Chapter 74: Summary, Analysis, and Key Moments
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
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Summary
The chapter opens with Voron waiting for Simon to fall asleep. Once Simon is resting, Voron gently kisses his hand, a quiet gesture of affection and desperation. Voron's dragon speaks softly, suggesting that fate called them and that a lucky break might be enough to save Simon. Voron privately acknowledges that saving Simon will require exactly that kind of luck, and he tries not to imagine walking Simon to the Grove of Souls—a place associated with death—before they've truly connected.
Voron's carrier chides him over the flight link, reminding him that Night Star elves don't think that way. Voron asks his carrier to prepare a tea used for morning sickness, hoping it will help Simon keep food down when he wakes. He also reports that the harpies have been called out and that the Gilmore Witch is living up to her grandmother's reputation.
Voron then checks on his younger brother Marky and the rat Rochelle. Marky says they're getting out of the bath; Rochelle had wanted to swim in the creek, but their father forbade it. Voron agrees that Rochelle must stay where he can watch her. Marky mentions they plan to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after their bath, and Voron says he'll meet them in the kitchen.
Voron heads downstairs and eats a late breakfast—bacon, eggs, biscuits, and gravy—prepared by his carrier. The carrier tells him the battle will be won, that the Crow King roams Earthside again, and that it's almost time for Voron's father and carrier to return to his family. Voron confesses his fear that he can't save Simon, and his carrier reassures him that hope isn't lost. Sigmore then walks into the kitchen, insisting he's there to see Simon walk back to Earthside, not to take him away.
After breakfast, Voron carries the tea tray upstairs and sets it on the nightstand. He closes the door and crawls into bed with Simon, letting himself be a mate rather than a scientist for a few minutes. Simon's arm wraps around him, and Voron notes his heartbeat is steady but slow. Voron's dragon then proposes an idea: induce a hibernation cycle to slow Simon's metabolism and thus slow the spread of the poison.
Marky arrives at the door with Rochelle on his shoulder. Voron reluctantly leaves the bed to answer. Marky asks if Voron's