Claimed by Shadow Reread 2019
TINTTT
I’d forgotten that demons and vampires are essentially competing predators. I wonder how that works with, say, Casanova. Does he need double the partners? Do Rian and he take turns feeding? I assume one human can’t source them both, unless that human is merely a snack-sized morsel for them both? And how will that work with the demon-vamp hybrids we’ve seen? What type of life energy will the demons feed on, and will that conflict with vampires?
Is that.... Caleb? I hate to be that person that’s like, I spotted the AA man, it must be Caleb! But he was a prominent pain in the backside with the kids, and that started.... book three? book four? I think it would be neat if he showed up first as nameless henchman-type figure, and then KC decided to develop him further.
I just realized that the magic suits of armor were a great predecessor to the concept of the Allu.
Will Cassie ever call in that favor from Chavez? Or does the fact that Dracula dies negate it? OR maybe HE dies in the Dory side of this ‘verse. I’ll need to get on that.
....If the chameleon is always hiding when it’s on Cassie, why is it visible on Mac?
And another clue that this whole thing was set into motion roughly six months ago. That’s when they guestimate Agnes started getting poisoned.
Also, something that has bugged me for literal YEARS. If clairvoyants have the potential to rise above all mages into the position of Pythia, why are they considered “the dregs of the magical world”? Makes more sense to me to treat them with some sort of respect. But I guess that only happens for the Circle-selected initiates that can scratch the Circle’s back.
“I really hoped the side effects from encountering incubi were going to wear off soon.” *snerk* Not likely in the current company you’re keeping, Cassie.
Interesting, so the magical tattoos imprinted on auras is a Fey thing. Think this will make a comeback now that we’re venturing into Faerie?
Knowing what’s coming ahead for them, I am delighted every time I read how horrified Cassie and Pritkin are that they’re attracted to one another.
Who is the mage that cast the geis in the first place? Mac is absolutely certain that only mages with low ability work for vampires, and they wouldn’t be skilled enough to pull off this spellwork. So is that typical Silver Circle arrogance, or was Mac on to something here?
In regards to Mac asking if Cassie is ever tempted to go back and change things, particularly her parents’ death: “Besides, I thought the idea was for me to help guard the timeline, not to interfere with it myself. I could end up changing something vital and possibly make things even worse.” It never hit me until just now, how absolutely vital that instinct is to the plot. If she’d gone back to save them, they wouldn’t be available to anchor the ouroboros, and things would have gone to hell in a handbasket long before now.
This is a good reminder that Cassie may shy away from being the HBIC now, but once upon a time, she dreamed of being the knight in shining armor. Or the plucky apprentice to a wizard. Why not both?
WHY do they need Cassie’s permission to execute Tomas? I get stuck on this all the time. ‘Vamps believe in ending problems permanently.’ I don’t know, maybe someone that sides with the enemy trying to bring you down with no regards to propriety or set rules would be considered an enemy? Maybe even a PROBLEM? Is she going to interfere with every punishment the Senate doles out, or just the ones that affect people she cares for? Like, maybe there’s a professional courtesy here, maybe, but only a few pages later she’s talking about how mages and weres don’t interfere in vamp affairs and vice versa and…. I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I guess I feel pretty strongly about people using their office to benefit people related to them. They shouldn’t get out of being punished for a crime just because you don’t want to see them punished. Boy, watch me rant about this bs when watching one of those crime procedurals and I see a cop let the perp go or destroy evidence because they don’t want to see their family do time for fucking MURDER.
Continuing on the theme of things that disturb me: Cassie deciding she’s definitely, no doubts about it, in love with Mircea when she KNOWS she’s under a spell known to amplify feelings.
Also, maybe the doubling effects of the geis should be a lesson to the vamps NOT to lay ancient spells known to bind the spellee to the speller on someone who can time-travel? Or on someone they want to gain that ability? Because she did! And their machinations backfired on them! And that’s their fault, not hers! Consequences, not intentions, and all that rot. But I guess vampires are immune to consequences when the other party is non-vampire, hmm??? Shoddy double standards.
Wait a second….. Vamps don’t hear their masters in Faerie! Will this come into play during the vamp/demon invasion that’s coming? Masters can’t force possession so those possessed are willing in that aspect, but it’s all the ‘expendable’ ones being voluntold to sign up, so…. Maybe some will want to stay in Faerie? Or they’ll take the opportunity while they’re free from their masters to ask Cassie to do what happened to Jules?
I still cry when Mac’s wards get used. Odd. I don’t cry when he dies. But his wards disappearing feels like his final death. That’s something I really wanted to confirm while I’m at work.
And then more waterworks when she finds the chameleon. I’m a soggy mess now.
