Chapter 16 (Chapter 5) Summary – Primal Attes Arrives
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens with Casteel standing guard outside the cell where he has confined Poppy. He watches her sleep, consumed by worry and guilt. Malik, Casteel’s brother, returns looking haggard and immediately notices the change in Casteel’s eyes—strands of eather swirling in his irises. Malik presses for answers, but Casteel deflects, demanding to know where Millicent is. Malik reveals Millicent left and that he respects her wish not to be chased. Casteel reluctantly admits Poppy is below and that she does not fully remember who she is.
Before Malik can learn more, a powerful shift in the atmosphere signals that a realm is opening. A small orb of silver eather grows, and the ancient Primal god Attes steps through. Everyone is stunned because Attes looks almost identical to Malik—and to their father. Attes reveals Reaver sent him because Casteel needs help with the Queen. Casteel insists Malik and the others leave, keeping only Kieran with him.
After Malik and Emil depart, Casteel and Attes engage in a tense standoff. Casteel threatens to rip out Attes’s heart if he harms anyone; Attes counters that he will tolerate only so much. Attes identifies himself as one of the oldest Primal gods, born from the original Primals, and older than all but Nektas and Kolis. Casteel explains Poppy’s condition: she woke from stasis with an attachment to Kolis, who speaks through her. Attes reveals that Kolis can exploit a person’s deepest fears and shame—abilities similar to the oneirou.
The conversation turns to possible causes of the possession. Casteel and Kieran mention the Joining between Casteel and Poppy, which weakened her during stasis and may have opened a door. Attes also considers the Revenant that touched Poppy. He reveals that the only known way to sever such a connection involved draken blood—and that the process will cause Poppy pain. Attes pulls out a vial made of dragon-forged basalt containing Nektas’s blood. He explains that for Kolis to have connected to her, she must bear his mark somewhere on her body.
Casteel is horrified, realizing that Poppy may have been linked to Kolis long before—perhaps through the Ascended Duke Teerman, who had access to her blood. The thought sends Casteel into a rage that manifests as shadows and uncontrolled eather, but Kieran calms him by reminding him Poppy would feel it. Attes confirms that the Joining gave Casteel access to her essence, and that Kieran is the opposite. With difficulty, Casteel agrees to check Poppy for the mark, knowing she may wake and fight them. Attes warns that if Kolis recognizes him, the Primal god will resist, but they must proceed.
Key Events
- Casteel stands guard outside Poppy’s cell, watching her sleep and reflecting on the battle at the Bone Temple.
- Malik returns, looking exhausted, and notices the eather in Casteel’s eyes. Casteel asks about Millicent; Malik says she left.
- Casteel reveals Poppy is in the cell and has amnesia. Before more can be said, the realm opens.
- Attes, an ancient Primal god who strongly resembles Malik, steps through. He was sent by Reaver.
- After Malik and the others leave, Casteel and Attes exchange threats. Attes introduces himself as one of the oldest Primals.
- Casteel describes Poppy’s condition: she woke with Kolis attached, she fights him, and Kolis can make her see and hear things.
- Attes explains Kolis can use a person’s hidden fears. He suggests the Joining and the Revenant may have facilitated the connection.
- Attes reveals he carries a vial of Nektas’s draken blood, which can sever the link but will cause pain.
- Attes states that Poppy must bear Kolis’s mark somewhere. Casteel agonizes over the thought.
- Casteel’s rage manifests as shadows and eather; Kieran calms him by invoking Poppy.
- Attes notes that Casteel now wields Poppy’s essence, and Kieran is the opposite.
- They decide to enter the cell to check for the mark, prepared for Poppy to fight.
Character Development
Casteel spends this chapter in a state of intense vigilance and barely contained fury. His protective instinct is paramount, but his guilt over the Joining’s role in Poppy’s possession nearly overwhelms him. He forces himself to revert to the cold, merciless mindset of the Dark One to endure what he must do. His love for Poppy is the only thing that keeps him from attacking Attes.
Malik shows concern for his brother despite their strained relationship. He is worried about Casteel’s changed appearance and Poppy’s state. His confession that Millicent left and that he respects her wishes reveals a more vulnerable side.
Attes is a new Primal god whose arrival shocks everyone because of his physical resemblance to Malik and their father. He is cautious, direct, and unafraid to stand up to Casteel. His past with Kolis is hinted at through his vehemence and his comment about the pain of looking at Casteel. He carries knowledge of draken blood and ancient methods of severing Primal connections.
Kieran serves as the emotional anchor for Casteel. He steps between Casteel and Attes, uses their bond to calm Casteel’s rage, and reassures him that he has his help. Kieran’s restraint and wisdom are crucial in this volatile moment.
Poppy remains off-screen but is the central concern. Her amnesia, her possession by Kolis, and the possibility of a hidden mark drive the chapter’s tension.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Blood as a connection: The chapter emphasizes that blood—whether from draken, Primal, or Ascended—creates unbreakable bonds. Kolis could link to Poppy through tainted blood, and Attes plans to use draken blood to break that link, symbolically fighting fire with fire.
Fear and memory: Attes explains that Kolis can exploit a person’s deepest fears and shame. This motif reflects the ongoing battle for Poppy’s mind and identity, as Kolis weaponizes her past traumas.
Shadows and light: Casteel’s uncontrolled rage causes shadows to ripple across the floor, streaked with crimson. This visual symbolizes the darkness within him that he must master to save Poppy, as well as the merging of his and Poppy’s essences through the Joining.
Sacrifice: The plan to use draken blood will hurt Poppy. Casteel must accept that causing her pain is the only way to free her, a theme of sacrificial love that recurs throughout the series.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in the fight for Poppy’s soul. It introduces Attes, a powerful new ally (or potential threat) with direct knowledge of Kolis’s methods. It confirms that Poppy’s possession is not a recent accident but likely a long-standing connection Kolis forged through blood, possibly via the Ascended Duke Teerman. The revelation that Poppy must bear Kolis’s mark deepens the mystery and raises the stakes for the next scene. Casteel’s ability to wield Poppy’s essence marks a significant evolution of his powers, tying him even more closely to her fate. The chapter sets up a painful but necessary intervention that will test Casteel’s resolve and the group’s trust in Attes.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Casteel resist telling Malik the full situation at first?
Casteel is consumed by guilt and fear. He believes that he caused Poppy’s possession through the Joining and does not want to face his brother’s judgment. He also prioritizes action over explanation, wanting to find Millicent and help Poppy immediately.
2. What is Attes’s theory about how Kolis connected to Poppy?
Attes believes the connection was forged through blood. If Kolis (or an Ascended acting for him) ever took Poppy’s blood, or if she ingested his blood, a link would form. The Joining then weakened Poppy during stasis, allowing Kolis to deepen that link and eventually possess her.
3. Why does Casteel’s rage manifest as shadows, and how does Kieran calm him?
The Joining transferred a portion of Poppy’s Primal essence into Casteel, giving him access to eather and shadows. When his fury spikes, that essence bleeds uncontrollably into the environment. Kieran calms him by pressing their foreheads together and reminding Casteel that Poppy would feel his rage, which would wake her and make the situation worse.