Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Just as Gemma dies, Rhain arrives from Court. He then watches Sera bring her back to life.
The story of what Kolis did to Eythos is shared, and Rhain is in the war room for it. Learning that Sera reminds Ash of temperamental poppies makes him laugh. As talk turns to the Rot, he says that it’s likely just coincidence that it showed up after Sera was born, though the ember could be triggering something. However, he has no idea why it’d cause that.
After Sera’s secret comes to light, Rhain becomes extra protective. At one point, he tells Sera not to die because Nyktos wants the honor of killing her.
When the dakkais attack, Rhain is the first to see them emerging from the pitch-black water. He tells Sera that Kolis sent them, and they’ve come for her. When Bele executes one of her amazing feats during the battle, he calls her a showoff. Then, he switches his attention to Theon as he fights and remarks that he thinks he’s in love. As he runs out of arrows and the dakkais continue to come, he realizes there are too many.
The draken get involved, and Rhain grabs Sera, shielding her as the draken rain fire down on the dakkais. He then explains that the draken aren’t bonded to all Primals and can attack other Courts, especially since not all Primals play by the rules.
After the fight, he takes Sera back to the palace, wanting to put her in a cell. He’s relieved when Ash at least takes her dagger from her. When he asks Nyktos why his wounds aren’t healing, Ash asks him if he wants to die. He then tells Sera that they can’t get Ash to feed and that he just hopes the Primal rides it out.
Hamid attacks Sera, Ector kills him, and Rhain arrives just after. Stunned, he asks what happened and remarks that he’s surprised there wasn’t a guard outside Sera’s door. He adds that there is no way anyone betrayed Nyktos and says Hamid likely learned of Sera plans. She corrects him and tells him it’s planned, past tense; it is no longer the case. He has Aios sit with Gemma and then searches Hamid’s house and the bakery.
Just as Nyktos engages the murderous gods in the throne room, Rhain enters. Bele is injured in the melee and Rhain tells Nyktos, only to find out that she’s dead. When Sera brings her back to life, Rhain can only stare in wonder.
Rhain thinks about how many Primals would actually be bold enough to pull a stunt like the attack. When they discuss Veses, he implies that she knows what Sera looks like, and Nyktos confirms. He then tells Sera that Hamid was different. He was trying to protect the Shadowlands. Lailah agrees with him. Despite what Sera has done, he still feels a certain way about her and openly glares when she touches Nyktos.
After Sera tries to go after Kolis on her own, Rhain is in the throne room, witnessing Nyktos tell everyone that her bravery is unmatched among them.
When the Cimmerian attack, Sera saves Rhain’s life. Later, he begrudgingly thanks her, but it’s clear that he doesn’t care that she doesn’t actually plan to kill Nyktos. She’s not the true Primal God of Life, she’s a vessel. He then mentions what Nyktos has endured and sacrificed for her but won’t go into detail. Ector finally de-escalates things between them before Rhain offers to go and get supplies for Nyktos and makes himself scarce. He asks if Ector wants to go and get scarce with him.
It surprises Rhain when Sera disarms Saion and asks to spar with Nyktos. Still, he settles in to watch, reluctantly amused.
When Sera loses control below the House of Haides, he tells Nyktos to stop her before she brings down the palace and kills herself, urging him to use compulsion on her.
Later, as Sera wakes, Rhain is in the room with Bele. He asks Bele to grab water and juice. She flips him off but goes to get them. He helps Sera sit up and is obviously concerned. Their touch creates a shock, and he’s surprised by its strength. It makes him hiss and jerk away.
Sera jokes about him trying to get her naked, and he replies that he has no interest in that. Saion or Ector, on the other hand…
I have to admit. I’ve seen depictions of those two and I’m utterly on board with that, as well.
Rhain then tells Sera he’s never seen anyone do what she did—not even a Primal in their Culling. He says she’s powerful and asks her what happened.
She asks him why he’s being nice to her since she knows he doesn’t like her. He doesn’t exactly address that, just tells her not to lose her shit like that again or she might not wake up. When Bele returns and begins oversharing, he gets annoyed and knocks her feet off where the goddess has them resting on him. He then goes on to relay that Nyktos has been worrying. To the point Rhain thought the Primal might kill Ector—at least five times. After, he brings Sera bath water and has food sent up.