The last chapters describe the Patriarch's exit from Metamor and what happened afterwards, and Wessex's discovery of Zagrosek's intentions in the woods.
Summary
Chapter 15
On the morning of October 15th, inspired by his personal meeting with Akabaieth and by his public speech, Murikeer visits Misha at the Long House, hoping to be assigned a patrol to protect the Patriarch. The Longs are happy to get additional help; Misha was already briefing Charles on an assignment for that evening. Misha allows Murikeer to join Charles in the south, in a region adjacent to Llyn's and Finbar's patrol.
Later that morning, Thomas and his court and knights give a farewell to Akabaieth and his men, as crowds of Keepers watch. As Vinsah watches the gates approach, he suddenly flashes back to his dream and winces until they pass. As the crowds thin out, Akabaieth takes out the quartz sculpture from Murikeer. He notices Vinsah tense up, and a conversation on magic makes him even more tense. Akabaieth asks what is troubling him. Vinsah says he was offered a similar stone of himself in his dream, but is unable to explain more. Akabaieth asks if it had his eyes. He had a dream last night, preparing to sail, and a tall dark-haired woman asked to leave Vinsah in her care; he wore a mask and carried a quartz stone. He told her he would leave the decision to Vinsah. Vinsah shudders with anger (and fear) and insists on remaining with Akabaieth, for the good of his mission. Akabaieth sighs and promises not to talk about dreams again, to his relief.
From the hills, Charles, Murikeer, Llyn, and Finbar see the carriage approaching. They smell an approaching storm; Finbar still vaguely feels the same unease from yesterday, and Murikeer is also a bit apprehensive, though relaxes when Llyn smiles.
Meanwhile, as Wessex waits for the afternoon when magical conditions will be right for a mind-reading spell, he studies the heraldic symbol from the woman's robe he saw. While tracing the symbol, he realizes it is the symbol of a drawing hand. Later that night, he casts his spell, seeing again images of Zagrosek and the woman. An unseen muck blocks his attempt; he plunges through, and sees one single shocking image. He hastily wipes away the spell. The image he saw was of Zagrosek plunging an ornate Sathmoran knife through an old man's chest.
With the carriage stopped for the night, Akabaieth closes his devotional and says his evening prayers, thanking Yahshua for his sacrifice and Metamor for their hospitality; praying that Metamor bring peace to the world; to bless Phil for his favor, Murikeer in his studies, Vinsah for his struggle, Raven for help cleansing her council, and for Rickkter's friend Egan; and he thanks Eli for his long life. He ties another knot in his rope, passing his seamanship exam again, and blows out the light with a smile.
Chapter 16
Duke Thomas is meeting with Phil when Wessex races in and tells them that Zagrosek intends to kill the Patriarch. He must alert him at once. Phil reports he has scouts less than an hour from the Patriarch's camp, and suggests Wessex communicate with them via telepathic magic. Thomas also suggests they send dragons; Phil suggests Gornul fly in front and below the clouds, and lead the more conspicuous dragons above. Thomas calls for his knights and the dragons to leave at once, and orders the castle guard doubled, while Wessex asks for Rupert to help get supplies from his rooms; his own workroom is too messy to cast a telepathy spell.
The dragons and the knights leave, but everyone knows they won't make it in time. The Patriarch's only chance is for Wessex to contact the scouts. As Wessex draws the spell, he quickly explains how he learned of Zagrosek's presence in the forest. He lays in the magic circle and tells Thomas to pour a concoction over him.
The magic pastes react, and Wessex separates himself from his body, flying south towards the bright lights of others' minds. He finds four scouts, but before he can contact Murikeer, the woman he had seen with Zagrosek materializes and traps him, taunting him that he is too late.
From Ava-shavais, Qan-af-arael studies the stars. He sees the constellations of the Master, the Servant, and the Hunter overhead. Closing his eyes and waiting for the right interval, he opens them to see the Master and left arm of the Servant are covered, while the star of the Hunter's Eye outshines the others. He joins his people's festival below, knowing the Master will die tonight.
Gornul recognizes Charles below, and plummets, exhausted from the flight. Gornul tells him and the scouts of the attack and the dragons overhead. Llyn suggests Murikeer contact the dragons, but Murikeer can't telepath that far, and has no time to call the air spirits, but he could give Gornul enough energy to do so. He suggests they carry Gornul to the Patriarch, and Gornul can contact the dragons when they arrive. Finbar protests they can't sprint through the storm; Muri slams his hand into the earth, sending them his desire. With the spirits guiding their path, he charges into the darkness, casting a witchlight to lead the others. Charles matches Murikeer's pace, shifting to taur form after a while to keep up, as Finbar and Llyn race behind.
Both Thomas and Phil wait anxiously as Wessex spasms on the floor before. Two hours have passed. They know something has gone wrong. All they can do is discuss their fears of political fallout if the Patriarch is murdered, both for Nasoj and for Pyralis and Sathmore.
Chapter 17
Zagrosek appraises the Patriarch's camp's defenses and heads down the hill. Kashin and Iosef both barely notice him, and after informing the other Yeshuel and the knights, they investigate. They easily find Zagrosek; Kashin recognizes he is a Sondeckis, and asks what he wants. Zagrosek casually says that he has come to kill the Patriarch. Kashin and Iosef charge; Zagrosek calmly throws his Sondeck at them, with his dark magic mixed in. The darkness burns away everything it touches; Iosef is sliced in two and dies. Kashin dodges and is hit in his left arm, slicing it off. Kashin passes out from the pain.
Zagrosek sneaks off to the camp. After waiting fruitlessly for a break in the patrol, he uses his shadow magic to sneak through, and breaks into a tent of soldiers. He kills all 6, but the last alerts the camp, and Zagrosek kills a knight. Zagrosek briefly retreats.
In his dream, Vinsah sees the gates of Metamor, the mysterious black-haired woman, and the terrifying blood-handed man. She tells him that if he is to survive, he must tuck his dinner plate under his robes. Vinsah awakes, confused, but decides to put his metal dinner plate under his robes. Just then, a man enters the tent, the exact same man from his dreams, even the blood-covered hands. Vinsah screams, and Zagrosek throws the Sondeck into him, crushing the plate into his ribs. He gurgles as Zagrosek crushes the chests of his fellow priests, until he passes out.
Outside, the remaining soldiers and Yeshuel attack, but one by one, Zagrosek defeats them, nearly all fatally. He enters the Patriarch's wagon, but finds it empty, and realizes he has escaped. He calls to Agathe in his mind for help. Agathe appears and, after scolding him for not killing the Patriach from the start, creates a rune on the carriage to show the Patriach's footsteps. Zagrosek catches up to him, and Akabaieth asks why a Sondecki would want to kill him. Zagrosek says he hates to kill a good man, but Akabaieth is a threat to their plans. Akabaieth rebukes him repeatedly, to Zagrosek's amusement, until Akabaieth reveals his intention to delay him so that help can arrive. Zagrosek plunges a Sathmoran ceremonial dagger into his chest, and leaves both behind.
Back at the camp, Agathe has found one of the knights still alive. Zagrosek recognizes him as the knight from the woods, who had a "very peculiar" image of the Duke in his head. He suggests they make him fixate on it, but Agathe says there is no time. Zagrosek picks him up and carries him with them into the shadow realm. Just past the hill, he sets Albert down, and Zagrosek and Agathe have wild passionate sex.
Kashin awakens to find Iosef dead, and hurries back to the camp to find it in ruins. As he searches the camp, he finds two survivors: Yacoub Egland, his legs broken; and Vinsah, with broken ribs. Vinsah despairs that there is no one nearby to help, except for Metamor. A flash of lightning briefly illuminates the Patriarch's body and the jeweled dagger; Kashin runs to it and despairs for failing as a Yeshuel. Remembering his duty to the survivors, he carries the body back to the camp, and gathers the three of them in one wagon.
He does not see any horses, but Charles and Murikeer arrive just then, horrified by the scene. Kashin suggests that Charles, still in taur form, pull the wagon, but Murikeer instead suggests that Gornul call for the dragons and have one carry them to the Keep. The largest dragon agrees to do it. Kashin boards the wagon, and Charles volunteers to return to the Keep to report to the Duke, as Llyn and Finbar emerge and despair at the tragic scene, and Murikeer prepares to talk to the spirits to learn what happened.
Chapter 18
In the peripheral realm, Wessex escapes his bonds and zips to the camp, just before the wagon is carried off and while Murikeer is preparing his spell. Too late to help, he zips back to the Keep, finding time oddly distorted from the speed. He re-enters his body and delivers the sad news to Phil, Rupert, and Thomas. A summons is sent to Raven. Wessex and Phil admit they knew of Zagrosek's presence, but mistook his intentions, and were wrong to keep it secret from Thomas. Thomas angrily asks what other secrets they've kept, and Wessex tells Thomas that he believes Zagrosek is working with Charles, or at least manipulating him, and thus he cannot trust him (Thomas hastily tells his guards to leave). He explains who Agathe is, and their guess as to why they are interfering in Metamor: to spread chaos and unrest in Metamor and the continent, breaking alliances and allowing Nasoj to defeat it and invade the south.
There is a knock. It is Raven, having spent the evening praying for the Patriarch's well-being, demanding to know what happened; and then, if there are any survivors. Wessex explains he didn't have time to check, but Murikeer is casting a spell to learn more. Raven is angry Wessex didn't stay to help, and Wessex retorts that he was too exhausted to help him. There is another knock; Charles enters with news of the survivors. The group of six and Thomas's guards head to Coe's. Along the way, Raven asks Charles what he saw, and suggests that he come with her to the temple, to show solidarity between Lothanasi and Ecclesians. Charles agrees.
Kashin is the only one there to meet them, but he tells them how Vinsah and Egland are doing: Egland will live but will need extensive healing, and Vinsah's fate is less certain. He does not describe the man in detail, glancing at Charles. He says he took the Patriarch's body to the Chapel, and points out the dagger that killed him. He refuses to allow Wessex the opportunity to examine it or to give Raven testimony, as he believes his duty as a Yeshuel is tarnished until he and he alone kills the Patriarch's assassin. Raven wishes him luck, and leaves with Charles. Free to talk, Wessex asks about the assassin's clan. Kashin confirms he was a Sondeckis, but wasn't sure how Charles would react. He gives permission, for Raven's sake, for them to tell Vinsah and Egland the identity of the assassin. Wessex describes the assassin, and explains that he too is hunting him, and wants to help. Kashin angrily and bitterly tells them to leave.
Several hours later, the investigation of the camp is at an impasse. Misha can identify the tracks of the two mages, still visible thanks to Murikeer and the earth spirits, but they vanish in the hills. Murikeer identifies that the woman cast magic just before the tracks vanished, but the earth spirits can not tell him what magic they used to kill or escape, though they have promised not to allow the killer to return. They continue fruitlessly looking for clues.
Charles, back in morph form, has stayed up all night comforting acolytes in the temple. Having lost his pants, he wears a spare acolyte robe. To his annoyance, many believe he has converted to the Lothanasi. However, Charles is moved by their grief, after so many had opposed his visit in the beginning. Raven compliments him on his singing, and Charles asks why she's suddenly in a good mood. Raven says that the Patriarch's hope of peace has come true, if only for right here. Charles smiles, half-hoping the acolytes ask again if he's converted.
Raven asks Phil to deliver a magically sealed letter to the Lothanas of Whales. Then, on a rocky plateau, she visits Angernil, Lothanas of the Dragons, to discuss how to break the news to the High Council. She also tells him about the Starchild Prophecy and probable corruption among the High Council, and the dangers coming in the future. She is frustrated that the hope for peace is gone, but Angernil assures her there is still hope if they can bring those responsible to justice.
Chapter 19
In Vinsah's dreams, the woman welcomes him to Metamor Keep, and offers him the sculpture again. Vinsah panics and tries to take his mask off; the woman soothes him, and places the sculpture in his hand. Vinsah wants to take no part in this, for her to choose someone else; she tells him that when he's ready, to go to Murikeer. When she fades away, he tries to run, but Murikeer is always behind. He throws the sculpture and breaks down in tears.
Vinsah wakes up in bed with a pain in his chest. Coe is relieved; he's been unconscious for just over a week. After giving him some medicine, he confirms Vinsah's fears by showing him a mirror; he is cursed now, his face already bearing a raccoon's fur mask. He also looks much younger, in his mid-20's. Vinsah asks that Coe tell no one that he is awake, until he is ready. Before he leaves, Coe gives him something that was in Vinsah's robes when he was found: the quartz figure of Akabaieth. Vinsah stares into its eyes as Coe leaves.
Egland has been up and out for days on crutches, slowly turning into a deer morph. He visits the stables, wondering where his lost friend Albert and their two horses are. Andre and Saulius enter with an unexpected surprise: Egland's and Albert's horses, found on the south. All three promise to stay friends.
Kashin left the morning after the attack with Lothar to Ellcaran. He has not left the Ellcaran chapel since then, still carrying the dagger despite the parishioners' protests. A hooded figure with pale skin sits by him, and greets him as Kashin of the Yeshuel. Kashin says he is disgraced and no longer a Yeshuel. The figure reveals himself to be Andares, and that he is seeking a man of exactly Kashin's appearance and condition on behalf of his master. He was expecting him at Akabaieth's funeral the day before; Kashin says he could not disgrace the funeral with his presence. Andares offers him a chance for justice, as his master can explain who killed Akabaieth and why. Kashin rejects the offer, for he will accept help from no man.
Andares laughs that he isn't a man; he lifts his cowl, revealing his true nature. Andares says that Aelfs like him normally stay hidden from mortals. He offers again, for Akabaieth's death is just one of many deaths in a dangerous battle being fought in secret, and Kashin's quest is part of a bigger picture. Kashin is confused, so Andares whispers that the killer wouldn't have attacked if the one who wanted Akabaieth dead hadn't told him where. Kashin needs time to consider it, so Andares tells him to find Benlan Rais at the Lake's Head Inn in Bozojo. He will be waiting until December. Kashin promises he won't take long. Andares warns that things will get much worse before they get better. As Andares leaves, Kashin bows to the cross and also leaves.
Epilogue
Somewhere along the coast, the ceremonial flagship of Whales, the Iros, slows to a stop. A raft is uncovered on deck, and the crewmen assemble on deck. The sailors on nearby ships all watch, including Murikeer, there on behalf of Metamor.
A dozen priests emerge from below decks; the center figure is Hough, who places Akabaieth's rope onto the raft. Phil and Rupert emerge, to the brief awe of the men, and stand on the deck. Phil gives a eulogy to Akabaieth, that he was a man of Whales and a man of peace. Because Whales is dedicated to peace, he feels justified in honoring Akabaieth with a military burial.
He concludes his speech, and gives Captain Argoson permission to cast the raft off. The raft is hoisted and placed in the water, and with fanfare the crew returns to their oars and activates the Fire projector. A member of the Guild of Fire approaches Phil and asks if he would like the honor of firing the projector himself. Phil agrees it is fitting he does so. They arrive at the bow just in time for Phil to pull the cord. A great blast of fire incinerates the raft. The Iros sails three times around the site in salute, and Phil drops a Medallion of Fire into the sea.
The name "Apadares" is added to the Roll of the Brotherhood. And somewhere, a little boy's dream has just come true.
Wessex's and Agathe's duel
- Wessex and Agathe meet in an in-between realm. Both are trying to immobilize the other using magic.
- Agathe is so much more powerful and faster than Wessex, she easily blocks Wessex's every attack.
- Wessex tries to trick her by grabbing a thread of magic and weaving a noose around her. While he does so, he wraps the threads around his arm and ties them together to gather more energy. Agathe does not seem to notice, even as he narrows the noose around her.
- Suddenly, Agathe grabs one of Wessex's threads and tightens it, pinning Wessex's arms to his chest. She draws a blue-glowing rune on his chest that will tighten the threads if he struggles. Victorious, she vanishes back into the streams.
Zagrosek fights the Patriarch's guards
- Zagrosek wants to kill the Patriarch, and as many of his entourage as he can. He carries a Sathmore ceremonial dagger, primarily to blame Sathmore for the Patriarch's death, as well as a Sathmoran sword.
- The Patriarch has 27 men under him: 12 footmen; 8 knights; 3 personal aides; 4 Yeshuel.
- Among those watching the camp are knights on horseback, only wearing oiled mail vests for armor.
- There is a hard thunderstorm at the time, muting the sounds of activity outside.
- The camp is put on alert, with double the knights on duty. Kashin and Iosef are the first to confront Zagrosek in a ditch out of sight of the camp.
- Zagrosek throws some Sondeckis power via the Longfugos technique at them, combined with his dark magic. The darkness disintegrates and cauterizes Kashin's arm, and slices Iosef in two. Kashin is knocked out, and Iosef dies.
- Zagrosek moves to the back of the camp, but the knights' patrols provide no opening, and he senses he has only 10 to 15 minutes left. He cloaks himself in his dark magic and crawls through the grass. He loosens a tent stake, and waits for two knights (Albert and Yacoub) to pass before pulling a second stake.
- He refrains from shaking leaves in the forest to distract them — presumably, with his Sondeck.
- The camp is starting to worry by this point about Kashin and Iosef.
- The tent contains 6 footmen. He snaps the neck of all 6 of them. The last one briefly screams and alerts the camp. 1 knight jumps in; Zagrosek stabs him in the belly and runs back the way he came in, back into the shadows.
- Zagrosek enters the tent of priests. All 3 of them stir. One of them, Vinsah, screams. Zagrosek crushes Vinsah's chest with the Sondeck, and quickly crushes the other 2 priests' chests.
- Vinsah, unknown to Zagrosek, had a metal dinner plate hidden under his robes. Of the priests, he alone does not die.
The open battle
- The camp is now on full alert. Soldiers charge in on horseback, and the Yeshuel quietly approach. Zagrosek now stands just outside the priests' tent, waiting for them to attack.
- 2 knights on horseback ride up. The 1st rider is armed with a mace, and swings it. Zagrosek ducks and puts his dagger into the first horse's leg with the Sondeck. The sword snaps, and the horse falls, toppling its rider to the ground, where he cracks his spine. He screams, until the horse lands on top of him. The horse shrieks, and Zagrosek slits its throat.
- For the 2nd rider, Zagrosek thrusts his dagger into the knight's belly, and then stabs the knight's horse in the abdomen. Both fall, where their entrails spill out.
- The 5 remaining knights charge in from all directions, followed by the remaining 6 footmen. Zagrosek palms his dagger and throws his shadow magic at the nearest, slicing him in two.
- He throws a punch at one, then ducks and rolls to dodge the third. Zagrosek gets a cut in the shoulder. Zagrosek targets the last 2 knights with his Sondeck, knocking both backwards off their horses. One horse rolls over the legs of its rider (Yacoub Egland). He throws the Sondeck at the other, riderless knight (Albert Bryonoth), sending him sprawling against the priests' tent.
- The other 2 knights ride back; Zagrosek sidesteps the first, grabs the knight's sword arm, and plunges it a foot into the other knight's chest. He then punches the first rider off his horse, dislocating his shoulder. The knight crawls away, alive for now.
- Alfais and Lakaesh reach Zagrosek, kicking him in the back to the ground. They kick him again, cracking one of his ribs. The shorter of the two grabs his legs to tie them up, while the taller goes for the arms.
- Zagrosek quickly stabs the taller Yeshuel in the heart through his shirt.
- The shorter one twists Zagrosek's legs unnaturally. Zagrosek cuts off the Yeshuel's head with his dagger.
- The remaining 6 soldiers bravely charge. Zagrosek uses his Sondeck to throw them all to the ground. He quickly stabs each one in the chest with his knife.
- The knight with a dislocated shoulder defiantly shouts at Zagrosek. Zagrosek slaps away the knight's sword and, not having much time, crushes the man's larynx.
Clean-up
- Zagrosek finds the Patriarch's carriage empty. He calls on Agathe for help. She appears and draws a rune for him, showing the direction of the Patriarch, towards and past the road to a hill. There he confronts Akabaieth and, after a prolonged series of debate, kills him.
- Zagrosek and Agathe have only a couple minutes before the Keepers arrive, and so do not check that everyone is dead, but they do find Albert alive, coincidentally someone with a mind Zagrosek is interested in. He kidnaps Albert, removing some of Albert's armor to do so.
- Zagrosek leaves the battle with a cut in his shoulder, his legs sprained, and one rib cracked.
- Murikeer later assesses that the camp is filled with ugly twisted purple energies.
Vinsah's second dream
- Vinsah has another unusually vivid dream while sleeping in the Patriarch's camp, shortly before the massacre.
- He starts in his tent, with a dreary overcast sky above him. Nearby are the open heavenly gates of Metamor, with clear skies over them.
- The black-haired lady appears, calling him Elvmere, and telling him to listen. Her presence warms his heart, but it also reminds Vinsah that he still wears the cloth mask.
- He demands she take off the mask, but she sternly tells him to do as she says.
- Just then, the same man in black robes and blood-drenched hands from his first dream steps in between them. Vinsah cries out for help. The lady tells him to put his dinner plate under his robes.
- The world fades away. Vinsah holds onto the memory of her voice; something about it touches him deep inside.
Vinsah's third dream
- Vinsah has a long dream while in his coma. He is with the black-haired lady in Metamor by the brook and garden of flowers from his first dream, with the far gates closed. She sings a song similar to that in his first and second dream, in an unknown language that brings Vinsah peace.
- When he regains awareness and looks at her, she welcomes Elvmere to his new home. Vinsah briefly reacts as if Elvmere is his true name, before remembering himself.
- Vinsah panics and backs away, asking what he's been doing and for how long. She tells him he's been healing from wounds for a very long time.
- She picks up his quartz figure, the gift from his first dream, and offers it again to him.
- This reminds Vinsah of the mask he still wears, and tries to tear it off. The lady suddenly appears behind her, her hands on his shoulder, to take away his anger.
- Vinsah says he is afraid to take the quartz, but his hand is open. The lady puts it in his open hand and closes it.
- Vinsah asks why she chose him. The lady says, as if to a child, that he must trust the wisdom of the creator.
- Vinsah then realizes he is wearing acolyte robes, but doesn't think to undress.
- The lady tells Elvmere that Muri is waiting for him nearby. Vinsah begs again that she ask anyone but him; the lady says he can wait until he's ready.
- The lady disappears. Vinsah panics, not wanting her to leave him. She says that she will always be with him.
- Vinsah tries to run, but Murikeer still stands behind him with his hand out to him. Vinsah throws the quartz at him and cries, until the dream ends. He begins to realize the lady is not a dream.
Akabaieth's burial
- The burial takes place aboard the Iros along the coast of the continent, far from Whales. Various small craft such as lateen rigged fishing coasters and small trading vessels watch from a distance. On the nearest boat is a disguised Murikeer, watching the ceremony and committing it to memory, so that he can show it via illusion to Metamor.
- The ceremony is conducted at noon, local time. All ships across Whales lower their flags to half-mast at the same time.
- The deck has been scrubbed white with holystones. On deck are dozens of seamen in white uniforms, dozens of petty officers and master's mates, and rowers for the Iros. On the deck is a small wooden raft covered with flowers; Akabaieth's body is enclosed inside.
- A dozen priests, who are guests to the ceremony, wait below deck. In the center of this line is Hough, who carries Akabaieth's rope.
- When the ceremony begins, the priests form a line on the quarterdeck. Hough places the rope on Akabaieth's raft.
- Phil and his bodyguard Rupert follow the priests from below deck. Rupert helps Phil onto the rail, where he gives a speech to the men.
- He begins by saying how good it is to be at sea, despite the sad occasion. He explains Akabaieth's wish to the men, and how he and his Ecclesians were dedicated to peace. As a man of principle, and a son of Whales, it is their duty to grant him this wish. He also briefly describes the time he spent with Akabaieth.
- He goes on to explain that though their service is for war, and the Iros was a trophy of war, their cause has never been war, but to protect peaceful trade. He feels this philosophy influenced Akabaieth's life and purpose.
- Therefore, although only two non-Brothers have been given a military burial at sea, he believes he is justified in giving one to Akabaieth, for he too died in service of Whales's mission of peace.
- After his speech, Phil calls the captain to haul away. The raft is hoisted up, over the side of the ship, and lowered into the water. With three trumpet blasts, the raft is cast off.
- Phil then orders the captain to bring the ship about. The first officer orders the men to man the oars, and the portside crew to secure anchor. The Fire Projector is activated so that, at just the right distance between the raft and the Iros, it is ready to fire and disintegrate the raft and its contents.
- Phil is given the honor of firing the projector.
- To conclude the burial, the Iros sails 3 times around the raft's final location. Phil drops a Medallion of Fire into the sea.
Story Connections
- Misha tells Murikeer and Charles to bring something to eat for their patrol, "as if he were referring to a specific event". This doesn't seem to refer to a story, though see A Small Repair for a possible reference.
- The story of the Iros and Phil's reputation is covered in more detail by Winds of Destiny.
- Misha recalls being saved by a "fox spirit", a reference to Shadows of the Past.
- The shock in Thomas's eyes when he hears the threat to the Patriarch reminds Wessex, to a lesser extent, of Macaban's shock in Legacies.
- The discovery of two missing pages from Wessex's copy of the Sudenhart Arcanum happened in Libraries.
- Thomas mentions that Saroth is recovering from his injuries.
- This is likely intended to be a reference to Eye of the Storm, whose last 2 chapters were published within days after chapter 16. However, Eye of the Storm takes place in early May, long before the October setting of Liturgy of Blood.
