Chapter Nine

At dawn, Poppy spars with Vikter, briefly besting him with a dagger. He reminds her training is about survival, not winning, and presses her about sleep after Rylan’s funeral. Poppy admits to restlessness but avoids discussing her nightmares and confesses curiosity about who will replace Rylan.

They discuss Hawke. Vikter notes Hawke’s exceptional skill and capital connections, suggesting he could be promoted despite his youth. Poppy panics at the prospect of Hawke becoming her personal guard, fearing he’ll recognize her from the Red Pearl and report her. Vikter also orders an end to her secret outings after the garden attack.

That night in the Great Hall, Poppy stands with the Duchess during public petitions, restless and hyperaware of Hawke watching from the crowd. As Court proceeds, she struggles with rising anxiety and avoids revisiting the gardens where Rylan died.

Mr. and Mrs. Tulis present their newborn, Tobias, and beg that he be spared from the Rite after losing two sons to illness. The Court reacts with shock. The Duke and Duchess refuse, insisting the Rite is the gods’ will and not negotiable. Poppy’s empathic gift slips; she’s flooded by the couple’s grief and briefly senses a separate, bitter, burning pain from an unidentified blond man.

Vikter steadies Poppy as she rebuilds control. The Tulises’ pleas fail; they are ordered to surrender Tobias to the Temples at one month. Witnessing the denial and the parents’ devastation, Poppy resolves to remember their loss and concludes that the Ascended are no longer truly mortal.