Heartless Sky Recap

Heartless Sky at a glance

The rebels settle in the Burrows

After escaping Lionel's palace, Tory, Darcy, the Heirs, Orion, Xavier, and Catalina take refuge in the Burrows, a huge underground rebel base.

Darius reveals that his marriage to Mildred has been annulled and that the Star Crossed bond is broken. He and Tory finally confess their love, even though the clock on Darius's life is already ticking.

Over the next months, the group trains, builds trust, and starts making a real rebel network. They also uncover more about Diego's family, Vard's shadow eye, and the Imperial Star's history as the tool Hail Vega used to seal shadow rifts across Solaria.

Raids, shadow eyes, and new bonds

The rebels go on the offensive. They raid a Nymph shadow-pyramid temple, where Orion and Caleb accidentally create a forbidden ancient Vampire coven bond called sanguis frater, making them blood brothers.

They steal Vard's living shadow eye from the Palace of Souls and rescue prisoners from a Nebular Inquisition Centre.

Tyler's rebel newspaper, Catalina's testimony, and Gabriel's coordinated pranks chip away at Lionel's image. Meanwhile, Lavinia marries Lionel by force, births a shadow creature, and establishes herself as Shadow Queen.

Darius privately tells Gabriel that he gave up his life to save the twins and has less than a year left. Gabriel keeps the secret.

The Palace of Flames

The twins are called to the Palace of Flames, the home of their Phoenix ancestors. There, the spirit of Queen Avalon Vega trains them for four months.

Darcy and Tory learn Phoenix song, aerial combat, weapon-blessing, and how to merge their fire into one devastating force. Inside the palace, the curse eating Darcy's magic seems mostly burned away.

They emerge with half each of a split platinum crown and new queen gowns from the palace, carrying more of their royal identity than before.

Darcy and Orion become Elysian Mates

Back at the Burrows, Orion publicly declares his love for Darcy in front of the rebel army. He reclaims her final IOU for a kiss on the table.

The stars answer. Darcy and Orion are confirmed as Elysian Mates, marked by silver rings in their eyes.

FIB agent Francesca Sky hands over the stolen map of espial, but the couple is arrested immediately after. Darius and Tory break them out, and Geraldine uses the shadow-eye spyglass with the map to locate the seven remaining shadow rifts.

The team splits up and closes all seven rifts at the same time.

Darcy and Orion's public declaration becomes one of the book's brightest moments before the collapse.

Darius and Tory marry

With the rifts closed and Lavinia weakened, the rebels prepare to attack Lionel.

Darius finally tells everyone about the deal he made: he has only weeks left to live. Tory is devastated, but she refuses to waste the time they still have.

She and Darius marry that morning in a wildflower field with plain rings and blood-red lace. The ceremony is brief, fierce, and defined by the knowledge that forever may be measured in days.

The traps spring at once

A fake distress message lures the four Heirs to Acrux Manor, where Lavinia has chained the Councillors and their families to a shadow altar to drain their magic.

At the same time, Lionel's Nymph army and Dragon Guild attack the Burrows while Gabriel's Sight is blinded by shadows.

The twins lead the rebels into battle. Caleb, Max, and Seth are captured at the manor and chained to the altar. Gabriel seals the tunnels to save the retreating army, then is captured because Lionel wants him as a replacement Seer.

Darcy is the Shadow Beast

Lavinia reveals the truth: Darcy's curse never healed. She has been the creature stalking the tunnels at night, transforming into a massive Shadow Beast without knowing it.

Lavinia forces Darcy to shift in the middle of battle, and Darcy begins killing rebels. Orion lures the beast away, and Darcy briefly returns to herself.

The cost is devastating. Her Phoenix is gone, her magic is gone, and her Elysian rings are fading. The curse has left her mortal. Darcy flees into the mountains as the beast.

The fall of the Burrows

The battle becomes catastrophic. Xavier's wings are ripped off by Lionel's shadow claw. Geraldine is mauled and left critically wounded. Angelica is killed by Mildred Canopus.

Catalina and Hamish sacrifice themselves to seal the retreat tunnel, dying together hand in hand so the rebel army can escape.

Tory kills Alejandro, the man tied to her father's murder, on the battlefield. Darius fights Lionel nearly to victory, but Lionel drives a sun steel blade into his heart.

Darius dies on the hillside.

Darius dies after pushing Lionel to the brink, leaving Tory a widow within hours of their wedding.

Orion makes a death bond

To save Darcy from the curse, Orion makes a death bond with Lavinia. He agrees to spend three moon cycles as her prisoner in exchange for Darcy's freedom from the Shadow Beast curse.

Lavinia takes him away in a shadow collar.

Tory finds Darius's body and breaks. Her grief detonates as a Phoenix supernova that annihilates every remaining Nymph.

As the sky burns, Gabriel's prophecy blazes above them: one chance awaits, and the king may fall on the day the Hydra bellows in a spiteful palace.

Where everyone ends up

What matters for Sorrow and Starlight

• Darius is dead.
• Tory's grief has unleashed a massive Phoenix supernova.
• Darcy has lost her Phoenix, magic, and Elysian rings and has fled as the Shadow Beast.
• Orion is bound to Lavinia for three moon cycles.
• Gabriel is captured by Lionel and being used as a Seer.
• Caleb, Seth, and Max are trapped at the shadow altar.
• Xavier and Geraldine are badly wounded.
• The prophecy points to one chance to bring down Lionel.

Next in the series

Continue with Sorrow and Starlight, book 8 in Zodiac Academy. For series placement, use the Zodiac Academy reading order.