Brimstone

Fisher detects a vampire stalking Saeris's chambers in Ammontraíeth, the obsidian palace of the Blood Court.

Fisher detects a vampire stalking Saeris's chambers in Ammontraíeth, the obsidian palace of the Blood Court. He intercepts and kills the creature with his god sword Nimerelle, but the dying vampire warns that the court will fall with Saeris inside it. Moments later, Carrion spots a white shape sprinting across the dead fields—Onyx, Saeris's fox, pursued by a horde of feeders. Fisher rides out on horseback and together with Carrion rescues the animal in a desperate charge. Back in Saeris's chambers, Fisher uses his small healing magic—a finite, irreplaceable resource—to mend the fox's fractured leg, surrendering the power forever. When Saeris asks why he would sacrifice something so precious, he admits there isn't much he wouldn't give to make her happy.

Saeris bites her mate to claim a vampire throne

Saeris killed the vampire king Malcolm and must now claim his throne before the Blood Court's five Lords of Midnight. The blond Lord Zovena calls her unworthy—a girl who was human days ago. The ancient witch Algat demands proof of commitment: Saeris must drink blood. Fisher offers his wrist. When Saeris bites him, she accidentally injects venom before drawing blood, flooding them both with staggering arousal in front of the entire court. New ink blooms across her collarbone—a God Binding mark deepening their bond. Once crowned, she issues binding edicts: no vampire may harm her, Fisher, or their friends, and the feeder horde is decommissioned from warfare. But Lord Ereth pulls a hidden blade. Fisher hurls Nimerelle through his torso, cleaving the Lord in two. Taladaius boils the blood of Ereth's followers. The coronation celebration dies before it begins.

Eight monsters absorb Fae power and birth a spreading plague

Eight feeders cross the frozen Darn River in unnerving lockstep, crawling onto the ice in perfect unison. When Ren launches magic and Fisher sends shadows, the feeders absorb both attacks—white energy fissures across their chests, making them faster, stronger, immune to silver. The creatures pounce. One sets a warrior ablaze, then rides the burning corpse into the crowd. Fisher and Danya tackle the flaming feeder and suffer severe burns holding it down while someone axes off its head. Dawn reveals the cost: one hundred and fourteen dead. Worse still, the feeders' headless bodies fuse with a great oak tree, and black rot begins seeping from its roots into the surrounding earth, killing every living thing it touches. A plague has been born.

Sterilization marks and round ears point to Madra's realm Carrion notices what everyone else missed on the severed feeder heads: a sterilization mark behind one ear, identical to those tattooed on women during…