Shattered Souls Summary
Prologue: Dyna
Dyna is trapped in a nightmare, reliving the attack of the Shadow from nine years ago that claimed the lives of her parents and brother. As she tries to escape from the Shadow, she finds her way to the Hyalus tree, which blazes to life as it protects her and keeps the demons at bay.
Part 1: Captive
Chapter 1: Cassiel
Cassiel is crippled by unbearable pain from the severed bond with Dyna, broken after she has been taken by Tarn and his men. Desperately believing that she is still alive, but has been cloaked by a spell, they decide to set off in search of Lucenna to help track Dyna’s Essence. But it is the night of a full moon, and Cassiel must chain Zev before he is overtaken by the Other.
Chapter 2: Dynalya
Dyna is still forced to wear the witch collar around her throat, stealing her magic and nearly suffocating her until Tarn finally relents and removes it. She is furious as she believes that Zev has died at the hands of Tarn, but when she tries to attack Tarn, she is attacked by the wards in his tent and rendered unconscious from pain almost immediately. Dyna awakes alone in a smaller tent, now with new shackles on her ankles, and attempts to flee the camp while no one is watching. Dalton sees her sneaking through the camp and stops her, warning her that her shackles chain her to the camp through magic, and she is trapped once again.
Chapter 3: Dynalya
Von brings Dyna to the kitchen tent, where she meets the Minotaur, Sorren, and Von’s wife, Yavi. Dyna is grateful for a meal but overwhelmed as she takes in the camp, and so Yavi guides her back to her tent, where Dyna had previously awoken. Yavi believes that Dyna will be Tarn’s undoing, and Dyna hopes that she has found her first ally in Tarn’s camp.
Chapter 4: Zev
Zev awakes to burning pain from his silver shackles after the full moon night. Cassiel and Rawn help carry him away, barely conscious, as he fights to withstand the burns and the silver poisoning. In his feverish state, he dreams of a white wolf he chases into the snowy forest. There he meets his father, telling him to let go of the past and to keep fighting to give up his silver chains. Zev wakes to find that Cassiel has used his divine blood to fully heal all of his scars, and he finally shares the story of his guilt and grief with Rawn. Rawn shares his knowledge of the Garou Pack of half-human werewolves in Xian Jing, giving Zev hope that he is not alone in his struggle. Since they cannot find Dyna, they set off in search of Lucenna hoping she can cast a tracking spell for them.
Chapter 5: Von
Von interrupts Dyna and Yavi in their tent, just as Yavi is sharing the prophecy with Dyna. He takes Dyna to see Tarn again, where she notices that he surrounds himself with wards, protection crystals, and takes the Witch’s Brew, indicating his extreme distrust of even his closest men.
Chapter 6: Dynalya
Tarn assigns Dyna to tend to Elon, the captain of his spies, and she is shocked that he has no plans to torture her. Von takes her to the mage tent, where an inhospitable Benton offers to give her to one of his sons as a gift to bear offspring. Which Von quickly shuts down. She easily diagnoses Elon’s illness, something the mages have not yet been able to do, as the result of the runes on one of Rawn’s magical arrows. With the arrow now in the mage’s possession, she has hope that the magic left in the rune may give her a way to escape.
Chapter 7: Dynalya
While Dyna and Yavi work together on preparing the medicinal herbs that will heal Elon, Yavi shares that Tarn traded a dragon ring in exchange for the prophecy from the Seer of Faery Hill. Dyna is certain that Leoake has once again been meddling in the affairs of others. She sneaks into the woods and summons Azulo, who appears and reveals that he can transform from his fox to his fae form. Azulo reveals that her bond with Cassiel is fully intact, and offers to kill the mage who made the veil she is trapped in to set her free. She instead asks Azulo to help her flee after she breaks her enchanted bangles, and Azulo agrees before leaving her with a message from Leoake: “Wine is preferable to water, clever mortal.”
Chapter 8: Dynalya
Back in the camp, Dyna finds herself eating dinner alone, until she befriends Dalton as part of her plan. When she flatters him with compliments on his magic and asks him to help teach her new spells, Dalton instead agrees to show off his mage skills as she watches. Geon joins them, warning her to not take advantage of Dalton, and Dalton continues to brag about his family’s immense power. He lets it slip that Benton, Dalton, and Clayton are powering the veil. Before they can continue their conversation, Von arrives and brings her to his master. Tarn forces Dyna to return to his tent to partake in a wine toast to Elon’s health. She chooses to drink water instead of wine, and to her horror, she realizes Tarn has drugged her with Dreamshade oil as she slips into a numb sleep.
Chapter 9: Lucenna
Lucenna is on the run from her father, but is still plagued with guilt for leaving Dyna and the others behind. She searches the Essencia Dimensio with her magic to see where they have gone, and is shocked to find that Dyna’s Essence is nowhere to be found. Fearing the worst, Lucenna sets off into the south in search of Dyna.
Chapter 10: Cassiel
Exhausted after searching for Lucenna all day, Cassiel is growing more and more desperate to find Dyna. They are all shocked to see Seraph fire burst from Cassiel’s fists, traveling up his arms without burning him. It startles them but they don’t have time to question it. They decide to split up: Cassiel to the skies to search for the Valkyrie for more aid, and Zev and so Rawn to the east with Fair in hopes of finding the Lupin Pack in the plains.
Cassiel is quickly found by the Valkyrie the next morning. Captain Yelrakel declares the High King summons him back to Hermon Ridge to answer for his actions in the Port of Azure, but Cassiel refuses to go until he has found Dyna, revealing she is the Princess Consort of Hilos and his True Bonded mate.
Chapter 11: Dynalya
Dyna awakes in Yavi’s tent again, and realizes that Yavi has been hiding her pregnancy from everyone. Yavi confides in her that she is three months along and that Von is the father, but she begs Dyna not to tell him. Yavi is fearful that Von’s loyalty to Tarn would outweigh even the happy news of their baby. They head to breakfast together, but are harassed and attacked by Leitenant Haran, a newly promoted raider, along the way. Yavi is struck, Dyna fights Haran to defend her. Von arrives just in time to stop the attack from going too far. He is so angry Yavi was struck, he broke Haran’s arm.
Chapter 12: Von
Von and Dyna are summoned by Tarn, only to find that Haran has brutally executed. He assigns Dyna to be trained by Len to better protect herself in the future. They prepare to head out on another expedition to search for the Scroll of the Unending, and Von begins to suspect that Tarn has many plans he has been keeping a secret from even his closest advisers. His mind wanders to past regrets as he shares his past with Yavi.
Chapter 13: Dynalya
After suffering a painful beating as part of Len’s ‘training’, Dyna argues with Tarn that his preference for violence will never get him what he wants and that she will never be like him. Tarn finds this amusing as he warns her that everyone has darkness in them, and that even the closest people to her can betray her. He then surprises her by giving her a warm meal and drawing a bath for her to bathe and relax in, and while she is suspicious of his motives, she accepts what he offers her.
Chapter 14: Zev
Zev and Rawn come across an injured female white wolf, the same one from his dream. She flees to rejoin her pack and Zev follows. They meet Lara, the injured white wolf; Ronin, her brother and the Alpha of the Garou Pack; and Finn, the beta of the pack. Zev is entranced by Lara, and stunned to find that the Garou pack is a collection of many breeds of Lycans, brought together through their shared status as outcasts from their packs. The Garou pack is caring for the Lupin pack, fallen ill with a fatal Lycan disease called distemper, and Zev suggests that if the pack can help them find Lucenna, they could recover Dyna and heal the pack.
Chapter 15: Dynalya
Tarn seems to treat Dyna with unusual consideration, seeing to it that she eats and sleeps well, but he still provokes her with the information that Zev is dead. She attacks him, which he easily stops. He tells her he controls everything that Dyna does, emphasizing how much he holds all of the power and has rendered Dyna helpless. Realizing that hard truth, Dyna decides it is finally time to let go of the frail, naive girl from North Star, and begin to fight back with everything that she has.
Chapter 16: Dynalya
Yavi reveals to Dyna that Geon and Sorren wish to escape with her and Yavi before they reach the port. Dyna realizes that they have all set her up to share Tarn’s tent, hoping that she will fulfill the prophecy and make Tarn fall in love with her. Feeling betrayed by the fragile friendships they had been forming, she lashes out at them. She runs into Dalton and he apologizes for his part in her deception, and Dyna is surprised when Clayton and Benton appear, revealing that they hope Dyna will work with them on an escape. They form a tentative alliance. As a first act of trust, Dalton confides in Dyna that the Mage Code is in place because sorceresses are actually more powerful than mages, and the men fear the women overpowering them. Dyna herself has had a barrier spell placed in her, presumably by her father, to block her magic, although it is weakening and will eventually unleash all of her pent up Essence.
Chapter 17: Von
The camp is moving again. Dyna warns Von that the camp is no longer safe for Yavi, beseeching him to send her away as soon as he can, which he agrees to. Later that day, Novo and Len return from a scouting mission to report that they have not found her Guardians, but they believe Zev to be alive after finding his tracks by the campsite. Before he can tell Dyna the good news, she is summoned back to Tarn.
Chapter 18: Lucenna
Lucenna’s father, Galvaston, has finally found her, chasing her through the woods and nearly overpowering her completely. At the last moment, she is saved by Cassiel, Rawn, and Zev, forcing her father to flee into the night.
Chapter 19: Dynalya
Tarn finally gives Dyna an ultimatum: she has one day to give him the location of the map, or he will force Benton to take the information from her mind. That night, she feigns exhaustion so Tarn tells her to sleep in his tent, and she uses the opportunity to search through his belongings. When he later returns, she pretends to be asleep as she observes him frantically searching for Witch’s Brew. She sees the scars on his back realizes he takes the Brew because he is afraid to dream, showing that Tarn still has the tiniest bit of humanity left.
Chapter 20: Dynalya
As they put their escape plan into effect, Dyna realizes that the three mages only plan to use her to help themselves escape, meaning to take her with them to the Magos Empire by force. She uses one of Rawn’s enchanted arrowheads, stolen from the mage’s tent, to slash the veil and escape to the other side. The Azure Guard appears, summoned by Benton, and attack Tarn’s camp. Benton then attempts to attack her but Azulo appears to defend her. He holds back the three mages as she flees into the night.
Chapter 21: Lucenna
Lucenna awakes, surrounded by the three Guardians, and is grateful that they came to her aid against her father. They tell her what happened to Dyna and beg for her help. Using Cassiel’s feathers to enhance her power, she is able to get a lock on Dyna’s location when her Essence suddenly blazes to life after Rawn’s arrow momentarily cuts through the veil. They all set off after Dyna to the west, with Cassiel flying ahead of the group.
Chapter 22: Dynalya
Dyna runs to the east, desperate to find Cassiel, but is stopped by a group of Azure Knights who are certain she is one of Tarn’s spies. Tarn appears, killing all of the knights to save her life, but he is mortally injured by poison in the process. Certain that he has earned the fate he deserves for his wicked ways, Dyna begins to leave Tarn behind… but at the last moment, turns back to heal him.
Chapter 23: Dynalya
Tarn falls into a deep sleep as he recovers from his wounds, and Dyna realizes that Dalton has tricked her by giving her a book on earth magic instead of her journal. From her other book on cognitive magic. Dyna teaches herself Dream Walking and uses it to see what Tarn dreams of, and is sucked into a terrible nightmare filled with violence, trolls, and death. Tarn suddenly awakes, demanding the Witch’s Brew, but Dyna gives him water laced with dreamshade oil to force him back to sleep.
Chapter 24: Dynalya
Dyna uses her dream walking to guide Tarn to happier memories of his childhood, but is horrified to see that his childhood was filled with abuse and neglect from his parents. A young Von appears in his memories, loved and cherished by his parents. He is a rowdy outspoken boy, but when Tarn behaves the same he is horribly whipped and left outside in the cold, bleeding. The trauma awakens his ice powers. Dyna is pulled from Tarn’s memories, and immediately prepares to continue fleeing, but is stopped by Elon, Len, and Von. Once again a captive, Dyna is dismayed to hear that no one in their group successfully escaped, but she bargains with Von to keep her magic and to forbid Tarn from taking any more Witch’s Brew.
Chapter 25: Dynalya
Tarn wakes up back in camp, angry that Dyna forced him to dream. He demands Witches Brew, they struggle, and she puts him to sleep but he drags Dyna back into his dreams. She sees the moment that Tarn is told he will be forced to marry Von’s sister, Aisling. Though neither of them asked for the marriage, it becomes clear that over time, Aisling’s endlessly warm personality begins to thaw Tarn’s heart and they fall in love.
Chapter 26: Dynalya
Time leaps forward, and Azurite is under attack by trolls. Garent, the King’s viceroy, has lured the trolls to their town by the order of King Lenneus, the Azure King. Lord Morken realizes that Tarn is not his son, but is the bastard of King Lenneus, and that the King will never stop trying to kill Tarn in order to secure his throne. Lord Morken turns on Tarn, but Tarn uses the powers of the Ice Phoenix to kill him. Badly injured, Tarn is saved by Von and together, they run to save Aisling. They are too late, and find Aisling has been murdered by trolls. Von is overcome by guilt and grief, ready to die in penance for not saving his sister, but Tarn saves his life from the continued onslaught of trolls and claims Von as his slave.
Chapter 27: Dynalya
After Tarn wakes from his nightmares, they unwillingly find common ground in each other’s pain and form a reluctant understanding. Dyna no longer hates him. He dismissed her from his care and she leaves to search the camp for her friends. She is relieved to find that Geon, Sorren and Yavi are all safe, but Dalton now knows that Yavi is pregnant after he healed her from terrible burns she sustained in the battle against the Azure Knights. In a desperate attempt to keep Yavi’s condition a secret, Dyna saves the three mages from execution by begging Tarn to earn their loyalty through showing mercy.
Chapter 28: Dynalya
Back in Tarn’s tent that evening, he shares with her more of his story. There can only be one living descendant from both bloodlines to claim the inheritance of the Ice Phoenix, which Tarn stole from Linnaeus when he was born. Tarn intends to become immortal, kill the king, and then return Azure to the land of the Everfrost. Dyna argues that his revenge will only continue to hurt more people, and pushes to see a glimmer of his humanity by calling him her friend. She reveals her bond with Cassiel in a show of trust, and Tarn scoffs at the idea of love.
Chapter 29: Dynalya
Tarn asks Dyna to consider joining him, giving him her loyalty in exchange for him slaying the Shadow Demon. She considers this offer, hoping he would be a powerful ally rather than her enemy, but could never betray her bond with Cassiel. Angry and hurt at her refusal, Tarn once again imprisons her with the bangles and has Von take her to the mages to force her to give up the information on the map to Mount Ida.
Chapter 30: Dynalya
Von, Len and Novo escort Dyna to Benton’s tent. She pleads with Von that this was wrong and he knew it, that Tarn would continue to use him and eventually hurt Yavi. Von is afraid she is right, but more afraid of the holy law. He brings her to Benton but is called away, leaving her alone with the mages. Benton ignores Tarn’s command to extract information and instead plans to wipe Dyna’s mind so no one can ever access the location of Mount Ida. She grabs Rawn’s arrowhead, hidden in her boot, and kills Benton, bringing down the veil and finally reforming her bond with Cassiel. The raiders chase her as she runs through the forest, screaming at Cassiel through her bond to meet her at the cliffs. Tarn corners her there but she sees her mate and the Valkarie. She leaps and Cassiel catches her and they fly away. At the last moment, Clayton hits her with a blast of yellow magic, and she feels her mind slipping away.
Chapter 31: Cassiel
The blast throws them off trajectory. Cassiel keeps Dyna safe in his arms as they crash in the forest. But the Guardian’s reunion with Dyna is bittersweet, overshadowed by the fact that Clayton’s desolation spell has completely stolen Dyna’s mind. Lucenna uses a healing spell, enhanced by Cassiel’s feather, and in doing so, breaks the barrier spell binding Dyna’s magic. A massive explosion erupts, tossing Cassiel and everyone else away.
Chapter 32: Cassiel, Nine years ago
On the night of the Winter Solstice, little Cassiel is missing his mother. Manipulated by the Queen into leaving for North Star in hopes of finding her, he arrives at the village to find it is under attack by the Shadow Demon. He hides in the roots on the Hyalus tree. He hears Dyna weeping and fleeing from the demon. He pulls Dyna to safety when she stumbles towards the tree. The moment they touch, he is overwhelmed with feelings of home and the need to protect her at all costs—and suddenly, their bond as mates is sparked. Drawing his sword, he steps out from the tree to fight the Shadow Demon and protect his mate.
Chapter 33: Cassiel
Cassiel awoke, realizing the dream was a memory that he did not previously remember. Cassiel sits up in the demolished camp to find that Dyna has returned to consciousness. They run to each other and embrace. After all they have been through in their separation, they are finally reunited, their bond as strong as ever. Their friends start to awaken, and Dyna sees Zev is alive and well, and for now, the Guardians are happily reunited.
Chapter 34: Von
Clayton pleads for his life, but Tarn has no mercy left in his heart. He kills Clayton. Distraught at losing both his father and brother, Dalton erupts in a blast of orange magic and attacked the raiders. He opens the earth and moves the trees, killing half of the men. Von stops him, but knows Tarn will kill the boy in a brutal way, so he sees no other choice than to kill him quickly and painlessly.
Von knows that Tarn is aware of his shifting loyalties, having seen him run to save Yavi first during the fight. Yavi is still upset that Von chooses Tarn at every turn, and Von feels more alone than ever.
Chapter 35: Zev
The Guardians are granted a moment of reprieve, as they are finally reunited and have a chance to reevaluate their quest together. Dyna shares the details of the prophecy, and they speculate that Keena and another Guardian may join their quest soon.
Zev is still adjusting to the news that Cassiel and Dyna are True Bonded, and he realizes that he truly is no longer her protector as she now has Cassiel. It’s time for him to let go of a life of living for other people, and to instead focus on finding his own happiness in the world.
Chapter 36: Dynalya
Cassiel and Dyna steal away from camp that evening, and they both share what has happened during the time they were separated. Cassiel believes his father may have stolen his memory of meeting Dyna nine years ago, and knows that he must also face a trial in Hermon Ridge to answer for his violation of the Accords. They both promise that their bond will never again be broken, not even if Cassiel’s memories are taken as part of his punishment.
Part II: Power
Chapter 37: Cassiel
The next morning, they are shocked to find Dyna floating in the air, trapped in the Rising Sleep as her mage power begins to manifest. With newfound power at her fingertips, Lucien and Lucenna agree to continue teaching her magic, and the group continues on their journey to face Cassiel’s trial.
Chapter 38: Dynalya
They reach the town of Hallow’s Nest, filled with townspeople and traveling Celestials who are headed to Hermon Ridge for the Festival of Light. Dyna is shocked to see Von in the crowd, who is equally shocked to find her alive and well after being hit with Clayton’s spell. He is clearly wracked with guilt, and promises he will not disclose Dyna’s appearance unless Tarn specifically asks him about her. Dyna forgives him, and they part ways.
Chapter 39: Von
Von and Elon are on the road to reunite with the other spies when they are pursued by a group of thirty Skelling Mercenaries. Von recognizes the leaders of the group as Klyde and Eagon, and he hides from them for the rest of the night, confused at what he has done to wrong a man that he has never met before.
Chapter 40: Lucenna
Dyna finally has a chance to tell Lucenna what she has learned about mages—the power of women, mixed bloodlines, and the secrets the mages have kept from them for so long. Lucenna has hope that this knowledge will change the tide of the rebellion in the Magos Empire. She may still be betrothed to Prince Everest, but her mind continues to return to her memories of one man… Klyde.
Chapter 41: Dynalya
When they hike halfway up the Hermon mountains, they are delighted to see that a herd of Pegasus will carry them to the top where another Celestial Realm lies. Cassiel and Dyna ride, while the rest are flown by carriage through the beautiful clouds that surround the majestic mountain home of Hermon Ridge.
Chapter 42: Dynalya
They are awestruck by the beauty of Hermon Ridge and the castle in the mountains. Sowmya, lieutenant of the Valkyrie, greets them, who promise to keep news of Dyna and Cassiel’s bond a secret for now, and learn that his uncle, Lord Jophiel, will be passing the sentence on Cassiel since the High King has not yet arrived. One of Cassiel’s friends, Lady Sarrai, agrees to bring them to the throne room, and they are unsettled by her clear ignorance of the rest of the Guardians.
Chapter 43: Cassiel
To their extreme dismay, Malakel greets them in the throne room instead, having deceived them into believing that Lord Jophiel would be present to pass the sentence. Malakel declares Cassiel guilty with barely a trial at all, calling forth executioners to shear his wings and push him into exile. Dyna is desperate, and explodes with her green magic the same way she did at the fjord. Overtaken by her own spell, Lucenna strikes her down to save the lives of everyone in the throne room.
Chapter 44: Cassiel
Before Malakel can take his revenge on the Guardians for killing his executioners and nearly killing him, Lord Jophiel returns and ends the unauthorized trial. He dismisses the court, and has Cassiel tell him in private all of the events that led to the violation of the Accords. While Cassiel fully expects to be exiled, Lord Jophiel surprises him by saying that he has decided to step down as Lord of Hermon Ridge, and plans to appoint Cassiel as his predecessor. By order of the High King, Cassiel is to wed Sarrai at the Festival of Light.
Chapter 45: Dynalya
Dyna awakes in a room with Lucenna, who recounts everything that happened in the throne room after Dyna lost control of her magic. To make matters worse, they overhear conversations about the impending wedding of Cassiel to Sarrai. Prince Asiel appears on their balcony, seeming quite taken with the two beautiful ladies visiting their court, but Lucenna warns him to stay away from Dyna.
Chapter 46: Cassiel
After the news of his engagement, Cassiel takes a moment alone to process everything. Asiel finds him and questions who Dyna really is to him. Cassiel adamantly denies any meaningful connection, but Asiel has already guessed that they have already exchanged blood. Cassiel warns him not to touch her. Frustrated at the impossible situation they have been placed in, Cassiel returns to the castle to find Dyna and prepares to discuss the difficult choices they have ahead of them.
Chapter 47: Dynalya
Now that they can finally see each other after all of the day’s events, Cassiel attempts to give Dyna a choice—stay with him, or be released from the bond. She is adamant that she will never leave his side, and chooses to stay with him no matter the challenges that lay ahead. Together, they will face the future. Cassiel then confesses in his language that he loves her.
Chapter 48: Dynalya
Cassiel and Dyna approach Lord Jophiel, revealing their True Bond and recounting their adventures that led them to finding each other. Jophiel believes their story and supports their relationship, but insists that they go through with some of the rituals to finish sanctioning their bond, including a marriage in front of the court. Jophiel asks for a few moments alone with Cassiel, and Dyna goes to wait in Cassiel’s bedroom for his return.
Later that evening, she opens the door, believing Cassiel has returned, only to find Prince Asiel instead. As he begins to tease her, Cassiel returns and fiercely protects Dyna from Asiel’s manipulative ways. Asiel is shocked to see Cassiel stake his claim so clearly, but leaves them alone.
Chapter 49: Von
Von, Len, Novo and Bouvier arrive at Beryl Coast, where they hope to find the Scroll of the Unending in a nearby temple. They stop by an inn for the night. Von suspects that Novo and Len are in a relationship, and Novo laughs, sharing that it’s been obvious to many that Von himself is in a relationship with Yavi. Novo plans to buy Len’s freedom, and Von questions why he never thought to do the same for Yavi. He drinks himself into a stupor then steps out of the inn to relieve himself. At that moment, he spots Azure Knights ridding into town.
Chapter 50: Zev
Zev could not rest, wrought with worry over Dyna as her place as Cassiel’s mate. Cassiel gathers the Guardians in his bedroom to share he revealed the truth to Lord Jophiel and plans to declare her as his mate at court. Zev and the Guardians gather in a show of support and represent themselves as Dyna’s personal guard. They accompany Cassiel to the War Room where he announces their plans to wed to the council. The Celestials are outraged and shocked to learn that Cassiel has ascended as Lord of Hermon Ridge, and plans to marry a human; however, none dare stand against the extreme show of power from Lucenna, Zev, and Rawn alongside Cassiel.
Chapter 51: Cassiel
The court is reeling with accusations of nepotism and disdain over race and bloodlines. Cassiel is enraged by the threats being made towards his mate, especially by Malakel, and he prepares to unleash his seraph fire on the room. The room stirs with whispers of fear and wonder, as Seraph fire has not been wielded in the same manner since the reign of King Kahssiel, the first king of the celestials.
Awoken by Cassiel’s emotion, Dyna appears, still dressed in her nightgown, and pulls Cassiel back to his senses. He dismisses court with threats to support their marriage, or have their titles revoked and be replaced by those that do. When they are left alone, Lord Jophiel gently chastises Cassiel for his temper and encourages him to find a more peaceful way to Lord over Hermon. After he is gone, Cassiel meets Raziel, the Lord of Edym, who is waiting for him in the hall. He is cool and aloof, commending Cassiel for his cold behavior with the council. But Cassiel reaffirms that he does not intent to be a harsh lord. Lord Raziel leaves him with a final thought, “Power is not only taken by force, it must be held by force. For what monarchy isn’t founded in blood and war?”
Chapter 52: Dynalya
Surrounded by a flurry of maids tending to her appearance, behavior, and etiquette, Dyna is already overwhelmed by her new role. She dismisses everyone except for Lucenna and Noemi, her lady’s maid, and tells Noemi to tell her everything she knows about the Bonding Rites to help her prepare for each of the three stages. They then discuss the Festival of Light which was established by King Kahssiel. When Dyna asked about him, Noemi grows nervous and quickly excuses herself, leaving Dyna with questions about the first celestial king.
Chapter 53: Rawn
Being back in a royal court makes Rawn think of his wife and the early times in their relationship. He is uneasy at how many threats he has overheard from Celestials passing in the hallway, and how many are calling him the reincarnation of King Kahssiel. As they make their way to the first day of the festival that evening, Rawn and Zev overheard a male voice threatening Lady Dyna’s life. But when they search for the speaker, they see Lord Gabriel, the lord of Nazar, speaking with Sara. Rawn cannot be sure if they were the ones speaking, but he suspects that Lady Sarrai is not as sweet as she appears to be.
Chapter 54: Zev
Zev is on high alert as the banquet hall is filled with people who wish ill intent on Cassiel and Dyna. He overhears a conversation with Lady Sarrai and her father, Lord Gadriel, where he is berating her for being a half breed who has not lived up to her duty. Later in the evening, Jophiel tells the tale of the war against the God of Shadows and how the light of the Hyalus tree aided them in the final battle, which is related to how their Festival of Light came to be. He calls Cassiel and Dyna to the stage to display the Hyalus tree once twilight falls. The candles are put out for the show but then Zev and Rawn hear the mysterious speaker again. “Her filth must not be permitted to defile the Realms. Their scourge must be cleansed. Their souls ripped away from existence.”
Zev and Rawn search for the owner of the voice but it’s too dark and too crowded.
“If he awakens, his power will be the end of us all.”
Zev and Rawn realize belatedly that none of the lords or princes are present, including Lady Sarrai.
Then the voice says, “Extinguish her and the Nephilim. Immediately.”
In a panic, Zev shouts to the Valkarie that Cassiel and Dyna are a target right as the curtain falls, leaving them in darkness. Then the room is filled with screams.
Chapter 55: Dynalya
Dyna is reeling after realizing that someone truly tried to kill her at the banquet. She is in her room where Sowmya had flown her to safety after Zev’s warning, accompanied by her mate and her Guardians. Lord Jophiel listens as Zev and Rawn confirm that they heard a male voice ordering her assassination, but they are all at a loss as to who was behind the attack. Cassiel believes it is the Lord behind it but Lord Jophiel is adamant that without proof, they cannot do anything but continue with the wedding. Cassiel declares that he does not care who it is, he will kill whoever comes after his made.
Dyna is left to worry all night. In the morning, she walks the castle with Zev and Lucenna, waiting for the assailant to make a move against them. She comes across Sarrai arguing with Asiel, who seems clearly enamored with her. Dyna approaches Sarrai once she is alone, and Sarrai admits that she loves Asiel and wished to be his mate so she could have the power to see her mother again. Dyna encourages Sarrai that chasing true love is more important than the judgments of anyone else, and leaves her to go find Cassiel.
Before she reaches him, Dyna is attacked by Malakel. She orders him to release her as she outranks him in Hermon Ridge, and Lord Raziel appears and further pressures Malakel to leave her alone. Before he leaves, Malakel makes it clear that he believes her bone with Cassiel will be cut short by her human lifespan.
Chapter 56: Dynalya
The time has come for Dyna and Cassiel to go through the rite of the mind and the rite of the heart. Together they share their struggles, their secrets, and their hopes for the future. Dyna shares her encounter with Malakel who told her that their union would not last for she is human and Cassiel would die when she did because of the broken bond. She begins to cry at the thought. To which Cassiel says, “Walking this world for an endless age alone will never outweigh one lifetime with you. And if a mortal life is all we have, then I will spend an eternity searching for you in the next one.”
But the sweet moment ends when Cassiel touched her shoulder and Dyna winced from pain. Discovering the bruise Malakel had left on her, Cassiel is enraged. Blue seraph fire erupts out of him and he heads for the balcony. Dyna tries to stop him, but misses as he flies away, and her fingers slip through his fire, but it amazingly did not burn her.
Chapter 57: Cassiel
Cassiel hunts down his brother, determined to finally end his life after years of abuse. He locates him in the commons hall and attacks. Lost in his emotion, he almost kills Malakel, but is stopped when Dyna walks through his blue flames, unharmed, and pulls him back. He leaves and is confronted by the Valkyrie, who insist on training him in the same way that the first king, Kahssiel, was. Cassiel is the first to be blessed with Seraph fire since King Kahssiel, who also had to train with the Valkyrie and learned to control his emotions and his power.
Later that evening, Cassiel returns to Dyna to apologize and to check on her. Both question why she could withstand his fire but came up with only theories. He then reveals one of three Light Gifts he has for her, a Hyalus necklace with a crystal that glows in the dark. He can now keep his promise to never leave her alone in the dark again. When Dyna mentions she wasn’t able to prepare a gift for him, Cassiel says she is his gift. They share a sweet moment, but he makes himself leave before they get carried away. Tomorrow they will be finally wed. Cassiel flies away to his room only to find Lord Jophiel waiting with a magical cuff that Cassiel must wear by order of the High King, taking away his seraph fire.
Chapter 58: Von
They arrive at the temple site, and find a group of Azure Knights has been murdered, along with the Relic Hunter. They search for where the Relic Hunter has hidden the Scroll inside, and are attacked by an assassin who easily outmatches all of them with his skill. Novo is killed first, and Len and Bouvier fall as well, before Von and Elon are able to fend off the assassin. Elon asks Von to report that he has fallen in the battle so he can finally return home to his mate and Von agrees to the story, but before he can depart, Elon is killed as well, falling victim to the Fugu venom poison from their adversary’s blade.
Chapter 59: Dynalya
Dyna wakes and it is finally her wedding day. Amidst all of the preparations, Lord Jophiel requests her presence. She arrives at his rooms, overhearing his conversation with King Yoel about plans to make Cassiel the King of Hilos, and realizes that Malakel is behind her and has heard everything. He disappears, and she continues on to her meeting with Jophiel, where he gifts her with beautiful sapphire earrings for her wedding day.
Chapter 60: Cassiel
At their ceremony, Cassiel is breathless at Dyna’s beauty. She approaches the altar, where Jophiel is ready to conduct their marriage ceremony, and together they go through all of the rituals: their vows, exchanging of rings, binding their hands with a sash, and finally, the exchanging of blood, confirming that they are True Bonded for all to see. They receive their crowns and rise together as Lord and Lady of Hermon Ridge, ready to celebrate their marriage at the banquet to come.
Chapter 61: Dynalya
As the celebration continues with no signs of stopping, Dyna and Cassiel decide to leave early and prepare for their evening together. Dyna meets him in his rooms, dressed alluringly and nervous for what is to come. Cassiel takes his time painting her with his wedding vows:
“From now and through the ages, I will forever be yours, until I fade among the stars.
I will have nor hold no other but you.
I will live each day worthy of you.
Every part of me, all that I have, and will ever gain belongs to you.
I will be your shield as long as I live and breathe.
Everything I do, no matter how painful, will always be to protect you.”
Before Dyna can paint him with her vows, he kisses her.
Chapter 62: Cassiel
Before they get too carried away, Cassiel suggest they continue with their vows. Dyna begins to paint her promises on Cassiel’s chest:
Even when the world crumbles and we fade among the cosmos, I will still be yours.
My heart will always be filled with none other than you.”
While she paints, Cassiel confesses how much Dyna truly means to him and how afraid he is to lose her. A part of him still doesn’t believe he is meant to be this happy.
Dyna continues her vows.
“I will love you through whatever darkness may come, through the ice, and through the flame.”
I will fill our days together with the joy that is meant only for us.”
It’s an intimate moment for Cassiel to realize she loves him in turn and to trust her completely when it came time to paint her vow on his back, so close to his wings.
She vows: “I will protect every part of you with all that I am and avenge every wrong done against you.”
The moment progresses to kissing that grows more heated. While they weren’t ready to consummate their marriage yet, they decide to take the next step. Together, they explore each other, discovering new sensations and emotions as True Bonded mates.
Chapter 63: Dynalya
Later that night, Cassiel heads to the kitchen to bring them a late dinner, leaving Dyna to rest in his room. Before he returns, Dyna is kidnapped by a masked assailant, and rather than fight and possibly die, she chooses to go willingly to save Cassiel’s life.
Dyna is blindfolded and carried away, only to find that Sarrai has been kidnapped as well. When their assailant reveals himself, Dyna sees that it is Malakel, driven by rage at the thought he will lose his kingdom to Cassiel. He uses Sarrai to bait Asiel into challenging Cassiel for the realm, and Dyna to force Cassiel to accept the challenge. Asiel is enraged, revealing that he has already mated with Sarrai, and is struck down by Malakel just as Cassiel arrives. With Asiel gravely injured, Malakel himself challenges Cassiel for everything he owns, including his life.
Chapter 64: Cassiel
Hundreds of Celestial spectators have gathered to watch the challenge between Malakel and Cassiel. Malakel wears armor made of the same material that the Valkyrie use, protecting him from Cassiel’s seraph fire. They struggle and fight, but ultimately, Malakel strikes Cassiel out of the skies, breaking his wings and stealing his ability to heal from the fall. Dyna struggles to help him, feeling every bit of pain that Cassiel feels through their bond, and Malakel throws her from the cliff. Cassiel dives after her, despite his broken wings, and in that moment, his seraph fire creates for him wings of fire that allows him to save Dyna from the fall. He returns to the battle against Malakel, shocking him that he has survived his injuries, and punches Malakel with all the power and fury his seraph fire has.
Chapter 65: Dynalya
Returning to the castle after the challenge, Dyna and Cassiel are once again at peace. Cassiel sweetly sends word with the servants that they have consummated their marriage, although they are still taking their time together and have not solidified their bond in this way. Their explorations are cut short as they must call their court and deal with the repercussions of the challenge. Cassiel won the challenge but left Malakel alive, and now they must decide what to do with him.
Chapter 66: Dynalya
They appear before court, both stunning and dressed in black, to give Malakel’s sentencing. Cassiel tells Malakel that he will grant him mercy—as long as he begs for Dyna’s forgiveness. He spits the words out, full of spite, and is shocked when Dyna chooses to forgive him. Cassiel banishes Malakel from all of the Realms, and Malakel responds with a promise to make him pay. Cassiel burns Malakel’s wing in response to his threat, stopping just before he kills him.
Cassiel prepares to depart, returning to their journey to Mount Ida, but Jophiel reminds him that now that he has defeated Malakel, Cassiel owns everything Malakel had—including his title as crown prince and the heir apparent to the throne of Hilos.
Chapter 67: Cassiel
As they prepare to leave, Cassiel appoints Asiel as his Lord Protector in their absence, and confirms that he will finally be allowed to formally marry Sarrai at the next Festival of Light. Before Cassiel leaves for Troll Bridge, he is approached by Lord Raziel, commending him for surviving his time at court and wishing his father a long reign as king.
Part III: Souls
Chapter 68: Rawn
Rawn wakes in the midst of a battle, rendered unconscious and dreaming of his wife Aerina after being attacked by trolls. Lucenna blasts the frozen lake, cracking the ice so the trolls are sucked beneath the water and giving them a moment of reprieve. The trolls catch up to them quickly, overwhelming the small group. Amidst the chaos, Fair is cornered by a troll and Rawn desperately tries to save him, but they both are sucked into the freezing water before anyone can help them.
Chapter 69: Dynalya
Zev is injured badly, Rawn and Fair are missing, and Cassiel has broken his leg—when all seems lost, Dyna calls on her most powerful spell, sending out an immense burst of blue and green Essence. The troll onslaught has temporarily been stopped, but they see another wave coming from the distance. At that moment, Klyde and his band appear and quickly dispatch the remaining trolls, leaving Dyna indebted to him once again. They realize Lucenna, Rawn and Fair are missing, and Klyde promises to search for them while Cassiel, Dyna and Zev wait in town.
Chapter 70: Lucenna
Lucenna awakes in the cave of a troll, her magic drained completely. Klyde sneaks into the cave after her and is able to smuggle her out of immediate danger, but they must spend the night in the caves as they wait for the frenzy of trolls to die down. Lucenna keeps her guard up around Klyde, whose teasing keeps getting under her skin despite her best efforts to keep him at arm's length.
Chapter 71: Dynalya
Skelling Rise provides welcome relief from the freezing temperatures and bitter wind, and they find shelter in Eagon’s house with his family, including Gale, his pregnant wife, and his son and nephew. Soon, they see Rawn arrive with Fair, having been pulled from the icy waters by his horse when they were lost in the battle. Dyna heals Rawn, and as night falls, they must hold on to hope that Lucenna will arrive in the morning.
The next morning, they wake to find the world covered in snow, trapping them in Troll Bridge and forcing Rawn to abandon hope of mailing his wife the letter he has been carrying for two months.
Chapter 72: Zev
Lucenna and Klyde return the next morning, and the Guardians are faced with the grim reality that they are trapped by the relentless winter weather, unable to cross Troll Bridge for at least three months. The mercenaries are kind, but confess that Jophiel sent them on a mission to see the Guardians to safety, and they expect their payment. With all of their gold lost in the battle, Dyna agrees to trade her healing services as payment. Zev remains in his wolf form, keeping it a secret from the townspeople that he is a Lycan for fear of being thrown out into the wilderness.
Chapter 73: Lucenna
Lucenna is Rawn’s salvation, agreeing to open a courier portal so he can mail his letter to his wife. Together, they use an immense amount of Essence to open the portal, and Lucenna loses control and they both nearly die as their power is sucked out of them. Klyde, once again, comes to Lucenna’s rescue, keeping her awake until he can get her inside to the warmth and she can finally close the portal. Feeling protective of Lucenna, Zev transforms into his human form, not caring that he has given away his Lycan lineage, and takes care of Lucenna while Dyna rushes to help Rawn.
Chapter 74: Von
After his companions have perished in battle, Von returns to meet Tarn with a still unconscious Len and no sacred scroll. With the promise of certain death for his failure looming over him, Von goes to Yavi to beg for forgiveness on what he believes to be their last night together. Yavi lets go of her anger, for the moment, as they share their passions and they make love through the night.
Chapter 75: Dynalya
Eagon’s house has been damaged in the magical explosion caused by Lucenna and Rawn, and the group is forced to move into a vacant manor near the town. Dyna is filled with an uneasy feeling about the manor, and she realizes the abandoned manor once belonged to Lord Morken and is filled with bad memories.
Chapter 76: Von
The next morning, Von begins to tell Yavi goodbye as he prepares to face his punishment with Tarn. Yavi finally reveals that she is with child, and Von is filled with fear for Yavi and their son, and begs them to flee. However, when he is summoned to Tarn’s room, he is shocked to find that Tarn has decided yet again to spare his life. Von finally agrees with Yavi that it is time for them both to leave Tarn and begin their life free from slavery, and they plan their escape for that night.
Chapter 77: Cassiel
Dyna and Cassiel exchange their final light gifts—for Dyna, a sword made just for her, and for Cassiel, a set of wood rings to symbolize their union. They spend the afternoon sparring with Dyna’s new weapon, until she returns to the manor to brew medicine for Gale as she nears her delivery date. Gale continues to weaken as her pregnancy goes on, and Dyna tries to disguise her growing worry for Gale’s worsening condition.
Chapter 78: Rawn
Zev and Rawn scout the town alongside Klyde and the young Tavin, who Rawn suspects might be Klyde’s son. While they try to learn more about each other, it becomes clear that both groups have their own secrets to protect, but Zev does share a little bit about his Lycan heritage to assure Klyde that they will be safe from him on the next full moon.
Chapter 79: Lucenna
Finally awake, Lucenna checks in with Lucien and is relieved to find that the Enforcers have returned home for the winter, giving her a temporary retrieve from being hunted. The group begins to fall into a routine as they adjust to life in the wintery town, and Lucenna and Dyna finally have time to return to their magic lessons. They decide to cast a spell over the town to prevent their magic from being traced, and are joined by Klyde as they go through the preparations for the spell. When Cassiel calls to Dyna, Lucenna ushers Dyna away, leaving her alone with Klyde.
Chapter 80: Lucenna
Lucenna and Klyde work to finish the spell, but not without throwing insults to add to the growing tension between each other. Lucenna is constantly infuriated by Klyde and challenges him to a fight, certain she can beat him, but she is surprised to find his coat is enchanted and wards off spells. Defeated, she begrudgingly returns to the village with him.
Chapter 81: Von
Later that afternoon, Von is summoned to Tarn’s room again, and for the first time easily lies when Tarn asks him questions about Dyna and the missing journal. While they discuss Dyna’s whereabouts, a servant enters with breakfast and Von immediately recognizes him as the assassin who attacked them in the tunnels. The man, named Sai-chuen, claims to be here to serve Tarn, not kill him, and gives Tarn a sacred scroll with a missing piece. Tarn allows Sai-chuen to join the Raiders in return for promising to recover the missing piece from the thief who stole it—the Druid.
Chapter 82: Zev
Zev awakes after the night of the full moon, exhausted and in pain from another night bound by his silver chains. With the realization that the townspeople will never accept him, Zev decides to leave the group and spend time alone in the icy wilderness. He becomes lost in memories and grief, but in his despair he also finds new hope and a burning desire to live, and finally begins to find freedom from the Madness.
Chapter 83: Lucenna
After a morning of magic lessons and sparring, Lucenna finds herself alone again with Klyde. Entranced by her power, Klyde tries to guess Lucenna’s secrets and her past, but she continues to push him away. Klyde also keeps his secrets and refuses to tell her the true story behind the abandoned manor, so Lucenna cloaks herself with an invisibility spell and explores the forbidden fifth floor of the manor. There, she finds a long dead corpse, but Klyde catches her before she can continue her search. He finally shares that the corpse was the previous lord of the manor, murdered by Klyde for violating his mother and sister.
Chapter 84: Cassiel
After giving him the silent treatment for days for allowing Zev to leave, Dyna finally breaks her silence and lets Cassiel in. Their quiet morning is interrupted when a frantic Klyde arrives with an unconscious Gale, injured from a fall and in danger of losing her baby. After a long and difficult labor, Gale and her daughter both survive, but not without an immense amount of Dyna’s healing Essence.
Chapter 85: Lucenna
Dyna’s heart has stopped from her overexertion of her magic, but Lucenna quickly recharges Dyna’s Essence with short volts of electricity until she is stabilized. Later that evening, Lucenna goes to check on Klyde as Gale and Dyna both recover. They go for an evening ride together, and Klyde begins to share more of his past with her, including his memories of the day the trolls came and nearly destroyed their village.
Chapter 86: Dynalya
Realizing how close he was to losing Dyna after she healed Gale, he begs her not to use Healing Essence ever again. Healing is part of her identity, and she refuses to give up saving the lives of others just to protect her own life, and Cassiel leaves their conversation feeling hurt and fearful for the future.
Chapter 87: Dynalya
With a town gathering planned to celebrate the birth of Gale and Eagon’s daughter, Lucenna and Dyna get ready together, teasing each other about Cassiel and Klyde. They arrive together to the celebration, and both Cassiel and Dyna forget about their previous quarrel as Cassiel is entranced by Dyna’s devastatingly beautiful dress.
Chapter 88: Lucenna
Dyna and Cassiel leave the party for their rooms, and Rawn has excused himself from the boisterous evening, leaving Lucenna with Klyde for the night. She shares an intense dance with Klyde, and Lucenna begins to share some of her story with him. He offers to have the Liberation send fleeing sorceresses to his village for safety from the Magos Empire, and challenges why her betrothed has not cared for her more as she has been on the run for the last several years. They come close to kissing, but Lucenna sends him away, feeling guilt over her betrothal to Everest despite not having spoken to him in years.
Chapter 89: Cassiel
After their time apart, Cassiel and Dyna are both ready to talk about their quarrel earlier that day, and they realize that their love for each other gives them the strength to face any obstacle together. Finally ready to give herself fully to Cassiel, Dyna locks the door and leads Cassiel to his bed.
Chapter 90: Dynalya
As they share the most intimate parts of themselves with each other, their wedding vows shine brightly on their skin. Cassiel and Dyna are reminded of their bond with each other, and share a night of passion as they make love.
Chapter 91: Von
The Raiders have set sail for Dwarf Shoe in search of the Druid and the missing piece of the scroll. Von notices that Tarn has brought a chest of ashes, and is horrified when Yavi tells him that Sai-chuen believes Tarn has the ashes of the Ice Phoenix and intends to resurrect his dead wife, Von’s sister.
Chapter 92: Dynalya
Dyna and Cassiel awake after a beautiful night together, and are still full of desire for one another as they begin to get ready for the day. They are interrupted by Zev’s return, who comes bearing news that King Yoel has unexpectedly arrived in the town.
Chapter 93: Cassiel
Cassiel and Dyna greet King Yoel and Lord Jophiel in the makeshift throne room of the manor, and after a brief inquisition, Yoel approves of their marriage and welcomes Dyna to the Soaraway family. Sowmya is assigned as the leader of Dyna’s Royal Guard, and a male named Zekiel also volunteers to join her guard.
Chapter 94: Cassiel
Yoel has aged very quickly since the last time Cassiel has seen him, and is unwavering in his decision to make Cassiel the next High King of Hilos. Yoel promises that Dyna will not be Cassiel’s consort, but High Queen of Hilos, and together they will rule after they have finished their journey to Mount Ida. Cassiel does not want to subject Dyna to the hatred of the realm, and is filled with anger at his father for all the years he has not treated him like a son, and finally, Yoel must share the truth with Cassiel.
Chapter 95: Dynalya
Dyna is desperate to get to Cassiel as she senses his despair, and she reaches him just as Yoel touches his cheek to share the memory of the night she first met Cassiel while the Shadow attacked her village. She sees Cassiel being struck down by the demon, only to be saved by Yoel. Yoel banishes the Shadow, but Cassiel has been mortally wounded and continues to fade into death. Yoel speaks in the ancient language of the Heavens, “I call upon the Seven and the Seven Gates of old. Take from me my life and return that which was once whole.” He disappears into a massive set of luminous gates, returning later with a weary and tired look as Cassiel begins to return to life.
Back in the present, Yoel confirms that he gave the last years of his life in order to save Cassiel, and is finally nearing the end of his life.
Chapter 96: Dynalya
Overcome by what they have learned from King Yoel, Dyna seeks distraction by checking on Gale and her daughter, who she has named Gwendolyn after her own mother. As Gale shares more of her past, Dyna realizes that she has lived in Azurite since before the trolls arrived. Gale shows her a family portrait, sharing that Klyde changed his birth name after their horrible experience in the manor, and Dyna realizes there is much more to the family history than she thought.
Later that night, Dyna wanders the castle and finds herself eavesdropping on King Yoel as he speaks to his general and guards. When she is discovered, Yoel invites her to talk with him, and she finally asks—who placed the barrier on her power? He shares that her father Baden brought her to him when she was born, worried that her immense power would draw the attention of the Archmage. Before they part ways, Yoel leaves a birth-date gift for Cassiel with Dyna to give him when the time is right.
Chapter 97: Von
Von has drugged Tarn’s Witch’s Brew, leaving him in a deep sleep while Von and Yavi make their escape, taking the Scroll of the Unending and the chest of ashes with them. Just as they are saying their goodbyes to Geon, he is killed and tossed off the ship as Tarn and the Raiders catch them in their escape attempt. Tarn sentences Von to kill his own wife as punishment for his insubordination, but Von pushes her into the rowboat before he is forced to carry out the awful act. As Yavi rows away, they set her boat on fire, and Von is knocked unconscious as he hears Yavi’s desperate screams.
Chapter 98: Dynalya
The next morning, Dyna finds Cassiel in the courtyard, finally giving them a chance to discuss the future ahead of them as potential King and Queen of Hilos. Cassiel still struggles with his tenuous relationship with his father, but Dyna encourages him to acknowledge Yoel’s efforts to be better, and assures Cassiel that she will be by his side no matter what the future holds.
Chapter 99: Cassiel
With Dyna’s support, Cassiel meets with his father to share that he has decided to accept the throne. As they talk, Yoel works with Cassiel to control his blue flames that still appear at even just the thought of Dyna being in danger. Yoel shares that before he fell in love with Cassiel’s mother, Elia had been taken in by the Astron family in North Star, and that after his birth, Elia went back to North Star to introduce him to Dyna’s mother. Cassiel’s eyes flared blue with Seraph fire when they touched, and shortly after, Dyna’s mother gave birth to Dyna. Elia believed this meant Cassiel was the reincarnation of the mad king Kāhssiel, and later went to Mount Ida to search for a cure for the Seraph fire. Before they can finish their conversation, a host of Celestials appears in the sky, and begins to descend on the town.
Chapter 100: Dynalya
As the Skath Celestials begin their attack, Dyna and Cassiel reach into their powers together to send a powerful blast into the sky. The Guardians, Valkyrie, Jophiel, and Yoel all leap into the battle, but they are vastly outnumbered. As they are nearly overrun, Cassiel sends Dyna away with her Royal Guard, and the Guardians stay behind with Cassiel to face Lord Halle and his armies.
Chapter 101: Dynalya
As Dyna flees with her Royal Guard, they fall behind one by one until she is alone with Zekiel. To her horror, Zekiel attacks her, revealing that he and Amdiel have been sent to kill her after being part of the previous failed attempts. Dyna fights against him valiantly, calling out to Cassiel, but is unable to overpower Zekiel. Before he throws her to her death in the frozen pond, Dyna correctly guesses that he has been sent by Lord Raziel, and she slits his throat just as she is plunged into the freezing water.
Chapter 102: Cassiel
Cassiel reaches the lake just in time to pull Dyna from the water, barely clinging to life. Zekiel is barely alive, and Cassiel orders him to the dungeons as the Guardians care for Dyna. When the Valkyries share that the battle has been won and Amriel has taken Yoel back to his chambers for safety, Cassiel realizes that his father’s life is also in danger.
When he arrives back at the manor, he is relieved to find that his father is unharmed, but Amriel attacks Cassiel from the shadows. Before his blade can strike Cassiel, Yoel leaps in front of the blow and is pierced through his chest. Amriel is overtaken by the Valkyrie, and Yoel dies in Cassiel’s arms. Cassiel is flooded with power as his ascension to the throne is solidified, and as his first act as king, he names the Valkyrie as his Royal Legion and bids them to spread the news of the death of his father and, untruthfully, his wife.
After being reunited with Dyna, she rests and recovers from her injuries, and Cassiel realizes she will never be safe with him.
Chapter 103: Cassiel
Cassiel visits Amriel and Zekiel in the dungeons, both bloody and injured from torture as they have been forced to give up the names of those who helped them. When they will not give up the name of the lord who orchestrated the attack, Cassiel mercilessly kills them. Cassiel is indeed the reincarnation of Kahssiel, as he now has the memories of his past life. Dyna had died in his first life because of assassins, and he is enraged they came after her again in his second life. He vows to make his enemies burn.
Chapter 104: Von
Reeling from Yavi’s death, Von has no more strength or will to live left. Tarn comes to his cell to tell him that he has repaid his debt and finished his holy duty, making him a free man. Von chooses to leave the Raiders, and Tarn suddenly becomes desperate for him to stay as he watches the last connection to his past walk away from him. Von falls into the ocean as he struggles against Tarn, only to be saved by an old friend—Elon.
Chapter 105: Dynalya
Dyna awakes after resting to recover from her injuries, and immediately feels Cassiel’s unending grief. He shares that his father has died, and he cannot bear the thought of potentially causing her death, too. He begins to reject the bond despite Dyna’s desperate pleas, and when he finally speaks the words to sever their connection, they are both struck with heartbreak and physical agony. He tries to leave her, but stumbles back into the room, sharing one last kiss with Dyna before he places the barrier back on her Essence and erases all of her memories of them together, leaving her soul completely shattered.
Chapter 106: Cassiel
Cassiel is left broken to see Dyna who no longer recognizes him. He leaves the room and confronts Jophiel about the witch bangle placed Dyna. It matches the bangle Jophiel had placed on him in Hermon, so Cassiel can only assume he was part of the plot against them the whole time. His uncle assures him it’s not what it looks like, but Cassiel no longer trusts Jophiel, and renders him unconscious. The Guardians beg Cassiel to reconsider what he has done to Dyna, and even insist that they will help him on his search for retribution, but he instead sets his compulsion on the Guardians and the town beyond, erasing memories from all who have seen him. Cassiel leaves on his journey for revenge with the Valkyries to search the Four Realms for who is truly behind the plot to kill him and Dyna.
Epilogue: Dynalya
Dyna wanders through a dream of a young boy crying on the street, waiting for someone to come back. She leaves the dream just as Klyde awakes, and Klyde is wary of her reaction. Dyna shares that she has placed a spell on her mind to protect it from being broken into, and that she has not lost her memories and can still feel the weak and fragmented bond with Cassiel. Dyna is angry that she has allowed her naïveté to be taken advantage of once again, and is now refocused on her mission once again instead of being distracted by falling in love. She believes Von is her sixth Guardian, despite denying it on her previous encounters with him, and she also knows that Klyde is actually Klydesdale Morken, Tarn’s brother. He tries to run, but Dyna and her remaining Guardians hold him as their captive.