Metal Slinger

Brynn wakes to the sound of thunder in the distance and sets up a fishing net and water collection system. When Acker wakes, Brynn is pleased to see that his wound is healing. Though Acker is an inexperienced sailor, he follows Brynn’s instructions to get the craft moving. Brynn relishes the unexpected possibility of seeing land again.

Acker confides that he joined Kenta’s army at age 13. He says that Kenta enjoyed centuries of peace after exiling Wren but that the conflict resumed after Brynn’s kidnapping years ago. The leader of a land called Roison admitted to kidnapping Brynn, so Brynn’s mother murdered him, and his successor promptly launched a war against Kenta. Acker explains that he did not try to free himself from the Alaha people because he wanted to get close to Brynn.

Brynn sutures Acker’s wound and tells him about her childhood to distract him while she stitches. She states that training to be a guard gave her life purpose, and she reassures Acker that she “[knew] peace living in Alaha” (156). Acker explains that he forced Brynn to touch the wall at the Market in order to activate her latent magic; because she has lived in Alaha, which is devoid of magic, she has missed the usual “awakening,” or the time when someone “comes into their magic” (157). By making her touch the land, he also confirmed her identity, but this moment did not give Brynn all her magic powers. He explains that her ability will grow, but he also warns that accessing these powers late in life will cause her to undergo a period of intense pain that may last up to a day. He thinks that her gift will be “damn spectacular” and fully worth this pain.

Acker and Brynn continue to fish and sail. Acker tells her about his best friend, his politician father, his late mother, and his sister. She asks about his “match” (his romantic partner) but is interrupted by the bird that lived on her roof. When Acker attempts to kill the bird, she tackles him in order to stop him. Acker identifies the bird as an eyun, a mythological “[bird] of prey that can devour men whole without leaving a trace” (163). This exchange reminds Brynn of Alaha’s legends of the giant squid. Now free to consider the bird a pet, Brynn names him “Blue.” When Brynn and Acker finally catch a large fish, Blue swallows it whole. Acker remains suspicious of the giant bird.

After several days of sailing, Brynn and Acker become intensely dehydrated. As Brynn swims in the sea and cleans the boat of barnacles, she dwells on how she misses her old life, despite her knowledge of complicating factors that color her memories. Acker startles her by sneaking up and tugging at her underwater. They splash and playfully grapple, and as they touch, Brynn finds herself growing aroused. This makes her uncomfortable after her experiences with Kai. Acker apologizes.

When Brynn realizes that Acker has been using the same knife to prepare food as he did to kill a guard, she loses her temper, and the two bicker. The rain begins, slackening their thirst, but the winds quickly turn, and the storm makes sailing conditions precarious.

Brynn and Acker struggle against the storm for hours. Brynn hears the roar of a “swirling sea storm” (174), a phenomenon that she has only seen once before. She and Acker cling to one another. Although they expect their boat to be dashed against the waves, it remains intact. Flashes of lighting reveal the outline of tentacles that carry the boat through the storm.

Brynn dreams of a memory in which she encountered a golden butterfly. In her dream, a freckled boy arrives and mocks her, but a second boy comes to defend her.

After the storm passes, Brynn wakes in the boat with Acker and realizes that he was the second boy in her dream; the memory that she saw was Acker’s. They embrace, relieved to be alive. Their boat is damaged but operational. She explains that she has been seeing memories in her dreams; the freckled boy was Acker’s closest friend, Hallis, whom Acker claims was rude to Brynn due to a poorly expressed crush. She teases Acker about the fact that he once professed his love for her when he was a child.

Brynn accuses Acker of inventing his match in order to convince her that Kai is wrong for her. She is confident that Acker would not have flirted with her in the water if he had already been partnered with someone else. He says that he is uncommitted, as his match has not yet claimed him.

Food and water grow scarce as Brynn and Acker continue their journey, and they unsuccessfully try to find fish in the deep water. Acker’s cut grows infected, which makes Brynn worry. They take turns resting in order to conserve what little energy they have.

Brynn struggles against thoughts of Kai as her hunger and thirst drive her to delirium. She and Acker cuddle together to sleep, joking about their unwashed state. This exchange reminds Brynn of a comment that Acker made about smelling her presence in the Alaha brig; he explains that, if he is familiar with someone, he can tell the difference between people based on the scent of their blood. As she falls asleep beside him, she realizes how much her trust in him has increased.

Acker wakes her in the night to show her the dramatic blanket of stars above. As they swim in the placid sea, which reflects the starlight, Brynn feels calmer than she has in a long time.

Blue spots a seagull, which indicates that they are close to land. Acker is hopeful, but Brynn fears that they are approaching a small, uninhabited island rather than any mainland. As they get closer to land, Brynn suddenly grows nauseous and vomits.

As they approach land, Acker tenses, recognizing the shores as Roison territory, which lies east of Kenta. He proposes sailing onward to Kenta, but Brynn refuses. She fears that Acker’s infection will worsen if he doesn’t touch land and regain use of his magic in order to heal his wound, but Acker fears that if they are caught in enemy territory, their presence will spark a war. However, when Acker realizes that Brynn’s illness is increasing, he agrees to sail to shore as long as she promises to follow his directions once they reach Roison.

Acker has been using Brynn’s original nickname, “Jovie,” and she now regularly responds to this name. When she touches the water, pain strikes her, and her agony worsens when she touches land. She realizes that her magic is awakening and fears that she might have to endure the intense pain for multiple days. Acker urges her to stop screaming, fearing that the noise will draw attention. He gives her a plant-based sedative to help her sleep through the pain.

Brynn dreams of her mother, who urges her to “go see him” (205). (This detail is not clearly explained in this installment of the series.) In her dream, Brynn reaches for a crown made of wildflowers.

When Brynn awakens, her pain has lessened but is still present. Acker insists that she take more of the painkilling plant, even though she dislikes being “the weakest link” in their alliance (206).

Brynn wakes to find Acker carrying her. She insists that he let her down, but when he complies, she discovers that her legs are too weak to hold her. Acker is worried because her pain has continued for four days, much longer than is typical. At one point, rebels detected their presence, and although Acker has been trying to lose their trail for two days, they are still following. Brynn laments her uselessness.

Brynn is astonished by the difference between the illustrations she has seen of life on land and the reality of the experience. Acker leads them to a fast-moving river. Blue, using clicks and basic gestures, communicates that 10 rebels still pursue them. The water is too dangerous to cross, so Acker uses his magic to summon rocks with a high metal content and turn them into a bridge. The bridge disappears after they cross, hiding their trail.

Brynn wakes to find herself tucked between two trees with Blue and Acker. She reminds herself that she and Acker are travel companions, not friends; she assumes that they will part ways after reaching Kenta. Now that her pain has faded, she marvels at the feeling of dirt and even tastes it, causing Acker to laugh. Suddenly, 10 men surround them.

Their leader, Vad, recognizes Acker and calls him “Ace.” When Acker accuses Vad of treason for deserting the Kenta army, Vad counters that Acker is now in forbidden territory. Vad reads Brynn’s mind and describes himself as “an oracle.” He knows both of her identities and asks which name she prefers; she decides to go by Jovie. (This guide will now refer to Brynn as Jovie, given this articulation of her preference.) Jovie finds it disorienting to feel Vad reading her thoughts, and she laments her mind’s “weakness,” which prevents her from denying him such access. Vad and Acker taunt one another.

Vad contends that Jovie’s magical “awakening” is killing her. Acker knows how to block Vad’s mind-reading powers. Vad offers to direct them to a healer who can help Jovie, but only if Acker grants him a brief look inside his memories. Suddenly, someone shoots Jovie with an arrow, and Acker quickly kills several of the rebels. Vad orders Acker to stop, threatening not to reveal the location of the healer if he disobeys. Reluctantly, Acker agrees to make a “blood oath” that he will not kill any more of the rebels “as long as Jovie doesn’t die” (222). Vad explores Acker’s memories while Jovie struggles to breathe. Vad then directs them to the healer, who is 20 minutes away if Acker runs. As Acker and Jovie leave, one of the men screams; Acker’s oath did not prevent Blue from hurting the rebels.

As Jovie drifts in and out of consciousness, she hears an angry Acker argue with the healer, who refers to him as a “metal slinger.” The healer is not optimistic about Jovie’s healing given that she is only partially through her magical awakening. Jovie finds the healing process to be deeply painful.

Through the pain, she suddenly realizes that she is experiencing one of Acker’s memories. In this memory, he confides in his closest friend, Hallis, declaring that he “can’t abandon” Jovie to Alaha, even if Hallis worries that she is “too far gone” to rescue (226). Acker decides to go to Alaha, remaining optimistic even though previous scouts have been returned with their bodies dismembered.

When Jovie awakens, she finds an exhausted and gore-spattered Acker dozing in a nearby chair. She only sports a small, healed scar to mark the place where the arrow struck her. A woman enters, introducing herself as Fia and offering food with a solicitousness that surprises Jovie. When Acker wakes, they discuss Jovie’s magic; although she can sense her power, she does not yet understand its nature. However, she is not an elemental like Acker, and she cannot summon metal. He reports that during the healing, Jovie “lit up […] hot enough that [she] disintegrated [her] clothes” (230). Her fire also burned away dirt and blood. They speculate that this phenomenon might be part of Jovie’s gift, though Acker has never seen one like it.

As the two prepare to leave Fia’s house, Jovie finds herself once more in Acker’s mind and nearly sees him undress as he bathes. Meanwhile, Fia inspects Jovie’s healed wound and gives her clothes and additional food. Despite Fia’s friendly demeanor, Jovie is cautious about revealing any personal information. When Acker enters the kitchen, Jovie is startled to find him handsome. When she enters Acker’s mind again, she fears that she is an oracle like Vad; this is a gift that she does not desire.

Fia’s husband, Jorgen, reports that he has access to a horse for Acker and Jovie, but he also advises caution. Ten of the rebels were killed (most of them by Blue), but one escaped. Local people now plan to hunt for the intruders, as they fear “Kenta invading again” (237). Jovie is surprised by the reference to a previous invasion, but Acker is unconcerned. Jorgen and Acker argue about whether their escape would be aided if Jorgen and his son, Sven, were to accompany them, operating under a blood oath not to harm Acker or Jovie. Fia frames this issue as Jovie’s decision.

Acker is eager to leave, but Jovie is anxious about riding her first horse. When her skin starts to glow in reaction to her fear, Fia calls her “a light wielder” (240). As Acker coaches Jovie through the process of controlling her magic, she is again struck by her attraction to him. Fia, Jorgen, and Sven bow deeply, which discomfits Jovie. Fia claims that Jovie will “change everything,” which Jovie feels is “more like a threat than a promise” (243).

Acker and Jovie ride alone for hours as Blue circles overhead. Jovie thanks Acker for saving her life, though she is angry that he did not reveal the fact that she was dying. He promises not to hide such information from her again. He explains that Fia and her family were so respectful of Jovie because the last known light wielder ruled the four elements (water, air, fire, and earth), keeping them from the constant conflict that defied Mother Nature’s intentions for natural harmony. He explains that this light wielder was a brutal ruler.

When they pause at a stream, Jovie is able to experience her own perspective and Acker’s simultaneously, although he seems unaware of their telepathic connection. He asserts his belief that Jovie is “going to bring a world of peace to Kenta” (247).

Jovie plays with piles of dirt, reflecting on the fact that her knowledge of being “an Heir, allegedly ordained by Mother Nature herself” affects her understanding of what is myth and what is real (249). She tries to summon her magic but cannot. Meanwhile, Acker cautions her against entering the Dark Forest, warning her that people disappear forever after passing its borders.

After weeks of travel, Jovie feels attuned to the sense that “Kenta isn’t [her] true home” (251). She debates whether to tell Acker about her recurring “mind jumps” into his consciousness. As they travel, their physical proximity challenges her efforts to keep herself from entering his mind.

When Jovie asks why Vad wanted to see Acker’s memories, Acker explains that Vad had long desired to see inside Acker’s mind but could not do so, given Acker’s lifelong training with another oracle. He states that Vad explored a painful memory in which Acker and his father discussed their heartbreak over the death of Acker’s mother. As a soldier, Vad betrayed Acker’s battalion, causing the deaths of all but a few of the group. Hallis lived but lost a hand. The remaining group now holds an intense bond of trust in each other.

Jovie lies awake, wondering how to fathom a life that now might be many times longer than she anticipated, as Heirs live extraordinarily long lives. She wonders how her mother will receive her return. Restless, she paces toward the edge of the forest, and Acker follows her, asking whether she regrets leaving Alaha. She doesn’t, but she is uncertain of her future and of Acker’s place in it. She worries that he feels “indebted” and therefore feels compelled to remain close to her. He touches her neck, which causes her to leap into his mind; this time, he senses her mind’s presence in his and forces her out. She admits that despite her best efforts, she has fallen into his mind several times. To her surprise, he is not angry. Acker nearly kisses her but grows distracted when a panther passes nearby.

The panther transforms into Fia’s son, Sven, who posits that Acker deserves to be killed as recompense for all the killing that he has done. Jovie glows, revealing their position to Blue, who dives toward them but transforms in midair, revealing himself to be Messer before transforming into a leopard. Messer and Sven fight in the form of big cats while Acker and Jovie flee through the forest and seek the Kenta border. When they fail to outrun Sven in his panther form, Acker urges Jovie ahead, but she refuses to leave him behind. Messer attacks Sven, and the momentum of his action sends both himself and Sven into the Dark Forest. Jovie tries to go after Messer, but Acker stops her, reminding her that if she does, she may be stuck there forever. She insists on trying to save her friend and asks Acker to come with her. Together, they enter the forest.

The Dark Forest is nearly pitch black. As Jovie calls quietly for Messer, small creatures attack them. Jovie fears that they will be overrun, but she lashes out with her magic and burns the small creatures. As her power expands, illuminating the space, Acker warns her against using more magic than she can control. She ignores his warnings until he tackles her and interrupts the flow of her magic.

The forest is singed by Jovie’s power. She sees Sven, who is dying, and then finds Messer, who is also severely injured. She and Acker run for the Kenta border, where they can see soldiers in the distance. When they reach the soldiers, Acker orders them to get a healer for Messer; the solider refers to Acker as “your highness.” Before she can ask what this means, Jovie faints.