House of Flame and Shadow

When Ithan explains the need for Sofie Renast’s body, Bryce reveals that it is under the rubble of Morven’s palace. Instead, Bryce asks for Hypaxia’s help in finding an antidote to the Asteri’s magic-sucking water parasite.

Hypaxia and Ithan return to the House of Flame and Shadow with crystals containing Hunt’s lightning, which Hypaxia believes will stabilize the antidote.

Bryce sends Ruhn and Lidia back to Lunathion to find Hunt’s angel friends who she hopes will ally with them against the Asteri. Baxian agrees to stay in Avallen to ensure order and receive refugees. Tharion and Sathia are tasked with convincing the River Queen to shelter as many people in ships as she can.

In the Eternal City, Ithan and Hypaxia theorize that the biology of Reapers, who don’t need to eat or drink, might offer answers to creating an antidote.

A helicopter arrives in Avallen, carrying Bryce’s parents Ember and Randall, her adoptive brother Cooper, her pet Syrinx, and her friends Fury and Juniper.

Before they leave, Fury supplies Bryce, Hunt, and her parents with the gear needed to traverse the mountains of the Northern Rift.

In the Eternal City, Hypaxia successfully creates a temporary parasite antidote with Hunt’s lightning acting as a stabilizer. Ithan tests out a dose, which immediately strengthens his inherent powers, enhancing his senses and strength, and giving him access to latent ice and snow magic.

Ithan prepares to visit the wolves. He wants to tell them about Sigrid, the Asteri’s water parasites and the antidote, and to urge them to leave Sabine’s control.

Bryce, Hunt, and her parents find the Northern Rift mysteriously unguarded. The security feed in an abandoned station shows that the Harpy, raised from the dead, has eaten the mountain’s guards.

In the Eternal City, Ithan arrives at the Den. Perry, the only wolf who still associating with Ithan, stands watch. She allows him to speak to the wolves gathered in the courtyard about the water parasites, the antidote that’s released his full power, and Sigrid Fendyr. But Ithan is interrupted by the arrival of Sabine, the Astronomer, and Sigrid—all of whom call Ithan a liar and traitor who killed Sigrid and turned her into a Reaper.

Just as Sabine presents herself as Sigrid’s savior and names Sigrid as her heir, Sabine’s father—the wolves’ Prime Apparent—arrives and disproves the changes against Ithan. After Ithan presents him with the Fendyr sword, the Prime names Ithan the new Prime Apparent and strips Sabine of her rank, authority, and title. Furious, Sabine wrests the sword from Ithan and kills her father. Sigrid finishes the job by feeding on the Prime’s soul, sucking the secondlight from his body. Ithan shatters the Fendyr sword before Sabine can wield it against him.

Sigrid next inhales the Astronomer’s soul—his secondlight—and then disappears while Ithan and Sabine face off. Ithan stabs Sabine with a broken piece of the Fendyr sword before transforming into a wolf and ripping her apart with his newfound strength. The rest of the wolves, including Perry and Amelie, swear their allegiance to Ithan as the new Prime Apparent.

Ruhn and Lidia break into Lunathion’s Comitium in search for Isaiah and Naomi, commanders of the 33rd Legion—the personal army of the governor of the city.

In Avallen, Tharion and Sathia ask for audience with the River Queen.

In Midgard, Bryce, Hunt, Ember, and Randall race to the Northern Rift as newly resurrected and monstrous Harpy is on her way toward them.

In Avallen, Tharion begs the River Queen to shelter the people of Crescent City from the Asteri. He and Sathia are confronted by the River Queen’s daughter, who is still angry with him for stringing her affections along for a decade. Tharion genuinely apologizes, proving his newfound maturity, which inspires the River Queen to agree to harbor all citizens who need it.

At the Northern Rift, Hunt charges Bryce up with his lightning and she opens a portal—not to Hel, but to Prythian. There, Bryce begs Nesta for the Mask and offers her parents as collateral for the Mask and Truth-Teller’s safe return. When Nesta remains reluctant, Bryce begs her to harbor her parents anyway, as protection if Bryce fails to defeat the Asteri. Moved, Nesta hands over the Mask, and Bryce pushes her confused parents through to Prythian. The Harpy arrives just after Bryce closes the portal.

The Harpy’s arrival is intercepted by the arrival of Isaiah, Naomi. With them is Lunathion’s Governor Celestina, who sold out Hunt and Bryce to the Asteri during their previous infiltration of the Crystal Palace.

Bryce dons the Mask and kills the Harpy.

Hunt, still furious about Celestina’s betrayal, threatens to kill her. He uses his Helfire to remove his enslavement halo and does the same for Isaiah. However, as Hunt readies to unleash his power on Celestina, Bryce intervenes. She doesn’t believe Celestina, who clearly regrets her betrayal, deserves to die. Hunt backs down and spares her life.

Bryce reveals her plan: After she raises the Fallen dead with the Mask, the dead will use the empty Mech-Suits as their vessels to fight alongside Hel’s armies against the Asteri. Isaiah and Naomi will leading the Fallen into battle, while Celestina will distract the nearest Archangel, Ephraim, so he will not come to the Asteri’s aid. With Hunt’s help, Bryce opens a portal to Hel and invites their armies in.

After Hypaxia distributes the antidote to the wolves, Ithan receives word from Bryce, asking to bring antidotes to her and Hunt in the Eternal City. Jesiba secures Ithan a meeting with the Under-King; Ithan wants to speak with his dead brother Connor, whose faint howling Ithan heard when he was named Prime Apparent.

When Ruhn and Lidia learn that Pollux has infiltrated the Depth Charger and has taken Lidia’s sons captive, they request Bryce’s help in saving the twins from the Crystal Palace.

Ithan and Hypaxia visit the Under-King who gives them seven minutes to speak with Connor.

The Under-King has forbidden Connor from speaking, but Ithan is able to relay everything that’s occurred and Connor beams with pride. Connor wordlessly explains that the Under-King and Asteri feed on the dead’s secondlight and hands Ithan a mysterious metal bullet. When their time is up, Ithan becomes angry with the tyrannical Under-King and freezes him with his ice magic. Hypaxia lands a killing blow, shattering the frozen Under-King into irreparable shards.