Chapter Three

Leaving McAnally’s, Lara walks Harry to their carriages. She urges Harry to “fill his cup,” warning that mere survival isn’t living. Harry asks about Lara’s shifting eye colors; Lara explains lighter eyes reveal her Hunger. When Harry admits he avoids eye contact to prevent a wizard’s soulgaze, Lara is intrigued, and the two part.

In the carriage, Mab manifests beside Harry, coolly judging his date as barely adequate. She frames the rendezvous as preparation for an impending conflict and orders Harry to secure Lara Raith’s cooperation by any means, citing Lara’s mortal influence as essential to Winter’s plans.

When Harry balks at seduction and his own fragility, Mab calls him “useless” and reminds him he’s replaceable. She assigns a second task: mend fences with King Etri of the svartalves, enraged that Thomas killed a close lieutenant and that Harry hid Thomas. Their refusal to arm Winter imperils Mab’s preparations, and she demands Harry fix it.

Harry protests that Etri will demand a life. Mab icily replies he must provide one, threatening to puppet Harry through negotiations or take “some other life” connected to him. Harry explodes, reading it as a threat to his daughter, Maggie, and counters that he would unleash Demonreach’s inmates on Mab if she tries.

Mab laughs at the catastrophic stakes, insisting cooperation is better for humanity and pressing Harry to abandon prolonged mourning. She warns there is no time and she will find another champion if he falters. Mab vanishes as the carriage leaves shadow, and Harry, exhausted but focused by thoughts of Maggie, orders the driver to hurry and steels himself to face the tasks.