Lightlark#1
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Disclaimer: I have read this book of my own volition. Any and all opinions and interpretations contained herein are my own.
The Spoiler Report is a recounting of the major events of the novel mixed with my own interpretation of the meaning and symbolism of events, emotions, and actions. Reading this report is NOT a substitute for reading the actual novel and should not be taken as such. Not every single detail, feeling, and event is divulged within. It is essentially a lengthy outline of the story. Many details and all dialogue have not been included. This report is for those who appreciate knowing what happens or feels they may miss things when reading, or just want to have a detailed overview of a book before, or during, reading.
****THIS REPORT CONTAINS SPOILERS****
This is not a book review. For a spoiler-free review, read THIS BOOK REVIEW.
Ch.1
Isla Crown, last of her bloodline, portals back into her room after exploring another realm using the magic of her starstick. Her room is nothing more than a converted glass greenhouse, a pretty cage. Her guardians, Terra and Poppy, ready Isla for the Centennial on the island of Lightlark. A chance for Isla to save her people from a curse that affects each of the six realms. The curse tunrs their individual strengths into a poison. Wildings, such as Isa, are cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with while also having the power to seduce anyone with a single look. Because of that power, they are feared. Adversely, the curse means the number of Wildlings has decreased significantly. Lower numbers equal weakness in the eyes of the other realms. Competing in the Centennial and winning is the only way to break the curse.
Ch. 2
Isla steps through the portal to Lightlark and is met by Grim, the Nightshade ruler. Since Nightshade power is to create curses, they were suspect number one 500 years ago. Until now, they had never been invited to compete on Lightlark.
Azul and Cleo come next. Azure, Cleo, and Grim are all centuries old and were around when the curses were cast.
The last to arrive is the Starling ruler, Celeste. Their curse is that no one shall live past the age of 25. The five rulers make their way to Lightlark castle to meet with the rumored insufferable king.
When the curses first descended, many people stayed on the island of Lightlark. None of them were Wildings, though. Isla is truly alone on this journey, as is Grim.
The castle’s interior is bathed in gold. A reminder of the Sunling’s power source. Because the Sunlings are no longer allowed to be in the sun anymore, the ruler, naturally, was not there to greet them at the portal since the sun is still high in the sky. The five rulers are escorted to their chambers, far apart from one another. Isla’s room has a large oak tree with an unfamiliar fruit blooming in the middle of it.
After her attendant, Ella, is gone, Celeste knocks on the door. The two secret friends are reunited. The starstick Isla uses to travel is a relic from Starling. It was during her travels that Isla met Celeste. Foraging a friendship and a plan for the Centennial. Since both kingdoms are dying faster than they are producing, both are desperate.
Ch. 3
Taking some time to herself before dinner, Isla sits on the ledge of her balcony under the moonlight, singing. Thinking she is alone, unexpected clapping at the end of her performance startles her, making her fall off and into the raging sea below.
Isla wakes back on her balcony, soaked. Assuming the clapping stranger saved her, which she finds odd. Back at the beginning of the curses, the six rulers at the time sacrificed themselves so the Centennial would be possible. There are three parts to breaking the curse. One being that one of the rulers must die. Her near-death took up so much time that Isla has none left to strategically ready herself for dinner as she had planned.
Entering the dining hall, her haphazard appearance does not go unnoticed. There she is faced with Oro, the ruler of the Sunlings, king of Lightlark, the man who rescued her from the sea. Though the king is far from pleasant. Going as far as publicly giving Isla what her people need, a bleeding heart to consume, and forcing herself to take a bite in front of all. Under Grim’s insistence, the heart is taken away. Isla spends the night retching blood.
Ch. 4
A secret only a few know is that Isla was born without any Wildling abilities, as a result of her mother breaking the rules. So the curse does not affect her. Since the lands only survive because the rulers inject it and the people with power, Wildlings are dying at a quick rate. Since the first Centennial was a blood bath, some rules were put into place.”:
- No assassination attempts are permitted before the 50th day. Once pairs are assigned on the 25th day, rulers cannot assassinate their partner.
- All rulers must participate in all Centennial events.
- To participate, the ruler must have an heir.
Ch. 5
The next morning, Isla makes certain she is properly ready. Getting to know the attendant, Ella, who is assigned to her for the Centennial, hoping to forge a symbiotic relationship.
Isla hopes to go to her appointment at the tailor alone. Running into Grim on her way out dashes that plan. The Nightshade, who can read emotions, takes her to a sweets shop and shares a tray of chocolates. They fall into an almost easy camaraderie. Isla can’t forget who or what he is, though.
Grim leaves her at the tailors, a starling who uses his abilities to fashion an immaculate gown on the spot. She’s so distracted by the magic of it all that she didn’t notice Grim returning and waiting for her. He informs her that his upcoming demonstration will be the first. She will need armor and a sword. Grim vanishes.
Ch. 6
Isla brings Celeste a sword, telling her what she learned from Grim. Celeste is skeptical of the Nightshade. Convincing Isla that she is too trusting and naïve. Isla agrees. Poppy and Terra’s plan for her had been to seduce the king so she could steal his ability and use it to win the Centennial. To love another is to give them access to your full ability. Celeste has a better way – find the bondbreaker, a relic that can break any curse. They believe it’s hidden in one of the six libraries on Lightlark.
Disguised, Isla sneaks out of the caslte and breaks into the tailor’s shop. She takes a dress in every color that represents the other five realms; she just can’t find gold for Sunlings.
Ch. 7 – Day 5
The invitation for the duel Grim told her about arrives an hour before the event. Thanks to his warning, Isla is prepared. The rulers are paired off to duel. Isla is matched with Grim, whose armor is fierce, but he underestimates her and loses. Since there are no other Wildlings present on Lightlark, the king is the only one who claps for Isla’s victory. The crowd soon joins in out of obligation. Grim just grins while Celeste is clearly disappointed in her friend’s win. Isla made herself stand out when the plan was to do the exact opposite. She is potentially putting a target on her back.
After Oro bests Cleo, it’s Isla’s turn to go against the king. Oro, the same as Grim, underestimates her. Isla nearly beats him until she hears Celeste’s voice in the back of her mind, reminding her of the plan. Isla stops the winning blow at the last second, feigning a loss. From the look on his face, Oro knows Isla lost on purpose.
CH. 8
Celeste and Isla, being the youngest rulers by far, quickly forged a sisterhood when the Wildling visited using her starstick; their bond began forming. Isla even confided in the starling about being born without any abilities. The other four rulers were all alive when the curses were made. They remember the past and the moment they all became rulers.
Sneaking into Celeste’s room, Isla is admonished for her performance at the duel. Isla could ruin their plan. Celeste wants to protect her powerless friend. Celeste admits she didn’t find the bondbreaker in Star Isle’s library. She is going to search for gloves made from human skin that can borrow small amounts of power from any realm.
Ch. 9 – Day 8
The rulers don’t dine as a group every night, but tonight they do. Tonight is not the intimate dinner Isla had envisioned. The room is filled with Lightlark nobles who watch her suspiciously. Grim appears by her side. Their conversation is interrupted as Azul begins the night’s demonstration.
He is asking each ruler for a small demonstration of their ability. Grim goes first, showcasing his ability to cause others to see what he wants them to see; mind tricks. Cleo uses the wine to form a giant shark and freezes it. Celeste makes fireworks out of stardust explodes throughout the room. Azul makes storm clouds thunder around the hall and manipulates the wind.
Isla stands, choosing Oro to aid in her demonstration. Blindfolded, she throws a knife at the king, knocking off his crown, nothing more than a party trick. The room is too stunned to question if she actually used any power. Oro demonstrates his Midas touch and wins the trial, again.
CH. 10
Isla spends the next five nights in the agora, waiting and observing. Finally pinpointing a barkeep. He is the one that everyone goes to for information. A Skyling called Juniper. His price for information is a secret, not coin as Isla presumed. Isla tells him about letting Oro win during the duel. Juniper accepts the payment and tells Isla how to safely get onto Moon Isle without getting caught by the guards. Before she leaves, Juniper asks if she knows anything about the clothes that have gone missing from the tailor’s shop.
CH. 11
The day of Celeste’s demonstration. Only Isla and Grim are not surrounded by their realm’s nobility as they wait in the hall. For the trial, each ruler must conquer their greatest fear by using a Starling relic, a giant mirror that traps someone until they beat that fear. No outsider sees the fear, only the one battling it.
Oro does it in 3 minutes. Azul takes five; Cleo, two; and Grim, just a smidge longer. Isla’s turn. Placing her hands on the mirror, she is yanked through.
Ch. 12
The mirror drops her in her room on Wild Isle. She watches a reflection of herself living out her days confined to that converted room. Breaking down, hollowing out. The room begins to close in around her. Isla vows she will never become this version. Either she’ll break the curse or die trying. The mirror returns her to a silent hall. It took her six minutes.
Cleo wins her first trial.
Once only she and Celeste remain, the Starling ruler admits that their plan worked. Every rulers’ hand print and their essence have been branded into the mirror’s surface. Taking out her newly acquired, human skin gloves, Celeste absorbs the minute amount of magic each ruler has left behind. Isla can now access the protected areas in all the libraries.
CH. 13 – Day 15
Celeste and Isla concoct a potion to dye Isla’s hair.
In her disguise, she crosses the treacherous bridge onto the floating land of Sky Isle. The castle is unguarded, and the doors are wide open. At the late hour, the library is just as empty. Using the gloves and Azul’s power, she enters the restricted area to find that the bondbreaker is not there. Disappointed, Isla is careless re-entering the Mainland castle. Still in her disguise, she passes Cleo. Rather than chance being discovered, she runs aimlessly, eventually slamming into Grim. With Cleo closing in on her, Isla pleads for his help. Reading her desperation, he turns them invisible. Holding her close, shielding her as they watch Cleo walk around the room. Once she’s gone, Grim turns them visible once more and takes the opportunity to tease her about her appearance before she runs off.
Ch. 14 – Day 16
The next morning, Isla already regrets letting Grim help her; she needs to talk with him. Before she can find him, Azul finds her. Offering a vague explanation for his presence, Azul wants to show her one of the highlights of the Mainland. Diplomatically, Isla accepts.
During their trek, they discuss the history of the Centennial, as this is Azul’s fifth. He is very open as he speaks with her.
He brings her to a mountain with many tunnels carved through it; a place from his childhood. Azul uses his powers to send wind through the tunnels, turning the mountain into an instrument. Happily playing songs for her.
Once back in the Mainland castle, Isla visits Grim in his room. She apologizes for last night. As a token of her appreciation, she tells him what her demonstration will be. Later that night, she wonders if that was wise.
CH. 15
Isla’s demonstration requires the rulers to showcase their realm’s worth by showing something it has created that can benefit the whole. Isla is hoping she can show others that Wildlings aren’t just bloodthirsty killers.
Azul uses his wind ability as a way to send communications on a grand scale. Cleo announces that the Moonlings have spent 200 years building ships. Celeste and a few of her people show how they’ve been using their powers to forge tools and weapons in mere moments. Oro creates an eternal flame. Grim announces that his realm has nothing productive to offer Lightlark. Isla wonders what the Nightshade’s strategy is by doing this.
Isla’s turn. She asks Oro to conjure a fire for her. Absently, he complies. Isla places her arm into the fire, holding it there until it is severely burned. Pouring a pre-made elixir over the injury, the arm is completely healed. No one claps. Azul wins by a vote of the spectators; his first win.
CH. 16
Grim appears in Isla’s room as she’s dressing for the night. Isla is still mad about his lack of performance. But Grim has no intention of winning the Centennial. Doesn’t want to form alliances. He’s even reluctant to play the game at all. He freely admits that Lightlark’s origin is partly due to the Nightshades. But won’t confirm that it is one of the reasons he is at the Centennial.
CH. 17
Between lingering thoughts of her encounter with Grim and pain from her previously burnt arm, Isla is restless. She aimlessly wanders the castle. Stumbling across the Moonling demonstration being set up. It is to be held at midnight.
Cleo’s demonstration; Isla is the only one in her jammies as she faces an icy water labyrinth with the other rulers dressed appropriately. It will test the rulers’ ability to deny their own selfish desires for those of the greater good. While preparing, Isla notices Oro has a rash on his arm. Surprised at her diagnosis, Oro confirms it’s from Giselroot. Isla finds that curious, but her thoughts are interrupted by the start of the demonstration.
The water is hypothermia-inducing. Determined, Isla completes the trial, but it’s Cleo that wins. Tying her with Oro for the number of wins. Isla is even more determined to find the bondbreaker now.
CH. 18 – Day 20
Still not fully recovered from the cold, it’s the night of the full moon. Isla’s only shot to get onto Moon Isle is tonight. Due to their curse, the island is empty. Moonlings are hiding in the safety of their homes. Not from the moon, but the waves that threaten to drown anyone caught unawares.
Disguised, Isla climbs the castle wall to sneak in. Unlike Sky Isle and on the Mainland, Moon Isle castle is teeming with guards. Isla overhears a suspicious conversation while hiding. It seems Cleo has not only been building ships, but also an army.
CH. 19
Hiding spot discovered, Isla decommissions the guards without bloodshed and continues her search as she’s being pursued. She manages to still find the library. Locking herself inside, Isla finds all the relics suspended underwater below the floor of the library. No bondbreaker, though.
Guards yell at her through the door, trying to coax her out. Warning her that she is surrounded and the ruler, Cleo, is on her way. Using her starstick, Isla portals away.
CH. 20 – Day 23
The rulers gather for tea. Isla may have spent two days resting, but her body still aches and fear weighs on her. Surely, Cleo knows she was the one that broke into her library.
Each ruler is served three cups of tea in three different flavors. It isn’t until Isla finishes all three cups that Oro announces that this is his demonstration. He has fed them truth tea, and whoever reveals their secret wins the trial. The secret is written in the tea leaves at the bottom of their cups, waiting to be read. Celeste and Azul immediately shatter their cups on the ground. Isla is next, followed by Grim. Tied, Oro, and Cleo face off. This is the last trial. The winner gets to choose the pairings. Cleo pushes her cup to the floor. Oro focuses on Isla as he confesses to all that he is dying.
Ch. 21
Oro doesn’t stick around after his confession.
Celeste visits Isla in her room that night to strategize. Oro’s power is connected to the land. He dies, and so does LightLark. Celeste is convinced they’ll be paired up, making it easier for them to plan. Isla has her doubts about more than just who she’s going to be paired with.
Day 25- Gathered for the pairing Ceremony, Oro explains his truth. Same as Isla’s land, Lightlark is dying. Oro believes this might be their last chance to break the curses. The last Centennial. Oro chooses Isla as his partner.
CH. 22
Isla is in her room, panicking when Oro visits. He wants to make a deal: his protection for her knowledge. While partners cannot kill one another, he promises to protect her from the others. After some negotiations, Isla agrees.
They begin now. Since Wildlings are so disliked on Lightlark, Oro would appreciate if she dresses differently, not like the temptress he believes her to be. He also believes she is shielding her powers and prefers that she continue to do so. Pretending she is choosing not to use her powers at all suits Isla just fine.
CH. 23
Oro leads her through the Mainland. It isn’t until after Isla demands respect that he tells her they’re going to the storm, whatever that is. They arrive at the coast, where a literal storm sits frozen in time at the shoreline, waiting for the Centennial to end and invade the land once again.
Bridges connect the scattered islands of a nearby, shattered cliff face. Oro leads her to one of the bridges, but she refuses. He reminds her that he’ll save her as per their agreement. After experiencing his recuse efforts the first night, that reminder is not comforting. Frustrated, Oro leads her safely across, only to guide her to a hole in the rock. They are meant to jump into it blindly. Hesitantly, Isla follows the king.
Plunging into icy waters at the bottom, Oro pulls her out impatiently. Mounting distrust causes Isla to explode at Oro. Forcing him to admit what he is searching for: Lightlark’s heart. He is merely a conduit for the land’s power, not its source.
Finally getting some real answers, Isla calmly looks around. They are surrounded by a lush oasis in the center of a mountain. Wildlings built it to protect all the flora found in all the realms. Kind of like a living seed bank. Oro needs Isla to identify a plant that might lead to or hold the heart. Relieved he doesn’t want her to use Wildling power, she points out several possibilities.
Satisfied, Oro is ready to head back. Neither happy about their method of return. Cradling her to his chest, Oro flies them back up through the hole. Clinging tightly to each other until they are back on solid ground.
Ch. 24
The moment Isla returns to the castle, she tells Celeste everything. Celeste makes her distrust of the king known.
The next night, Oro leads Isla to Sky Isle and into the woods. A valley filled with purse plants, a relatively docile genus. That is good since Isla has no power to control nature and keep it from hurting her or the king. Oro claims they will be able to feel the power of the heart when they are close. They start at opposite ends of the valley, not finding anything.
The next morning, Isla receives a bundle of shirts, pants, and a pair of boots from Oro. All suitable for their nocturnal task.
During their second night searching the valley. Isla tries to get more answers from Oro. All he did in answer was exude his power and dent her crown in the process. Several nights of searching later and the two finally meet in the middle of the valley. The heart is not there.
CH. 25
Isla dreams of Grim only to wake before things become scandalous.
Using abandoned hallways, Isla seeks out Ella to help her get ingredients to make a sleep elixir. She overhears Oro and Azul having a clandestine meeting. Her squeaky shoes end it prematurely.
That night, Oro takes her into the woods next to the Mainland castle. She confronts him about meeting with Azul. Oro reassures her and dismisses the topic but reveals Azul lost his husband who was not a Skyling. He also confesses Wild Isle used to be his favorite realm and the Wildlings were his favorite people. Now he believes them to be all the things the other realms believe them to be. They search the coniferous trees unsuccessfully.
CH. 26
Their third night in the coniferous forest searching. Isla continues to ask questions. Oro not only answers this time, but highlights the gaps in her knowledge, doesn’t fill them, and makes her feel inferior. Driving her to wonder if she ruined her chance to gain access to his library.
Isla wanders deeper into the woods where the plants become wilder. Following a particular plant until it becomes a wall of spines and thorns. Without warning, the wall attacks Isla, digging its barbs into her. Oro uses his power to break her free, unintentionally causing excruciating pain. Isla is insistent on pulling the barbs out herself. Oro respects her wishes but still takes care of her the best he can.
CH. 27
Isla ventures into the agora, having arranged a meeting with Celeste. A Moonling bumps into her; an excuse to pass her a note warning her she is in danger. Isla follows the Moonling. It’s a trap and Isla is captured by Moonling nobles desperate to save their realm. Celeste frees her. Together they fight against the nobles, leaving a message for Cleo whom they believe orchestrated the attack.
CH. 28
Grim interrupts as Isla is practicing with a new dagger she got during her trip to the agora with Celeste. Through his own mysterious way, Grim proves that he missed her. Isla tries to hide how much his presence and attention affect her. As a show of faith, Grim promises to show Isla where the Wildlings lived when there were still some living on Lightlark.
The Wild Isle is devoid of all life. In the middle of the isle’s skeletal remains stands the palace, the Place of Mirrors.
When Oro doesn’t come for her after nightfall, Isla tries to find the path to Wild Isle again. After a lot of searching, Isla finally makes her way to the Place of Mirrors. She is eager to get behind the secret door with the spiral carved in it she found during her initial inspection. Unfortunately, the door requires a key. Scouring the castle, she is unable to find anything that fits the keyhole.
CH. 29
Needing answers, Isla visits Juniper hoping he knows how to get into the vault on Wild Isle. He doesn’t. But he does know no other powers works on Wild Isle other than Wildling.
Leaving Juniper’s, Grim is waiting for her, having sensed her emotions when he was passing by. Grim offers to use his abilities to erase her conversations from Juniper’s memories. She is tempted but turns him down.
The sky opens up and a severe storm assaults them. Unable to see, she takes Grim’s offered hand and he leads them to a nearby abbey. They are soaked. He helps untangle the crown from her head. Turning a mundane task into something too intimate for Isla. Trying to clear her head, she asks Grim to account for his whereabouts when the curses were spun. Confessing he was suddenly thrust into a position of power that he never wanted. Isla commiserates.
Taking his hand, she asks to see the extent of his power. Leaving the abbey, stopping at the edge of a cliff, Grim demonstrates his devastatingly destructive power. Exhilarated, Isla wants more. Instead of showing her, he tells her, not wanting to earn her hate. He cares what she thinks of him and is tired of keeping his distance. Isa panics at the confession. She’s equally falling into him and that’s more dangerous than his awesome power.
Ch. 30 – Day 43
It took Oro the past eight days to enact his newest plan to try and find the heart; speaking with an ancient creature.
He leads Isla to Star Isle. It’s in shambles since their curse means no one lives past the age of 25. A land run by children essentially.
The ancient creature Oro arranged to talk with appears as he offers a drop of his blood. She’s a specter. Oro also didn’t tell Isla that he promised to pay the specter’s price, a body to walk around in for a few minutes. Isla’s body. More specifically, ‘the most beautiful girl on the island..’ In order for Isla to agree to this, she demands Oro take her to the Sun Isle library. He agrees. The next thing Isla knows, she’s clinging to Oro as if she just kissed him, the specter is blushing. Price paid, the specter reveals the heart is not on Star Isle.
Conversation over, Isla demands Oro take her to the library. He reminds her that she never specified when. In her anger, Isla admits she does not want to seduce him. In fact, she wants as little to do with him as possible. That makes the king even more suspicious of her. Having observed her behavior, he demand to know why she want into the library. When she doesn’t answer, Oro declares he will take her only once they find the heart. That’s the last straw for Isla.
CH. 31
Isla regretted blowing up at the king. Regardless, she gets onto Sun Isle during the day. Since Sunlings’ curse prevents them from being out in the sunlight, it’s pretty empty. Boldly entering the castle, a guard is already there waiting for her. He has been instructed to take her to the library. Oro had granted her full access. Easily finding the hidden room with relics, Isla is crushed that the bondbreaker is not there.
CH. 32
Celeste is not nearly as upset as Isla is about not finding the bondbreaker. Isla insists they need a new plan. For that, she turns to Oro.
Ch. 30 – Day 50
The Betwixt ball is to take place this night. At midnight, the rulers will officially be able to kill one another.
From the moment the rulers enter the ball, Isla is constantly presented with a dance partner. Needing reprieve, she steels herself away into the nearest, empty room. Grimm appears. His presence and words affect Isla deeply. He grabs her and they dance in the secluded room. Falling into the feelings his closeness invokes.
Grim renders them both invisible moments before a group of nobles near. At Isla’s request, Grim takes her deeper into the castle. Isla luxuriates in the feel of his hands on her. Grim takes the opportunity to give her a necklace with a black diamond pendant. If she needs him, ever, she only needs to touch the diamond and he’ll be there. The jewelry would be a clear statement if she wore it openly, so Grim turns it invisible. Disappointingly, he keep his hands to himself after that.
Returning to the ball, Grim promises to be back before midnight and urges her to dance with Oro. Surprised and confused, Isla considers what they just shared.
Avoiding Grim’s request, Isla talks with Celeste. Their conversation is interrupted as chaos breaks out, the ballroom begins to collapse around them. The land shakes and fissures appear. Oro is right, Lightlark is dying.
CH. 34 – Day 53
After spending a few days doing damage control, Oro leads Isla to their next destination. Climbing a lattice woven from tree trunks and branches, tensions are still high between the two.
Isla is pulled through the lattice and her wrists are bound. Unphased, she was expecting it as she went into this excursion as bait. Joining her, unbound, Oro demands her release. The winged creatures that captured her are not amused by their presence. Having accepted the inevitable destruction of Lightlark, they slice Oro’s throat just deep enough to make him bleed. As the hive is distracted, Isla frees her dagger and herself before throwing the blade at the leader’s chest. Oro suspends the blade right before it finds its target. The winged man is shocked. That’s when Oro verbally attacks. The hive leader implies that he knows Isla’s secret. In return for telling them where the heart is, he wants Isla to visit him when all this is over, claiming she’ll come willingly. Isla agrees. He claims the heart is in a place where the light and dark meet.
As Oro flies them down, he tells Isla that he has a plan. He has lost too much blood and plunges part of the way down. Isla manages to drag Oro to a stream, holding him so the water can help heal him. A while later, Isla wakes, still holding Oro. He is almost healed but still unconscious. The sun is beginning to rise. A short distance away is a cave.
CH. 35
Safely in the cave, Oro finally regains consciousness. The tensions between them have been abated. With this new information, he admits there are eight places for them to look for the heart. Oro believes the original offense they must repeat from the prophecy is wielding the power of the heart. And that’s why Grim was invited to compete in this year’s Centennial after being absent for so long.
Even after Oro suggests Isla leave, she insists on waiting for the sun to go down with him. Isla proposes they play a game; a question for a question. Being honest and open with one another seem to put them both at ease. Sharing everything except her secret, though. Oro goes as far as offering Isla the win once they find the heart. Neither really want that kind of power.
Ch. 36 – Day 59
After not finding the heart on Sky Isle or Sun Isle, it’s time to search Moon Isle. Oro flies them to the edge of a gnarled forest. It’s beautiful and icy. With Oro’s power, he’s able to keep himself warm. Isla is freezing. Oro drapes his cape around her, thawing her bones.
They come upon a large slab of ice, three women are entombed within. It’s the three oracles. They reached a place where dark meets light. Oro melts the ice so one oracle wakes, she’s just rebellious enough to give them enticing information. Warning Isla she is surrounded by lies and liars. Before Isla can ask for more, the ice around the oracle hardens once more. Tomorrow they will begin searching the three places on MoonIsle for the heart.
Ch. 37
Using her starstick, Isla takes a peek at her home. It’s been destroyed. Terra has began to go through the transition of a Wilding death. Poppy soothes her, admitting so many more have begun to be overtaken by nature. The dirt is dead, no longer able to communicate with the Wildlings.
Out of desperation and determination, Isla takes Oro up on his offer to ensure she’s proclaimed the winner if they find the heart. First, she must pay the price. She tells Oro her secret.
Ch. 38 – Day 60
The rulers gather for Oro to give an update. Now that killing is permitted, they are all extra cautious. To Isla’s surprise, Oro tells them of the heart and their search, vaguely. Oro also announces that he is switching pairings. Isla is gobsmacked. Oro wants to pair himself with Cleo so they can search Moon Isle for the heart, together. Celeste and Azul are matched as well as Isla and Grim. Isla is fuming, trying to make sense of the king’s actions. Even Cleo questions his motives. That’s when Oro tells all the rulers that Isla has no abilities. Grim whisks her away.
Ch. 39
Grim takes Isla to the beach and exposes his flair, teleportation. He also admits he knew she was powerless. Nightshades can sense curses. He could tell she wasn’t afflicted. Their relationship now begins to make sense to her. He vows to be there and protect her against the others.
Ch. 40
Grim helps Isla move into the Place of Mirrors since no other powers can be wielded there. She’s holed up in the castle, slowly resigning herself to her fate.
Ch.41
Celeste has finally had enough of Isla’s pity party. Reinvigorated, Isla gives Ella a letter to give to Juniper. She is ready to make a deal.
Grim visits her. She can barely look at him, given the scandalous dreams she has been having that all star the Nightshade putting her in compromising positions. The dreams she is convinced he has been sending her, but won’t admit to.
After Juniper sends his reply, claiming he knows who set the curses, Isla ventures off Wild Isle to visit him. With Celeste in tow, they find the agora deserted. Entering the bar, they find Juniper dead.
Ch. 42
Three days after finding Juniper, Isla hasn’t left the Place of Mirrors. Convinced Cleo has upped her game, ultimately wanting Isla dead.
Watching the sunset off a cliff on Wild Isle, Isla gathers her thoughts. Since Oro and Cleo hadn’t found the heart yet, she fears something has gone wrong.
Watching the Mainland castle, Isla spots Cleo and trails her. As the Moonling takes a moment to bask in the moonlight, Isla realizes how little the Moonling’s power has been affected by the curse. They must have set the curses, giving themselves the advantage. Of course, Cleo would kill Juniper if he were going to tell Isla that.
She follows Cleo over the bridge to Moon Isle. This time, there are no guards on the bridge. Cleo continues into the snowy forest, where she uncovers a passageway into a mountain. That’s when she discovers she’s been tailed and captures Isla. Isla confronts Cleo about killing Juniper and accuses her of spinning the curses. Cleo calls her a fool and leaves her there, trapped in ice. Leaving Isla alone, where she can’t even reach her necklace to call on Grim.
CH. 43
Isla is awakened by someone cutting through the ice, but her eyelids are frozen shut; she can’t see who has found her. They’re making plans how to consume her body to absorb her power. They free her, but can’t keep hold of her. Heat engulfs her body. The ice, keeping her eyes shut, melts.
Oro saved her and brought her back to the Mainland castle. Since this is the first time they have talked since he switched the pairings, he pleads with her to listen to what he has to say. He switched the pairing because one of the places he needed to search for the heart requires a Moonling to access it. That is when she notices she is in his bed. Oro claims everything he did was to get Cleo to agree to help him. Cleo doesn’t want Isla dead. She’s voting for Celeste.
To gain her trust, Oro admits that his flair is being able to detect lies. Even though Isla lied to him many, many, many times, he has never lied to her. Even had guards looking after her when she was staying in the Place of Mirrors. It’s how Ella has been able to visit unbothered. He knows Cleo is building a legion, just not the reason behind it. He fears what she might do if she finds the heart first. Isla agrees to work with him again, as long as he upholds their previous deal.
Ch. 44
Isla tells Celeste everything about Cleo and her dealings with Oro. Celeste wants Isla to use Oro to find the bondbreaker, convinced that’s still the most viable option.
Day 75
Carmel, 24 hours spent celebrating the last quarter of the Centennial. It involves all the islanders, not just nobles.
Entering into the night’s festivities, Isla takes the opportunity to try wine. This might be her last chance to celebrate, after all. The effect is immediate, but subtle. Not finding Celeste, Isla is ready to leave. She made an appearance and fulfilled her obligation. The wine’s effects are getting stronger by the minute. Stumbling up to her room, peeling suffocating layers off her dress as she goes. Oro finds her and leads her back to her room.
Oro opens up to her, and Isla doesn’t want to waste the opportunity. She invites him into her room for tea. Before she can really get into a deep conversation, the wine takes over. Isla wakes with her head in a sleeping Oro’s lap. She feels bad waking him, especially after he told her guilt had been keeping him awake. But he must attend Carmel for at least a few hours. He leaves, and Isla enjoys the remainder of the night on her balcony until Ella finds her. She tells Isla that Celeste has been attacked.
Ch. 45
Isla rushes down to the garden to find Celeste floating and entangled. According to Oro, she is trapped by Moonling poison. The fact that Celeste is still alive means whoever did this was interrupted. It should have killed her outright. Oro isn’t wholly convinced Cleo did this, though. At Isla’s request, Grim hides Celeste’s body from sight.
CH 46
With a new determination to open the vault in the Place of Mirrors, Isla scours the castle for something that will fit in the lock, but still can’t open it.
Isla follows Oro through the icy Moon Isle forest to search the penultimate location for the heart. It’s an abandoned palace buried in snow. The bottom portion is submerged in water.
Isla is horrified and fascinated as Oro begins to shed his clothing to go into the freezing water. Her reaction makes Oro curious. For Wildlings, physical love is celebrated. Seeing skin shouldn’t be new for Isla. Stubbornly, Isla strips down a layer. The mood changes, but Isla marches on and into the water. Each avoids looking directly at the other.
They’re searching for water lilies. She comes upon a half-girl, half-fish creature who leads her to the water lilies. Isla can’t remember their significance, her memory is foggy. The drumming of a heart breaks Isla from the brain fog that has settled over her. The girl doesn’t appreciate Isla veering from their path. The more Isla resists, the more violent the fish girl becomes. Slashing Isla’s middle and dragging her deeper into the water and farther from any chance to breathe.
Quickly thinking, Isla pulls out a dagger she has hidden on her body and stabs the girl. Free, Isla swims to the surface. Oro is there to care for her. He didn’t find the heart either.
One place left, Vinderland territory. The group Isla that attacked Isla in the ice and planned to kill her. They used to be Wildlings. They renounced their power when they left their realm before the curses struck. No power means they haven’t been affected by the curse. But they still eat hearts and flesh because they like it. Oro offers to go alone, but Isla won’t be deterred.
CH. 47
Isla and Oro are attacked on the way to Vinderland Territory. They were prepared and make quick work of them. Grabbing her hand, Oro runs, dragging her along until they reach a tree with white feathers. The heart isn’t there.
Ch. 48 – Day 80
Isla barges into Oro’s room. They need to start from square one.
Oro read about the heart in a book from the hidden library. The entrance of which is in his room. He takes her there. Before he reads the passage about the heart, Oro reveals that it wasn’t just his and Grim’s ancestors that created the island. Isla’s did as well. That is another reason he needed her. Only he, Grim, or Isla can unlock the heart. Which also means it was either a Sunling, Nightshade, or Wildling that spun the curses. It couldn’t have been Cleo.
After spending fruitless hours in the hidden library, Isla visits Celeste’s body. One of her hands is tightly closed into a fist. Prying it open, Isla finds Azul’s diamond ring within her friend’s grasp.
CH 49
Back in the Place of Mirrors, Isla uses her necklace to call Grim to her. Once he arrives, she allows him a moment to frantically assure her safety. Then, Isla immediately starts with the questions. Wondering how much information he’s kept from her. He starts by confessing his devotion by kissing her. It doesn’t take long before Isla is begging him. The whole of it all is so familiar to her. Like they have really done everything she has dreamt about in real life, a thousand times over.
CH. 50
Isla spends as much time in Oro’s hidden library as possible. Neither of them finds anything new. Re-examining what they already know, Isla has an epiphany – she knows where to find the heart.
Ch. 51
Talking during their journey, Oro admits wanting to bring all the realms back together to the unity they enjoyed before the curses. Hoping Isla will stay on Lightlark so Wildlings can return. Isla doesn’t dislike the idea, but it’s not part of her plan.
She tells him about Azul being the one who poisoned Celeste. Oro is not convinced. Isla wants an explanation, but is interrupted by the bird she assumed was a spy for Cleo. Now she believes differently. The bird leads them to a nest near the frozen fates. There they must wait until dawn.
They wait in a nearby cave. Oro has another bout caused by his sickness. The earth shakes along with him. To help soothe him, Isla sings. Only stopping as dawn approaches. Just below the nest, an egg hovers a moment before falling to the ground and cracks open. It’s yolk mimics the rising sun. They have found the heart.
Oro encourages her to go grab the heart. Power ripples through her body the moment she touches it. An arrow pierces her chest. Vinderland, bent on revenge, have arrived. She is only vaguely aware of Oro burning them all from the cave where he’s stuck now that the sun has risen. With what little strength she has left, heart in one hand, she uses the other to call for Grim. Grim grabs her as she drops the heart and begins to die.
Ch. 52
Isla wakes in her room. Grim is begging her to come back to him. Even Grim doesn’t have an explanation for how she survived. He does tell her that while she was resting, he found an elixir in the agora to help Celeste. She’s awake.
Isla runs to her friend’s room. Celeste confirms it was Azul, but she doesn’t know why. Isla tells her she found the heart before racing back to her room.
Grim is gone, but Oro bursts through her balcony door, hands her the heart, and tells her to get cleaned up so she can meet him in the library. She is shocked that the untrusting king is trusting her with the heart.
Entering the library, Isla goes over the prophecy. Oro confirms she will be the one who wins and will receive the power when the final step is complete. He will choose which ruler dies, leading to the death of their realm. Oro, upholding their deal, allows Isla to choose which realm to save. Without hesitation, she chooses Celeste’s. Oro chooses Nightshade to die. Oro is still not convinced that Cleo spun the curses. If she did, there will be consequences. And Azul? Oro doesn’t believe he is responsible for what happened to Celeste. His plan was to always sacrifice himself so he could be with his husband in death. His realm even voted for his plan. Their sacrifice for the greater good.
Isla tries to reconcile everything she thinks she knows. Even going as far as suspecting Ella. She’s heartbroken and confused. She just knows if she changes her mind and chooses to save Grim, Oro will choose Celeste for death. Her realm is the weakest. Oro is also aware of Grim’s ability to teleport; it is a dangerous power to allow to exist. Out of sadness and frustration, Isla threatens the king with a blade. He dares her to go through with it. Isla runs.
CH 53
Isla shares an updated plan with Celeste. She believes she knows where the bondbreaker is. Instead of splitting the blood cost between the two of them, she wants to bring Grim into the loop. She can’t allow Grim, someone she loves, to die. She is no longer willing to have everything she fought for if it means losing Grim. They have a plan now and will enact it at the Place of Mirror so they won’t be disturbed.
Taking one last look around her room in the Mainland castle, suspecting this will be the last time she sees it, Isla writes a letter trying to explain everything to Oro. She leaves the heart with the letter. Once done, she summons Grim and tells him about the bondbreaker and her plan. He’s honored and onboard.
Even though it’s night, Isla asks Grim to take her as close to the Place of Mirrors as possible. Because of the curse, Nightshades cannot be out at night. Grim trusts her. Wild Isle nullifies the effects of the curses, Grim is fine in the moonlight.
Before they head into the castle, Grim makes a confession. The dreams she’s been having are really memories. Isla used her relic and appeared in the Nightshade Castle several times over the last year. Isla doesn’t remember ever going to his realm because he had to take all the memories she has with him. Isla is in denial. The starstick is a Nightshade relic, not Starling. She was even with him the morning of the Centennial. (In the beginning, Isla has just returned from using her starstick but we never know where she came from).
Isla runs trough the forest and Into the Place of Mirrors. The enchanted forest outside protects her and keeps Grim out. Celeste is already inside, holding the bondbreaker. Grim makes his way through the trees just in time to see Celeste pierce Isla’s hand with the bondbreaker. Looking at Celeste, it is clear that whatever the bondbreaker is taking from Isla, it is giving it Celeste. Grim tries to pull Isla away. Celeste blasts him across the room. Isla is stunned. No powers other than Wildling are supposed to work there. Oro bursts in, doubling over as if having another episode.
Once Celeste is done, she throws Isla to the floor. Isla sees that Celeste’s blood contains abilities from all six realms. Isla has been played by her best friend. Loving someone in Lightlark means they have complete access to their abilities. Unknowingly, with their history, Grim loves Isla already. Oro had believed he was under Isla’s spell until she told him she was powerless. Still, nothing made sense to Isla.
Then the truth drops. There never was a bondbreaker. The relic is a bondmaker. It transfers abilities from one person to another. Since Oro and Grim both love Isla, she has access to their abilities. Celeste stole them through Isla with the bondmaker.
In disbelief, Isla confronts Celeste who reveals her flair which is basically Fae glamour. Celeste is really Aurora, the ruler that had supposedly died the day the curses had been cast. Her death had been an illusion.
She was originally meant to marry Oro’s brother but he fell in love with a Wildling. Heartbroken, she tricked Grim into giving her the heart. Due to a technicality in the vengeful spell she cast, Aurora accidentally cursed all the realms. As the caster, she was left unaffected.
Celeste also tells Isla about her father, a Nightshade. Isla is not powerless, her Wildling powers have been cloaked by her Nightshade powers. She has also lied to and manipulated Grim into helping her with a plan to kill the king. Making him believe Isla had to fall in love with Oro. She couldn’t do that since she already loved Grinm. So he stole her memories of him. Isla couldn’t fully blame Grim. She understood his motives.
Knowing she has to kill Aurora, Isla goes for her with a dagger. The one Aurora planted in the shops for Isla to have. The one enchanted to shatter should these circumstances arise. Aurora is ready to begin killing. Since she believes all the rulers must die. Isla pulls out her starstick.
Ch. 54
Isla lands in her bedroom at home. Poppy rushes in, assuming her early appearance means she went though with their plan and was successful.
Instead of being happy, Isla accuses Poppy, correctly assuming Terra and her knew Isla has powers. Poppy admits Aurora threatened them with an ultimatum. Poppy and Terra killed Isla’s parents.
Leaving Poppy to her shock and guilt, Isla dons her armor and loads up on weapons.
Back in the Place of Mirors, the forest now protects Aurora who has Isla’s Wildling abilities. Isla is used to fighting without power. She’s successful until Aurora distracts her. Vines wrap around Isla’s neck. All Isla know is that she can’t allow Aurora to leave the Place of Mirrors where she will then have access to all the realms’ abilities. She also won’t succumb to any of the curses.
Isla cuts through the vine around her neck. Charging toward Aurora, cutting down any obstacle the Starling ruler throws at her. Aurora can’t help but taunt Isla as she fights. Admitting the original offense wasn’t using the heart or a Sunling falling in love with a Wildling.
Grim reminds Isla of her heart, that it doesn’t belong to her anymore. At least not since she found Lightlark’s heart. It calls to her so she can call to it, and she does. The heart flies to her hand, pumping her full of Wildling power. Breaking free, Isla rushes Celeste, not hesitating at the illusion of her best friend. Grabbing the bondmaker, Isla stabs her hand and Aurora’s chest, committing the original offense, again: a ruler of a realm killlling her best friend.
The act brings the end of a ruling line and Isla wins the Centennial. Lightlark breaks along with the curse. Both Celeste and Isla fall into a fissure. A vine catches Isla and pulls her to the surface. Oro used her Wildling ability to save her. Isla sees the realization on Grim’sface. Oro could only commit such a feat through love. Grim’s face also tells her that he tried to do the same thing and was unable to harness her power. Isla feels too betrayed by Grim to return his love anymore. Oro has been her partner. Grim silently leaves.
CH. 55
On the 100th day, Lightlark wasn’t overtaken by the storm as it had every time before. The curses are broken. So is Isla, who only left her room long enough to save the Wildling realm. Otherwise, she falls into personal devastation for two weeks.
Finally emerging onto her balcony, Oro joins her. She appreciates seeing him in the sun. His body has healed and is no longer dying. Trying to fall back into their banter proves difficult. Things are different now. Without meaning to, they fell for each other. She can feel all six abilities within Oro, placed there by the bondmaker. Because of their bond, she has complete access. She wonders what Oro feels within her. When Isla used the bondmaker on Aurora, she gained her Starling abilities. That lead to a loophole in the prophecy, since the ability did not die with the Aurora, the Starling realm is spared. Isla feels she learned from her relationship with Grim and looks forward to her future with Oro.
CH 56
Oro is mostly able to repair the cracks in the Place of Mirrors. But all the glass in the walls remains shattered on the floor. With her crown in her hand and Oro by her side, Isla places the crown into the keyhole in the vault and opens the door.
