Saw an anti-Bryceriel post in the ACOTAR ship debate sub and want to know what the etiquette is. Can I upvote or downvote? I want to support our members out there on the front lines but I’m not seeing any upvotes or down votes.

What’s appropriate? Thanks ☺️

Rereading, wondering who or what Prince Pelias could be... and then it hit me.

“Prince Pelias” … “Prince Pelias” … “Prince.”

Who else gets called “Prince”…?

Preface:

This post was too big to post in one go... so I have broken it into two parts / two posts!

Edit: Nope, its three parts / three posts! oops!

I’m sorry if this has been spoken about already or theorized before! I haven’t seen much talk about just Pelias and his backstory, so I thought I’d take a crack at it!
If anyone had already said this please let me know!

(Although u/Soft_Bookworm made an excellent post which did include pelias! I’ll link it where I also compare Pelias to Hunt!)

The only other big thing I’ve seen about Pelias is his timeline issues… (Shout out to u/bellire who left an amazing comment on this awesome post by u/Middle-Injury-2610)

Anyways, fair warning: this is a long, long, long post! (a two-parter!)

*With that being said, if you want to skip all my ramblings and just get to the meat of the argument, then you can scroll down to the bottom where I made an additional comment and read my conclusions! They basically summarize most of my points / theory!

But, if you want to see all of the quotes / evidence for each point, then can read all of the exhibits listed!

Alright! Let’s get into the theory!

Theory:

Prince Pelias is a Prince of Hel.

While I don’t know if I think he’s actually one of the 7 main Princes, I do believe that he is a “Son of Hel.” Just like Hunt.

Let’s discuss:

Hunt and the Title of Prince:

Generally, in most monarchies, when a Prince has a son, that son inherits the title of “Prince" from his father.

So, technically, since Hunt —Orion Athalar— is confirmed a “Son of Hel.” He is therefore a “Prince of Hel,” since two of his fathers are Princes themselves. Here are the quotes to back this up:

>“‘Welcome, son,’ said the Prince of the Pit.” CC3 page 528.

>“…Apollion answered, ‘Because the Princes of Hel cannot be contained by the black crowns… it should not be able to hold you.’” CC3 page 532.

Apollion says that the halo can’t contain a Prince of Hel, and then says that Hunt should be able to take it off of himself… so doesn’t this imply that Hunt is a Prince of Hel? At least, Apollion, one of his fathers, seems to think he is!

And then we have this:

>“Thanatos scoffed, ‘You are no son of his.’ He yanked off his war helmet, cradling it under his arm. ‘If anything, you are mine.’” CC3 page 530

So, technically, Hunt is a Prince of Hel 2x, because both Thanatos and Apollion have the title and can thus pass on the title to their offspring.

And this is the reasoning that they give for making hunt:

>“‘I’m sorry,’ Hunt interrupted l, ‘but are you implying that I was made by you two assholes? As some sort of pet?’ He pointed to Thanatos, then to Apollion. ‘Not a pet,’ Apollion said darkly. ‘A weapon.’ He nodded to Bryce. ‘For her, whenever she might come along.’” CC3 page 548.

So, Hunt is the son of Thanatos, Prince of Souls, who used the essence of Apollion, Prince of the Pit, to create him. For all intents and purposes, I am absolute convinced that Hunt qualifies as a Prince of Hel!

Now, even though none of the Princes of Hel directly call him a “Prince.” They do call him a son. And again, generally, sons of princes inherit that title too.

However, Hunt has been called a Prince before… when he and Bryce get married in CC2, to spite the Autumn king, Hunt inherits the title of “Prince of the Fae” because he married a Princess of the Fae… (gee, that sounds familiar…)

>“‘Because you are mated. And now your father has made you a princess. Which makes him…’ ‘Oh gods,’ Bryce said, choking. ‘Hunt is a f*cking prince.’ She laughed bitterly.” CC2 page 597

>“Ruhn said, ‘You know who I was talking to before I got your call? My father.’ Bryce went still, and Hunt knew it was bad. Ruhn grinned at him. ‘Your father in-law.’ ‘Excused me?’ Ruhn didn’t stop grinning. ‘He told me the wonderful news.’ He winked at Bryce. ‘You must be so happy.’ Bryce groaned and turned to Hunt. ‘It’s not official—‘ ‘Oh, it’s official,’ Ruhn said… ‘She’s been bandying about the royal name, apparently. Which means she’s accepted her position as princess. And as you’re her mate, that makes you son-in-law to the Autumn King. And my brother.’ Hunt gaped at him.” CC2 page 609

>“Hunt waited until he and Bryce had entered the apartment, the door firmly shut behind them, before he said, ‘I’m a prince now?’ Bryce slumped onto the couch. ‘Welcome to the club.’ ‘Your father really did this?’ She nodded glumly.” CC2 page 621

>“‘And we extend our well wishes to you, too.’ Celestina said. ‘Thank you,’ Bryce said, smiling widely. ‘Prince Hunt and I plan to be quite happy.’ … ‘Prince?’ Celestina asked. Bryce looped her arm through Hunt’s, pressing close. ‘Hunt and I are mates.’ A charming, brilliant smile. ‘That makes him my prince…’” CC2 page 632-633

And in CC3 Hunt introduces himself to the Ocean Queen as a Prince:

>“‘Prince Hunt Athalar Danaan, at your service.’” CC3 page 363.

So, either way you slice it, Hunt is a “Prince.” He is a Prince of Hel because he is the son of Princes of Hel and he is a Prince of the Fae because he married a Princess (now Queen) of the Fae.

Now let’s look at Prince Pelias:

Pelias and the Title of Prince:

We’ve known since CC1 that Pelias is a Prince.

Almost every time that he is mentioned, he is called “Prince Pelias.” Interestingly, when we are introduce to Helena, she is only called “princess” once (at least, I can only remember one time, and it was in book three.) otherwise, she’s just Helena...

>"'This is just a three-page account of Prince Pelias and his bride, Lady Helena. But I didn't realize that Pelias was actually high general for a Fae Queen named Theia when they entered this world during the Crossing- and Helena was her daughter. From what it sounds like, Queen Theia was also Starboard, and her daughter possessed the same power. Theia had a younger daughter with the same gift, but only Lady Helena gets mentioned." CC1 page 299 (So her mother is a Queen, but she is only a Lady? While Pelias is a Prince?)

“The First Starborn Prince” is what the Fae call Pelias, but… let’s look at what other beings call Pelias:

>“Starlight glinted among Ruhn’s shadows, shimmering down the length of his sword. Aidas’s eyes now flared with a strange sort of rage as he looked upon the Fae Prince. ‘I did. And I knew the sniveling prince whose light you bear.’” CC2 page 175

>“‘Pelias was no true prince,’ Aidas spat, fangs bared. ‘He was Theia’s high general and appointed himself prince after he forcibly wed Helena.’ CC2 page 175

>“‘Your celebrated Prince Pelias, the so-called first Starborn Prince, was an impostor. Theia’s other daughter got away— vanished into the night. I never learned of her fate. Pelias used the Starsword and the Horn to set himself up as a prince, and passed them onto his offspring, the children Helena bore him through rape.’” CC2 page 176

We are supposed to believe that this is Aidas in his cat form, but we later find out that this Rigelus who is pretending to be Aidas in cat form. (That’s not confusing at all!)

Now, Rigelus could be lying as Aidas… but, he says that Silene “vanished into the night.” Which is crazy considering that this is true figuratively and literally. She vanished from Midgard in the middle of the night when she portals to Prythian, but she also actually disappears into the Night Court… so Rigelus does seem to have some credibility here.

Rigelus (and, were led to believe, the Princes of Hel) consider Pelias’ title “First Starborn Prince of the Fae” to be false… which means Rigelus, an Asteri, does not consider Pelias to be a Prince of the Fae… and that makes since because Silene says:

>“‘Play the Horn and Harp,’ our mother ordered, pulling them out of that pocket of nothingness, ‘and get out of this world.’ It would be swift, a momentary opening, too fast for Rigelus to pounce on. We'd open it and be gone before he would even catch wind of what we'd done— and then we would seal the door between worlds forever. Theia pressed a kiss to each of their brows. She warned that Pelias was coming. For both of us. Rigelus had made him Prince of the Fae, and Pelias would use us to legitimize his reign. He meant to father children on us.” CC3 page 218

I’m sorry Silene, what did you say? “Rigelus had made him Prince of the Fae…” what does this even mean?

From what I understand, this means that Pelias is not a Prince of the Fae. Rigelus made him into one… I’m not exactly sure how he did that, but regardless, Pelias is not a Fae Prince… he only gets this title when he marries and SA’s Helena, a Fae Princess (where have I heard that before?)

So, now that we know that Pelias is not a true Prince of the Fae, this also calls into question if Pelias is even Starborn...

Pelias and the Title of Starborn:

CC1 constantly calls Pelias the “First Starborn Prince of the Fae.”
But since we know that part of this title is a lie, is any of it true?

u/Fluke1389 has a wonderful post where they question if Pelias is actually a Starborn, you can read it here.

And u/shelbythesnail raises a great question too, about how Pelias has Starborn power, which I’ll link here and address it down below!

They raise a great question: is Pelias actually a Starborn fae?

And you know what? I don’t think so. I don’t even think Pelias is a regular fae. I think he’s just like Hunt… a being created by the Princes of Hel.

This now brings us to daddy Thanatos…

Thanatos, Prince of Souls:

>“I can smell the starlight on you.” CC2 page 414

>“I am Prince of Death. Souls bow to me.” CC2 page 414

>“I grow tired of these questions. I shall feast.” CC2 page 416

>“The Prince of the Ravine said, I do not care for my brothers’ agenda. I do not heed their rules and restraints and illusions of civilization. I shall taste all of you like this—you and your masters— once the door between our worlds is again open. Staring with you, Starborn.” CC2 page 417

>“…Bryce said, not taking her attention off of the hounds. She nodded toward Thanatos. ‘He eats souls—‘“ CC3 page 531

>“‘I can smell it on your spirit. I am the Prince of Souls— such things are known to me. Your power has been touched by something new.’” CC3 page 531

Honestly, I think a title that better describes him is “creator of demons”… but anyway, Thanatos has an interesting ability to create beings. And not just low level grunts, but articulate and intelligent creatures with immense power.

>“‘My brother,’ Aidas said, nodding to Thanatos, ‘has long excelled at crafting things.’ ‘Funny.’ Bryce said, ‘I didn’t take you for a quilter.’ … ‘During the First Wars, as you call them, Thanatos helped Apollion breed new types of demons to fight on our side. The Kristallos, designed to hunt for the Horn— so we might find a way into Midgard unobstructed. The Shepherd. The Deathstalkers.’ A nod to Hunt… ‘They were but a few of my brother’s creations.’” CC3 page 548

I’m also going to assume that since Thanatos has this ~gift~ of making beings and the Princes of Hel admit to creating the Thunderbirds, Thanatos probably made them as well:

>“‘There were previous experiments,’ Apollion said … ‘The Thunderbirds.’ Bryce said, gaping. ‘You guys made them, too?’ ‘We did,’ Aidas said matter-of-factly, ‘and sent them through the cracks in the Northern Rift.’” CC3 pages 548-549

So let’s recap shall we, and list the things Thanatos has created:

1. The Kristallos.
2. The Shepherd.
3. The Deathstalker.
4. The Thunderbird.
5. The Umbra Mortis.
6. And just for fun... The Unnamed Daughter.

Now let’s evaluate these guys a bit, because they can be put into groups.

Group A: The Purebred Demons.
The Kristallos and the Deathstalker are all types/races of demon. They do not seem to be the name of one being, but rather a type of being. In CC1, there were several Kristallos demons summoned and in CC3, there are several Deathstalkers that Thanatos released into the Asteri's Palace.

>“Kristallos demons, death stalkers, hounds like the Shepherd, and worse… the pets of Thanatos all racing past the Asteri, and into the city itself.” CC3 page 746

Now, the Shepherd does seem to be “one of one” (haha)… and Thanatos laments the loss of the Shepherd, even going so far as to say that he’ll fight Bryce on a battlefield one day to take revenge (villain arc foreshadowing???). But I’d still put him in this group because he’s purely demon and there seem to be many other “hounds” based on this "Shepherd."

>“The dogs. Their milky eyes glowed from the gloom between the pillars. ‘They will not harm you,’ Aidas said, nodding toward the hounds that looked an awful lot like the Shepherd that Bryce and Hunt had fought in the Bone Quarter. ‘They are Thanatos’s companions.’” CC3 page 531

>“‘You slew one of my creations. My beloved pet, kept for so long on your side of the Crossing’ … ‘You mean the Reapers? Or the Shepherd?’ A shepherd of souls-for a prince who peddled them. ‘The Under-King said you abandoned it after the First Wars.’ ‘Abandoned, or intentionally planted?’” CC2 page 415
(This also raises some questions about the reapers, and this is a special tool that will help us later!)

>“Thanatos's eyes flared. ‘You cost me a key link to Midgard. The Shepherd reported faithfully to me on all it heard in the Bone Quarter. The souls of the dead talk freely of their world.’” CC2 page 415

>“‘I will give them [answers] to you only out of respect for a warrior capable of slaying one of my creations. Shall I meet you on the battlefield, however, I will take vengeance for the Shepherd's death.’”CC2 page 415

These quotes tell me a couple of things:

• One: Thanatos creates these beings for a specific purpose.
• Two: His creations usually obey him.

Here are the purposes of his creatures:

1. The Kristallos: To Hunt the Horn.
2. The Shepherd: To be a Spy (remember this!)
3. The Deathstalker: To be Assassins and Pets
4. The Thunderbird: To be a Weapon for Bryce (fail)
5. The Umbra Mortis: To be a Weapon for Bryce (success)
6. And just for fun… The Unnamed Daughter: ??? (Spy?)

The only beings that don’t seem to completely obey Thanatos are the ones that are created by “quilting” together difference races…

Meaning: all of the pure demons of Hel obey him like loyal dogs, (and they indeed seem to be part dog... Which raises an interesting question about Baxian… the “Helhound”…) and all of the creatures that are not just part of Hel, but other species, seem to rebel and have free will...
which brings us to our second group:

Group B: The Demon Mutts:
The Thunderbirds, Hunt, and probably Thanatos’s Daughter, are all half-breeds.

• The Thunderbirds = Humans + Hel
• Hunt = angle + Hel
• And since this Daughter is on Prythian, I’m assuming that she is High Fae or Fae + Hel .(though this is a complete guess)

>"She'd [Bryce] typed demon + Fae into the search bar. Bryce slide the laptop to Hunt." CC1 page 295. This is a direct quote by the way...

1- The Thunderbirds all die out. And Sofie didn’t even seem to know that she was originally created by Hel to be a weapon for the Starborn heir… so, clearly, they either didn’t take orders from Thanatos or were all killed before they could.

2- Hunt, at first, doesn’t like the idea that he’s a “son of Hel” and aggressively lashes out at the Princes. He clearly has some sort of free will and gets to choose if he wants to follow their orders / go along with their plans or not.

>“Acting on instinct, Hunt lunged, intending to shove the Prince of the Chasm away from his mate.” CC3 page 530.

>“But Aidas said to Hunt, little fangs glinting, ‘I thought we were friends, Orion.’ ‘It’s Hunt,’ he gritted out, lightning skittering over his teeth, zapping his tongue. One move and he’d fry the Prince. Or try to.” CC2 page 174 when Rigelus is in cat Aidas form (trying to sus out if they’re working with Hel yet.)

>“Horror cracked through him, as chilled as hoarfrost. He’d been created by the males to give and to suffer, and where the f*ck did that leave him? Who the f*ck did that make him?” CC3 page. 551

But, then he changes his tune about the Princes…

>“The princes looked like the worst of horrors, but Hunt knew their true nature now. They had come to help. And for a single heartbeat, pride at being a son of Hel threaded through him.” CC3 page 751.

I honestly think that the Princes of Hel let Hunt be taken as a slave for the Asteri so that he would hate the Asteri more than Hel and wouldn’t betray them.

Essentially, they know Hunt has free will, so they’re manipulating him, allowing him to be used as a slave, that way he will want to side with them… of his own free will (unlike someone else…) because Hunt knows that the princes made him as a weapon, a tool, to “give and to suffer” yet starts to come around to the idea of being their son... that does not bode well.

3- The Daughter in Prythian seems to have some free will as well if “Lord Thanatos is having trouble with his daughter” means anything!

Why does any of this matter?

Because u/NeonYellowShoes brings up an excellent question in this post: why did Thanatos not what to create Hunt? Why does he still think it’s a bad idea:

>“‘You are the son of my two brothers only in the vaguest sense,’ Aidas said. Something in Hunts chest eased—even as his stomach roiled. ‘Thanatos refused to help at first,’ Apollion added, glaring at his brother. ‘I did not approve of the plan,’ Thanatos snapped, gripping his helmet tight. ‘I still do not.’” CC3 page 548

(Also, shout out to u/Jarvis2419 who theorized that Bryaxis is Thanatos’ daughter… I’m like 100% sold on this haha!)

But anyways, why would Thanatos think it’s a bad idea to make Hunt???

My answer: because they already tried this before, with Pelias, and he, of his own free will, betrayed them.

This, finally, brings us to the theory:

Prince Pelias is a Prince of Hel.

So I’ll go ahead and add another name to the list of beings created by Thanatos:

1. The Kristallos.
2. The Shepherd.
3. The Deathstalker.
4. The Thunderbird.
5. The Umbra Mortis.
6. The Unnamed Daughter.
7. The Original Prythian Spy.

I believe that Prince Pelias was created by Thanatos to be the Original Spy in Prythian.

In one of my previous posts, I said that I think Hel is connected to Prythian via the Helscapes under the mountains, like Ramiel, that Theia and Fionn ruled over. I’ll link that post here.

Whether the Asteri or Theia herself made the connection to Hel under the mountains, I can’t really say -- evidence suggests that the Asteri probably did it, considering the Asteri made the Illyrians and they seem related to demons of Hel. Plus, the Asteri tried to invade Hel before. They know where it is / how to access it.

Anyways, even after Theia and Fionn kicked the Asteri out of Prythian, they ruled over a Helscape beneath Ramiel suggesting that whatever portal the Asteri opened down there… maybe it’s still open…

We know that the Princes of Hel banded together to kick the Asteri out, but they didn’t stop there. They chased them down. Searching through different worlds to find them.

>“‘How much do you know?’ Aidas asked her. ‘Not just about Athalar, but about the whole history of Midgard.’ ‘Rigelus has a little conquest room,’ Bryce said, the softness fading from her face as she crossed her arms. ‘He’s got a whole section about invading your planet. And I know Hel once had warring factions, but you shorted out your sh*t and marched as one to kick the Asteri out of Hel. A year later, you hunted them down across the stars and found them on Midgard. You fought them again, and it didn’t go well that time. You got jettisoned from Midgard and have been trying to creep back through the Northern Rift ever since.’” CC3 page 533

My hunch is that they sent spies to other worlds to try and find the Asteri. And what better world is there to search than Prythian! Where they already have an established connection AND it’s a world already known to have had Asteri.

So, I believe that Thanatos, Apollion, and Aidas created Pelias and sent him to Prythian to be a spy.

Remember, this is not completely out there, because Thanatos created the Shepherd to be his spy on Midgard…

So here are my pieces of evidence for this theory:

Exhibit A:

*This is, probably, my most vital piece of evidence:

>“Aidas was a Prince of Hel, Silene went on. Bryce's breath caught in her throat. Using rare summoning salts that facilitated communication between worlds, his spies in Midgard had kept him well informed since the Asteri had failed to conquer his planet. Aidas had been assigned to hunt for the Asteri ever since. So their evil might never triumph again. On his world, or any other.” CC3 page 214.

>“It was Pelias who told her [Theia] where to cast her intention. Using old, notated star maps from their former masters, he’d selected a world for them…. Pelias told her it was a world the Daglan had long covated but had not had the chance to conquer. An empty world, but one of plenty. She had no way of knowing that he’d spent our era of peace learning ancient summoning magic and searching the cosmos for whatever remained of the Daglan on other worlds. What he wanted from them, I can only guess—“ CC3 page 199-200

So, Silene says that Aidas had:

• One: spies tracking the Asteri on other worlds.
• Two: spies that use SUMMONING to contact him.

And at the same time, Silene says that:

• One: Pelias is searching for the Asteri on other worlds.
• Pelias knows SUMMONING magic
• Two: Pelias uses SUMMONING to contact Rigelus.

… but I’m sure it’s just a weird coincidence!!

Also, I just want to throw this out there… I’m pretty sure that Aidas was originally involved in the making of Pelias, or maybe his training, because I’m convinced that Pelias was Aidas’s spy. However, whether it be because of Aidas’s relationship with Theia, or some other reason (maybe the Prince of Hel don’t all have the same end goal…) Apollion and Thanatos leave Aidas completely out of the loop when they make Hunt in Pelias's image for Theia’s heir…

>“Hunt kept perfectly still as Aidas studied her [Bryce]. Then his eyes registered Hunt. He blinked—once. As if he had not really marked his presence until this moment. As if he hadn’t cared to notice, with Bryce before him. Hunt tucked away that fact, just as Aidas murmured, ‘Who are you.’ A command. … Hunt leveled a stare at the prince. Bryce threw Hunt a sidelong glare, the effect of which was negated by her chattering teeth. Aidas smiled, looking him over again. ‘A Fallen warrior with the power of…’ Aidas’s groomed brows lifted in surprise. His blue opal eyes narrowed to slits—the simmered like the hottest flame. ‘What are you doing with the black crown around your brow?’ Hunt didn’t dare let his surprise at the question show.” CC1 page 470

Here, Aidas is completely surprised by seeing Hunt. But what surprises him most is that Hunt has Apollion’s Helfire…. Aidas immediately clocks who his daddies are, what he is, and he’s surprised: Apollion and Thanatos did not include Aidas in the plan to make Hunt for Bryce…

Apollion tries to cover this up later, by telling Hunt that Aidas was only surprised to see him because he was wearing a halo and the princes of Hel can’t be bound by a halo:

>“Hunt turned to Aidas. ‘You seemed surprised to see one on me that first time we met. Why?’ But before Aidas could begin, Apollion answered, ‘Because the Princes of Hel cannot be contained by the black crowns….’” CC3 page 532

That’s very suspicious of you Apollion, not letting Aidas answer for himself… when he seemed genuinely surprised at Hunt's existence.

Again, it’s reads more to me that Aidas seemed surprised that Hunt had Apollion’s Helfire, not that he had the halo on the first time they met. And then Aidas tests Hunt, putting feelers out to see what he knows, by asking about the halo, but Hunt seems to have no clue what he’s talking about.

>“Aidas sucked in a breath, as if tasting the air on which Hunt’s words had been delivered to him.” CC1 page 471

This whole interaction alludes that Aidas was not originally involved in making Hunt, but immediately understand what Apollion and Thanatos have planned for him.

Its just extremely suspicious that Apollion tried to cover up the fact that Aidas was intentionally left out of the plan to create Hunt for Bryce… probably because of his connection to Theia, and who Pelias was to her.

Exhibit B:

This is a bit more of a stretch, but stay with me!

(Spoilers for TOG! Read at your own risk!)

We know that (spoilers for TOG) The Valg are afraid of Mala’s and Aelins fire magic. It’s one of the only things that can kill them.

>“All Valg have an aversion to fire. The King of Adarlan revealed that Erawan tried to wipe out the Galathynius line completely in hopes that Aelin would never be able to destroy them. Using her fire, Aelin successfully killed General Narrok and three other Valg princes.” TOG Wiki
(I couldn’t remember where the exact quote was in all of the TOG books, sorry!)

And we know that one of the only things that can kill the Princes of Hel is Dragon Fire.

>“But all plans vanished at the sight of the envelope on her desk. It contained an analysis of dragon fire, dating back five thousand years. It was in a language Bryce didn’t know, but a translation had been included. Jesiba had scribbled Good luck at the top. Well, now she knew why the Astronomer kept Ariadne in a ring. Not for light—but for protection. Among its many uses, the ancient scholar had written, dragon fire is one of the few substances proven to harm the Princes of Hel. It can burn even the Prince of the Pit’s dark hide. Yeah, Ariadne was valuable. And if Apollion was readying his armies… Bryce had no intention of letting the dragon return to the Astronomer’s clutches.” CC2 pages 556-557

So, you see where my heads at right? We all pretty much think that there’s a connection between the Valg and the Princes of Hel. And they’re both clearly afraid of fire, but not regular fire, but magic fire.

Now look at this:

>“Tall, beautiful beings entered. Even Bryce's rage and despair stalled. Fae from another world —but they looked so similar to the ones from this place. How was it possible? Another ancient conquest of the Asteri? Another place they'd colonized and tampered with, and eventually lost? They were Fae like us, but not. The ears, the grace, the strength were identical, but they were shape-shifters, all of them. Each capable of turning into an animal. And each, even in their humanoid body, equipped with elongated canine teeth. It was a puzzle— enough of one that my mother paused her warmongering. There were two types of Fae. From two seemingly unconnected and distant worlds. These new Fae bore elemental magic, strong enough to make Pelias wary of them. They were more aggressive than the Fae we knew-wilder. And they answered directly to Rigelus. It seemed, in fact, like they'd known Rigelus a long while.” CC3 page 208.

These are the Fae from Erilea. And, if I had to guess, I’d bet that there are some Firebringers here… but why is Pelias specifically afraid of the elemental magic they wield?

Why is he, a supposed regular fae from Prythian, afraid of water, earth, air, and fire magic? It makes it even more suspicious knowing what we know about Aelin’s and Erilea’s fire magic, and just how powerful it is…

So, why else would he be afraid of their specific elemental magic? Unless he’s afraid of their fire… because it can kill him… because he is a Prince of Hel / Valg.

Stay with me!

There seems to be a key difference between the Fire of the Autumn Fae and the Fire of Mala… perhaps this is due to Mala being a sun goddess? So only ~special~ Fire can kill the Vlag/POH.

Maybe regular Autumn Fae Fire isn’t strong enough? And this is why, even though they have fire wielders, they need Dragon Fire on Midgard!

It could also be because of the parasite.

>“The Asteri had infected the water we consumed with a parasite. They’d poisoned the lakes and streams and oceans. The parasite burrowed their way into our bodies, warping our magic.” CC3 page 215

Maybe it weakened the fire magic of the Autumn fae so much that it’s not even a threat anymore? And this is why Pelais isn’t afraid of Autumn fae, but his is afraid of Erilea Fae? (Does that make any sense?)

Or, the reason why Pelais is keeping the Autumn fire fae close to him is because they could kill him. So he’s keeping his friends close, and his enemies closer?
Or, maybe he wanted them around to use them against the other Princes of Hel if need be? Before the parasite completely drained their magic power, that is…

Either way, it’s suspicious to me that he was afraid of elemental fae from Erilea when we know those specific fae to have crazy powerful fire wielders among them.

Exhibit C:

This is, again, a reach, but I need to put this out there:

Pelias is Thurr.

We are first introduced to Thurr in the very first chapter of CC2:

>“‘That one reminds me of Athalar.’ Bryce arched a brow, grateful for the change of subject, and twisted toward where he’d [Randall] had pointed. On it, a powerful Fae male stood poised above an anvil, hammer raised skyward in one fist, lightning cracking down from the skies, filling the hammer, and flowing down toward the object of the hammer's intended blow: a sword. Its label read simply: Unknown sculptor. Palmira, circa 125 V.E…. What a few sweeps of her thumbs, the picture zoomed off into the ether, along with her note: Long-lost relative of yours?” CC2 page 26-27

We know that everyone thinks that Thurr looks like Hunt! Bryce even joked that the statue was a "long-lost relative" of Hunt's…

But… what if it’s not a joke?

What if Thurr, who uses Helfire and lightening, who is depicted as a fae male, and who looks like Hunt, is actually related to him?

What if Thurr is Pelias?

Think about it:

• Helfire / lightning only come from Apollion / Hel.
• Thanatos used Apollion’s essence to create Hunt.
• This gives Hunt Helfire and lightning.
• Thurr is shown being able to use Helfire.
• Thurr looks just like Hunt.
• Thurr is a fae male.

And:

• Pelias, is said to have some strange power that kills Theia.
• Thanatos and Apollion have some of Pelias's blood and essence and they've already used it to create beings before, i.e. the Kristallos.
• Pelias, who issues described just like one of Aidas spies, is a fae male, just like Thurr.
• Thanatos does create being for the sole purpose of having spies on other worlds.
• Silene carved an image of Thurr in Prythian.
• There is an exact copy of this image in Mirdagrd.

And I wonder… when Hunt visits the Oracle she says:

>“‘You remind me of that which was lost long ago,’ she said quietly. ‘I had not realized it might ever appear again.’ Before Hunt dared ask what that meant, her lions tail—a larger version of Syrinx’s—swayed over the floor. The doors behind him opened on a phantom wind, his dismissal clear. But the Oracle said before stalking into the vapors, ‘Do yourself a favor, Orion Athalar: keep well away from Bryce Quinlan.’” CC1 page 326

What if the Oracle wasn’t just referring to the Thunderbirds? What if she was refering to Thurr— to Pelias? (The Oracle also calls Hunt “Lord of Lightning” which, in this moment, connects him to Apollion and Hel more so than the Thunderbirds)I just can’t get over the similarities!

And again, Silene drew the carving of Thurr in Prythian:

>“Scenes of a blessed land, a thriving civilization. One relief had been so similar to the frieze of the Fae male forging the sword at the Crescent City Ballet that Bryce had nearly gasped. The last carving before the river had been one of transition: a Fae King and Queen seated on thrones, a mountain — different from the one with a palace atop it — behind them with three stars rising above it. A different kingdom, then.” CC3 page 119

So, we can assume that Thurr, or someone with lightning— I mean Helfire — was around Silene, or at least around / in Theia’s court after she over threw the Asteri…

And, you know who coincidentally only pops up after Theia over throws the Asteri?

Pelias.

Exhibit D:

This is, like, so minor, but made me raise my eyebrows:

Thanatos, Hunt, and Pelias all have Helmets…

Thanatos:
>“Another male in dark armor followed him, his tightly curled hair almost hidden by his war helmet. ‘Thanatos.’ Bryce said, drawing up short, pebbles skittering under her neon-pink sneakers.” CC3 page 529

>“From within the ornate helm, Thanatos’s eyes blazed with murderous rage.” CC3 page 529

>“Thanatos scoffed, ‘you are no son of his.’ He yanked off his helmet, cradling it under her arm. ‘If anything, you are mine.’” CC3 page 530

>“Thanatos picked up the narrative, resting his helmet on a knee.” CC3 page 534

>“‘I did not approve of the plan,’ Thanatos snapped, gripping his helmet tight. ‘I still do not.’” CC3 page 548

Hunt/Umbra Mortis:

>“No sign of the skull-faced helmet that had earned Hunt a nickname whispered down every corridor and street in Crescent City: The Umbra Mortis. The Shadow of Death.” CC1 page 69-70

Paraphrasing a bit here, because there’s a lot of text in between what I want to focus on:
>“He [Hunt] stopped at the barracks to pick up his helmet. … No guns. So Hunt grabbed a few more of his black-hilted daggers, and his long-handled knife, too. Every movement was careful. Deliberate. Every shift of his body as he donned his black battle-suit quieted his mind, pulling him farther and farther from himself. … Everything okay? Hunt slid on his black gloves. … I’m going to order dumpling soup for lunch. Want some? Hunt turned the phone over, blocking the screen from view. As if it'd somehow stop her from learning what he was doing. … And then he donned the helmet. The world descended into cool calculations, its colors dimmed. Only then did he pick up his phone and write back to Bryce, I’m good. I’ll see you later. … Okay. … A flap of his wings and he was Sky born. and he did not look back.” CC1 page 495-496

And right after we get this from Bryce:
>“She’d typed out a dozen different replies to that not-Hunt message.” CC1 page 496

And finally, this is how Bryce describes Hunt’s Umbra Mortis alter ego when he has his helmet on:
>“She didn’t dare to move. He was a wraith, a demon, a—a shadow of death. This male, helmeted and in his battle clothes… she didn’t know him.” CC1 page 498

>“Hunt checked the gun holstered at his thigh. The clip was loaded. Reloads sat in his back pocket. He could have used the comfort of his Umbra Mortis suit with its twin swords nestled in sheaths down its back. But two handguns, a knife in his boot, and his lightning would have to do. He would have to do. Just Hunt. He could live with that.” CC3 page 729

>“They had a few close calls, and Hunt wished again for his Umbra Mortis suit, if only for the helmet’s heightened hearing to detect any passing politicians or workers.” CC3 page 733

>“For the first time in his life, it seemed as Urd was listening… he gazed at the towering wall of the Fallen’s wings behind the seven crystal thrones. And there, at its center, pinned like a new trophy, was his Umbra Mortis helmet and suit.” CC3 page 734

>“Hunt buckled the last bit of his suit into place, fitting the Umbra Mortis helmet over his head. Bryce hadn’t questioned him when he took it off the wall. She knew why he wanted it… He’d wear the suit and helmet one more time. It wouldn’t be the Umbra Mortis wearing that suit, but Hunt. Her Hunt.” CC3 page 734-735

Pelias:

>“Luna’s Horn was a weapon wielded by Pelias, the first Starborn Prince, during the First Wars. … Pelias wielded the Horn until he died.’ Ruhn put a hand on his chest. ‘My ancestor— whose power flows in my veins…’ Ruhn held out his phone, the picture of the illuminated manuscript glaringly bright in the thick shadows. The illustration of the carved horn lifted to the lips of a helmeted Fae male was as pristine as it had been when inked millennia ago. Above the figure gleamed an eight-pointed star, the emblem of the Starborn. Bryce went wholly still. The stillness of the Fae, like a stag halting in a wood.” CC1 page 234

Not only do they all have helmets but their appearance (or lack there of) is interesting!

Thanatos:

• Dark hair
• Dark eyes
• Tan skin (at least in his image on the CC Wiki!)
• Handsome
• Helmet

>“Thanatos’s tightly curled black hair was cropped close to his head, displaying the handsome, unsmiling face above the powerful body bedecked in dark, ornate armor… Thanatos’s dark eyes pierced her soul.”
CC2 page 414

Hunt:

• Dark hair
• Dark eyes
• Tan skin
• Handsome
• Helmet

>“Predator. Killer. Monster. Hunt Athalar’s angular dark eyes…” CC1 page 69

>“Hunt nodded once, his golden-brown face betraying nothing. Isaiah scanned the angel, since Hunt sure as Hel wasn’t going to volunteer anything without being prompted. No sign of the skull-faced helmet that had earned Hunt a nickname whispered down every corridor and street in Crescent City: The Umbra Mortis. The Shadow of Death.” CC1 page 69-70

>“The Archangel was gorgeous. Horrifically, indecently gorgeous. Hunt Athalar and Isaiah Tiberian stood behind him—almost as good-looking…” CC1 page 129

Pelias:

• Hair is not described.
• Skin is not described.
• Attractiveness is not described.
• Helmet.
• His name literally means “dark” (and that has to be something!)

Again I’ll include this quote:
>“…the picture of the illuminated manuscript glaringly bright in the thick shadows. The illustration of the carved horn lifted to the lips of a helmeted Fae male was as pristine as it had been when inked millennia ago. Above the figure gleamed an eight-pointed star, the emblem of the Starborn.” CC1 page 234

But… why is his physical appearance not described?

Bryce clearly sees Pelias in Silene’s memory… is Bryce just, ignoring what he looks like on purpose? Neither she nor Silene describe him at all! That’s weird, isn’t it?

Which makes me wonder: what if his looks are a spoiler?!

Maybe he looks like a prince of hel? Or maybe he looks like a certain son of hel? Or maybe he is the reason why Helena and Silene look so different from their “parents”?

For those of you that don't know Indigo is the largest bookstore chain in Canada! They have had a partnership with SJM in the past - Indigo sold the editions with the Ember and Randall bonus chapter for HOFAS. This is a video I found on their instagram (posting TikTok link but they don't seem to be as active on there). Generally I don't give much thought into promotion from retailers but this one is for sure INTERESTING for a few reasons. I also haven't seen this video discussed on any sub.

https://www.tiktok.com/@indigo.ca/video/7654576686859554068?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7641665975334618632

This is the first longer promotional video I have seen from a major retailer (with ties to SJM) since the target ad. It highlights all of SJM's work (not just ACOTAR) and the crossover as well.

"Now suddenly everyone is trying to figure out whose related to who, what world connects to what..."

Then they go on...

"Also important... NEVER trust Sarah J. Maas, especially when things start feeling happy because someone is about to get *bleeeeeepppeeed*"

This ad also begins with talking about starting your reread of the maasverse. This isn't targeting new readers. We already know what has happened in the past and where SJM has pulled a twist. We don't know what is yet to come.... why emphasis this??? HMMM.

This also seems like a strange thing to pull as a major retailer without being told to say this or something along those lines. MARKETING FRIENDS... Indigo is a billion dollar company. This isn't some small chain. They have had a close relationship with Bloomsbury and SJM. Content to this extent must be coming from some sort of marketing or branding package from Bloomsbury or SJM's team correct?

There is also a ton of ACOTAR merch that is blurred out throughout the video!!! In the comments they say to check back on July 22nd! Again I find this marketing tactic so interesting. I am wondering if July 22nd will be when the cover is announced! Or maybe even the 21st. Maybe Indigo has a deal to sell some exclusive merch when the cover drops similar to how Target has a gift with pre-order purchase.

Can anyone make out what any of the merch says? I can only see "City of Starlight" on one of the bags.

And FINALLY. Peep the book that is hidden in the back. This is lined up where her other books are.

https://preview.redd.it/33n9xvwdaxah1.jpg?width=1031&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3588d1e484945b533c4360dd556bd3c0f0743e91

I spot a grey/green book that has the dusk colouring in the heading. The font seems consistent as well. There is also that detailing of the mask similar to the ACOSF book. The sizing is hard to tell but this would definitely be a mock up if anything. Could be a misplacement of a different book??? Buuuuuttt.....

https://preview.redd.it/wfba9g9vaxah1.jpg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68d10dd1e9f3a7913f88b953481d720b42a51afb

Indigo with the detective emoji and not denying its placement!

So what are your thoughts!?

What blurred out merch can you see? I need people with better eyes and detective skills! The table changes it's items a few times as well!

Do you think its odd for a major retailer to say "NEVER trust Sarah J. Maas" when leading up to a book launch?

AND

Do you think this is a sneak peak of ACOTAR 6?

stay cool this weekend my lovelies!!!

AO3 Link

^*^*^

The floor seemed to tilt as Nesta’s face turned curious. “Yes.”

“Since when?” Bryce managed through uneven breaths, cheeks flushing.

“A few days ago.”

“Is he…” she trailed off. Nesta merely stared, forcing her to continue, “How is he?”

Nesta’s answering smirk was maddening. “Fine.” She pulled her chair closer, perching on the edge with stick-straight posture before she bothered to elaborate. “He woke up sooner than Madja wanted, but that’s to be expected with him. His wings will need a long while to heal, and Mor practically strapped him to the bed so he doesn’t overdo it… but he’s alive and breathing.”

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she asked quietly, “Will he fly again?”

“Eventually.”

Bryce exhaled for what felt like the first time in days, hot tears flooding her eyes. She blinked them back, hoping Nesta didn’t notice — which was entirely futile, if her cutting stare was any indication. She cleared her throat and steeled her shoulders.

“There’s something else.” Bryce quietly savored the sweet gulps of air filling her lungs. “It’s a lot to explain, and honestly I have more questions than answers… but basically, demons from Hel are trying to break into your world to find their brother, who’s been trapped there for somewhere around fifteen thousand years. I don’t know how, or why, or who, so don’t ask, but I know they’re trying now, and I know we need to stop them. I’m coming back to Prythian to figure out how to do that — so I need you to deal with Rhysand. Do you mind?”

“Bold of you to assume he listens to anyone but himself,” Nesta said wryly, earning a smirk from Bryce that didn’t meet her eyes. “I can try. When will you arrive?”

“A few days,” Bryce said quickly. “A week tops. There’s something I need to handle first.”

Nesta’s sharp face was unreadable. “Will you be alone?”

“Probably not. I’m not sure who will be with me yet.”

“The angel?” she asked, voice dropping low.

Bryce’s veins went cold. “No.” 

“Bring your music,” Nesta said flatly, cracking a hint of a smile on Bryce’s face. 

“Will do.” Hesitating, she shook her head. “Did you give him my letter?”

“Not yet.“

“Good,” she sighed. “Please don’t.”

Nesta raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because that’s the last thing he needs right now,” Bryce said, flipping her hair over her shoulder before flashing her wrist to the mirror. “Besides, I like my new tattoo.”

***

She had three phone calls to make. They’d been haunting her since dawn broke, growing into great scaled beasts with gnarled, wrathful faces that hunted her in in her mind, drawing closer with each passing second. The high noon sun now blinded her as she stared at Lidia’s burner phone.

She picked it up cautiously, keeping it away from her face like it was one of those horrible books in the Gallery with snapping jaws. Now or never, she told herself for the hundredth time. 

Easiest one first. 

The trill ringing pierced her ears for only a short second before a high pitched voice chimed, “Jesiba’s Antiquities, how can I help you?”

Bryce’s heart twinged, hoping her late boss wasn’t cursing her from the afterlife for changing the name. She’d felt so strange about it — making the decision entirely on her own — that she hadn’t even bothered to have a new sign made yet. She’d debated finding a way to summon Jesiba just to get her approval, but she doubted her old boss would appreciate Bryce disturbing her eternal peace for a business call. She’d likely find a way to finally transform her into one of those wretched creatures she’d always threatened, even through the veil.

“We talked about being too nice to customers,” she chastised the sprite. “They’ll rob you all blind.”

The voice squealed in joy. “Bryce?” 

“The one and only. Are you guys okay? I heard about the blackout.”

“Bryce, where have you been?” A second sprite chimed in, their voices so alike Bryce still struggled distinguish them over the phone, while a third added, “We’ve been so worried about you.”

“Oh, I’m just fine. I’ve been visiting some old friends and wanted to make sure everyone’s okay over there.” She hesitated before adding, “I’m sorry for not being around much lately. Why don’t you cancel all our appointments until we get the power back? You can use the solar generator to keep the TV on. No candles in the library.”

“Promise you’ll come back soon,” one of them pleaded.

“Of course I will.” Bryce grimaced, feigning nonchalance. “Has Hunt stopped by at all?”   

“We haven’t seen him.”

“Good. Keep all the doors locked and wards up. If he comes by, don’t let him in.”

A sprite gasped, distress clear in her every word. “Tell us you two aren’t in a fight?”

She took a long, deep breath. “Something like that. Look, I have to go, but I need you to do me a favor.” She paused for the chorus of agreement, heart tearing at the never failing loyalty of the fire sprites. Loyalty that had once saved her life at the expense of one of her dearest friends. “Send word to Irithys that I need to meet with her — soon. I’m not sure how long I’ll be out of town, so in the meantime… ask her to ready her armies.” The sprites gasped in unison. “Quietly. We don’t need anyone panicking, including you all. It’s just a precaution, one I’d prefer to keep between us until all this shit blows over. Deal?” 

Duty laced the voice of the sprite who spoke first. “We will serve you proudly. And if those armies are needed… we will fight beside you fearlessly.”

“For Lehabah,” another said with reverence.

“For Lehabah,” they all agreed, Bryce whispering the words a moment later with a hand laid over her star. She cleared her throat as she felt tears shining in her eyes.

“Thank you. All of you. Call this number if you need anything, okay? And call right away if Hunt shows up.” 

She snapped the phone shut before anyone else could speak, reveling in the resounding silence for about two seconds before it grew too loud. She flipped open the phone again.

“Legs,” a sultry male voice answered on the first ring. “To what do I  owe the pleasure?”

“Oh, you know,” Bryce mused with the most levity she could muster. “Just wondering what the Hel happened since I saw you last.”

“And here I was hoping you’d finally decided to swim with an old mer.” Tharion chuckled. “How much time do you have?”

“Not much,” she said flatly. “Give me the highlights.”

Tharion’s voice turned solemn. “Hunt disappeared after that night at the White Raven. Ariadne has been following him, but no updates so far. Then a few days ago, there was a wicked lightning storm… it’s been dark ever since.”

“And what have you been doing about it?”

“Well…” he started sheepishly, “I was with Ariadne at first, but she kicked me out. Said I was too conspicuous. Can you believe that? Anyway, I stopped to check on Sathia right before the blackout, so I’ve been with her ever since.”

“Good,” Bryce nodded. “Keep her close, and take her to Declan’s. He’s got the biggest home generator in the City thanks to all that fancy government data on his computer. Besides, he’s doing some research for me, and I need you to keep him safe. I’ll let him know to expect you today. If you see Hunt…” Bryce gulped, unsure what course of action would even help at this point. “If you see Hunt, knock his ass out with a tranq gun and throw him in a cell until I can get there. He’s done enough damage for one week.”

“Copy that. How are you doing with all of that, by the way? You looked a tad worse for wear last time I saw you.”

“I’m fine,” she said coolly, no energy to elaborate.

“And our handsome new friend?”

Her heart skittered. “Still breathing.” 

“Fabulous,” the mer said brightly. “Any other orders for me?”

Bryce rolled her eyes. “Yes. Don’t distract Declan, and stay alive. This isn’t the time for stupid decisions.” Hypocrite.

“Aye, aye, Captain. Quick question… if you were a tranq gun, where might you be?”

She closed the phone once more, not allowing herself to hesitate this time before making her final call. She was desperate to alleviate the dread and crawl into a dark hole.

“Hey, Dec.” Bryce retrieved another mirthroot cigarette from her dwindling supply, making a mental note to fix that before this day was through. “Any news for me?” She lit up while he spoke, tendrils of smoke curling and glimmering in the golden afternoon light. She’d never heard him sound so tense, blood running ice cold as he spoke. “You’re positive?” Another drag. Then another. “Show me.”

***

Lidia was already gone when Bryce returned to her cottage hours later, the only evidence of her stay folded in a piece of paper atop her made bed. A small stone fell out when she picked it up. The paper only had three words: Stay in touch. Her eyebrows furrowed until she picked up the rock, realizing it wasn’t a stone at all — it was a crystal. 

Squeezing the Comms-Crystal into her palm and pushing away her boiling rage, she focused her thoughts on Lidia. 

Testing, testing…

This isn’t a comedy club, Lidia teased*. You don’t need a mic check.* 

Well, hello to you, too. I wanted to make sure this thing works. When did you leave?

A few hours ago. We’re almost to the mainland. 

Good, Bryce said flatly. Stay safe.

You, too. 

***

“He said it was for the generators,” Hypaxia murmured as they strolled along the shoreline, waiting for the transport ship to take them back towards the City — towards the gates. Ithan hung several steps back, as if he could sense they needed some privacy to overcome their drama. The words roused Bryce from her own stupor, thoughts swirling so loudly she’d barely seen the sun dip below the horizon or the blooming nightfall surrounding them. She raised her eyebrows, a silent permission to continue. “I thought we could use synth to replace firstlight — it was working, too. I didn’t realize… I had no idea he’d start taking it himself. Or make that deal with the Viper Queen.”

“Deal?” Bryce asked, halting her steps. “What deal?”

Hypaxia’s eyes went wide. “I thought you knew. I figured that’s why you were so upset… I’m sorry, Bryce.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “It seems Hunt made a deal with the Viper Queen to cut and sell it at the Meat Market. The first batch was way too potent for anyone to ingest. So potent it was far too unstable to risk trying on our power grid. I altered the recipe enough so that now we can take it and provide the magic ourselves without losing any of our own. It’s much safer than pure synth. We still worried about it hitting the streets for recreational use, so we planned to bring it to the Council and recruit volunteer Vanir to donate their magic in a controlled setting, but then you said the Ocean Queen was taking over the generators… I’m sorry for not talking to you about this sooner. Hunt said you had too much on your plate already, and I should have realized that was strange. I should have told you.” Undeniable remorse shone bright in Hypaxia’s eyes.

 They walked in silence for several minutes, Bryce letting the shock wear off before she finally spoke. She was too numb to hold a grudge, too desperate to turn away a trusted ally. Besides, she knew deep down that it wasn’t Hypaxia’s fault. “I don’t blame you for trusting him,” she said quietly. “I did too.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself, either. I know you do, but you shouldn’t. You love him,” she shrugged. “Love makes us all insane.”

Bryce chuckled, a hollow, empty sound. “You can say that again.”

“Are you still angry?” Hypaxia asked earnestly.

“No, Pax. I’m not mad at you,” Bryce shook her head, looking out into the distance. “I never really was. I’m just so fucking tired of everyone close to me keeping these big secrets, and I’m even more tired of not noticing when it happens. Which is probably the most hypocritical thing I could ever say, but I just... lately, I feel really fucking stupid and naive. I can’t even trust my own judgment, let alone anybody else.” Her voice dripped with contempt, and she took a deep breath while she shook her head, shoving it down once more. “But that’s not your fault, and I’m sorry for taking my anger towards Hunt out on you. It’s no excuse, but I think with everything going on lately,” she gestured broadly to the world around them, “I’m losing it a little bit. Like I don’t know which way is up anymore. Everything just feels so… far away. Like I’m watching my own life from above rather than living it myself.” 

Hypaxia didn’t speak for a while, weighing Bryce’s words. “I think it’s normal,” she said softly into the night, keeping her eyes trailed ahead. A kindness, perhaps, so Bryce could hear her without having to don a mask. “Since Danika died,” she began, the words like a dagger to her very soul. “Your life has been like a horror movie, a thriller, and a romance all in one. The changes and stress have been nonstop. I’m surprised it took you this long to start falling apart, honestly.”

“It didn’t,” Bryce said hoarsely. “I’m not sure if I was ever together in the first place.”

Hypaxia considered for a moment. “Either way, you’re doing better than anyone could ask of you. Just keep moving forward, and trust tomorrow will be a little brighter than today.” 

Bryce didn’t respond, remembering when Azriel had said basically the same thing that night at the Villa. It felt as hollow then as it did now.

It didn’t matter how well Bryce was handling things if she was still fucking them all up. 

On top of all the other shit she had to sort out, Hunt was on a potentially drug-fueled rampage that took out the whole power grid? To what end?

“Why attack the generators?” She was more asking herself than Hypaxia, but still the witch’s face turned grave.

“I don’t know what happened. I just know he was there.” She turned to gaze at the water for a long while before she spoke again, seeming to need to build the courage. “I don’t know if it’s been confirmed, but my informants told me that three mortals are dead.”

Bryce stopped dead in her tracks. No.

Not again.

This could not be happening again. Not so soon after they’d buried what they could find of the last round of casualties. Not when that plaque in the town square was still newly engraved, the gifts placed in honor of the dead still largely undisturbed by time. 

She failed them again. 

Whatever had happened, she knew it was her fault. Knew it the way she knew her own name, as innate as the starlight that scorched her soul. 

“Why?” she whispered, closing her eyes as a lone tear burned down her cheek. She clenched down on that icy layer over her emotions, locking them as far down as she could manage while the tragedy roiled over her. 

Who were they?

Had anyone cared enough to check? To speak with their families? She had to believe Brianne and Terrence had.

Unless… unless it was their bodies lying broken on the concrete. Unless they’d paid for Bryce’s ignorant leadership with their precious lives — lives that were so much more valuable than her tarnished existence. Someone had paid that price, if not her friends. 

Someone always did.

^*^*^

Hey baddies 💙🩷

I started my a CC reread, and I have a few questions.

1. I love the theory that the warrior who saved Bryce from the demon in chapter 80-something could be Az. I can definitely see the appeal, not just because of his sword, but also because his body was glowing with that blue light. But do we have any theories that explain why there were no wings?

2. I'm thinking of reading SF after CC1 to follow the publication order. I haven't read it in a few years, so maybe someone remembers: are there any hints that Azriel is in distress, potentially sensing the bond, or anything else besides his insomnia starting after the Solstice (post-bonus chapter), or his conversation with Cassian about a mate knowing?

The last installment of this massive theory! I hope!

If you just want to read the summaries of my points, they'll be down below in the comments!

Exhibit K:

Pelias can eat starlight… just like Apollion, “the Star-Eater”

Why do I think this that Pelias can eat starlight?

• One, Aidas says that Theia put her last remaining 1/3rd of starlight power into the Starsword. 
• Two, Silene shows us Theia putting her last remaining 1/3rd of starlight power back into her chest, not the Starsword…

Aidas says:

>"Aidas nodded. 'Theia used the Harp to divide her magic - all her magic - between the three of them. A third to Silent. A third to Helena. And the remainder stayed with Theia.' His eyes dimmed with an old sorrow. 'But she did not keep enough to protect herself. Why do you think Theia fell to Pelias that day? With only a third of her power, she did not stand a chance against him.'" CC3 page 539 

>"'But when Theia died, all that remained of Theia's power lay in the Starsword. Theia put it into the blade after she parted from her daughters.'" CC3 page 541

>"'Let me get this straight. Theia divided her power into three parts: one to each of her daughters, and she transferred the last part to the Starsword. So the final piece of her magic is.. in this blade? It's been waiting all this time?' 'No,' Aidas said. 'Helena removed it.'" CC3 page 541

But Silene shows:
>“Pulling her daughters close, Theia flared with starlight. And in the small space between their bodies, Bryce could just make out Theia plucking a low string on the Harp. In answer, a star-akin to the one Bryce could pull from her own chest-emerged from Theia's body. It split into three shimmering balls of light, one drifting into Silene's chest and another to Helena's before the final one, as if it were the mother from which the other two stars had been born, returned to Theia's body.” CC3 page 218

So… someone is lying.

Either Theia put the power into the blade (which, how would that help her fight Pelias? She doesn’t have the knife… so it’s not like she can use the power of the blades on him.) 

Or, Theia puts the power back into herself, so she can use it to fight Pelias (doesn’t this make more sense?)

Then, we have this:
Pelias kills Theia and this is how he becomes “Starborn”

So, what if he ate her Star?
Just like how Apollion ate Sirius?
Just like how Hunt can absorb Bryce’s light?

Again: 

>"Power blasted from Pelias, power such as I had never seen from him. The power struck her mother- struck true." CC3 page 220

>"At Pelias, stooping to pick up the Starsword. With an easy, almost graceful flip of his hand, he plunged the sword through Theia's head." CC3 page 220

Pelias absorbed or ate Theias power when she died. 

This is how he is able to wield the Starsword. And this is why Helena has to wait until Pelias is dead to remove that last 1/3rd of Theia’s light a put it under Avallen.

>"'Helena knew Pelias would never part with his trophy, not until he died. And when he did, she at last drew upon the raw power of Avallen's key lines to take the star her mother had imbued into the Starsword and hide it.'" CC3 page 543

Aidas says the power is in the sword... but then why can Pelias wield it? Why does Helena have to remove the light from the sword at all? If Theia put it there for safe keeping so that Pelias / the Asteri couldn't get it, and Pelias had the sword the rest of his life and was never able to take the starlight, isn't it safer in the blade? None of this makes any sense to me!

What makes more sense to me is that Aidas is lying: Pelias used his Hellfire to kill Theia and eat her starlight. This gives him the power to wield the Starword and this is why Helena can only remove the power from him after he is dead. 

Because he is a star-eater too.

That, or if Theia and Pelias were lovers, and Pelias is a son of Hel... maybe Theia "Made" him just like Bryce "Made" Hunt. 

Maybe Theia gave over some of her power to Pelias when they were together and he's kept it all that time... making him Starboard and giving him the ability to use the Starsword? Maybe?

But again, Pelias only becomes the first Starborn Prince AFTER he kills Theia:

• Pelias is NEVER described as having starlight. (He has some other strange power, but not starlight. But whatever it is, it kills Theia almost instantly.) 
• Pelias is NEVER shown to be able to use the Starsword before he kills Theia. (Because if he was starborn, and had a claim on the blades, he could have taken them when the Kelpie killed Fionn and offered them up.) 
• Pelias is NEVER shown to be able to world-walk (he has to learn summoning magic to find Rigelus, which is more akin to summoning salts than the ability to world-walk + he needs Theia to open the portal.)

In short: Pelias has no Starborn abilities.
So then, how pelias could wield the Starsword?

You have to be Starborn to weild the blade…

>“That your son, not you, retrieved the Starsword from the Cave of Princes in Avallen's dark heart. That your son, not you, stood among the long-dead Starboard Princes asleep in their sarcophagi and was deemed worthy to pull the sword from its sheath. How many times did you try to draw the sword when you were young? How much research did you do in this very study to find ways to wield it without being chose?” CC1 page 158 

Ruhn thinks this about his father. So clearly, only Starborn Fae, or those gifted with Starlight, can wield the blade. The Autumn King does not have Starlight, and so he could not draw the blade.

 So Pelias, who is never shown having starlight power, who only takes the title "Starborn" after he marries Helena, shouldn't be able to draw the blade like he does. 

Only after killing Theia, and I believe, after absorbing her starlight, does Pelias become Starborn and gets the ability to use the Starsword. 

>"'The lightning,' Thanatos said, waving an irritated hand. 'Capable of killing almost anything. Even an Asteri.' 'Thats how you killed Sirius?' Bryce asked. 'With your... Hellfire?' 'Yes,' Apollion said..." CC3 page 549

So Hellfire is how Apollion killed and ate Sirius... what if Pelias did the same to Theia?

Pelias takes Theia's light and can use the Starsword... and potentially the Horn. 

Which leads me to wonder about if Pelias even used it -like blew it-  at all. The carvings of helmeted starboard Pelias show him blowing the Horn, Rigelus and the Princes all say that Pelias used the Horn:

>"'Pelias used the Starsword and the Horn to set himself up as a prince, and passed them onto his offspring...'" CC2 page 176

>"'The Asteri ordered Pelias to use the Horn to close the Northern Rift, to defend themselves against attack. He did, sealing out all the other worlds in the process, but the Horn broke before he could close it entirely on Hel. The tiniest of wedges was left in the Rift for my kind to sneak through. Helena used the black salt to contact me, hoping to launch another offensive against the Asteri, but couldn't find a way.'" CC3 page 534

But what if this is all a misdirect? 

>"A bloodies Theia pressed the Horn into Helena's hands, and urged Silene to take the Harp and the dagger." CC3 page 218

>"Helena lifted the Horn to her lips as Silene plucked a string on the Harp. A shuddering, shining light rippled in the archway, and then a stone room appeared beyond it, dim and empty." CC3 page 220

>"Helena didn't look back as she charged down the mountain, away from the pass. Buying me time." CC3 page 220

>"And as I tumbled between worlds... the Horn sounded." CC3 page 221

At the time that Silene hears the Horn sound, Helena should have it. And since the portal is already open, Helena didn’t need to use the Horn AGAIN. Unless SHE used it to close the Northern Rift to Hel. 

There is literally only seconds between Silene seeing Pelias kill Theia at the bottom of the mountain, Helena start running away from the Fae Wolves, and Silene jumping in the portal. If you ask me, that is not nearly enough time for Pelias to have caught Helena, taken the Horn, and used it. 

I believe that Helena, seeing Silene leave the world safely, seeing Pelias slay and devour Theia like Apollion does to Sirius, that SHE blew the Horn to close Midgard off. and that SHE purposely broke the Horn so that Pelias —who now could officially use the Horn, because he just took Theia’s 1/3rd of Starlight— would not be able to use it.

This makes more sense than the weird timeline we get about how Apollion says he killed Pelias, but yet Pelias blew the Horn that locked the Princes out of Midgard? And then Dead Pelias takes Helena and founds Avallen…

I think Apollion is covering up the fact that Pelias is a Prince of Hel, and Helena found out. After seeing Apollion eat Sirius, and then seeing Pelias eat Theia’s light… I bet Helena put two and two together.

And perhaps Theia did as well if she didn’t want to contact Aida’s or open a portal to Hel to escape:

>“Aidas had returned to Hel to recruit more soldiers, so we were spending a rare night with our mother alone.Hel did not have the chance to come to our aid. My mother did not even bother to try to open a portal to their world. Our forces on Midgard were already depleted the new recruits wouldn't be amassed for days. We begged her to open the portal anyway, to at least get the princes' help, but my mother believed it would do little good. That what was coming that night was inevitable.” CC3 page 217

Pelias ruined Theia’s life… and to find out that he’s actually a Prince of Hel? Yeah I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with them either…

(Aidas is different. I believe that Sjm will focus in on the “evil isn’t born it’s made” idea accompanied with the “we all choose who we want to be” mentality! Pelias and Aida’s are both Princes of Hel, but that doesn’t necessarily make them inherently evil. They become evil when they choose to harm others. When they choose to put themselves and selfish gain above all else. Pelias does this, Aidas, seemingly, does not. And while I do think Aidas was probably in on it with his brothers before Theia… I think that Aidas is now secretly working against them to avenge his mate. He had spies, and now he is a spy, he’s THE spy… this mirrors well when we compare Hunt and Azriel. If the Illyrians are part Hel made by the Asteri… then both Azriel and Hunt are born/made from Hel. Again, this does not make them inherently bad… it’s their choices that define them. I think we’re going to see Hunt side with his daddies, Apollion and Thanatos while Azriel will side with Bryce, like how Aidas should have or potentially did side with Theia.)

Exhibit L:

Pelias is dead, but he’s alive?

just to cover all the bases, I’ll bring up the timeline discrepancy… because someone is clearly lying about Pelias…

(And I believe it’s Apollion, trying to cover up the fact that Helena found out Pelias was a Prince of Hel and that’s why she blew the horn, broke it, and sealed out the Princes. And, when she makes the secret room to talk to the Princes’ she makes sure that they couldn’t harm her… if they’re good allies, why the suspicion that they’ll harm her… she also never told Aida’s where she hid Theia’s 1/3rd… but let’s move on)

>"'You will find that you cannot harm us nor we you, in such a state'... 'Helena planned it that way,'" CC3 page 530 

Timeline:

Silene says:
1- Theia and Fionn Rule
2- Fionn is old and fading
3- Theia pops out two dark haired fae babies
4- Fionn wants to snub Theia and give baby Helena the crown
5- Pelias, Theia’s general, hates that idea
6- Pelias and Theia kill Fionn
7- Theia rules alone with the Dread Trove and the Blades
8- Pelias secretly seeks out the Asteri
9- Pelias meets Rigelus and makes a deal to trap Theia
10- Theia trusts Pelias when he lies about Midgard
11- Theia meets Rigelus, and is suspicious, but is calmed down by the fact that he is “Fae”
12- Pelias and Theia lay waste to the humans
13- Pelias, at the encouragement of Rigelus, starts to “enjoy” Midgard…
14- Theia is suspicious of Pelias
15- The Fae from Erilea arrive, knowing Rigelus
16- Theia sends Silene and Helena to spy on Rigelus because they have shadow magic
17- Silene and Helena learn that Rigelus is an Asteri and part of the Daglan they kicked out of Prythian
18- Theia, who can no longer trust Pelias, and who is trapped in Midgard with Rigelus, makes the decision to open a portal to Hel, for help.
19- Theia opens a portal right to her mate Aidas
20- Aidas seems to know all about Theia and the predicament that she is in:

>"Prince Aidas only asked my mother one thing when she opened the gate to his world: 'Have you come for Hel's help, then?'" CC3 page 210

21- Pelias sides with Rigelus, who will give him power
22- Theia and Aidas join forces with the humans (Jesiba)
23- Helena listens to Theia and Aidas talk 

>"During my time with Theia, Helena was a quiet girl, but she always listened.' 'You spoke too much,' Thanatos snapped." CC3 page 530

24- Pelais easily crushes Theia and Hels first army
25- Theia moves her people to the mountain they arrived on hoping to go back
*25.5- The reapers and vamps turn against Hel and leave their armies a mess
26- Aidas suspiciously leaves Theia all alone under the guise of getting more troops from Hel
27- while Theia and her daughters are alone, Pelias strikes in the night.
28- Pelias tells them to surrender or die
29- Theia tells her daughters to run away from Pelias who needs them to establish his rule over the Fae
*Theia refuses to open a portal to Hel to get their help…? (Why does she refuse to contact Aidas?)
30- Theia uses the Harp to split her Star into 3rds: one for Helena, one for Silene, and one for herself
31- Theia gives Helena the Horn, Silene the Harpe and the Knife, and Theia keeps the Sword
*why would Theia have left The Mask and The Crown back on Prythian? Especially when we know she can create pockets of nothing to store the Trove in that only she has access to???
33- Silene and Helena run for the portal
34- Theia fights Pelias
35- Helena saves Silene by sacrificing herself to draw off the Erilea Fae wolves
36- Pelias wields strange powers
37- Pelias kills Theia (and gobbles up her starlight)
38- Pelias wields the Starsword
39- Someone (Pelias or Helena, probably Helena) blows the horn
*and it breaks?
40- Silene goes back to Prythian

Helena’s history:
1- Pelias takes the Starsword and the Horn and Helena.
2- Pelias marries Helena and SA’s her and they have children
3- Helena seeks out leylines and a misty place to contact Hel
4- Helena finds Avallen, who’s mists let her in but keep the Asteri out
5- Helena convinces Pelias to set up shop on Avallen
6- Pelias established the Fae kingdom of Avallen
7- Helena carves identical tunnels to those in Prythian out of a black salt deposit
8- Helena tells Pelias the cave is for his burial and will be a test for his heirs to see if they are worthy of his sword
9- underneath Pelias’s future tomb, Helena makes a secret room that can only be accessed by someone with Starlight
10- Helena uses the secret room to communicate with Hel… but in a way that allows her to be kept safe from the Princes.
11- Pelias dies and Helena buries him in the tomb
12- (Aidas says) Helena uses the leylines to remove the 1/3rd of Theia’s starlight from the Starsword and she leaves it under the caves for her heir.
12- (I say) Helena uses the leylines to remove the 1/3rd of Theia’s starlight from Pelias’s body (just like they theorize they can do to Sofie…) and she leaves it under the caves for her heir.

Apollion says:
1- fights pelias for three days
2- kills pelias
3- takes Pelias’ blood and gives it to Thanatos to make the Kristallos
4- eats Sirius
5- goes after Jesiba
6- gets locked out of Midgard when someone blows the horn

Jesiba says:
1- says that Aidas betrayed Theia and the Humans
1- Apollion eats Sirius
2- Parthos is destroyed
3- Jesiba runs away with the books
4- Apollion finds Jesiba and curses her

Question: how is Pelias dead from his fight with Apollion… but alive to blow the Horn, lock Hel out, and then go make Avallen? And then he dies again???

Someone is lying!

Either:
One - Apollion didn’t kill Pelias, but took his blood (which has some of Theia’s starlight in it from when Pelias consumed Theia’s 1/3rd) and Helena blows the horn and breaks it, locking Hel out and keeping Pelias from using it, and then she and Pelias go to Avallen, live a long and miserable life, and THEN he dies. (Most probable) or

Two - Apollion did kill Pelias, and someone assumes his identity and goes to Avallen with Helena? And Theia’s starlight is actually in the Starsword like Aidas says or

Three - the Asteri reanimate Pelias?? With some of his or Apollions Helfire??? (Long shot, but they seem to know about reanimation / Bryce and Aidas hint that they could have found some way to do it)

>"'How would the Asteri have been able to wield Theia's power to use the sword and knife,' Bryce protested, 'if she were dead?' 'They could have resurrected her,' Hunt said quietly. Aidas nodded gravely. 'Theia didn't want them to be able to access the full strength of the star in her bloodline, even through her corpse.'" CC3 page 541

Also, either:
One - Pelias blows the Horn, shutting out Apollion and Hel and then it breaks somehow or
Two - Helena was the one to actually blow the horn to lock Hel out and then she breaks it on purpose so that Pelias / the Asteri / Hel can’t use it

Which begs the question: why did Helena lock out Hel if they were her allies? Why does she find a way to communicate with them that makes sure she is protected from them? What did Helena know about Hel? What did Aida’s admit about Hel in front of her???

Exhibit M:

This is really just a question, rather than evidence, but: who really made the Starsword and Truth-Teller?

I don’t know who originally made it (and that’s regular made… not like Cauldron “Made”) but I think the Princes of Hel knew about the blades way before then end up on Prythian…

We hear that Fionn, Oleanna, and Theia all separately Made the weapons 15,000 years ago… but the Princes of Hel admit to knowing about the blades for Eons…

>"'But how do I make them [the blades] open a portal to nowhere- and what the Hel does that mean, anyway?' Bryce griped. Thanatos said roughly, 'We've been wondering that for eons.'" CC3 page 544

Eons mean millions and billions of years… that’s much longer than fifteen thousand years… so the blades are probably MUCH older than Theia… which again begs the question: what are they, who actually made them, is there a difference in “making” something and “Making” something? Did Theia “Make” them by dipping them into the Cauldron? Did Fionn / Oleanna do this (too?)

And what sword was Thurr making? 

And why does Hunt looked so much like Thurr? 

Is it because Thurr is actually Pelias?

And so:

• Hunt = remaking of Pelias 
• Bryce = rebirth of Theia 
• Azriel = reimagining of Aidas

Only this time:

• The Princes of Hel made sure that Hunt would side with them, unlike Pelias. 
• Theia and her daughters made sure to leave clues for Bryce so that she will not make the same mistakes they did and so that she can right their ancient wrongs. 
• Azriel, who pines and yearns for a mate over anything else, will choose his mate over anything else, unlike whatever happened with Aidas… essentially, Theia and Aidas’s tragic, star-crossed romance will have a good ending this time.

Exhibit N:

Theia and Pelias have different powers and types of light:

>“Aidas’s eyes glowed like blue stars. ‘I remember the last Starborn Queen, Theia, and her powers.’ He seemed to shudder. ‘Your light is her light. I’d recognize that luster anywhere. I’m assuming you have her other gifts as well.’ ‘You knew the last Starborn Queen?’ Ruhn asked. Starlight glinted among Ruhn’s shadows, shimmering down the length of his sword. Aidas’s eyes now flared with a strange sort of rage as he looked upon the Fae Prince. ‘I did. And I knew the sniveling prince whose light you bear.’ … ‘Bryce said, more to herself than to the demon prince, ‘I hadn’t realized they’d have individualized starlight. I always thought mine was only… brighter than yours.’ She frowned at Ruhn. ‘I guess it makes sense that there could be nuances to the light amongst the Fae that got interbred. Theia’s elder daughter, Helena, had the gift—and married Prince Pelias. Your ancestor.’ ‘He’s your ancestor, too.’ Ruhn muttered. CC2 page 175

So, Theia’s light is starlight and Starfire. Pelias light, which Ruhn has, seems to be connected to shadows… which Helena and Silene have.

Bryce even hints that Pelias is only Ruhns ancestor… not hers… could Helena have had other children? With a different father? Maybe after Pelias died???

This coupled with the “strange power” that Silene sees from Pelias when he attacks Theia… either Rigelus gave him some light magic, or Pelias has a bit of Apollions Helfire and Shadows… it looks like starlight, but it’s not.

Afterward:

I’ll leave you with this:

>“My mother did not recognize the enemy when they worse a friendly face…” CC3 page 200

Silene says this about Theia regarding Rigelus. But I believe that this also applies to Pelias.

>"You do not trust us. Good. Theia did. It was her downfall.” CC2 page 666 

What if her downfall was trusting Pelias, a Prince of Hel?

Thank you for reading!

Thank you for reading a long, long, long rambling post! I can't believe it took three posts to get it all out there... like! sorry!

What do you think? Could Pelias be a Prince of Hel?
Let me know!