Page 1 of Lord of Ruin (The Age of Blood #2)
Previously, in Mistress of Lies
I n the land of Aeravin, a class of blood mages known as Blood Workers rule the nation.
They are led by the enigmatic Eternal King, who has lived for over a millennium, fueled by yearly blood sacrifices to extend his life.
Under his guidance, the Blood Workers keep the magicless Unblooded in place as they exploit those beneath them, building lives of decadence and debauchery.
On the eve of spring, Shan LeClaire assassinates her father and takes his place as head of her family.
Shan has spent her life building her own base of power, using blood magic and her skills as a budding spymaster.
Now she plans to bring her Aeravin to its knees.
After witnessing the Eternal King’s annual sacrifice, Unblooded Samuel Hutchinson stumbles upon a body that’s been murdered by illegal magic and becomes caught up in the investigation.
Until now, Samuel has spent his life avoiding the Blood Workers, to hide his own secret magic—whenever he gives a command, the listener must obey.
When Shan’s spy brings her the knowledge of Samuel and his gift, she recognizes it from an old rumor and suspects he may be a secret descendant of the King’s bloodline.
Seduced by Shan’s promises of change and hope, Samuel agrees to meet with the King, who confirms their relation and agrees to keep Samuel’s magic a secret.
But the murders keep happening and all evidence points to a member of the King’s Court.
Unable to trust even his most loyal of retainers, the King turns to Shan and Samuel for aid using their unique skills.
If they succeed in stopping the murderer, the King promises to reward them handsomely—including helping Samuel master the gift he still fears.
They begin their investigation, and Samuel adjusts to his new life among the Blood Worker ruled high society, even forming a friendship with Shan’s magicless brother and something more with the King’s second-in-command, Isaac de la Cruz.
Shan also reconnects with Isaac, her first love, before he abandoned her to take his place at the King’s side.
But old wounds are slowly mended, and the three of them start to fall for each other, a delicate courtship budding around the fear and mistrust that Samuel carries around his terrible gift.
As more bodies appear, the clues start to point to Shan’s brother, but Shan refuses to believe it and sets out to prove his innocence.
Her efforts distract them from the trail of the real culprit until the fear of the murderer moves the Unblooded to mass protest, destabilizing the fragile peace of the nation.
The King reveals the secret underpinning the murders—the tie that Shan and Samuel wouldn’t have figured out on their own.
All the murdered were part of a secret slaving ring, delivering unwanted persons to the King’s private Blood Factory, where they were drained of their blood till they died, fueling the ever hungry magical coffers of the Aeravin.
And worst of all, Isaac, as the Royal Blood Worker, is the man behind it and likely the next victim.
If the life of the one they have both grown to care about isn’t enough, the King gives them an ultimatum: find the murderer within a week, or he will execute Shan’s brother and turn Samuel’s gift into his personal weapon.
Faced with disaster all around her, Shan reveals to Samuel that her ultimate goal is to dethrone the ruthless King and replace him with someone far more human.
Someone like Samuel. Though shocked and disturbed by her admissions, Samuel agrees to help her take down the King, but first they must find the killer and save Shan’s brother—as long as he’s not the murderer.
With no other choice, Shan investigates her brother, soon discovering the secret he has been keeping from her—he is not the murderer, but he is one of the founders of the Unblooded rebellion, and it is his actions that have led to the unrest across the capital.
With no other leads, Shan and Samuel turn to protecting Isaac, as an upcoming public event will leave him vulnerable.
But the event goes wrong as Isaac reveals the truth of the Blood Factory to a surprised nation, having killed one of the King’s own Councillors as a practical demonstration.
The truth comes out—the killer was Isaac, working on his own revolution to assuage the guilt of what he had done as the King’s right hand.
A riot breaks out, and the King swoops in to declare martial law, establishing a curfew for Unblooded along with a sweeping list of cruel new laws.
After Shan and Samuel lament their losses, Isaac kidnaps Samuel and tries to recruit him to his cause, but Samuel refuses.
To prove his methods necessary, Isaac uses his newly empowered Blood Working to strip Samuel of the gift he hates, revealing that Samuel has had the ability to use Blood Working all along, it had just been stifled by his gift.
Shan finds them and attempts to rescue Samuel.
Isaac releases a trap, but after she saves Samuel, Shan puts herself at great risk to pursue Isaac.
Using his newly discovered Blood Working, Samuel pursues them, capturing Isaac.
Afterward, Samuel recovers from the toll of using untrained magic, and Shan delivers the news to the King.
He rescinds the order of execution on Shan’s brother and for what they’ve done publicly raises Samuel to the Council of Lords and elevates Shan to take Isaac’s former spot at his side.
Weeks later, Isaac is visited in his cell by Samuel, who uses his position to secure a private conversation.
Samuel asks if Isaac still wants to bring down the King and promises him that he will be freed soon enough.
But as Samuel leaves him, Isaac reflects on the way his Blood Working experiments have left him changed, thirsty for something he dare not name.