Chapter Thirty-Six
Spoiler Warning: This analysis contains major spoilers for Chapter Thirty-Six. Read after finishing the chapter.
Summary
Ithan Holstrom, wracked by guilt over Sigrid Fendyr’s death, reveals to sorceress Jesiba Roga that he wants a necromancer to resurrect her. Jesiba schools him on wolf politics and reminds him he is in her House asking a massive favor. She offers a deal: Ithan will work as her assistant cataloguing and shipping relics, and she will preserve Sigrid’s body on ice and contact a trustworthy necromancer once he proves himself. Desperate, Ithan accepts and begins opening a crate with his claws.
Elsewhere, Bryce Quinlan avoids another dinner with the Autumn King. When he corners her on the stairs, she demands to know why Ruhn’s old room remains untouched. He admits he thinks every single day about what he did to her mother and feels regret. Bryce challenges his cruelty, and he reveals jealousy toward Randall Silago. Then he drops a bombshell: Hunt Athalar and Ruhn Danaan escaped the Asteri dungeons that morning, information he withheld to manipulate her. Furious, Bryce hurls her plate of food at him; he turns it to ash. He threatens to tell Rigelus about Ember and Randall’s adopted son if Bryce doesn’t cooperate. The Autumn King also explains that the Starsword (Made) and the knife (Unmade) can be merged to create a nowhere void capable of destroying an Asteri, but the method lies in the Avallen Archives—where females are banned. Shaken, Bryce retreats to Ruhn’s room.
Key Events
- Ithan confides his plan to raise Sigrid to Jesiba and bargains: he works as an assistant in return for a necromancer introduction and body preservation.
- Jesiba demands honesty and promises to assess Ithan’s performance over several days.
- Bryce confronts the Autumn King about his past abuse of her mother and his lingering regret; he confesses daily remorse and jealousy of Randall.
- The Autumn King reveals Hunt and Ruhn escaped the dungeons that morning, intentionally hiding the fact until now.
- Bryce explodes in white-hot fury, throwing her dinner at him; he incinerates it.
- To force Bryce’s compliance, the Autumn King threatens to expose her parents’ adopted son to the Asteri.
- He discloses that merging the two blades would create a “nowhere” realm that could kill an Asteri, but the instructions are on Avallen—inaccessible to Bryce because females are forbidden.
- Emotionally drained, Bryce collapses in Ruhn’s bed.
Character Development
- Ithan Holstrom: His guilt over failing Sigrid drives him to debase himself before Jesiba, willing to trade labor for a chance to correct his mistake. His use of claws to open a crate underlines his wolf nature while his submission shows how broken he feels.
- Jesiba Roga: The sorceress treats everything as a transaction. She uses Ithan’s desperation to fill a staffing need, but her offer to preserve Sigrid’s body and vet a necromancer suggests a pragmatic code that rewards loyalty.
- Bryce Quinlan: Her simmering resentment erupts when she learns of the escape. The plate-throwing tantrum reveals raw fury, but her retreat to Ruhn’s room afterward shows exhaustion and a need for connection to the family she still trusts.
- The Autumn King: A figure of twisted regret and ambition. His admission that he thinks of his actions every day humanizes him, yet he immediately weaponizes the escaped prisoners and threatens Bryce’s adopted brother to keep control. His reveal of the blades’ secret is another piece of leverage.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Guilt and Atonement: Ithan seeks resurrection to fix his failure; the Autumn King admits guilt but uses it to manipulate rather than atone. Both arcs contrast hollow regret with desperate action.
- Power and Exchange: Jesiba’s deal and the Autumn King’s threats show that nothing comes free—help always demands a price.
- Parental Regret and Rivalry: The Autumn King’s jealousy over Randall and his threat toward Ember’s adopted son highlight a father who equates possession with love.
- Knowledge as Gatekeeping: The secret of the blades is locked behind Avallen’s misogynistic tradition, deliberately excluding Bryce. The Autumn King’s access to this knowledge is a tool of control.
- Breaking and Burning: Ithan pries open a crate with his claws, mirroring attempts to break through barriers; the shattered, burned plate symbolizes Bryce’s own frustrated attempt to destroy the obstacles around her.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter Thirty-Six pivots Ithan’s path toward Jesiba’s orbit, promising future ties to Quinlan’s allies and the necromancy subplot. The revelation that Hunt and Ruhn are free gives the reader hope, only for the Autumn King to twist that freedom into a threat. By exposing the blades’ potential to create a void capable of destroying an Asteri—while keeping the method locked on Avallen—the chapter raises the stakes for Bryce’s cooperation and forces her to confront the sexist gatekeeping of her own heritage. The chapter deepens the Autumn King’s complexity and shows Bryce’s resolve fraying under captivity, setting up a critical dilemma.
Study Questions and Answers
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Question: Why does Ithan agree to work for Jesiba instead of seeking a necromancer elsewhere? Answer: Jesiba convinces him that other necromancers could betray him or that the vamps might attack him first. Her offer to securely preserve Sigrid’s body and vet a trustworthy practitioner—combined with Ithan’s desperation—makes her deal the safest path. He also demonstrates a willingness to humble himself if it means fixing his failure.
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Question: How does the Autumn King’s revelation about Hunt and Ruhn’s escape manipulate Bryce, and what does it reveal about his methods? Answer: He withholds the truth until after an emotional conversation about his regrets, creating false intimacy, then drops the news to destabilize her. When she reacts with fury, he pivots to threatening her family. This reveals that he views emotions as tactical tools and will use any information—even good news—to tighten control and advance his ambition.
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Question: What obstacle does the secret of merging the blades present, and what does that say about the Fae world? Answer: The knowledge is archived on Avallen, where females are barred from the Cave of Princes and the archives. This institutional misogyny prevents Bryce from accessing the information she needs to defeat the Asteri. It underscores that even in a fight for survival, Fae traditions can be as dangerous as the enemy, forcing Bryce to navigate prejudice alongside practical threats.