Throne of Glass, #3
Heir of Fire
by Sarah J. Maas
Contents
Chapter 25
Overview
Celaena continues training with Rowan at Mistward but remains unable to shift, even when the ruins of Mala’s temple stir her magic and raise questions about old Fae history, Terrasen, and Maeve’s failures. Rowan then brings Celaena to investigate a corpse drained into a husk, linking a new string of coastal deaths to the dark creature Celaena encountered in the barrows.
The discovery expands the threat beyond Celaena’s personal training and suggests a dangerous predator is moving through Wendlyn. Celaena’s insistence on burning the victim shows a renewed moral resolve, while Rowan’s quiet assistance marks a small shift in their hostile partnership.
Summary
A week after the skinwalker attack, Celaena remains at Mistward without further assaults, but she makes no progress in learning to shift on command. Rowan keeps her on double kitchen duty and continues taking her to ruined temple grounds for training, where her fear of the overwhelming fire magic prevents success.
At the ruins, Celaena learns Rowan has brought her to a former temple of Mala, the Sun Goddess. The place makes Celaena’s magic stir, and she questions Rowan about old gods, Mab, Deanna, the sun stags, and the Fae of Terrasen. Their discussion turns to the King of Adarlan’s slaughter of the western Fae and Maeve’s limited response, revealing that some in Doranelle wanted to help while Maeve offered only sanctuary to those who could reach her.
The next day, Celaena notices that the fortress sentries react with surprise when she smiles at them. Rowan explains that her scent has warned males to keep away, exposing how openly Fae senses read emotion and instinct. Rowan then baits Celaena about whether she would accept a political marriage if she became queen, but Celaena refuses to engage and insists she has no intention of taking up the throne.
Rowan leads Celaena west through the mountains to a pine wood near the sea, where they find a woman’s corpse wedged in a stream. The body has been drained into a husk, with no wounds except dried blood at the nose and ears. Celaena recognizes the scent from the barrow creature and from the bloody chamber where her parents died, and she concludes that the dark being may feed on horrifying memories or life itself.
Rowan reveals that this is the fourth similar body found near the coast, though the victims remain unidentified and the pattern makes little sense. Celaena reasons that the killer may not care about hiding the bodies, or may be leaving them as a message. Before returning to Mistward, Celaena insists on giving the woman a funeral pyre; although Celaena cannot summon her own fire, Rowan silently uses his wind to help the flames consume the body and carry the ashes toward the sea.
Who Appears
- Celaena SardothienStruggles to shift, investigates a drained corpse, and insists on honoring the victim.
- Rowan WhitethornTrains Celaena, explains Fae instincts, investigates murders, and helps burn the body.
- BasFortress scout who reacts with surprise when Celaena offers a friendly greeting.
- Unidentified womanMurder victim found drained into a husk near the coast.