Contents
Chapter 36
Overview
On the night of Heartfall, Aris reveals her silver markings and works the ballroom to secure alliances. She wins a crucial invitation from House Harlow, while House Ashcroft objectifies her. Raker escapes, kills guards, and drags Aris into a crimson-stained room. There, he identifies Vander as a bloodbane—confirmed by Vander’s ominous entrance.
Summary
Hours before Heartfall, Vander sends Aris a sheer, liquid dress that displays her silver markings and sword. Embracing her identity as sky-touched, Aris confronts chained Raker and demands he swear on her sword; he refuses, asserting she needs him. Aris leaves determined to secure other oaths.
Vander escorts Aris to the ball, advising that her entrance is statement enough. Their arrival stuns the immortal nobility. After a dance, Vander urges Aris to obtain invitations critical to her quest.
Aris begins her campaign. The heir of House Ashcroft leers and hints at turning her immortal; Aris feigns interest to angle for access. She then targets House Harlow and meets Magnus, a gentle heir whose goddess-protected estate is on her route. Recognizing her resolve against the gods, Magnus kneels and grants her an open invitation, which she seals blade-to-blade.
As Aris continues dancing, Raker appears, cleaned and in formal wear, having slain guards to infiltrate. He dances her discreetly toward an exit, criticizing Vander’s display and her dress. To prevent a scene when Magnus bursts in to help, Aris fakes intimacy with Raker, which unexpectedly escalates their charged tension before they separate.
They notice the adjoining room’s walls, their hands, and Aris’s dress smeared in dark crimson. Raker realizes it is blood and concludes Vander is a bloodbane. Vander arrives holding a guard’s severed head and pointedly asks what they know of bloodbanes, signaling a dangerous revelation.
Who Appears
- ArisProtagonist; reveals silver markings at Heartfall, seeks alliances, secures House Harlow’s invitation, confronts Raker, and navigates peril amid a bloody revelation.
- RakerFever-recovered warrior; refuses Aris’s sword oath, escapes chains, kills guards, disrupts the ball, and deduces Vander is a bloodbane.
- Vander EvrenImmortal host; outfits Aris, presents her at Heartfall, urges her to get invitations, and later appears with a severed head as blood reveals his bloodbane nature.
- Magnus (Heir of House Harlow)Kind heir protected by a goddess’s temple; respects Aris’s aim against the gods and formally grants her an open invitation.
- Heir of House AshcroftPredatory southern heir; boasts of killing siblings in duels and objectifies Aris while dangling potential access.