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)
Hawke heads to the Three Jackals, but Kieran catches up with him before he makes it and says he can’t kill Jericho. Hawke says he’s not going to. He’s going to murder him. Kieran tells him that they’re the same, and Cas explains the difference—which is ridiculous.
Hawke and Kieran enter a room at the pub to find Jericho playing cards with some other wolven and Descenters. He tries to calm Hawke, explaining what happened.
Hawke pours him a glass of whiskey as a distraction and then cuts off his left hand. He warns him to do as he’s told next time—no more, no less—then leaves, telling Kieran to send Jericho to New Haven.
The day of Rylan’s funeral, Hawke watches over the Maiden as Vikter goes to light the pyre.
Sometime later, Kieran and Hawke meet up with Descenter Lev Barron in the warehouse district and find a dead couple and a baby who’s turned Craven. It’s pure disregard for life and disgusts Hawke. He takes the baby’s life and vows to make them all pay.
Summoned to the Duke’s office, Hawke goes and meets with the Ascended. The Duke tells Hawke that a guard must not fear death. Hawke disagrees and tells him that if one doesn’t fear death, then they don’t fear failure. He tells the Duke how he would have handled the situation in the garden and other times watching the Maiden. When the Duke insinuates some things, Hawke says he has no interest in seducing the Maiden or becoming her friend. The Duke warns that her innocence is charming and warns that Hawke will be flayed alive if anything happens to the Maiden.
The Duke and Duchesses address the people about current happenings, and Hawke observes the Maiden. She isn’t like others, and it both charms and frustrates him. The Tulis family is outed as Descenters, and Lev is taken prisoner after throwing a Craven hand at the Royals. Hawke orders his people to remove the Tulises so they don’t have to give up their only remaining child.
Called back to the Duke’s office for the official assignment, Hawke is introduced to Poppy and Tawny and given a rundown of the rules and what’s required of him. With each word out of the Duke’s mouth, he hates him more and more. When the Maiden is unveiled, he’s stunned speechless. She’s stunning, and he can see the strength and resilience in her.
Escorting Tawny and the Maiden back to her chambers, Hawke remains outside and eavesdrops on their conversation. Every time Tawny talks him up or tries to convince her friend of something, Hawke thinks how the Lady in Wait has become his favorite person.
Eventually, Vikter brings Hawke his white mantle and warns Hawke to watch himself.
After discussing the Maiden’s schedule, Vikter warns Hawke about Penellaphe’s nightmares and tells him about her Craven attack when she was six. When Hawke inquires whether he’ll know if it’s only a nightmare or if it’s an attack, Vikter tells him that she will never scream if she’s in distress.
After everything is shared, Hawke realizes what an abysmal existence Penellaphe has had. It bothers him more than it probably should, and he can’t stop thinking about it.
During his off hours, Cas finds a note from Kieran and goes to the meat packing district. He enters the slaughterhouse building overseen by a Descenter named Mac, then goes downstairs to where Kieran is with Lord Hale Devries. The Ascended is tied up and unconscious.
Kieran wakes him by dumping a bucket of cold water over his head, and Cas asks the Lord where Malik is being kept. The vampry replies that he knows of no kept Prince—which is true, since Malik was no longer kept at this point.
Easily sliding into all the things required of him as the Maiden’s personal guard, Hawke somehow finds himself torn between his duty and plans, and what he starts feeling for the Maiden.
While guarding her, he starts to wonder why he hasn’t seen her in several days after he escorted her to the Duke’s office. While thinking about the fires the Descenters set to create chaos, he hears a scream coming from the Maiden’s room. He goes in and hides in the shadows, thinking he should probably think of her by name. He looks at the sparseness of her room and once again thinks about the horrible life she’s had—not at all like what he and others imagined. He checks on her and catches the scent of arnica.
The mist comes again, and Hawke goes beyond the Rise, seeing Vikter there, as well. He realizes that means nobody is watching the Maiden and goes to check on her. Instead, he finds someone on the parapet firing arrows. He’s very intrigued when he discovers it’s Penellaphe.
Hawke talks to Vikter, and Vikter asks why he hasn’t told anyone about Penellaphe being on the Rise. He tries to explain, thinking his respect for her is a complicated mess, then tells Vikter he knows he’s the one who trained her.