Contents
8. Eight
Overview
Amara settles into the library and discovers Gil, the royal archivist, who has been avoiding her on the king’s orders. Gil reveals that many castle fae were turned into vox and that Ezra’s family succumbed to the curse twenty years ago, forcing Ezra to kill them after they massacred staff. This deepens Amara’s understanding of Ezra and reframes her view of him through shared grief.
Summary
Amara spends several days absorbed in the castle library, claiming a cushioned window nook and reading through shelves methodically. Startled by rustling deep among the stacks, she calls for Poppy and Ezra, then follows the sound.
She finds an older, silver-haired, winged fae stocking books: Gil, the royal archivist. Gil admits he has been instructed not to disturb Amara so she would not be afraid, and confirms only a few staff remain in the castle because many fae have become vox. Amara jokes about being shown the way out, and Gil refuses, noting the king would punish him but insisting Ezra has a good heart.
When Amara presses, Gil shares that about twenty years earlier the royal family of Orilon—everyone but then-Prince Ezra—turned into vox. The transformed royals slaughtered most of the castle staff before Ezra cut them down, a memory that still chokes Gil with grief. He calls it one of Orilon’s darkest days.
Hearing this, Amara reflects on losing her own parents to the vox. She recognizes a painful kinship with Ezra: both have been marked by the same curse-driven loss, subtly shifting her perspective on the king who holds her captive.
Who Appears
- AmaraProtagonist; spends days in the library, meets Gil, learns Ezra’s tragic past, empathizes through shared loss.
- GilRoyal archivist; older winged fae who reveals the castle’s losses and Ezra’s family turning into vox.
- Ezra KincaidKing of Orilon; ordered staff not to disturb Amara; survived his family turning vox and killed them.
- PoppyCastle attendant; only briefly mentioned as someone Amara might be hearing in the library.