Chapter 37

In the aftermath of Raker’s deductions, Vander’s hunger confirms he is a bloodbane. He orders Aris to leave so he can feed, while promising to speak with the heirs afterward. Aris cleans up, trades barbs with Raker as he ties her dress, and they head to a private gathering Vander arranged.

Among selected heirs, debate centers on a veiled prophecy about a promised paladin. Bound by oaths, they refuse to reveal details, but their silence implies Aris may fit it. Ashcroft departs in doubt; Magnus remains supportive and gifts Aris a diamond necklace, offering an open invitation. Lord Rodin pledges his oath, granting Aris the closest route toward the Land of the Gods. The heir of House Drake also offers invitation and potential match, securing another promise.

Raker resents the accumulating oaths, while Vander, approving Aris’s progress, gifts her an invaluable Starside-steel scabbard that prevents others from summoning her sword. He warns that portaling will drain her and that other heirs may betray her to curry favor with the gods, urging immediate departure.

Outside, Aris and Raker clash over pride, danger, and the meaning of Magnus’s necklace. Raker demands she remove it, calling it a claim; he pointedly tells her she does not need diamonds, then withdraws. Aris prioritizes speed over caution and portals directly to House Rodin despite the cost.

At the obsidian estate devoted to the God of Death, a fearful attendant quarters them. Raker scouts; in a library of death iconography, he and Aris trade jabs about fear and intimacy, then focus on mapping a route across the desert toward City on Fire and the stormlands, wary of a beast that turns travelers against themselves. Exhausted, Aris pretends to rest but instead hunts for a forge.

Following heat and hammering, Aris discovers a hidden blacksmith with a child. Terrified of Lord Rodin’s notice, he tries to send her away until he sees her sword; he recognizes the blade and orders her to return at midnight, promising answers later.