From Blood and Ash

Hawke enters Penellaphe’s holding cell and notices that she is injured. While he tends to her wound, he tells her a story. It was not the War of Two Kings that started the feud between Atlantians and the Ascended but a “foolish act of love” many centuries before (425). King Malec of the Atlantians fell helplessly in love with a mortal, Isbeth. One day, Isbeth was fatally wounded and, desperate to save his true love, King Malec Ascended Isbeth. Hawke explains that, for an Atlantian to Ascend a mortal, the Atlantian first drinks the blood of the mortal until they near death. Then, the Atlantian shares their blood with the mortal. Once Ascended, the mortal becomes what is called a vampry.

Once King Malec’s act was discovered, he lifted all laws forbidding the Ascending of mortals. The immense blood lust generated by the increase in vamprys resulted in many unfinished Ascensions, since the Ascended mortals can drain the blood of others but not provide their own in return. The mortals bitten by vamprys become Craven.

With such high levels of Ascended mortals creating Craven, Queen Eloana of Atlantia forbade the act of Ascending to protect mankind. The Ascended mortals, or vamprys, did not agree and overcome by greed, began the War of Two Kings. The war was not the Kingdom Solis against the Atlantians, but vamprys against the Atlantians. Soon, the Atlantians pulled their armies back and ended the war. The vamprys gained control of the remaining lands and created the Kingdom Solis. Hawke reveals that, since an Atlantian must be present to complete the Ascension, many Atlantians are being held hostage for their blood. Hawke states that he was enslaved at one point, and his brother is still captured.

All of the third and fourth sons and daughters in the Rite are fed upon by the Ascended. The vamprys need a food source and so they convinced a kingdom to hand over their children in honor of the gods; “They created a religion around it […]” Hawke says, so that no one would question their behavior and instead call it divine (424). Hawke will use Penellaphe as bait to get his brother, Malik. Before he leaves, Hawke tells Penellaphe that not everything they shared was a lie.

Penellaphe begins to question the society she grew up in. She wonders if the Craven are used by the Ascended to control the citizens but instantly feels guilty thinking, “It almost felt like I’d be struck down for even questioning that. Because Hawke was right. It was a religion” (431).

Delano and Naill escort Penellaphe to a more comfortable chamber. Suddenly, Jericho, the Descenter who killed Rylan, and six other men emerge from the shadows. Penellaphe recognizes Mr. Tulis among them, the man who begged the Duke to spare his third child after his first two died of an illness. Jericho states that he could care less about the Prince’s orders, and that he intends to kill Penellaphe. A fight ensues, and Penellaphe defends herself against both wolven and Atlantians, the strongest entities alive. Penellaphe pauses to survey the room and locks eyes with Mr. Tulis. She then feels a sharp pain in her stomach and looks down to find a dagger in her side. She falls to the ground and hears the cheers of the villagers. Jericho stands over her and asks what body part he should cut off first. He raises his sword, but the blow never comes. Penellaphe looks up and sees Kieran in wolven form standing above her.

Penellaphe dazes in and out of consciousness. She hears Hawke’s voice, who tells her that she is fatally wounded. Penellaphe watches Hawke bite his wrist and demand she drink his blood. Kieran cautions Casteel to think about what he is doing, and Penellaphe wonders why Kieran has just called Hawke “Casteel.” Penellaphe drinks Hawke’s blood: “The smell… it smelled nothing like blood, nothing like the Craven. It reminded me of the citrus in the snow, fresh and tart” (441). She closes her eyes and feels surrounded by the Stroud Sea. Penellaphe becomes addicted to Hawke’s blood and refuses to let go of his wrist. She soon passes out and awakes later in her room, fully healed.

Penellaphe begins to feel her body changing as Hawke’s blood pulses through her. She calls out his name and begs him to kiss her. Hawke tells Penellaphe that once he touches her again it won’t be because of his blood’s influence. As he turns to leave, Penellaphe remembers how Kieran had addressed Hawke and exclaims that he is the Dark One. Hawke corrects her stating, “I am Prince Casteel Da’Neer, the second son of King Valyn Da’Neer, brother of Prince Malik Da’Neer” (449). With the blood’s influence wearing off, Penellaphe realizes she has fallen in love with the Dark One. As she thrashes in fury, her hand brushes the Bloodstone dagger. She picks it up and thrusts it into Casteel’s heart.

Penellaphe darts for the door, her vision blurred by tears. She takes off into the snow, unaware of where she will go. She tells herself that she had to kill Casteel. Everything he had said and that they had shared was a lie. She feels the force of someone grabbing her wrist and is overwhelmed by their emotions. Behind her is not the Hawke she fell in love with or the guard who swore to protect her. It’s Prince Casteel, the Dark One. He tells her that Atlantians don’t die by a “stab to the heart” (461). He sinks his fangs into her neck and begins drinking her blood. The pain turns into arousal and finally Casteel pulls away. The two are breathless and stare at one another. Penellaphe realizes that Casteel had been holding back and that now she finally had all of him.

As they walk back to the estate, Casteel tells Penellaphe that he finally understands why she was made the Maiden.

Kieran watches over Penellaphe while she sits in her chambers. Penellaphe asks Kieran if Atlantia still exists, and Kieran finds the question humorous. Penellaphe reflects on how the Ascended did nothing to stop the Craven, something the people were so scared by that they would do anything and believe in anything to remain safe. She remembers how Casteel’s blood healed her instead of turning her into a Craven. She realizes that she is not safe anywhere, not just here with Descenters but with the Ascended as well. Penellaphe admits to herself that she loves Casteel.

Penellaphe awakens to Casteel gently brushing his fingers over her bite wound. He tells Penellaphe that he is here to escort her to dinner, and she begrudgingly agrees.

The two enter the common room, which is filled with Descenters. Lining the walls of the common room are the dead bodies of those who attempted to kill her. She sees Mr. Tulis and thinks that his story is especially tragic. But one body still breathed, hanging on by the nature of his own blood to quickly heal all injuries. Penellaphe sees Jericho’s distorted body. Casteel tells Penellaphe that now the others will know what will happen if they try to hurt her.

They enter the Great Room, where Delano, Kieran, and Naill are sitting around a large table. Penellaphe is seated to the right of Casteel, a place of honor. She feels an even bigger gap between the Hawke she knew before and the man who now sits in front of her. Penellaphe tells Casteel that the men hanging outside are, “still mortal- or Atlantian. They still deserve dignity in death” (478). She mentions that even though they would not have given her a dignified death, it does not justify his ill treatment of them. Casteel pauses for a moment and then states that he will be taking Penellaphe home. He declares that all of them will be leaving for Atlantia tomorrow morning.

The other men shift, and Delano asks why Penellaphe will be joining them. Casteel says that Penellaphe isn’t completely mortal. Her heritage explains why they made her the Maiden, how she survived a Craven attack, and her gift: Penellaphe is part Atlantian. Kieran asks why they must go home when their goal is to rescue Malik. Casteel states that they must go back because Atlantians can only marry if the couple is standing on Atlantian soil. He takes Penellaphe’s hand and says that he is going to marry her. For the first time, she calls Casteel by his real name.