I was hesitant to read the prequel books because I absolutely love Poppy and Casteel (although I don't understand how they both don't have a UTI, YI, or BI due to the dirty sex and the lack of water they both drink...jk), however, I wasn't ready to give them up yet. Like most, I love Sera and Nyktos, the prequel is way better and I have read both books twice already but I need to do some fact-checking...

The Kardia

Penellephe said that the kardia is, "the piece of the soul, the spark that all living creatures are born and die with. It allows them to love another not of their blood irrevocably, selflessly". Nyktos ultimately sums it up as, "his ability to not be swayed in its absences***".***

With that statement, the kardia has less to do with his ability to love and more to do with the irrational behaviors that come behind the act of loving someone. Less to do with someone using it as a weakness and more to do with his lack of self-control when in love. It makes more sense of the reason why he fears becoming Kolis...everything Kolis has done since Sotoria is completely irrational behavior.

It is clearly evident that of course when it comes to Sera, his kardia is very much intact because of the constant amount of irrational behavior and feelings he begins to show. The two scenarios proving this was when Sera convinced Nyktos to trust Attes after her second encounter with him and received some advice. He's been knowing Attes much longer than her (200 yrs) and didn't trust him at all for those 200 yrs but since Sera suggested it he decided to throw caution to the wind...irrational behavior. The second scenario was their encounter with Delfi and Sera was able to convince him not to kill him. The fact that he was about to kill this man because it wasn't the answer he wanted for her is irrational behavior.

Personally, it would've been better if the absence of a kardia was someone's inability to identify when they are in love vs someone's inability to love. Because throughout the book Nyktos constantly demonstrates love exactly how Penellephe states it should be with a kardia, irrevocably, selflessly. However, when trying to taste the emotion of love he can't identify it. Also why he doesn't call those closest to him friends, although he knows in fact they are his friends he doesn't identify the love he has for them. It is not just care.

Correct me if I'm wrong...

Seraphena's Fates/Death Threads

Holland and Penellphe reveal to Sera that ultimately she will die because she has consumed one drop 🩸 of Nyktos's blood allowing the ember of life to absorb and grow within her, by doing this she now has to go through the culling which will kill her because she is mortal. However, they show her the shadow of a thread that is broken off which is considered an unexpected fate and Sera describes the thread as, "ever-changing in length, stretching farther than any of the other thread then shrinking to the length of the others". They tell her that it is the unknown and unpredicted to the fates by the only thing that can disrupt fate which is LOVE. That love can extend a thread significantly and/or break it off prematurely. The only way she can live is to have the love of the one who will aid in her ascension, the love of a Primal, and the original owner of the embers that she carries.

In that statement, it is already proven that he loves her. If one drop of his blood (consumed less than 24 hr ago) was able to produce an unexpected timeline giving her the chance to live a longer life, then that one drop of blood had to contain:

• the love of the one who will aid in her ascension
• the love of a Primal
• the original owner of the embers that she carries

He could've ascended her right then and there. Unless it all boils down to him admitting it and her accepting it, which is very disappointing for other reasons due to how the plot is written.

Attes

After reading other posts, I feel like I might be one of the few that feels Attes didn't betray them and is in fact aiding Nyktos in rescuing Sera. In the end, when Kolis is draining Sera and Sotoria is revealed, Attes is just arriving because Sera asks, "When did he get here?" and he is trying to lure him outside asking if he can speak to him for a second. A couple of seconds later it is revealed that Nyktos was outside as well crouched by a tree in his wolf form. I have every reason to believe that he and Attes were together and he was waiting for Attes to bring him outside or waiting for a queue to attack...working under the idea, "keep your friends close keep your enemies closer". Since Nyktos was ripping out people's spines and hearts I find it hard to believe that upon his arrival he wouldn't have barged in and torn the place up...irrational behavior.

Lastly, I saw a lot of hints and clues that Attes was Casteel's paternal ancestor because of the dimples, aggressive sexual mannerisms and teasing, and of course the horse Setti. Under the assumption that is where the plot point is going, it is evident that he didn't betray Nyktos and Sera because he was able to create a lineage in Atlantia.

Please feel free to correct me or update my knowledge these are just my questionable facts...