The Legendborn Cycle, #3
Oathbound
by Tracy Deonn
Contents
Chapter I
Overview
Briana Matthews leaves the Northern Chapter with the Shadow King, only to discover almost immediately that the bargain she thought she controlled has trapped her in an undefined debt. The King strips Briana of Excalibur, threatens the people Briana most wants to protect, and proves that Briana has exchanged one dangerous power structure for another. By the chapter’s end, Briana is no longer merely fleeing the Order; Briana is being shaped into the Shadow King’s weapon.
Summary
On the hill above the Northern Chapter’s Keep, Briana Matthews leaves with the Shadow King despite knowing his power could destroy her. As his shadow magic closes around them, Briana sees Nicholas Davis running toward her in aether armor, trying to stop the departure, and she thinks of the people harmed while trying to protect her: Volition, Lu, Hazel, Mariah, Alice Chen, Selwyn Kane, and Nick.
The Shadow King transports Briana through darkness, where she glimpses terrifying places and nearly suffocates before they land in a windowless corridor. He appears first as Erebus Varelian, the Order’s Mage Seneschal at Arms, then reminds Briana that Erebus is only one stolen face among many. Briana realizes Nick may not even know who took her, and the King makes clear that he will hide Briana while Nick may pursue either her or Selwyn.
The King leads Briana through the British Museum, concealing them from security cameras. Briana notices Egyptian sarcophagi and feels the injustice of the dead being kept behind glass, which also sharpens her guilt over Alice’s coma. When the King demands Excalibur, Briana refuses at first, insisting she needs the sword for training and reminding him that he promised to teach her strength, power, and control.
The King reveals that Briana’s bargain with him remains incomplete because she made two demands: that he take Selwyn to his mother and that he teach Briana. Since the King has not named his price for the second demand, Briana owes him an open debt. When Briana protests, the King threatens Selwyn, Alice, Nick, and Briana’s father Edwin if Briana breaches the bargain, forcing Briana to accept that she has been outmaneuvered.
As an immediate condition, the King orders Briana to surrender Excalibur willingly. Briana thinks of Nick and the sword’s connection to Arthur’s lineage, then hands it over; Excalibur makes a mournful sound as it leaves Briana’s grip. The King brings the sword to Agaraz, a goruchel demon hidden behind a curators-only door, and Agaraz reacts to Briana with open hunger.
After the King returns without Excalibur, Briana fears he intends to weaken her further by taking her rootcraft. Instead, the King says he will build Briana into someone no one can destroy, a weapon rather than someone dependent on a weapon. He grips Briana’s arm, tells Briana to breathe deeply, and carries Briana through shadows again.
Who Appears
- Briana MatthewsLeaves the Order with the Shadow King and is forced into deeper debt.
- The Shadow KingAncient demon using Erebus’s identity; traps Briana in an open bargain.
- Erebus VarelianThe Shadow King’s Order persona, used to manipulate power and hide his true nature.
- Nicholas DavisTries to reach Briana before she vanishes; later becomes leverage in the King’s threats.
- AgarazGoruchel demon in the British Museum who receives Excalibur from the Shadow King.
- Selwyn KaneAbsent but central to Briana’s bargain; threatened if Briana breaks the deal.
- Alice ChenStill comatose after Briana’s possession; used as another threat against Briana.
- Edwin MatthewsBriana’s innocent father, named by the King as possible leverage.