Characters Bloodmarked Tracy Deonn

Erebus Varelian: The Shadow King Behind the Seneschal’s Mask

Overview: A Demon in Disguise

Erebus Varelian enters Bloodmarked as the Mage Seneschal of the High Council, a polished and commanding Merlin who immediately undermines Selwyn Kane’s authority. By the novel’s climax, Bree unmasks him as the Shadow King—the Hunter, the Great Devourer, the demon who once warred with Arthur Pendragon. His dual identity makes him one of the most complex antagonists in the Legendborn Cycle, operating not through brute force alone but through centuries of patient manipulation, bargains, and infiltration of the Order.

Plot Role

Erebus serves as the primary antagonist of Bloodmarked, orchestrating events from behind the scenes. He arrives at the Southern Chapter in Chapter 3 to publicly humiliate Sel and install Larkin Douglas as Bree’s new Kingsmage. Throughout the story, he works to contain Bree, monitor her power, and position himself to claim her aether when she dies. His role is both political (as Seneschal, he manipulates the Council) and supernatural (as Shadow King, he stalks the Vera bloodline). The final reveal in Chapter 60 cements him as the architect of the demonic bargain that has haunted Bree’s family for generations.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Erebus’s primary motivations are revenge against Arthur Pendragon and the recovery of his Shadow Court crown and power. He admits he has been “watching” the Legendborn for centuries and that his bloodmark on the Vera line is an “investment.” His actions reveal a being of immense patience, calculation, and controlled intensity. He chokes Sel in Chapter 3 not from rage alone but to assert dominance and send a message. He speaks of Sel’s mother Natasia with genuine fondness, yet he imprisons her and later uses her son as leverage. His willingness to accept Bree’s bargain in Chapter 60—trading Sel’s transport for her cooperation—shows a pragmatism that values long-term gain over immediate gratification.

Chronological Arc

Erebus first appears in Chapter 3, arriving with the Mageguard after a demon attack. He criticises Sel, reveals the Rite of Kings will occur the next day, and sidelines Sel from his role. In Chapter 11, he discusses Sel’s mother and Sel’s inevitable “descent” into demonia, revealing his knowledge of Natasia’s imprisonment. During the Council meeting in Chapter 16, Erebus sides with Bree’s resistance to Regent Aldrich, hinting at his hidden agenda. In Chapter 39, he confronts Isaac Sorenson at the cabin, where Nick finally manifests full Scion powers. In Chapter 56, he fights Arthur-in-Bree’s body and confirms Bree carries an inherited bloodmark. The arc culminates in Chapter 60, where Bree summons him, exposes his identity, and bargains for Sel’s transport to Natasia. Erebus then vanishes with Bree, achieving his goal of claiming her.

Relationships

  • With Bree: A predator-prey dynamic masked by formal politeness. He kneels to her as Crown Scion but sees her as a resource. He respects her cleverness (calling her “all of her mothers’ daughter”) but remains bound to consume her power.
  • With Selwyn Kane: A twisted mentorship. Erebus selected Sel as Kingsmage when he was a child, trained with his mother Natasia, and claims to care for him. Yet he orchestrates Sel’s public humiliation, imprisonment, and eventual demonic possession, revealing that his “care” serves his own designs.
  • With Natasia Kane: Former academy counterparts; Erebus called her “Nyx.” He speaks of her with genuine pain but imprisoned her in the Shadowhold. Their past friendship makes his betrayal of Sel feel personal and cruel.
  • With the Regents: Erebus plays the loyal Seneschal while secretly undermining them. He warns Bree against the Regents in Chapter 16 and later helps Arthur/Bree escape capture, all to protect his investment.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  1. Demanding Bree bond with a Kingsmage (Chapter 4): This isolates Bree from Sel and increases her vulnerability, setting the stage for her later reliance on Erebus.
  2. Not killing Bree outright: He could have killed her but chooses to wait for her power to peak, a decision that allows Bree time to grow and ultimately outmanoeuvre him in the short term.
  3. Accepting Bree’s bargain (Chapter 60): By transporting Sel to Natasia, he loses leverage over Sel but gains Bree’s voluntary cooperation. This decision fulfills his century-old goal of claiming the “one daughter” from the Vera line.
  4. Revealing his identity to Bree: He underestimates her preparedness, leading to a bargain that favors her immediate need (Sel’s salvation) over his long-term plan. This decision shows his arrogance.

Theme and Symbol Connections

  • Choice vs Fate: Erebus represents a horrifying version of fate: a demonic bargain that binds a bloodline across generations. Bree’s choice to burn the ancestral streams and then willingly go with him subverts the idea that she is merely a pawn.
  • Trust and Betrayal: His betrayal of Sel and Natasia, as well as his infiltration of the Order, embodies the novel’s theme of hidden enemies. Even those who seem protective (like a Seneschal) can be predators. See the theme page on trust and betrayal.
  • Ancestral Legacy: The bloodmark Erebus placed on Vera’s line is a literal legacy of harm. Bree’s attempt to break free of the ancestors’ expectations is a direct response to his bargain. Explore more on ancestral legacy.
  • Grief and Intergenerational Trauma: Erebus’s bargain exploited Vera’s desperation for protection. The trauma of being hunted by the Shadow King passes from mother to daughter for centuries. See grief and intergenerational trauma.
  • Institutional Racism: The Regents’ willingness to sacrifice Bree and the Vera line mirrors the real-world exploitation of Black women’s bodies. Erebus’s deal with Vera echoes historical bargains made under duress. See institutional racism.
  • Symbol: The bloodmark itself—a branching tree that pulses red—symbolises Erebus’s control over the Vera line. Bree’s burning away of Arthur’s and Vera’s streams in Chapter 60 is a rejection of that control, but her re-forging of Excalibur into a new weapon shows she can reclaim symbols.

Five Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. How did Bree deduce that Erebus was the Shadow King?
Bree realised that the Hunter should have appeared when her root flared during the ogof battle, but he didn’t. She then linked the bloodmark’s response to his crown in Arthur’s dream realm and concluded that a demon on the Council would have early knowledge of Arthur’s Scion. Erebus confirms her reasoning in Chapter 60.

2. What is the exact nature of the bargain between Vera and Erebus?
Vera pleaded for protection of her bloodline, and Erebus joined the existing demonic bargain. In exchange, he demanded “one daughter, out of all time, of my choosing”—Bree. The bargain protects the line from harm but allows Erebus to claim Bree’s aether when she dies.

3. Why does Erebus help Bree by taking Sel to Natasia?
Erebus accepts Bree’s offer of voluntary surrender in exchange for transporting Sel to his mother, who might heal his demonic possession. Erebus gains immediate access to Bree and believes her eventual death will grant him ultimate power; helping Sel is a utilitarian step to secure Bree’s cooperation.

4. How does Erebus characterise his feelings toward Natasia Kane?
He calls her his “counterpart” and “Nyx,” speaks with affection about their training days, and shows pain when discussing her imprisonment. However, he also imprisoned her in the Shadowhold, suggesting that his loyalty to the Order (or his own agenda) overrides personal sentiment.

5. Does Erebus break his bargain with Vera by harming Bree?
No. The bargain forbids him from harming Bree himself. Instead, he orchestrates events to put her in danger so that he can rescue her, strengthening her dependence on him. He also relies on her eventual natural death or death at someone else’s hands to claim her aether without breaking the oath.

Conclusion

Erebus Varelian is a masterful antagonist whose centuries of patience and hidden cruelty make him far more dangerous than a simple villain. He embodies the novel’s themes of bargained legacies and systemic betrayal, forcing Bree to confront a fate that is both inherited and chosen. His willingness to teach Bree at the cost of her eventual consumption leaves readers questioning whether she can outsmart him in future installments. For a full breakdown of the novel’s ending, see the ending explained page, and for more on the Shadow King’s role, visit the questions and answers section.