A Soul of Ash and Blood

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses physical abuse, sexual assault, and self-harm.

The narrative opens from Casteel (Cas) Da’Neer’s first-person perspective. He hunts and kills Ascended, who are vampire-like creatures known as vampry, with Penellaphe (Poppy) Balfour Da’Neer (his wife), Kieran Contou (his best friend, who is a wolven, or werewolf-like creature), Nektas (the leader of the draken, creatures who shapeshift from dragon to human form), and other trusted friends. Having just defeated the Blood Queen (Ileana/Isbeth), Cas and Poppy—the King and Queen of Atlantia—take the initial steps to eradicate Solis of all Ascended unwilling to realign with the Atlantian rulers. Cas feels aroused watching Poppy ruthlessly kill their enemies, though he respects Poppy’s belief that peaceful Ascended should be spared. The party searches for Ires, Poppy’s father and decades-long prisoner to the Ascended.

Cas and Poppy also search for Millicent (Millie), Poppy’s older sister and a Revenant (a human-like creature that cannot be killed), and Malik, Cas’s older brother and Millie’s heartmate (soulmate). More significant is the impending war with Kolis (the original and true Primal of Life and Death), for which the Atlantians must prepare. Primals are the most powerful gods. Chaos, death, and destruction for all creatures will follow should Kolis regain power over the mortal realm. Nektas speaks cryptically about the gods as earthquakes signal their awakenings. He criticizes Kieran and Cas for protecting Poppy, explaining her power is far greater than any protection the Atlantians can offer. Poppy feels eager to meet the gods and goddesses, while the others fear their return. Cas notices that Poppy looks pale and ill, and her skin feels cold. Since Kieran and Cas recently completed a ritual called the Joining with Poppy, they also feel physically unwell.

The group finds Ires in a neglected state. Nektas warns that he is likely dangerous after having been forced into his feline form for so long. Much to Cas’s chagrin, Poppy touches Ires’s neck. She calms Ires magically, pushing her good memories into him and soothing his pain. Poppy has possessed this ability since childhood, her more substantial magical power only recently developing as she endured the “Culling” (magical puberty). Cas empathizes with Ires, remembering the brutal decades Cas himself spent as a prisoner to the Ascended. He reassures Ires that he isn’t dreaming: Isbeth is dead, and his captivity is over. Ires shifts into his human form and gently grabs Poppy’s hand, telling her he knows who she is. He asks for Millie, and Cas lies, reassuring Ires she’s okay with Malik. Just before Ires feints from exhaustion, he tells Nektas that Jadis, Nektas’s daughter, is in Willow Plains.

Poppy stumbles as she stands, complaining of a headache and dizziness. Nektas explains that Poppy needs to enter stasis, a deep sleep that will finalize her Culling. Nektas advises Cas and Kieran to take Poppy somewhere safe and comfortable while she sleeps, and he takes Ires to Iliseeum (the god’s realm). He explains that Poppy might not remember who she is or who Cas or Kieran are when she wakes. He advises the men to speak with Poppy while she sleeps to prevent this. Cas begins retelling Poppy the story of how they met, including the days leading up to their first encounter. He describes himself as a different person, exclaiming that Poppy changed him.

The narrative moves back in time by several months, detailing Cas’s experience working undercover as a guard named Hawke in Solis as he prepares to kidnap Poppy to ransom her for Malik, prince of Atlantia. Duke and Duchess Teerman rule Masadonia, the second-largest city in Solis. Cas observes the lack of technology (like running water and electricity), crumbling infrastructure, and poor living conditions for Masadonia’s working-class mortals. He believes the Ascended should treat the mortals better since they need to drink their blood to survive. Instead, they fail to educate their people, segregate the lower class into walled-off ghettos, and use religion to manipulate the mortals into surrendering their children to the Ascended for slaughter. However, the mortals believe their children are cared for. Cas befriends a mortal guard named Pence, realizing the young man will likely die from a Craven (zombie-like creatures created by the Ascended) attack before he sees a Royal Guard promotion.

Pence echoes the Ascended’s propaganda, including lies about the “Maiden” (Poppy). He believes Solis’s Descenters (rebels of the Ascended) will interfere with her impending Ascension. Most people in Solis believe the gods selected Poppy to usher in a “new era,” though no one, including Cas, knows what changes the Maiden’s Ascension will ignite. Cas believes the “Maiden” is another manipulative tool the Ascended use to control Solis’s people, and all stories about her destiny are fiction. Cas feels pressured to prevent war between Atlantia and Solis, believing Malik, as king, can avoid millions of deaths via negotiation.

Three of six soldiers return from a Craven attack, though Cas can smell rot on one of the young men, indicating he will soon become a Craven. Cas disdains being reprimanded by his superior, Lieutenant Smyth. Knowing that Commander Jansen is another Atlantian operative, Cas speaks sarcastically to Smyth, which impresses and terrifies Pence. Cas locates the bedchamber of the infected soldier.

Cas hopes to glimpse the Maiden as he walks to the infected soldier’s dormitory. She is constantly shrouded in white and covered by a veil, and Cas has only once glimpsed her “surprisingly lush mouth the color of berries” (64). He believes the Maiden is oppressed, untouched (literally and figuratively) by nearly all others. Cas knows of guards dismissed for smiling at the Maiden. Still, Cas cares little about her well-being, as her existence perpetuates the brutal tyranny of the Ascended.

Cas realizes he is acting against his better judgment as he enters Jole Crain’s bedchamber. He shouldn’t care about any mortal associated with the Ascended. However, he cannot stop comparing Jole to Malik as he confirms a Craven bit Jole. Jole explains that his family died from sickness; if they were alive, he would return to them to signal an unknown mistress who helps infected mortals die with dignity. Cas has heard rumors of people briefly placing a white cloth in their windows to summon the woman. Jole believes the mistress is the Maiden, and he’s heard she possesses magical abilities that bring the infected peace before death. Cas calmly encourages Jole to think of his favorite place before snapping his neck.

Cas spars with Vikter Wardwell, a Royal Guard and head of security at Castle Teerman. He becomes distracted by the Maiden walking in nearby gardens, noticing how two guards, one named Rylan, always remain close to her. Vikter scolds Cas, talking down to him. Vikter warns that distractions will prove deadly for Cas.

The narrative returns to the present as Cas cares for Poppy, who is still in stasis. He bathes her with a damp cloth while continuing to talk about Vikter. He recalls when Poppy was shot through the chest with an arrow, an event that nearly killed her. Cas feels ashamed for being distracted during this event, believing he could have prevented it had he been paying attention. Cas believes Vikter was a seer. Although the warning came before Cas ever met Poppy, Cas believes Vikter knew the troubles in Poppy’s distant future.

Cas shares his misconceptions about Poppy before meeting her and how Vikter was right not to trust Cas. Cas talks about killing Rylan to take his place and gain a close position to Poppy. He confesses he would have killed Vikter had Vikter been on guard that evening. He remembers wanting to believe that Poppy was evil, though now Cas believes this desire ultimately proves he was weak. Cas looks at the marriage mark on his hand and worries that Poppy will forget about her matching mark. It is implied that the jumps in the narrative’s timeline represent the stories Cas tells Poppy as she sleeps.

The narrative returns to Cas’s operative position in Solis. Cas privately meets with Jansen at the Red Pearl, a nightclub, to discuss killing one of Poppy’s guards. Jansen recognizes that the Maiden’s guards are good men, and people of strong character are hard to find in Solis. He agrees that killing Rylan is strategically necessary, though he regrets what must happen. Cas reviews what he knows about the Maiden: Her name is Penellaphe, her parents died in a Craven attack, her brother Ascended, and the Queen favors her. Jansen corrects Cas, explaining that Poppy is favored by the general public, who speak of her kindness. Her guards protect her because they want to, not simply because they need a job.

Jansen warns Cas that when Poppy goes missing, a riot will ensue, and he must act quickly. Jansen doubts Cas’s plans, though he is willing to help. He wants to see all Ascended eradicated from Solis; the Ascended killed both of Jansen’s children. The men agree that Jericho, a wolven, will kill Rylan when he accompanies the Maiden to see the night-blooming roses in the garden at dusk. Cas orders Jericho not to harm the Maiden.

Jansen and Jericho depart. Kieran Contou expresses his distrust of Jericho and regrets that Rylan must die. Although Kieran “works” as a city guard, he is well-connected and knows Rylan is reputable. Cas explains that he intends to build trust with the Maiden so they can more easily maneuver her out of Solis. All of Cas’s plans prioritize minimizing bloodshed. Their plans will coincide with the upcoming ceremony called the Rite, when the mortals of Solis surrender their third-born children to the Ascended. Kieran knows the Descenters plan on interfering with the ceremony, which will distract the other guards.

Cas and Kieran theorize about why Queen Ileana so profoundly cherishes Poppy. They plan on capturing and torturing Ascended for information. Kieran believes that the Maiden is likely an innocent pawn at the mercy of Ileana’s macabre, manipulative command. When Cas agrees but remains impartial, Kieran describes Cas as “the Dark One” (89), a fictional Atlantian the Ascended created to scare the mortals into submission. Cas does consider himself the Dark One now, willed into reality by his enemies.

Kieran teases Cas as he leaves him alone in the private room at the Red Pearl. Though the nightclub is a hot spot for sexual encounters, Cas realizes he only uses sex as a way to escape the memories of his past trauma. Although Cas doesn’t plan on seeing anyone else, a cloaked figure quickly sneaks into his private room. Cas recognizes the cloak as Britta’s, a maid in Castle Teerman with whom Cas previously had sex. Concerned that Britta is following him and could have walked in on the confidential meeting with Jansen, Cas grabs Britta around the waist and kisses her. The woman doesn’t feel or smell as Cas remembers, which he blames on alcohol. He tastes honeydew as he kisses the woman, recognizing that she is hesitant but not unwilling to return the kiss.

Cas realizes he’s not kissing Britta. He uncloaks the woman and realizes he is kissing the Maiden.

Cas is immediately attracted to the Maiden, enjoying the feel of her fuller figure while admiring her bright red hair and beautiful green eyes. He doesn’t reveal that he knows the Maiden’s identity, but she attempts to move away from him when he begins inquiring about it. Keeping her pinned in place, Cas flirts, realizing how aroused the Maiden makes him. He feels genuinely distracted from his many stressors.

Observing the Maiden’s scantily clad attire, Cas recognizes that she came to the Red Pearl for a one-night stand with a stranger. This goes against everything Cas knows about the “untouched” Maiden, and his need to know why she seeks pleasure becomes his top priority. Cas realizes he could kidnap the Maiden now as she is without her guards, but then he would never uncover the Maiden’s motivations for seeking pleasure.

Cas suggests to the Maiden that she intended to experiment sexually at the Red Pearl, but she deflects by asking about Cas’s background. Cas is surprised when the Maiden comments negatively about the few options and harsh lives for Solis’s children. They empathize with each other while discussing lost loved ones, including the Maiden’s parents. Captivated by the movements of her mouth, Cas remembers that the Maiden came to the Red Pearl seeking pleasure. Realizing that he would be no better than the Ascended, who punish women for their sexuality, Cas resolves not to reveal his true identity or attempt to capture her.

The Maiden allows Cas to remove her cloak but not her mask. He cups and kisses her breast, causing the Maiden to react pleasurably and further arousing Cas. Cas realizes he’d like to feed (drink the blood of) the Maiden; he typically needs Atlantian blood to sustain himself. He moves his hands to her thighs only to find a bloodstone dagger—a weapon used to kill Ascended and Atlantians. Cas is all the more attracted to the Maiden when she asserts she knows how to wield the weapon. Cas lowers the Maiden to the bed, pressing himself against her when Kieran returns and interrupts the couple. He steals Cas away to meet an “envoy,” but Cas promises to return quickly. He asks the Maiden to wait for him.

Kieran accompanies Cas to nearby woods, where Emil, an Atlantian, waits for Cas to feed. If Cas goes too long without feeding, his senses will dull, and his anger will become uncontrollable. Cas prays that the Maiden will wait for him to return. Sensing that something is amiss with Cas and smelling an unknown female on him, Kieran asks who Cas was with at the Red Pearl. Feeling honor-bound to speak honestly with Kieran, Cas states that he was with the Maiden, who snuck out of Castle Teerman. Cas protects her privacy by not discussing her intentions for the evening. Cas feels content with his decision not to kidnap the Maiden during their chance encounter, though he continues to risk the lives of countless Atlantians working as operatives in Solis. He doesn’t want to become like the Ascended and respects the Maiden’s desire to live amidst a controlled and oppressed life.

Emil updates Cas and Kieran with news from Atlantia, noting economic growth in Spessa’s End, a developing Atlantian territory closer to Solis. Cas believes the Ascended don’t know of its existence. Emil explains that Cas’s parents, King Valyn and Queen Eloana, remain unaware of his covert operations in Solis, and they eagerly await his return. Their advisor, Alastir Davenwell, encourages Atlantian rulers to jump into war with the Ascended.

Cas feeds from Emil, seeing his memories as he drinks Emil’s blood. Though Kieran is apparently unaware, Emil is involved romantically with Vonetta, Kieran’s sister. Cas asks Emil to travel to Evaemon to spy on Alastir. Although Cas trusts his parents’ advisor, he believes Alastir would hurt the Maiden to jumpstart a war with Solis. Cas wants Alastir to remain unaware of his plans to kidnap the Maiden. Cas clarifies to Emil that he doesn’t intend to kill the Maiden.

Cas rushes back to the Red Pearl, only to find his private room empty.

Knowing the Maiden is unsafe alone at night while returning to Castle Teerman, Cas intuits her route and hunts her scent. Although he doesn’t plan on encountering her, thinking of being close to her again arouses him. Cas encounters an Ascended who is also hunting the Maiden. He’s sure the vampry is unaware of whom he hunts, though he knows the man lacks the power to resist draining the Maiden of her blood should he bite her. Cas attacks the Ascended man, ripping his heart from his chest.

Cas returns to his bedchamber, where he bathes in a shallow bath, wishing for a shower—a technological advance in Atlantia. He masturbates while thinking of the Maiden. After, he realizes the Maiden provided a relieving distraction for him. Cas’s memories of torture continuously haunt him. He was imprisoned and tortured by the Blood Queen for 50 years. Not only did Queen Ileana and her court inflict pain on Cas, but she also sexually assaulted him. The abuse warped Cas’s ability to fully enjoy sex as something more than finding a release or escape from reality. Atlantians and wolven celebrate sex for the mutual bond more than the pleasure derived from the act; however, Cas only thinks of sex as a mechanical necessity since his imprisonment.

In the months after his incarceration, Cas occasionally harmed himself, finding the pain to be a temporary distraction from his troubled memories. He also misused alcohol and drugs. He engaged in sexual activity with countless women and men as a way to feel in control of his body. Only Kieran and those closest to him could help Cas return to his true sense of self. Cas still occasionally struggles with feeling haunted by his past, especially now that Malik is in Solis’s captivity. Malik, Kieran, and Shea (Cas’s former fiancée) rescued Cas, only for Malik to be captured, a trade organized by Shea that enraged Cas, who then killed Shea.

Returning to the present timeline, Cas holds Poppy while she continues to sleep. He talks more about self-harm and how he found clarity while in significant pain. Cas admits that harming himself weakens Kieran, to whom he is magically bonded. He regrets hurting himself and those closest to him, describing himself as selfish. Kieran hears Cas talk to Poppy, reassuring him that he understands Cas was in extreme emotional distress, not acting selfishly.

Kieran asks Cas if he plans to reveal the truth about Shea. Cas replies that he will when Poppy’s awake.

In the flashback timeline, Cas anxiously waits for Jericho to kill Rylan; the Maiden hasn’t walked in the garden for several days. Cas overhears Jansen speaking with Duchess Teerman and Lord Mazeen about a mortal woman recently killed on castle grounds. The Ascended are quick to blame Descenters for her death, though bite marks on her snapped neck indicate an Ascended is responsible. Duchess Teerman blames an Atlantian, possibly the Dark One, or a Descenter who disguised the crime to frame an Ascended. Cas feels disgusted, though not surprised, when he hears the Ascended calculate their lies. Atlantians cannot sustain themselves on mortal blood. Cas smells the Maiden on Lord Mazeen.

Britta, the maid, approaches Cas, and they discuss the murder. Britta cautiously avoids speaking poorly about the Ascended; however, she mentions that the murdered woman was last seen with Lord Mazeen, an Ascended whom Britta avoids for fear of unwanted sexual advances. Cas finds Britta to be bright and beautiful but realizes he has no intention of meeting her at the Red Pearl anytime soon.