and find peace in their bond.
Chapter 38: Dynalya
Having finally arrived at the Port of Azure, the group decides to split up in search of Leoake. Dyna chooses to go with Cassiel on their search, and runs into a vaguely familiar man named Captain Klyde of Old Tanzanite Keep, before continuing on their exploration of the city with Cassiel.
Chapter 39: Lucenna
Rawn leaves Lucenna to send a letter to his wife, and Lucenna continues on to the inn with Fair. Along the way, she encounters the Briar Witch’s house, where she overhears a customer inquiring about how to make the Witch’s Brew. After he leaves, Lucenna sneaks into the house, only to find herself trapped and defenseless under the power of the wards. She is rescued by Klyde and his companion, Eagon, and Klyde promises that they will meet again.
Chapter 40: Dynalya
Dyna and Cassiel continue their search for the Druid, and along the way encounter poachers who have captured a fire phoenix, nearly extinct after being mercilessly hunted for years. The poacher, Draven, has several grindylow scales, and offers to trade them in exchange for Dyna as his slave. Cassiel is enraged at the proposition, and they narrowly escape a fight.
Chapter 41: Cassiel
Dyna and Cassiel finally arrive at the inn where Rawn has booked their lodging. The inn is at full capacity, and Dyna loses Cassiel in the crowd. A group of men see her as an easy target and begin to close in, but she is helped by an orc named Elric before anything more can happen. Cassiel finds her quickly and apologizes for losing her, at Elric’s insistence. When they cannot find the rest of their group, Dyna and Cassiel decide they must share the same room for the evening.
Chapter 42: Cassiel
Cassiel gives Dyna some privacy to get ready for bed, and when he returns, she is already asleep. He darkens the lights and tries to get comfortable sleeping on the floor next to the bed, only to be awoken through the bond by Dyna’s intense fear during a nightmare. She finally shares with him all the details of the night the Shadow came to her village and killed her family, and asks him to stay in the bed with her for the rest of the night to help her feel sleep peacefully.
Chapter 43: Lucenna
Lucenna learns from her brother that their father is growing increasingly desperate to find her and solidify her marriage to Prince Everest. She meets Rawn and Zev at breakfast, where they overhear local town people discussing a sighting of a Celestial flying over the city. They hurry to collect Dyna and Cassiel, only to find them sharing a bed in their room together. Zev is enraged, and punches Cassiel when he answers the door.
Chapter 44: Cassiel
Cassiel is extremely hurt to hear Dyna insist that there is absolutely nothing between them, and Dyna runs from the room when he pushes her away. Shortly after, a news boy comes by with daily news, featuring a large bounty reward for all of them, and Cassiel desperately begins searching for Dyna.
Chapter 45: Lucenna
Lucenna believes her father has placed the bounty on her head, and is stunned to find out that a man named Tarn is behind it all. Zev and Rawn reveal that Tarn is Von’s master and has been trying to capture Dyna for some time. Lucenna immediately tries to leave the city, but the Azure Guard arrives before she is able to flee and captures her alongside Zev and Rawn. They are brought to the headquarters of the Azure Guard, where Commissioner Veron Moreland confirms that Tarn has placed the bounty.
Chapter 46: Dynalya
Dyna has sought refuge alone by the pier, and overhears a few of Draven’s dwarves discussing their recent capture of Princess Keena. Dyna sneaks onto their ship to rescue Keena and frees the fire phoenix in the process, but she is attacked by several of the poachers before she is able to escape. Cassiel arrives but is unable to overcome the poachers, so he reveals his Celestial heritage and surrenders himself in exchange for Dyna’s freedom. They share a passionate kiss before Dyna is forced to flee for her safety.
Chapter 47: Dynalya
Dyna, heartbroken over Cassiel’s sacrifice, escapes with Keena, only to immediately run in to Von. With nowhere to run, she prepares to fight Von, but is saved by Klyde. She finds the Azure Guard to ask for help in rescuing Cassiel, and is shocked to realize that they are already searching for her due to the bounty placed on her head. They take her to their headquarters and she is reunited with Lucenna, Zev and Rawn. They remain under arrest as the Azure Guard hopes they will be able to lead them to Tarn, who is wanted for the murder of Rubin Afton, the Duke of Zircon and cousin to King Lennaus.
Keena speaks on behalf of their group, convincing Veron to assist them in reaching Cassiel by revealing his Celestial and Royal family heritage. Veron agrees to stage their escape, and they rush to save Cassiel.
Chapter 48: Cassiel
Cassiel is trapped in a cage, desperately trying to find a way out before the poachers kill him while taking his blood. They force Cassiel onto a stage at the market, where they begin auctioning off vials of his blood to the highest bidders.
Chapter 49: Cassiel
Cassiel, fading in and out of consciousness, is surprised to hear a familiar voice as a slave owner comes forward to propose a trade with her own captured, white-winged Celestial. He realizes that it is Lucenna and Rawn in disguise, and they successfully trade Cassiel for Zev, disguised as the Celestial. As Draven realizes he has been tricked, Zev changes into his wolf form at the same time that the Valkyrie begin their attack. They easily defeat the poachers and send the market into chaos, but demand that Cassiel go with them to Hermon Ridge and his uncle’s request. Cassiel flees with Dyna and the rest of the group, finally reunited and free. Once they escape through the city gates, Lucenna shares her frustration that the group has deceived her yet again, and she chooses to leave the group to continue hiding from her father. They part ways, and Cassiel, Dyna, Rawn, and Zev continue on to Troll Bridge to seek an audience with the Lord of Hermon Ridge to hopefully help them get to safety.
Chapter 50: Von
Von returns to camp to face Tarn’s wrath as he has once again failed to capture Dyna. Tarn sends Von on one final attempt to capture Dyna and Lucenna, ordering him to kill everyone else with them. Yavi pleads with Von to leave the camp while they are still in a city where slavery is outlawed, but he refuses to abandon the holy law of the Sacred Scrolls.
Chapter 51: Cassiel
Dyna and Cassiel are in perfect synchronization as they practice sword fighting together. They both suddenly feel the bond grow heated as it permeates every part of their minds, knocking them both down. As the shock of the moment passes, they seek each others forgiveness for the recent events, but their tender moment is interrupted by the arrival of Rawn and Zev announcing that they have found the Druid.
Chapter 52: Dynalya
Dyna finally realizes that Aston, the fae she met in the Moors, has been concealing his true identity as Leoke, the Druid. She makes a deal with him—a favor in exchange for a favor—and immediately asks him to answer three of her questions truthfully. He is unclear in his answers when she asks about what the Seer of Faery Hill saw in her future, but confirms that she has met all six of her guardians.
Chapter 53: Cassiel
Dyna asks her final question: will she find the Sol Medallion? Yet again, the Druid gives a vague answer, leaving Cassiel wondering if he has foretold Dyna’s death. Cassiel gives up one of his feathers so he may ask his own questions of the Druid. He learns that Dyna’s fate is not sealed in stone, that he may break their Blood Bond by cutting off his wings, and that what he has long suspected is true—he and Dyna share a much deeper connection, with a soul bond. Unable to face Dyna, Cassiel takes off into the air.
Chapter 54: Dynalya
The Druid leaves them with one final message for Dyna:
“Each of you is on this path for a reason. Your friends. Your enemies. Those who pass you by. Each has a move to make, a purpose to fulfill. You and your Guardians have all come under the same stars by will, and destiny, for this journey is your bonded fate. The pain each of you endured has molded who you are, and the pain yet to come is the cost you must sacrifice to gain that which you most desire. Success is determined by your life, Maiden—for if you don’t pay the price, the others will.”
Later that evening, Cassiel returns to camp and finally shares with Dyna how embarrassed and guilty he feels over forcing her to be bonded to a half breed Celestial. He opens his heart to her through the bond, and she pours her absolute love and acceptance of him into their bond.
Chapter 55: Cassiel
Cassiel is overwhelmed by the thought that Dyna has chosen him, and truly means it. They both finally understand one another, and they see that their bond is driven by love and acceptance, not just an act of magic that drew them together. Cassiel kisses Dyna, pouring himself into the moment as he has waited so long to do. They realize they can speak silently through their bond now, and he calls her at haor sheli—his wife, mate, and True Bonded.
Chapter 56: Zev
Back at camp, Zev notices that Dyna and Cassiel have both been gone from camp for a while, and begins to search for them. He comes across them passionately kissing in the meadow and flies into a rage, only stopping when Dyna shouts that they are bonded and have done nothing wrong. As a True Bonded pair, they feel each other’s pain as if it was their own, and Zev is horrified to realize that his attack on Cassiel has also hurt Dyna. Now that Dyna has found her mate, Zev sees his place in Dyna’s heart slipping away, leaving him alone with his guilt over killing his only other family—his father.
Unbeknownst to them, Tarn has snuck up on their camp while they argue, and he puts a blade to Dyna’s throat with his inhuman speed before anyone can stop him. Rawn and Cassiel rush to help, but Zev is injured by Von with a blade to the stomach.
Chapter 57: Dynalya
Dyna is trapped by Tarn’s knife, unable to help Zev as the poison from the knife spreads through his body. She erupts in a wave of power, spreading green flames throughout the camp and giving her a chance to get to Zev. Before she can do anything, she is locked in a magical cuff that has cut off all of her magic. They are overcome by Tarn’s men, and rather than see him kill her Guardians, she threatens to kill herself first. Cassiel is desperate to save his mate, but they are forced to let Dyna be taken away by Tarn.
Chapter 58: Cassiel
Left with Rawn and Zev, Cassiel turns his attention on saving Zev from imminent death. Zev is saved by Cassiel’s divine blood, but when they rush to pursue Dyna, Cassiel is struck by an invisible blow and the immeasurably painful loss of his connection to Dyna.
Epilogue: Dynalya
Dyna writhes in pain after Benton places a spell on her, cloaking her from the rest of the world. She realizes her bond with Cassiel has not been severed, but merely silenced by the spell, moments before falling into a deep sleep. When she awakes, she is alone with Tarn in his tent. He reveals to her that he seeks the Tree of the Unending and the invincible power it has, and she realizes he is a descendent of Jokull and Sunneva, the immortal Ice Phoenix.