The Shadows (Book 13)

“Be present. Love her until the end. Never her leave her side until the last breath. That was how he was going to honor her with his heart and his soul, even though he wasn’t worthy.” -Trez about Selena

The Shadows is the thirteenth book of The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. It is preceded by The King of the same series, Blood Kiss of the Black Dagger Legacy series, the standalone novella The Story of Son, and by Immortal of the Fallen Angels series.

Legacy and the main series alternate both in terms of timeline and release dates and should be read in order of publication. However, Legacy is not required reading to enjoy and understand the main series.

Fallen Angels is a separate series that takes place in the same universe as The Black Dagger Brotherhood and shares locations, lore, and characters. Each book was published between every other Black Dagger Brotherhood book, although Fallen Angels takes place more at less at the same time as Lover Avenged.

Synopsis[]

Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on... except for his brother, iAm.

iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around... but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.

Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others—or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with.

But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything.

Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice...

Main Characters[]

Trez
Selena
IAm
Catra vin SuLaneh etl MuLanen DeH FonLerahn (a.k.a. maichen)

Other Characters[]

Black Dagger Brotherhood Members[]

Others - Speaking Roles[]

Mentioned or non-Speaking Roles[]

Amalya
Annalye
Autumn
Bella
Bitty
Boo
Darius
George
Groshe
Havers
Jim
LW
Nalla
Oster, son of Sanye
Peythone
Salliah
Silent Tom
Sola
Wellsie

Plot[]

Warning[]

Readers should be aware that this book contains non-explicit infanticide, terminal illnesses, references to cannibalism, past sex addiction, and assisted suicide.

Prologue[]

At some point in Trez's past, he attempted to escape Grand Palace of the Shadows territory by murdering his guard with a paring knife; it was the first life he ever took. As decreed by his astrology chart, he was to become the Anointed one, who's effectively a breeding stud for the princess when she reaches maturity, a fate in which he had no say or freedom. The queen's executioner, s'Ex, stopped him and when Trez threatened to take his own life out of desperation, s'Ex showed him iAm, whom he'd beaten until he was practically unrecognizable. s'Ex told Trez that if he tried to escape again or take his own life, he would torture and kill his brother. s'Ex summons guards to escort Trez back to his cell, but Trez snaps and kills the guards despite having no combat training. s'Ex sees this feat as confirmation that Trez is the Anointed One.

Twenty years later, the two brothers managed to figure out a means of escape.

Chapter 1[]

One of the bouncers at shAdoWs, Big Rob, comes to Trez in a tizzy because he caught a guy dealing heroin and when he confronted him, the dealer pulled a knife. While defending himself, Big Rob puts a serious hurt on the guy and Trez recognizes the dealer's as a lesser. To get Big Rob to calm down and not get the police involved, Trez has to rearrange his memories.

Chapter 2[]

Trez calls V, who's hanging with Rhage because they're both injured, and tells him about the mangled lesser in his club. When they arrive, he shows them the heroin packet marked with the crih and they assume that it's Assail's product since he's the only dealer in the race they know of.

Rhage starts in on Trez for not feeding, not showing up to Last Meal, and generally avoiding the mansion as much as possible. Then he tells Trez how good Selena's blood tasted the other night when he fed from her and Trez attacks him. Vishous has to pull the Shadow off of Rhage at dagger point before the Beast comes out to protect him from being choked out. Even after all that, Trez tries to deny that he's bonded with Selena.

Chapter 3[]

In the Grand Palace, s'Ex is forced to listen to his six-hours old newborn daughter being ritually murdered on the other side of a locked door. According to the laws of the Shadows, there can only be one female heir to the throne and in order to ensure that there is no question of ascendency or possible power struggles, any other daughters born to the queen are killed. For once, s'Ex is questioning the validity of their laws and traditions.

Chapter 4[]

Tohrment's planning to open the training centre again since they could use more fighters now that people are returning to Caldwell, even though the Lessening Society is still a growing threat. While talking to Selena about his plans, she experiences an episode that's a sign of the illness she's keeping a secret from everyone, which she explains away as having fed two of the Brothers. Part of the reason why she's keeping it a secret is because no one would take her vein if they knew she was mortally ill, and providing blood to the Brotherhood is the only thing keeping her from giving up entirely.

Trez tells V that he can't bond with Selena because of his position as the Anointed One. V has a vision and tells Trez that he's "running out of time on two fronts with two females" and that for him, "the statue will waltz," but Trez doesn't want to hear it.

Chapter 5[]

Nine months after his rescue, Luchas is going through physiotherapy and fighting a persistent infection in his leg. Doc Jane tells Qhuinn that Luchas isn't feeding, and he confronts his brother about it. Luchas has been feeling dependent on everyone else and like he's trapped whereas before he had a bright and shiny future. It's apparent that he's envious of Qhuinn's success in becoming a respected Brother and an expectant father whereas Luchas feels like he's weak. In general, he's not handling his new situation very well.

Selena goes to the Other Side and visits the statues of her sisters who'd been taken by the same freezing disease she has. However, the statues aren't truly statues. Because of the effects the Other Side has on their biology, they are virtually immortal; but they are susceptible to a latent recessive disorder called the freezing disease. The early stages are marked by fits of trembling, dizziness, and temporary loss of hearing and motor function. As the disease progresses, the Chosen's joints and muscles stiffen. At the end, they choose a final position from which they will never recover and their body is covered with plaster to form a statue, which is placed in the cemetery.

She experiences another episode and falls facedown on the grass. To avoid choking to death, she barely has the ability to turn her head so she can breathe. As she passes out, she thinks of Trez. The Scribe Virgin finds her unconscious form.

Chapter 6[]

iAm meets with s'Ex and he asks about the queen giving birth. s'Ex tells him that since the baby wasn't meant to be queen, she was ritually murdered. Once the mourning period is over, he's to collect Trez and bring him back to perform his duties as the Anointed One. iAm points out that just because it's tradition doesn't mean it's right and to drive the point home, he asks if s'Ex heard his newborn daughter scream as they killed her. s'Ex attacks him and they brawl a little. When he calms down, he says he won't help iAm and Trez anymore and that duty must be done. iAm, however, is willing to do anything to save his brother.

The Scribe Virgin goes to Trez, who's with Rhage and Vishous, tells him that he's been summoned, and takes him to the Sanctuary where he finds Selena on the ground in a rigor-mortis like state. The sight of the statues nearby fill him an unknowable terror. Rhage and Vishous follow him a moment later and they help him bring Selena back to the mansion.

Chapter 7[]

Layla's pregnancy's going well, but she hates being pregnant. She's been meeting with Xcor so he'll continue to keep the location of the Brotherhood's mansion a secret as per their arrangement, and she looks forward to their time together, but she hates that she has to lie about it. Thus far they haven't done anything more than sit under a maple tree in the field where they meet. On this particular night she stays at home to be with Qhuinn, who's upset over Luchas' attempt at slow suicide by not feeding.

Doc Jane has to calm Trez down because his bonded male took over and he's baring his fangs and growling at anyone who gets too close to Selena. Cormia arrives, having come down from the great camp when she heard that something had happened to Selena, and recognizes the disease as what they call the Arrest.

Chapter 8[]

Xcor is upset that Layla didn't show up as scheduled and wasn't responding to his calls. When he gets back to the house where the Band of Bastards is staying, he finds Throe holding court with the others in an attempt to stir up a mutiny. Throe accuses him of being lovesick, weakened, and distracted by a female. Zypher asks who the female is and Throe announces that she's a Chosen. The Bastards, already surprised that any of them could attract a female, are in awe that a Chosen would give him so much as the time of day. To try and get them back on the mutiny track, Throe wants Xcor to prove that he hasn't gone soft. In an eyeblink, Xcor has a dagger to Throe's neck and draws a drop of blood. Xcor thinks that perhaps Throe has a point since he didn't kill him right away.

Wrath had managed to out-maneuver Xcor without any deaths, stripped the glymera of their powers, and was democratically selected by the race. Xcor was not only impressed, but he's beginning to see that violence is only one method of attaining one's goals and others could be even more effective. Xcor refuses to continue going for the throne because Wrath was voted in and there was no winning against the population's will. Throe accuses Xcor of being Layla's puppet and calls him uneducated. The Bastards pledge their fealty to Xcor, except for Throe, who they boot out.

When Throe's gone, the Bastards press Xcor for details about Layla. He says only that, "She is the moon in my night sky. And that is the beginning, middle, and end of it. There is no more to be told than that and never shall I speak of her again."

Chapter 9[]

Boo's been sleeping in iAm's bed and iAm's reluctantly come to enjoy the cuddling and purring. When he gets home, Boo comes running and launches himself at iAm, clinging to him and purring happily. iAm asks Fritz to start feeding Boo fresh fish and chicken instead of kibble, even as he calls Boo "Goddamn Cat."

Trez is a mess during Selena's tests. The x-rays show that her joints have solidified into bone and fused and from Cormia's explanation of the disease, it is always terminal. Trez snaps and takes off towards the garage near the medical centre with a gun in hand and the intent to join Selena in the Fade. iAm tackles and disarms him, ordering him to at least wait until she's already in the Fade before joining her.

Chapter 10[]

Paradise and Peyton are talking on the phone about the announcement of the new trainee class that Tohrment sent out. The invitation specifically invites females and the non-aristocracy to try out, which sets Peyton off on a rant about classism, archaic gender roles, and pretty much how females of the glymera should be kept at home as little more than prized broodmares for males like him.

Throe appears on Abalone's doorstep looking for shelter for the day, claiming that he'd left the Band of Bastards after failing to dissuade them from their machinations towards the throne. He offers up their current location in exchange when Abalone appears reluctant over his loyalty to Wrath.

Chapter 11[]

Selena regains consciousness, but she can't breathe and goes into cardiac arrest. The defibrillator isn't working and as a last ditch hail Mary, Trez dematerializes into molecules and enters her body. He saves her life by sharing his own life force and although she's stabilized, he loses consciousness.

Chapter 12[]

Compared to previous Forelessers, Mr. C has been running the Lessening Society efficiently and with the drugs he's been buying wholesale from Assail to have the lessers sell, he's managed to build up their resources.

Wrath had been in Manhattan with Beth, so he hadn't received any of Abalone's messages until right before Abalone reports to the Audience House as usual. By this time, Abalone's wracked with nerves and guilt. To his surprise, instead of being angry with Abalone for sheltering his distant cousin, Wrath is pleased to hear of Throe's location and what he told Abalone. He reassures Abalone that he knows his First Advisor is completely loyal and that he should stop feeling guilty, which he can scent in the air. He makes plans to meet with Throe right away.

Chapter 13[]

Trez eventually figured out his escape from the s'Hisbe by using an air vent in the ceiling of his cell. He hadn't realized before that the jewels with which they constantly kept him draped were set with a steel alloy, prevented him from dematerializing. When the perfect opportunity presented itself, he stripped naked and dematerialized through the air vents and escaped. The first sign of habitation he came across was a cabin in the Adirondacks, but he was forced to hide when Rehvenge and the Princess arrived for their rendezvous as per their blackmail arrangement. After she left, Trez helped Rehvenge when he collapsed from the poison she used against him. In return, Rehvenge took Trez under his wing and helped him acclimate to both human and vampire society. They became as close as brothers, including iAm when he got free. Rehv sits with Trez for a bit in the medical centre and promises to see if the sympaths have any knowledge that may be of help.

iAm warns Trez of s'Ex's orders to bring him back once the mourning period is over for the unnamed infant, but iAm's determined to protect Trez while he's dealing with Selena's situation.

Chapter 14[]

Layla meets Xcor at their usual place, but he tells her that it's no longer safe and he doesn't want her out in the cold as the weather's turning. Instead, he takes her to the caretaker's cottage at the abandoned mansion where the Band of Bastards is currently staying. She explains that a family emergency had kept her away.

At Abalone's manor, Rhage manhandles Throe in a pat-down, practically drags him in front of Wrath, and throws him at the king's feet.

Chapter 15[]

Trez gives Selena his veins to help her recover. The solid bone has mysteriously disappeared, leaving her joints more or less normal. He insists on staying with her no matter what happens, but she doesn't want him to be with her out of pity, which was why she hadn't told anyone of her condition in the first place. Trez assures her that what he feels for her isn't pity. She admits that she'd been avoiding him because of the disease, not because of his extensive sexual history or the betrothal. Since she really has nothing to lose, she's honest and doesn't want him running from his own issues by getting caught up in hers. She only wants him with her if it's for her, not as a crutch.

Chapter 16[]

Throe claims he left the Band of Bastards because Xcor's goals are no longer his and offers up their location, then tells Wrath he's a fool for not jumping all over that. In front of Throe, Wrath tells Abalone not to kick him out on his account, but doesn't care where Throe goes. Privately, Wrath tells him that he hopes Abalone will continue to shelter the male since Wrath believes in keeping his enemies close. Since Abalone's worried that Throe's presence will put his daughter, Paradise, at risk, Wrath offers to let her stay at the audience house. From one father to another, Zsadist promises to ensure her safety.

Rhage, Vishous, and Zsadist go to the address Throe gives them and finds it empty, so they approach it as if it's booby-trapped. In case of ambush or some other unseen threat, they're on high-alert as they move through the house. There's signs that the Band of Bastards left in a hurry, but they find absolutely nothing of use.

Chapter 17[]

Trez tries to avoid the conversation with Selena. When she presses him, he lies and tells her that his past was only about sex and not about running from the Anointed One role. She tells him to leave until he gets his "shit together" and stops lying about what's really going on.

iAm finds s'Ex drunk and naked in bed at his apartment since the queen doesn't really want him around. He asks s'Ex to help him get into the palace and ultimately convinces him that if it's necessary if he wants Trez to live to fulfill his role as Anointed One with the added bonus of sticking it to the queen.

Chapter 18[]

At the cottage, Layla nervously asks Xcor if he "intends to consummate our arrangement."

Finding nothing at the house where the Band of Bastards were staying, Rhage stops by Safe Place to see Mary. It's perfect timing because Mary's been working with Annalye who, as it turns out, was pregnant when she came to Safe Place, but didn't tell anyone. The fetus died in utero and it was only discovered when she got sicker and sicker before finally passing out. Doc Jane examined her and removed the dead fetus, but Annalye's still suffering from an infection and refusing any further medical treatment. He holds Mary and listens, saddened for Annalye and Bitty and worried about Trez and Selena.

Chapter 19[]

Xcor assures Layla that while he does want her, he's not a beast to take her while she's pregnant. However, he does feel like an ass for putting her in the position that he has, especially since associating with known traitors is a capitol offense, but he keeps that part to himself. She wants to see him naked and he refuses, snapping at her. She snaps back that her sister is dying and the only time Layla's had sex was during her needing, which was a blur. Selena's dying and Layla's not, yet she hasn't really lived or had any sensual experience. Naturally, when she first learned of Selena's condition, Layla had wondered if she had it, too, and if she'd pass it on to her young.

He refuses to be toyed with as if his feelings don't matter and perform on demand. When he does have her, he wants to honour and respect her, but he may revert to form if pushed too far. She explains that she wants to see what Xcor looks like while pleasuring himself. If she really wants that, he says, then she should think of it over-day to be sure.

She leaves the cottage, but doesn't drive off. Outside, through the window, she watches him pleasure himself. Backing away, she trips and in an attempt to avoid landing on her rounded belly, she lands on her arm and breaks it.

Chapter 20[]

Just outside the Territory, iAm changes into servant's clothing that s'Ex had left for him and makes his way to a door at the back of the palace. As he waits, someone sneaks up on him from behind and knocks him unconscious.

Selena goes to Trez's room and apologizes. He asks her long ago her last episode was, she lies and says it's been a month, but in fact it's been 13 days. Since he's closed off, she assumes he's mad and even though he tells her he's not, she's frustrated by his stand-offish demeanor. Finally, he tells her that it's because he wants her in his bed, along with some other things he'd like to do to her. If they're to have a conversation, he suggests meeting somewhere like the kitchen and not in his bedroom. Instead, she takes off her robe.

Chapter 21[]

Trez gets his wish.

Chapter 22[]

Having woken up, iAm pretends to remain unconscious on the floor inside the palace as two males inspect the marking on his back that, like all male shadows, he received when he was six years old. They're shocked by what they find and hurriedly leave. Someone else, robed and hooded, enters and also inspects his marking, then leaves.

Peyton decides to enter the training program and Paradise wonders if her dad would let her. Peyton tells her that it's not a place for females, and certainly not females of the glymera who should be "preserved to breed" with glymera males simply because glymera males only want to mate with females like her. Unsurprisingly, she hangs up on him and ignores his calls back. Determined to prove him wrong, she starts doing push-ups and gets to three, mostly, which is how her father finds her when he enters her room.

Abalone tells Paradise that he wants her to work with him for a few weeks and to pack a bag since she'll be staying at the audience house. At first, she suspects it's because of Throe staying here. He says no, it's just that he needs an assistant and doesn't trust anyone else; the latter part is true. Excited, she starts packing.

Chapter 23[]

Rhage meets up with the rest of the Brotherhood at the audience house as V's finishing up reporting what they'd found, or rather what they didn't find at the safe house, to Wrath. Abe introduces Paradise to Wrath and the Brothers. Rhage feels sorry for her because he can tell it's probably the first time she's been in a room with so many strange males, which isn't all that unusual for glymera females with the more over-protective fathers. Wrath breaks the ice by introducing her to George, who happily accepts pettings from her, with Wrath's permission, of course. Naturally, Paradise is taken aback by Zsadist's scar, so to subtly reassure her, Phury shows her photos of Bella and Nalla on his phone.

Rhage continues to worry because Trez hasn't responded to any of his texts.

Layla barely manages to make it to the front door of the mansion before she passes out from pain.

Chapter 24[]

Ehric and Evale are concerned over Assail's growing coke addiction. Their worries are not eased any when Assail nearly drives into a tree on their way to meet their drug importer who comes up the river at night on an unlit boat. Assail sees more duffels that aren't meant for him, and since he doesn't want anyone else dealing on his turf, he follows them by dematerializing along the riverbank at regular intervals to see who his competitor is.

Butch, Rhage, Vishous, and Tohrment return to the mansion and find Layla unconscious in the front vestibule. Vishous begins assessing her and reports to Doc Jane via Tohr's cell, who'd called her as soon as they discovered the Chosen, that her breathing and heartrate are steady, but shallow, and no immediately apparent trauma.

Rhage has a panic attack. Tohrment pulls him aside, sits him down, and calls Mary, asking her to come home because Rhage needs her.

Chapter 25[]

Assail finds the importers are running guns for the Lessening Society, but since it doesn't affect his business, he doesn't care.

Mary cooks eggs for Rhage and asks about his night. He tells her but tries to act like everything's fine and she uses her counseling experience to ask follow-up questions. She asks him to consider that seeing Selena almost die, then Trez running off with a gun to his own head might be upsetting. Perhaps it's not just another day at the office if he has to search through a house possibly wired with explosives or someone lurking in ambush, particularly with his Brothers to worry about. Then he had to return to Wrath empty-handed. On top of all this, perhaps seeing Layla like that, not knowing if she was alive or dead at first, was the straw that broke the camel's back. He tries to deny it was a panic attack even though she lists off his symptoms, which match up.

Chapter 26[]

Trez regrets having been so rough with Selena, worries that he hurt her, and feels like he shouldn't have touched her at all. He checks to ensure she's breathing and not having another attack, but then he doesn't know if she's asleep or in a coma until she pats the bed in her sleep, looking for him. He tries to tell himself that the reason he doesn't feel a connection with her is because she's asleep.

When Selena wakes, he frets over her and she reassures him that he didn't hurt her; in fact, she enjoyed it and wants to again, which startles him, but she feels there's a divide between them because there's so much they're not talking about. He's determined to find a cure and they confess their love for each other.

Chapter 27[]

Upon waking, Layla's first concern is for the young and Qhuinn assures her that they're both ok. She's wracked with guilt because she could have lost the young while spying on a traitor, who she shouldn't even be seeing in the first place so she constantly lies about it, as he masturbates.

Doc Jane informs her that she's actually carrying twins because in vampires a second fertilized egg can implant, but not develop at the same time as the first one, quickening later instead. Instead of being elated over the news, Layla starts crying since the possibility of carrying both successfully to term is low. Jane suspects that Selena fainted because of the need to feed more than she has due to the second fetus.

Layla wants to tell them everything, but fears they'd hate her for endangering the young and herself. Xcor would still know the mansion's location, which would lead to bloodshed since he'd inevitably attack if she stopped seeing him.

Selena doesn't want to go to her appointment with Doc Jane to monitor the progress of the disease because she doesn't want to be poked and prodded while she's feeling well. She admits that she's scared of being locked into her body, conscious but unable to move. Worse, she wonders if one's soul doesn't actually travel to the Fade, but rather stays in the body, leaving them aware but entombed in the grave. Trez points out that decay would still occur and his own concern's about zombies. Selena supposes that wouldn't be terrible, unless one loses their jaw, then that would suck. They determine the solution to that would be a straw and a blender.

If she doesn't want to see Jane, then Trez won't force the issue since she has little enough control over her situation as it is and so should have as much autonomy as possible. He'll certainly give his opinion, but she shouldn't feel pressured into anything. So if she doesn't want to go to the clinic, then where does she want to go? He talks about the Taj Mahal and Paris, which she dismisses. She wants to go to Circle the World, which is a rotating restaurant atop a tower, much like the Seattle Space Needle.

Chapter 28[]

iAm wakes in a cell to find that he's naked and a maid, or maichen in the shadows' dialect, has brought him food and drink. At first, he refuses, assuming it's either poisoned or laced with a sedative. The silent female lifts her fine metal mesh mask to take a bite of everything and she's obviously fine, albeit a little afraid of him. Her scent arouses him. He demands to see s'Ex and when she leaves with the dishes, he worries that Trez will come to get him out, taking time away from Selena.

Trez goes to Jane and accidentally walks in on her and V having sex. When V comes out, Trez asks him when he's going to lose Selena, but V lies and says that he doesn't know.

Chapter 29[]

s'Ex catches maichen leaving iAm's cell and asks her if she poisoned iAm. She did not, rather, she was ensuring that he was taken care of since he hadn't had anything in over 12 hours. Although s'Ex never uses a title or her name, it's apparent that she outranks him somehow, yet he won't risk his own neck over her attack of morals. She orders him to keep her identity a secret from iAm and s'Ex will permit her to bring him food. Lifting her mask, she forces s'Ex to meet her eyes, even though it's forbidden, as she gives him her orders.

Trez explains to Jane that Selena doesn't want to spend her periods of wellness playing pincushion in the clinic, and he's a little disappointed when Jane agrees instead of strong-arming Selena into another examination or test. Selena's the only living Chosen with the Arrest, there's no record or study of it anywhere, and Havers has never heard of it before; they don't even know what causes it. Jane explains that they simply don't know enough to come up with a treatment, let alone a cure. She can't even give him a timeline of what to expect. A cautious approach would keep her trapped at the compound and destroy any quality of life, so Jane thinks Selena should life her life rather than wait to die.

When he worries if she has an episode while they're on their date, Jane shows him what she calls Manny's "new toy": an RV modified into a mobile surgical unit. The double doors at the rear open to reveal a large centre aisle with two gurneys flanked on either side by glass-fronted locked cabinets. Equipment includes a portable x-ray machine and ultrasound. The computer system and bulletproofing are Vishous' work. Manny offers to park near the restaurant while Selena and Trez have their date, just in case, and Trez gets choked up at the support from the two physicians.

Chapter 30[]

The shellans- Autumn, Bella, Beth, Cormia, Ehlena, Marissa, Mary, Payne and Xhex- show up to help Selena get ready for her date, although Xhex is there more to keep Trez out of his own room than to wield a mascara wand and gripes that the others made her come. When Trez does show up, she throws some of his clothes at him and tells him to go away.

Trez is surprised that Rhage is riding along with Manny and Rhage shrugs it off, saying that Manny bribed him with dinner at a steakhouse across the from the restaurant Selena and Trez are going to that Rhage swears serves the best steak in town.

Selena comes down the stairs in a low-cut little black dress with a miniskirt and her long black hair cascading in curls instead of up in its usual chignon. Trez is literally struck speechless and Lassiter, ever so helpful, compliments Selena when she's nervous that Trez's silence indicates displeasure. Needless to say, Trez goes bonded male on the angel.

Chapter 31[]

Paradise has problems sleeping at the Audience House due to excitement and nervousness, which is also affecting her appetite and makes her doggen maid, Vuchie, fret over her. As she's familiarizing herself with her desk, several of the Brothers enter without realizing she's there and are joking about killing lessers. The cracks come to a screeching halt when they see her. Soon afterwards, Abalone arrives and she's relieved because she's overwhelmed by all the males.

Qhuinn checks on Layla and asks if there's anything she wants to tell him, which puts her into a cold sweat. Lying, she tells him that she's been going for walks in the country and that she tripped over a root. He tells her that he understands she's working through some things and he just wants to make sure she's safe. Other females have a hellren and family to support them and Blay and Qhuinn want to be that support for her. They're interrupted by the sound of an alarm coming from Luchas' room.

Chapter 32[]

Selena and Trez fool around in the back of Fritz's Mercedes with the partition up as he drives them to the restaurant.

In the mobile surgical unit, Rhage is restless and preoccupied. He says that Many and Jane have to help Selena and Trez somehow. Manny tells him that the hardest part of med school is learning that sometimes there's nothing you can do for a patient. Something in Rhage's subconscious continues to bother him, but he's determined to ignore it.

Chapter 33[]

iAm yells at maichen because he still hasn't seen s'Ex and to hide his attraction to her, he has to wrap a towel around his hips. As he's pacing, he mutters that he has to get out because someone's dying. maichen pushes him for more information and he confesses he's there to look through the healers' texts to find something to help his brother's mate. Trez's relationship status comes as a surprise to her since he's supposed to be the Anointed One. Well yes, iAm says, but he fell in love. s'Ex is in mourning because no one knew where he'd gone when he left and the court wanted him to participate in the mourning rituals so he's with the queen. maichen offers to take iAm instead.

In the elevator, which is glass, Selena is excited over the view and Trez is sweating bullets over the height. The feeling only worsens for him when realizes he neglected to make a reservation, however, Fritz is fantastic and made them for him. They're seated right up against the window and looking at her, Trez murmurs that she makes him forget his fear. Now that he's commented on it first, she asks him why didn't he tell her before they got into the elevator or when she asked to come here? She wants him to enjoy himself, too. He tells her that he was determined to suck it up for her and besides, he had fun in the car on the way there.

Chapter 34[]

Layla and Qhuinn rush into Luchas' room to find Jane and Ehlena trying to get Luchas' heart re-started. They're barely able to get him stabilized and Jane pulls Qhuinn into the hallway to tell him that if there's any hope of his brother surviving, the infected leg has to be removed, and even then it might be too late for the male. As next of kin, Qhuinn tells her to proceed and she immediately gets to work while Qhuinn and Layla wait outside.

Qhuinn agonizes over the decision and Layla points out that the only other option would be to let Luchas die, and Qhuinn's conscience wouldn't allow that. She holds him during the procedure.

Xcor, who's in a foul mood because he's been wrestling with his demons since Layla left, and Balthazar are chasing down a lesser. During the hand-to-hand combat, gunshots ring out and the Bastards are hit, forcing them to retreat.

Chapter 35[]

At the end of the meal, Selena and Trez discover that the others had covered the bill ahead of time for them. She's distant and somber. He asks her where she wants to go tomorrow night so that he can prepare, but she's afraid to make plans for fear there might not be another night for her. He tells her that he refuses to believe that and she decides on a boat ride.

As they're getting into Fritz's car, Trez hears gunfire and orders Fritz to get them out of there fast. The butler drives hellbent for leather the wrong way up a one-way street, away from the danger, while Trez tries to reassure Selena that it wasn't gunshots she heard and they're only speeding because he can't wait to get her into bed. They've only gone two blocks when cop cars start coming down the one-way street in the correct direction. To avoid them, Fritz hops the curb and starts driving on the sidewalk. A couple of the cruisers peel off to give chase. Instead of being frightened, Selena's excited as if it's a roller coaster ride and urges Fritz to go faster.

After getting a text from Trez saying they're on their way home, Manny and Rhage head out, too, but someone runs in front of the RV and they hit him. They barely have time to realize what happened when bullets start hitting the vehicle, which pisses Manny off since it was his "baby's" inaugural ride and he drops metal plates over the windows. On a monitor with a live feed of the street, Rhage pegs the shooters as lessers carrying what appear to be AK's and wants to go after them. Despite protesting that he'll get himself killed, Manny cracks the metal plates and Rhage tells him to follow Trez and he'll catch up.

He's barely rematerialized on the street when the police surround him.

Chapter 36[]

iAm worries about maichen getting caught helping him; should that come to pass, the best outcome would be a quick death and the worst, most likely, result would involve a long period of torture before she's executed. While the guard shift is changing and making the requisite prayers for the deceased infant born to the queen, maichen gives him a maid's uniform similar to her own. As iAm dresses in the robes, she's programmed the lights to go out and stuffs the bed to look like someone's sleeping in it. She sprays him with perfume to mask his masculine scent. He tries to argue over the risk she's taking and she points out that there's no other option if he wants to help his brother's mate. He asks her name and she only gives him her title again, maichen. They move through sections largely used by servants to avoid running into anyone; Trez still hunches to appear shorter. They make it to the library without getting caught and she helps him search through the medical texts.

Trez tells Fritz to head for the river and he takes it literally, driving down a flight of stairs and through the glass lobby of a shopping mall. Trez waves to the stunned security guard as they pass him and smash through the other side of the mall. The car goes airborne and they land on the street. Fritz is more worried about getting home in time to prepare Last Meal than the destruction he just caused. A helicopter is circling the area and there are cops in the area who haven't noticed them yet so Fritz turns off the headlights and drives along the river underneath the bridge. Coming back around, he pulls onto the highway, turns the lights back on, and they blend into the rest of traffic.

Chapter 37[]

While running from the lessers, Xcor's hit by an RV and is severely injured on top of the bullets he's already taken. Balthazar gets him on his feet and behind cover then quickly takes out the two lessers on their tail. The RV comes their way and Balthazar also hides, refusing to leave when Xcor tells him to since he can't concentrate through the pain enough to dematerialize. Balthazar asks how grievous his injuries are and Xcor tells him a gunshot wound in one leg and the other's broken. Balthazar asks how long it's been since Xcor's fed and he avoids answering because he's fed from no one else since he first met Layla, resorting to deer instead; apparently, the Bastards have all suspected as much.

The police are closing in with dogs and Xcor again orders Balthazar to leave him since the Bastards will need a leader so one of them has to survive. Balthazar tells him he'll dematerialize to the rooftop of the building next to them and to follow if he can. Resigning himself to the inevitable, and lamenting the fact that he'll never see Layla again, Xcor sees a cop round the corner and spot him, then manages to finally ghost out to the rooftop where Balthazar and Zephyr are waiting for him. He passes out soon after.

Rhage dematerializes in front of six cops up to a roof to find the RV again. A few streets away, Manny's still being chased by police so Rhage poofs down to street level and takes out the front tires of the cruisers, then re-appears next to Manny, startling him. A helicopter's following them from above so Rhage starts texting and giving Manny directions, telling him to head towards the river. Manny drives underneath the bridge and they find a service bay door opening, thanks to Vishous' remote gadgets and pre-planning in case of just such an emergency. They park inside and lock the door.

Vishous calls Rhage to see what's going on and Rhage says he'll tell him the story if he comes to pick them up. V says he'll be there in 20 minutes unless there are cops in the area and Rhage tells him not to worry about that since the coast is clear. When Manny asks why Rhage would tell V there aren't any cops around, he says that V "could use the exercise." As they wait for the pick up, Manny worries about his "baby," aka the mobile surgical unit, because the police now have a description of it. Rhage tries to reassure him that they can smuggle it out piece by piece if they have to and V's good with a screwdriver. Manny points out that it would still have to be put back together correctly and suspects that Rhage is just trying to comfort him, so he doesn't have much confidence in that option. Since Rhage has an incredible metabolism even for a Brother thanks to his Beast, he's hungry and wonders if there's anything to snack on. Manny tells him he can't eat the RV. Rhage asks him if he's off-limits, too, and flips him off when Manny confirms that no, Rhage isn't allowed to eat him.

Chapter 38[]

Upset, iAm and maichen come up empty-handed in their search. He tells her not to come back and see him again, but to trade off duties with someone else. On their way back, they pass two guards and, continuing to hunch to appear shorter, iAm mimics maichen's bow. They attract no undue attention from the guards and make it to his cell without further incident, where they find s'Ex sitting on the bedding platform sharpening a dagger.

iAm tries to protect maichen, saying that he forced her. s'Ex recognizes it for a lie, but tells him it's the least of iAm's problems

Selena asks Fritz if they can do that again tomorrow night. He says of course, after some work is done on the car. Rather than wait to get to his room on the third floor, she and Trez lock themselves in the downstairs bathroom.

Chapter 39[]

iAm tells s'Ex to let maichen go because she's not a part of it, S'ex tells him he's wrong because the two males aren't the main players in the bigger game. Even though he's unarmed, iAm threatens s'Ex's life and gets ready to fight as he approaches them. s'Ex leans around him to ask maichen, "Wrong brother. You know that, right?" s'eX tells him he's there to take him to the library, but since Trez and maichen obviously were returning from there, he asks if they need to stop by on their way out of the palace. Either way, they need to go because he has to be back at court in 20 minutes.

Confused, iAm doesn't understand why s'Ex would lock him up only to bust him out again. s'Ex tells him that was one of his guards and he's been working to get iAm free because putting him in a cell wasn't part of their deal. maichen tells s'Ex of their fruitless search in the library and she's coming with them to ensure Trez makes it out in one piece. For once, iAm and S'ex agree on something because they're both opposed to her involvement. s'Ex says he's taken care of the guards' memories, although the bed maichen brought in for iAm makes the job of erasing his presence that much more difficult. The three of them make it to the Territory boundary without raising an alarm. It's clear that iAm wants to say goodbye to maichen in private; before stalking off, s'Ex tells them that he doesn't approve of what's going on between the two of them. Even though it's ill-advised, iAm asks maichen to meet him at a cabin at midnight and gives her directions.

Back at the mansion, Manny and Rhage have returned safe, although Manny's lamenting the damage to his "baby" and V's cranked off about all the cops after Rhage told him it was all clear. The household's gathered to watch footage of the Mercedes bursting through the glass wall of the mall shown on CNN.

iAm comes into the billiards room and starts to pour himself a stiff drink, which is rare for him, but he's too rattled so Trez does it for him.

Chapter 40[]

Still watching the news footage of their escapade, Rhage and Manny tell the household that the blood on the car indicated the person they hit was either human or vampire and they assume it's the former. Someone points out that it could have been a Bastard and when Xcor doesn't respond to her texts, Layla begins to get a sinking suspicion and slips out of the mansion.

Since Paradise still isn't talking to Peyton, he stops by the Audience House and tries to get her to forgive him, but only digs himself in deeper with more paternalism regarding females in the training program. When she shuts down his flimsy arguments and tells him that it's a matter of being able to choose for herself, he tells her to put her money where her mouth is and sign up for the program.

Chapter 41[]

The Bastards are trying to take care of a particularly surly Xcor when a car pulls up to the cottage and they all go on high alert until they realize it's a beautiful female. Xcor orders them all out once he realizes it's Layla, not wanting any of them to so much as see her. She tries to get him to go to the doctor, but he scoffs at the idea and plays like his injuries are no big deal. Asking if he's fed, he asks her in turn if she's offering. When she's silent, he laughs bitterly and takes it as a no. Bewildered and annoyed, she asks why the attitude. He reminds her that he is a bastard, after all. She points out that he isn't so much of a bastard since he didn't attack Rhage and Manny, instead letting the RV go, nor has he attacked the compound despite knowing its location. She offers her vein and he asks about the young she carries and she tells him that it's safe as long as he doesn't take too much.

Next, he tries to intimidate her into backing off, asking if she really wants to feed the enemy, but she points out that he didn't use the previous safehouse to lay a trap for the Brotherhood when Throe gave the address to them so it's hardly so he's not still the enemy, is he? If it wasn't for their arrangement, Xcor wonders if she would still see him since the blackmail offered an illusion that she wasn't seeing him willingly. His own mahmen hadn't wanted him so it's not possible to offend him with the truth when it's what he's come to expect. She tells him that she would and he asks why. Layla doesn't know exactly why but it's the truth and offers her vein again. He sets her on the couch and leaves the room.

Chapter 42[]

Selena asks Trez not to let her end up a statue like her sisters because she's terrified of being frozen and aware for all of eternity. In an arrest, she's still aware of her surroundings, but has no control over her body.

Mary's staying the day at Safe Place with Bitty since Annalye appears to be in a coma. Rhage is having problems dealing with the memory of learning Mary's cancer was terminal, being there for her as she got sicker, then the hospital and worrying that she'd pass during the day when he couldn't get there. Frantic and afraid that he'd lose her, he begged the Scribe Virgin to intervene and she saved Mary's life. Now he's struggling with the knowledge that he'd been blessed with a miracle while Tohr had lost Wellsie, Trez was going to lose Selena, and Bitty was going to lose her mahmen.

Chapter 43[]

Xcor tries to shower and Layla follows him to assist out of concern that he'll pass out from his injuries. As she helps him undress, she's in awe of what she finds and he asks her to leave. Instead, she finishes helping him with his pants and gets him safely in the shower where he discreetly tries to get a hold of himself, but she tells him not to hide because she can see what he's doing anyway. He's upset that she's realizing how much power she has over him now that the power imbalance has lessened.

He tries to take her vein, but is overwhelmed with desire for her and yells at her to leave before he hurts her and the young she carries.

Chapter 44[]

Trez borrows Manny's black Porsche 911 Turbo convertible and takes Selena for a bit of a joyride on their way to their destination, a fairground on the outskirts of town. The park had been closed the week before for the season, but Trez's bouncer, Big Rob, has a brother who works in security for Storytown and he was able to put Trez in touch with the park's owners. Since one of the owners had lost a father to cancer the year before, they agreed to not only rent the place to Trez for a couple of hours for Selena's sake, they also donated the proceeds to the American Cancer Society. With iAm's help, they hired the waitstaff from Sal's to work the concession stands.

Chapter 45[]

After sending Layla a text to never try to find him again, Xcor takes out his anger on Lessers in the field. Receiving the text, she starts crying and has to lie to Qhuinn about why she's crying.

Chapter 46[]

At the amusement park, even though he hates them, Trez goes on the roller coasters with Selena because she loves them.

Chapter 47[]

Paradise is good at her job helping her father in assisting the king. She makes some recommendations to her father on how Wrath should discreetly handle a mating validation for a couple that became pregnant before the mating. Wrath overhears her advice and commends her on her thoroughness and insight. She asks Abalone about entering the training program and he refuses to entertain the idea of her being exposed to violence or possible injury.

Alone with only his ambition for company, Throe begins plotting.

Chapter 48[]

Luchas regains consciousness and is furious that his leg was amputated to save his life because he wanted to die and sees it as a mutilation. Screaming at Jane and Qhuinn, he tells his brother that he hates him.

Assail meets with the king and the Brotherhood and promises to stop working with the Lessening Society, unaware that Wrath can smell a lie. Wrath has Rhage and Vishous follow him, find his supplier, cut off the supply to the Lessers, and then kill Assail, Ehric, and Evale.

Chapter 49[]

Before going to meet iAm, maichen sneaks into the queen's ritual chamber to check that her mother is still deep in the mourning meditation. maichen dismissed her own servants for the night with the excuse that she was tired from the demands of the mourning period so that she can meet with the brother of her betrothed.

Chapter 50[]

Trez tells iAm that he wants more for him and that he doesn't want iAm to waste his whole life on Trez. He tells Trez that it's ok, but he asks iAm what will he have left in his life after Trez is gone since he'll inevitably give up on life when Selena dies.

Chapter 51[]

Selena's hands are getting stiff and she starts panicking, then questions the existence of the Fade. Trez gets one of his frequent migraines and she settles him into bed.

Assail reassures Ehric and Evale that he's not quitting the drug business. Since they'll have undoubtedly been followed, he plans on keeping things quiet for a few nights as he plans his next move. Assail wishes that he could call Sola, but he respects that she's trying to leave the criminal life behind and the last thing she needs in her life is a drug dealing vampire.

Chapter 52[]

Thinking on Trez's words, iAm realizes that there'll be nothing to get him out of bed each night after Trez is gone and he goes to the cabin to meet maichen despite his previous decision not to.

Chapter 53[]

Selena goes to talk with Jane, who tells her that although she and Havers have no answers, Rehvenge is looking at the sympath colony and iAm is searching at the shadows' territory. Jane tries to give her a small measure of hope while keeping expectations reasonable, but it's clear that the doctor is distraught that she can't help her. Selena ends up comforting Jane and realizes that it's the first of the many good-byes she'll have to make.

maichen meets iAm at the cabin and as they talk, the topic inevitably turns to Trez and his destiny as the princess' mate. Continuing to pretend to be no more than a servant, maichen tells him that she thinks the princess feels trapped, too, and would let Trez go if it was in her power. iAm points out that tradition for the sake of tradition without allowing for free will is wrong and she finds she agrees with him.

Chapter 54[]

iAm asks maichen for her name again and she tells him that her title is the only she's ever felt was truly hers. For the first time in either of their lives, they have sex.

Chapter 55[]

Craeg goes to the Audience House to get an application from Paradise for the training program.

Jane and Selena respond to a commotion in Luchas' room and find him screaming and destroying anything he can get his hands on. Jane runs to get a sedative and Selena has to hold him down to keep him from clawing at the wound from the amputation. She tells him that he's lucky because she's dying and she'd give anything to trade places with him. Yes, he's hurt and angry, but he still has a chance at life that she doesn't have. This seems to get through his pain.

Chapter 56[]

iAm wants to see maichen again, but she tells him that it'll be harder for her to get away when the mourning period is over. He daydreams about freeing her from the Territory, but it mean the life of a fugitive for her with the threat of death if she's caught.

Vishous follows Ehric and Evale to a boathouse, but doesn't see anything noteworthy. Rhage sits in the cold, watching Assail do little more than paperwork. The Brothers return home and come across iAm; they can smell a female on him, which is new for the male since they've never known him to be attracted to anyone, and ask a couple of questions about how his night went, but he gives vague non-answers. Rhage is glad that iAm seems to be taking some time for himself since he seems to always be caught up in his brother's issues. The trio enters the mansion together, and with his usual tact, Lassiter exclaims that iAm got laid.

Chapter 57[]

Abalone goes to Wrath, who's able to guess what his advisor's about even though Abalone is nervous and hesitant. He's uncomfortable with Paradise staying at the Audience House and having Throe in his home. The king admits that it was unfair of him to ask Abalone to risk his own safety and Phury and Zsadist immediately volunteer to help Abalone evict his houseguest, which overwhelms the gentlemale. At Abalone's, they find no sign of Throe and Phury and Z make sure Abalone is safe while they secure the house, even though it means they'll have to stay the day as dawn is approaching. The only sign they find of Throe is a letter thanking Abalone for his hospitality and telling him that he's found another place to stay.

Naasha meets Throe at the caretaker's cottage on her estate where he tells her that he's parted ways with Xcor and the others and they make plans for him to become her live-in lover without arousing too many suspicions. Since he's distantly related to her elderly hellren, Groshe, it would be outwardly proper to provide him with lodging.

Chapter 58[]

Xcor tries to wipe away the memory of Layla with a prostitute and plans to subsume himself within the war again.

Chapter 59[]

Selena tells Trez about the tests and images Jane took and that they're just waiting on the results and for her to confer with Manny. Worried that he's going to lose it when she's gone, she warns him that she doesn't think she has a lot of time left and wants him to go on with life and find someone else. He takes that to mean she doesn't love him and they fight. She admits that she doesn't actually want him to find someone else, but she doesn't want him to kill himself or have a relapse of his sex addiction. She's scared he'll forget her by going on without her and she's jealous of any female he might end up with in the future because that female would be lucky enough to be alive. At the peak of her shouting, she throws a lamp and breaks a window.

Chapter 60[]

Once they've vented their spleen, Trez asks Selena how long she practiced her speech. She confesses that she'd imagined how touched and humbled he'd be by her magnanimity and the purity of her love, while she'd be a beautifully tragic figure instead of a blotchy, crying mess. If he does find someone or even just some small happiness again, he should allow himself to be open to it and think of any little joys as a gift from her from the other side rather than feeling guilty. Although a part of her is selfish, most of her doesn't want him to live out the rest of his days in a prison of grief.

Jane and Manny find that her joints are worse and they have no answers; the best solution they can think of is to try anti-inflammatories to try and give her more time. She tells Trez that she wants to cook for him at the great camp even though she's a terrible cook and even manages to burn toast. He tells her that she's brave and she says that he's the most romantic male ever because he loves her without restraint while knowing that he's going to lose her. He asks her to mate him.

Chapter 61[]

iAm and Trez discuss plans for the mating and funeral.

Chapter 62[]

maichen sneaks in to check on her mother again before leaving, but this time the queen speaks up and tells her that she knows it's maichen under the disguise. She tells her daughter that she's allowed her, her freedom around the palace, but reminds maichen that she's easily replaceable and that she can change maichen's destiny at will.

After that lovely little "I brought you into this world, I can take you out of it," maichen goes to iAm's condo at the Commodore.

Chapter 63[]

Trez takes Selena to the most prestigious jeweler in town to buy her a diamond ring and she freaks out over the cost since she'll only be able to wear it for a short while. He tells her that he doesn't care because he doesn't see it was a time value issue; he just wants to enjoy the experience with her and live in a way that gives death the finger. To this end, he gets her shout "Fuck you, death" until they giggle at the ridiculousness of it.

iAm is trying to convince himself that he's not bonding with maichen.

Chapter 64[]

While talking about how grateful she is to everyone who tried to help find anything on her disease, Selena mentions that iAm went to the Territory in his own search. Back at the mansion, Trez makes an excuse to step away and he tells iAm to get his butt back home so he can yell at him properly. Leaving maichen, iAm dematerializes over and Trez yells at him for going into the palace and risked being taken hostage to force Trez into handing himself over. There's only three days left of mourning before they're going to try and make him mate the princess and even that short period of time with Selena could have been taken from him.

Hearing the shouting, Selena walks into the room and is upset to learn that Trez is supposed to mate someone else in three days. iAm explains to her that Trez has been trying to escape that fate and that he's just pissed about iAm's close call because he's actually scared about Selena, but since there's nothing he can do about her situation, he's taking it out on his brother. Trez tells Selena that he hadn't told her about the betrothal because he has absolutely no intent to go through with it. Before returning to maichen, iAm tells Selena that Trez's whole life's been about rebelling against the traditions of the s'Hisbe and that he hasn't been with anyone since he first became involved with her.

Once back at the condo, maichen asks iAm how Selena is doing and he explains that things are about as well as could be expected considering she'd just learned that Trez is betrothed to another even as she's dying. maichen says that it has to end.

Chapter 65[]

Assail dematerializes out of his house to meet with the Forelesser, decapitates him, and takes his head with him.

Chapter 66[]

Trez and Selena have a tender moment as he admits how long he's been in love with her, but it's broken when she goes into the Arrest. Panicking, he takes her down to the clinic.

Chapter 67[]

Rhage and V are watching Assail's house, but can tell something's off since there's no sign of life or movement inside the house. They get an urgent summons to the Audience House from Phury and arrive in time to witness Assail presenting Wrath with the head of the Forelesser, although the king's skeptical that it's really the Forelesser. Additionally, Assail tells them he knows where the Lessening Society is headquartered and offers his assistance as well as that of his cousins, Ehric and Evale, in an assault on their base. He explains that he deliberately didn't kill the Foreleser in order to buy them some time since it will be awhile until they realize he's gone and can get another one and tells them where they can find the rest of the body.

The Brotherhood receives a group text about Selena's condition.

As she's leaving, iAm asks maichen if she'd let him take care of her in the city where he could protect her and she wouldn't have to serve anyone, she could go to school if she wanted or see the world. When she's hesitant, he asks her to at least think about it. Once he's alone, he takes a call from Rhage about Selena's state.

Chapter 68[]

All of the Chosen and the entire household is gathered outside the room where Jane, Manny, and Ehlena are working on Selena. Rehvenge fills iAm in on her collapse twenty minutes ago and lets him know that Trez has been asking for him. Entering the room, Manny subtly shakes his head to let iAm know that things aren't looking good. Selena and Trez are obviously terrified.

Over the next several hours Selena's condition only worsens despite Trez's attempts to cover her in his energy again. Since his brother's unwilling to leave her side for even a second, iAm steps outside to talk to the doctors for him. Selena and Trez have worked out a way of communicating with yes and no questions and blinking once for no and twice for yes. While they're alone and using this system, she says it's time for her to go and she just wants it to end. The others come back in and Trez says it's time; he starts to ask if there's anything, but can't get the words out. Understanding what he's trying to say, Manny tells her that they "can help her along" if that's what she wants.

Selena doesn't want the Chosen or Phury to see her like this and asks Trez to say goodbye to them for her. She passes with Trez whispering in her ear that he'll love her forever. When she's gone, he weeps over her and his emotions shatter all the glass inside the room, including the monitors on the equipment and the temperature drops to freezing, warping the door in its frame.

Chapter 69[]

Once Trez is capable of speech again, he tells iAm that he wants to prepare her body himself. iAm had gathered the supplies needed before he'd left for the Territory in case he didn't make it back and goes to retrieve them. On the way, he thanks Jane, Manny, and Ehlena; Manny regrets being unable to do anything for her, but iAm understands that sometimes there's nothing anyone can do.

Everyone in the hallway's crying. Wrath hugs him hard. iAm tells the Chosen and Phury that she loved them all. Tohrment hugs him and iAm feels sorry for the male who's obviously reliving his own loss. Rhage is not ok at all.

Chapter 70[]

At nightfall Rhage goes out to cut down pine trees for the pyre and most of the household forms a train to pass the logs from the forest up to the back lawn of the mansion. As he works, Rhage relives the pain of Mary's dying and can't understand why Tohrment and Trez had to suffer losing their females but he didn't. He only hopes that Trez manages to go on like Tohr did.

Phury and the Chosen locked themselves in the gym to perform mourning rituals. The rest of the females in the household who weren't working on the pyre are making a ceremonial meal of foods traditionally served at funerals.

iAm's preparing to leave town as soon as possible with Trez.

Chapter 71[]

Devastated, Trez is in mourning. Rhage keeps Trez from throwing himself in the pyre.

Chapter 72[]

Abalone tries to get Paradise to come home now that Throe's gone, but she wants her own space, her own life. This is difficult for her father to understand since her presentation is coming soon and with it will undoubtedly come offers of marriage. Finally, she has to tell him that she doesn't intend to ever mate because she wants to make her own choices in life, which isn't necessarily something that would come with following the rigid expectations and traditions of the glymera. Doing so would keep her virtually sequestered in the home she would share with her mate and she wants to go out into the world; learning to defend herself would help keep her safe and the raids proved that even home wasn't necessarily safe.

They're interrupted by a call from a male who informs Paradise that unless TrezLath is offered up to the Shadows at the edge of their Territory, then Queen Rashth will declare war on all vampires, not simply the Brotherhood.

Chapter 73[]

iAm gets Trez cleaned up and in bed and on his way downstairs, Wrath and the Brotherhood pull him into a meeting. They tell him of the phone call Paradise received and is surprised when Wrath tells him that they intend to fight. He starts to protest that Wrath can't do that, which naturally doesn't go over well with the king. When iAm warns them that Shadows have deadly abilities, Rehvenge tells him that the Sympaths will ally with the vampires and Wrath's prepared to go scorched earth.

Chapter 74[]

iAm goes to the condo where maichen meets him and he urges her to come with him because soon it won't be safe at the Territory and naturally she wants to know why. s'Ex's appearance interrupts their conversation when he addresses maichen as her highness, spilling her secret. He's angry with maichen and iAm's enraged over her lying; turning cruel in his anger, he tells maichen that with all the other crap going on in his life she means comparatively little. Trying to hide how he hurt her, she tells him that she'd intended to tell him tonight and she hadn't meant to hurt him, she just wanted to live for once.

Chapter 75[]

iAm's in disbelief at s'Ex's denial of any knowledge of the queen's threat of war since he's her general and enforcer. s'Ex tells him that if she had gone to him with it, he would have advised her against incurring the wrath of Wrath because, knowing the king's fierce history and reputation, it would be too costly for them. iAm warns him that they're not handing Trez over and the sympaths will ally with the vampires against the Shadows.

Listening to iAm talk, it sounds as if he thinks that maichen truly wants Trez, which couldn't be farther from the truth, and she refuses to take any male in any sort of relationship. iAm tells her that liars can't be trusted and feels sort of relieved that his last tie to Caldwell is gone, leaving him free to disappear.

maichen and s'Ex return to the territory where the guards are on high alert because the princess has been reported missing and the chief astrologer, AnsLai, has accused s'Ex of helping her. s'Ex is forced to kill some of his men to get inside the palace.

Chapter 76[]

iAm's preparing to leave town and mourning what he'd had with maichen.

Dressed as a servant, s'Ex gets maichen inside the palace and he warns her that her mother has ordered a purification for her, a type of torture that involves injecting acid into the victim, who then spends nights in excruciating pain and vomiting; it's been known to cause death. He thinks the only option is for her to return to Caldwell, but she refuses because her mother will try for more young and will make Trez mate another daughter. s'Ex doesn't think her life is worth worrying over that and she thinks she'll be hunted down anyway and s'Ex will be tortured and executed for his part in all of this. maichen remembers her mother threatening her by changing her destiny and she has a horrible suspicion and asks him to take her to the astrology room.

Chapter 77[]

Trez goes through the motions of cleaning and dressing himself, which only makes him hurt worse when he sees a couple of Selena's robes in his closet. He finds iAm passed out with a half-empty bottle of bourbon in the hall across from his door. Heading downstairs, he hears Lassiter yelling in Wrath's study about going to the Territory, specifically that he wants Vishous to apologize for something before he'll share what he found. Going into his incorporeal shadow form, Trez enters the room to eavesdrop.

Lassiter warns Wrath and the Brotherhood that the Shadows have good security and they're gathering their forces. Wrath determines that a first strike is necessary before they come to Caldwell and Trez is wondering what on earth was happening. That feeling only intensifies when Wrath says that iAm has to stay at the mansion to keep Trez there so he's not kidnapped. He remains in hiding until he gets the whole picture of what's doing.

The sun's coming up as Trez re-forms some distance away from the mansion while remaining on the grounds. He doesn't want any more lives ruined, especially not any of those that live in the mansion, not if he has any power to prevent it.

Chapter 78[]

maichen has s'Ex take her to the room where all astrology records are kept because she suspects that her mother has been altering birth charts to her own benefit since she had said, "Never forget that I am the sun around which this galaxy spins and I can alter your destiny with the blink of an eye." Taking her through a secret passageway, he finds that he's been locked out of the security system because his prints aren't recognized by the scanner and mostly likely sent an alert as to his location. He breaks into the room, which is full of golden drawers ordered by date of birth, except for two, which are white. In them, she finds her mother's, the deceased infant's, and her own charts. As s'Ex protects her from guards who responded to the alert his palm-print set off, she discovers that Trez was actually the second twin born, not the first. Their charts were altered with paint that's flaking with age and she finds a small patch of paint on the infants that hasn't fully dried.

Chapter 79[]

Trez texts his brother, "I am at peace" and leaves his cell on the front steps of the mansion before dematerializing to the Territory where he strips naked and presents himself to the guards at the gates. He figures that he won't be able to perform with anyone since he's already bonded to Selena.

maichen finds that the deceased infant's record had been altered as well and is hesitant to tell s'Ex because he'll likely kill the Chief Astrologer, who he has pinned against the wall, and her own mother. s'Ex holds the astrologer at knifepoint and demands to know why the charts were changed. iAm was the first born, however, he didn't thrive and wasn't expected to live for very long, whereas Trez appeared perfectly healthy. Since she still wanted one of the twins for her daughter, Queen Rashth had, had the twins' astrological charts altered to reverse the birth order and declaring Trez the Anointed One; the male tells them that the queen had threatened to kill his mate, young, and parents if he didn't comply with her order. Before asking why the infant's was changed, she orders s'Ex to hand over his weapon so he doesn't kill the astrologer.

Chapter 80[]

Paradise is still at the Audience House even though Abalone had been angry and bewildered that she refused to go home with him even though the s'Hisbe were threatening war on all vampires. She takes another phone call from the same strange male who'd called before and he tells her that the queen thanks the king for returning the Anointed One and that the Shadows are standing down. Abalone is confused when she calls him with the news since Wrath had made it clear he had no intention of giving up Trez.

The astrologer tells maichen and s'Ex that the infant's chart indicated she was the rightful heir to the throne, not maichen, but the queen didn't want someone with the blood of a commoner ruling the Shadows. s'Ex is surprised to find that maichen mourns the murder of his daughter, too, since they would have been sisters. She gives him back his knife with the full knowledge that he's going to go after her mother. Before leaving, he orders the astrologer to protect maichen and dress her in ceremonial garb for her ascension because she's going to be queen in about ten minutes. The male swears fealty to her.

Chapter 81[]

Rhage admits to Mary that he feels like an asshole for being glad that he didn't lose her, but they're interrupted by Vishous coming to tell him that Trez turned himself in and there's a meeting happening now. Rhage asks about iAm, who doesn't know yet, and he volunteers to go break the news with Mary offering to come with. iAm immediately wants to go get him back before Trez is forced to sleep with the woman iAm loves, but Mary and Rhage tell him to wait long enough to gear up properly and Lassiter's going with him since it's daylight.

Chapter 82[]

Once dressed in the ceremonial raiment, which is heavily jeweled and includes a veil, maichen hears people on the concourse talking about the Anointed One having arrived and, realizing Trez is going to be cleansed, she races to stop it. Since she's veiled, no one stops her because they assume she's the queen, but she arrives just after AnsLai's administered the acid.

Feeling like he's on fire from the inside out, Trez realizes there's a very good chance he'll die from the cleansing, which means that he'll be with Selena in the Fade.

Chapter 83[]

s'Ex meets iAm and Lassiter at the gates dressed in the garb of a servant and covered in blood, realizing that a coup is happening, s'Ex goes with the executioner. Along the way to the audience hall, s'Ex explains that iAm's the Anointed One, not Trez. They witness maichen's crowning ceremony with the head of her mother at her feet. Stunned, but worried about his brother, s'Ex takes iAm to Trez. AnsLai's administered the antidote, but warns them that it might be too late because he wasn't in the greatest of shape when he arrived. The priest tells them that their parents wish to see them, but iAm tells him that he will kill them if he ever sees them again. iAm stays by Trez's side, trying to keep him alive, and ignoring maichen when she comes to check on the brothers.

Chapter 84[]

Selena meets Trez at the door to the Fade and tells him that he needs to stay on earth because he's not done and still has more to do. She reassures him that she's happy, he made the right choice for her, and she will wait for him. Besides, iAm still needs him and it isn't fair to bail on his brother after he supported Trez for so long; his death would weigh on iAm's conscience.

Regaining consciousness, Trez hugs iAm and promises he won't leave him, which are words he'd waiting to hear from his brother for a long time.

Chapter 85[]

iAm and Trez return to the mansion where they're warmly welcomed back by everyone.

After the initial threat of war, Paradise moved back to her father's, which feels like a step backwards for her. Things are still awkward between her and Abalone, who comes to her room and hands her the application to the training program that he'd filled out for her. He admits that she should be able to defend herself because life is too uncertain to assume that she'll be safe at all times, even though he's obviously scared out of his wits.

Chapter 86[]

maichen continues to live in her own quarters, having turned the queen's suite into a nursery for palace servants, who'd either had to leave their young with family or in a cold, jail-like facility near the poorer area of the Territory. Her first decree had been to abolish the role of Anointed One and thus setting iAm free, although it hurts knowing she'll probably never see him again. s'Ex has been elevated to king, effectively, but they won't be mated.

A male servant enters her rooms and prostrates himself on the ground; sensing her blood in him, she realizes it's iAm and he comments on his "demotion" from Anointed One. She feels guilty that Trez had to suffer because of her and apologizes for lying to him; he doesn't blame her for the former and he forgives her for the latter since she'd been determined to do the right thing by uncovering the harmful lies. She asks him to continue to call her maichen because she doesn't feel like she's inherently better than anyone else. They confess their love for each other

Chapter 87[]

Trez goes to Sal's Restaurant where iAm's cooking for the two of them and maichen. Over dinner, Trez loves how perfect maichen is for iAm and he tells her that Selena would have adored her. maichen tells him that she feels the same way from how iAm had talked about Selena that afternoon to make sure that she knew who her sister-in-law was.

Truly happy for iAm, Trez realizes Selena had been right and although he'll probably always be in pain over losing her, seeing iAm so happy will help ease some of that heartache.