The Pendragon Coin: Symbol of Connection and Choice in Bloodmarked
What Is the Pendragon Coin?
The Pendragon coin is a silver pendant bearing the dragon emblem of the Pendragon bloodline—the line of King Arthur. Bree receives it from Nick early in their relationship, before the events of Bloodmarked, and wears it on a chain around her neck throughout the novel. Literally, it is a piece of jewellery, but within the story it functions as a physical anchor to Nick, to Arthur’s legacy, and to the Crown Scion identity Bree is forced to claim.
Where the Coin Appears
The coin recurs at several key moments in the book, each time carrying slightly different weight:
| Chapter | Context | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 9 (evidence ch.11 outline) | Bree prepares for the Rite of Kings. She dresses in leggings, tunic, and green cape, adding her mother’s charm bracelet and Nick’s Pendragon coin. | The coin is listed alongside a familial object, signalling its personal importance. |
| Chapter 12 (Rite of Kings) | During the Oath ceremony, Bree cuts her palm and wraps her bloodied hand around the coin, whispering “On my heart…” to seal her Oaths. | The coin becomes a conduit for the ancient bond between Scion and Table. |
| Chapter 49 (evidence ch.51) | After damaging Volition’s barrier, Bree flees into the forest. Sel offers her Nick’s pin; instead, she holds the Pendragon coin and grasps Sel’s wrist, whispering “By my blood…” | Here the coin is a tool for a new, ambiguous bond—neither solely Nick’s object nor purely her own. |
| Chapter 58 (evidence ch.60) | Bree wears the coin underneath her shirt during the Rite; later, in Arthur’s memory dimension, the coin’s dragon sigil pulses when she touches the Shadow King’s crown. | The coin’s connection to Arthur’s bloodline reacts to the crown’s dark power. |
The coin also appears in Chapter 10 (the demon attack) where the demon calls Bree “Awakened Pendragon,” linking the object to her public identity as a Scion, and in Chapter 21 where Bree falls asleep clutching the coin before entering Arthur’s memory dimension.
Shifting Symbolic Meaning
The coin’s meaning changes as Bree’s understanding of her own role deepens.
-
Token of romantic connection – Initially the coin is a gift from Nick, and Bree touches it when thinking of him. William notices her rubbing it in Chapter 1, and she admits it’s still important to her.
-
Claim to Arthur’s legacy – During the Rite of Kings, Bree uses the coin to physically complete her Oath, pressing her blood onto it. The coin becomes a seal between her flesh and the Round Table’s magic. It is no longer just Nick’s pendant; it is a regal object that binds her to Arthur’s throne.
-
Instrument of personal choice – In Chapter 49, Bree explicitly chooses to hold the coin while reaching for Sel. She whispers “By my blood…”—a phrase used earlier for Oaths—but here it is incomplete. The coin becomes a fulcrum for a choice between two relationships: loyalty to Nick and a new, powerful connection with Sel. The narrative leaves the bond unsealed, making the coin a symbol of potential rather than obligation.
-
Link to ancestral trauma – When Bree touches the Shadow King’s crown in Chapter 58, the coin’s dragon sigil pulses with her root fire. The coin is not only Arthur’s symbol but a conduit for the Bloodcraft that Vera and the Line of Vera passed down. It bridges Arthur’s royal legacy with Bree’s inherited power, fusing two lineages that were historically opposed.
Character and Theme Connections
- Briana “Bree” Matthews – The coin grounds Bree in her identity as Crown Scion. It is a tactile reminder of her duty and of the people she loves. Her relationship with the coin mirrors her relationship with her own power: at first she wears it passively, then she uses it actively, and finally she redefines what it means.
- Nicholas “Nick” Davis – As the former Scion of Arthur and always the Scion of Lancelot, Nick is the original source of the coin. The coin represents his trust in Bree and their call-and-response connection. When Bree speaks of Nick, she often touches the coin.
- Selwyn “Sel” Kane – Sel offers Bree Nick’s pin as a stand-in, but Bree refuses it and uses the coin instead. This moment highlights the coin’s unique ability to bridge her feelings for both young men—and to signal a potential new bond that does not erase the old one.
- Theme of grief and intergenerational trauma – The coin is an object from Nick, who is absent and in danger. Bree clings to it as a way to hold onto him, even as she must confront the deeper ancestral losses that her role demands.
- Theme of choice vs. fate – The coin is repeatedly placed in moments of decision: the Rite Oath, the forest with Sel, the confrontation with the Shadow King’s crown. It symbolises that Bree’s path is not predetermined by Arthur’s legacy but shaped by her own actions.
- Theme of ancestral legacy – The Pendragon coin literally carries the dragon of Arthur’s line, but Bree’s Bloodcraft (rootcraft) comes from Vera’s line. The coin becomes the meeting point of those two bloodlines.
4 Study Questions with Answers
Question 1
At the beginning of the book, Bree wears the Pendragon coin as a necklace from Nick. By Chapter 49, she uses it in a ritual with Sel. How does the coin’s function change, and what does that tell us about Bree’s character arc?
Answer: Early in the story, the coin is a private token of affection—Bree touches it when thinking of Nick, and it is paired with her mother’s charm bracelet as a source of comfort. In Chapter 49, Bree actively wields the coin as a focus for her rootcraft and as a bridge to Sel. This shift from passive symbol to active tool mirrors Bree’s arc from a girl running from her identity into a woman claiming her power. She no longer needs the coin simply to feel close to Nick; she uses it to create new bonds on her own terms.
Question 2
During the Rite of Kings (Chapter 12), Bree presses her blood onto the coin. Why is this moment significant for the coin’s symbolic meaning?
Answer: By pressing her blood onto the Pendragon coin, Bree physically merges her own identity with the Pendragon lineage. The coin, which previously represented Nick’s gift, now becomes a seal for her Oath as Crown Scion. This act transforms the coin from a personal memento into a ceremonial object that binds her to the Round Table. It also foreshadows the fusion of Arthur’s line and Vera’s line that becomes central to the later plot.
Question 3
In Chapter 49, Bree holds the Pendragon coin and whispers “By my blood…” while grasping Sel’s wrist. Why does the author leave that phrase unfinished, and what does it suggest about the coin’s role in the love triangle?
Answer: The phrase “By my blood…” is the same opening Bree used to seal her Oath to the Round Table. Leaving it unfinished suggests that Bree is considering a new bond with Sel, but she does not complete it—she is not yet ready to commit. The coin, which originally stood for Nick, becomes the object she holds while reaching for Sel, indicating that her feelings for both young men are interwoven. The unfinished Oath leaves the coin’s meaning open, reflecting Bree’s uncertainty about where her loyalties will settle.
Question 4
How does the Pendragon coin connect to the theme of ancestral legacy in the novel?
Answer: The coin carries the dragon of Arthur’s Pendragon line, but Bree’s most powerful magic—rootcraft—comes from the Line of Vera, a Black maternal lineage that the Order has historically excluded. By wearing the coin, Bree physically embodies both legacies: Arthur’s royal blood and Vera’s Bloodcraft. In Chapter 58, touching the Shadow King’s crown while wearing the coin causes her root fire to surge, proving that the coin does not belong to Arthur’s world alone. It becomes a site where two ancestries meet, forcing Bree to negotiate a path that honours both without submitting to either’s demands.