"He was a killer and a very potent male, but he was, and always would be ruled by the traditions of the s'Hisbe. That was what was was not understood about him- he had never once killed or maimed without provocation. And she had long suspected that he gave himself unto her mother not out of love, but to to provide a stabilizing effect politically.
Few would guess the true role he played behind the scenes, but she knew it because she had eavesdropped for all these years. And yet in spite of the sway he held and the influence he had at the palace, he had never tried to overthrow or even diminish her mother in any fashion.
Instead, he had always upheld their ways. Protected them. Nurtured them."
s'Ex is a Shadow, which is a subspecies of vampire, in The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. He's served as executioner and is now the co-ruler of the Shadows alongside maichen.
Biography[]
s'Ex was a servant who worked his way up to the role of the queen's executioner and lover. He was a model citizen, firmly believing in their laws and traditions no matter the morality or a person's individual desires, even going so far as to torture iAm and threaten his life in order to keep Trez in line. Somewhere along the way he became less hardline. When maichen found him having sex with human women, they struck a deal: she wouldn't tell anyone of how the queen's lover had sullied himself with humans and he'd look the other way when she sneaked out of her heavily guarded suite in disguise for a bit of freedom, as long as she stayed on palace grounds.[2] Later, he took bribes from Trez in the form of human prostitutes for nine months.[3]
The queen became pregnant by s'Ex, and to ensure that there is no question of ascendency or possible power struggles, any other daughters born to the queen are killed if their astrological charts indicate they won't become queen. Helpless to do anything as he listened to his daughter being ritually murdered, he began to question his beliefs and the traditions of his people.[4] Although he didn't do anything directly contradicting the queen, s'Ex helped iAm get into the palace to search the library for anything that might help Selena and got him back out again.
When maichen began to suspect her mother was manipulating the astrology, he helped get her into the palace and protected her on their way to the archives, even though that meant he had to kill some of his own guards.[5] There they discovered that the queen had, had astrological charts altered to suit her own purposes, including his daughter's. The true record showed that the young would have become queen, but Rashth didn't want someone with commoner's blood on the throne so she'd threatened the lives of the Chief Astrologer's loved ones unless he changed it to prevent the infant from becoming heir.[6]
He's the current co-ruler of the Shadows alongside maichen as King of the Shadows by contract agreement instead of marriage.
Personality[]
s'Ex has a tendency to hold the rule of law as more important than morality, although he's found more of a balance, some things are so ingrained in him that he'll probably never overcome those habits. When it comes to his own discretion on situations not covered by law and tradition, he never starts an unnecessary fight, but when he does he will finish it by whatever means necessary.
Physical Description[]
He wears black robes and a fine chain mail hood that covers his face.[7] Underneath that, he's covered- save for his head and neck, hands, feet, and groin- in tattoos created with a type of poison that discolours the skin instead of ink. It makes males sick for days, s'Ex is the only one to have them all over his body.[8] His head is shaved with ceremonial patterns and his fangs are always descended.[9]
Skills[]
- He's lethal, stealthy and cautious
Abilities[]
- Those that come with being a Shadow
Relationships[]
maichen[]
Although they began as uneasy allies through mutual blackmail, their alliance grew when he helped smuggle iAm and maichen in and out of the Territory, and they became true allies when she discovered that the queen had been behind the murder of his daughter.
Queen Rashth[]
She took him as a bedwarmer rather than as a proper lover or equal and found him an embarrassment socially[10] and maichen's of the opinion that he became involved with her mother to provide a stabilizing influence politically.[5] He ended up killing her for having their newborn daughter murdered.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- He takes his coffee black.[9]
- He killed the Queen's consort by making it look like "a bad fall."[11]