The Legendborn Cycle, #3
Oathbound
by Tracy Deonn
Contents
Chapter 1
Overview
William, Nick, and Larkin regroup immediately after Briana and Selwyn vanish from Northern, discovering evidence of an unknown demon and impossible black aether. Nick pulls himself out of shock and leads a threat assessment that confirms Briana and Selwyn are still alive but likely separated and being used for an unknown purpose.
Selwyn’s murderous emotion reaches Nick through their Kingsmage bond, offering relief and warning at once. Nick responds by escalating the crisis politically: he invokes an archaic formal audience with the High Council and openly confesses to killing Mageguard Maxwell Zhao.
Summary
Six seconds after Briana Matthews disappears, William reaches the hilltop at Northern and finds Nick alone, frozen with his hand outstretched where Briana and the stranger vanished. William notices a wisp of impossible black aether fading from Nick’s fingers and fears that Briana is now alone without her friends. Nick is awake but unresponsive, his aether armor still active, and William recognizes the response as a trauma-driven retreat.
Larkin arrives after searching unsuccessfully for Selwyn Kane. Larkin smells Briana’s fresh scent and a faint Shadowborn scent, then panics because he believes a demon took the Crown Scion. Nick recovers enough to impose order, insisting they perform a threat assessment instead of spiraling. The group concludes that the same powerful demon likely breached Northern’s wards, took Selwyn first, then returned for Briana.
Larkin blames himself as Briana’s supposed Kingsmage, but Nick corrects him: Larkin has not taken the Kingsmage Oath and is not bound to Briana. Nick and William realize Briana must still be alive because their Legendborn inheritances remain active; if the Awakened Scion of Arthur died by a Shadowborn hand, all their magic would vanish. From this, Nick argues that the demon did not take Briana to kill her immediately but because the demon needs her for some purpose.
The discussion turns to Selwyn’s condition. William defends Selwyn, while Larkin warns that Selwyn’s descent into full demonia may make him dangerous to Briana or to himself. Nick suddenly collapses under the force of Selwyn’s emotion through their Kingsmage bond. When Nick recovers, Nick laughs with relief because Selwyn is alive and filled with murderous intent toward someone unknown, proving both Selwyn and Briana have survived for now.
Nick then makes a drastic decision. Using Larkin’s phone, Nick calls Regent Cestra despite the Council’s unresolved kill order against him. Speaking with cold authority and invoking curia conventus as the Awakened Scion of Lancelot, Nick summons the Regents and Seneschals to Northern in three days. Nick further provokes Cestra by inviting arrest and confessing to the murder of Mageguard Maxwell Zhao.
Who Appears
- WilliamPOV character; healer and Scion of Gawain assessing Nick and the disappearances.
- Nick DavisScion of Lancelot; recovers from shock, analyzes the abduction, and summons the Council.
- Larkin DouglasMageguard and cambion; tracks scents, panics over Briana, and lends Nick his phone.
- Briana MatthewsAwakened Scion of Arthur; newly abducted by an unknown demon and confirmed alive.
- Selwyn KaneNick’s Kingsmage; abducted separately, alive, descended, and radiating murderous intent.
- Regent CestraCouncil Regent whom Nick calls to invoke curia conventus and invite arrest.
- Maxwell ZhaoMageguard whose murder Nick confesses to during the call with Cestra.