Spark of Pursuit: A Recap

SPOILERS AHEAD!

With Spark of Deceit’s release on the horizon, now is the time to get caught up on everything Veilfall!

If you’re like me, you’re fabulous at forgetting everything between book releases, and don’t usually have the time for a reread. But never fear for this post contains the ultimate recap for Spark of Pursuit. Is it a little dry? Yes. Is it thorough? Double yes.

Happy reading!

ARAVENNA KALLADINE has spent her life hiding her magic. Her late Mortal parents created Kalla Technologies, the largest anti-magic arms company in the world—and the only thing protecting magicless Mortals from powerful Immortals. Fearing the truth would undermine their vision, Ara’s parents bequeathed the company to her brother, sent her overseas, and concocted the perfect lie: she’s just another spoiled rich kid with a drinking problem. 

But when a dangerous shipment of weaponry is stolen fifteen years later, Ara’s estranged brother COREN comes calling. He believes the robbery was an inside job, and wants her to go undercover to locate the mole. Unable to shake the desire to rebuild a relationship with her brother, she reluctantly agrees to return to Veilfall and help.

Detective GRAYDON MARR is preparing to testify at a trial that’s tearing the city apart: Immortal DARIX SARRORA has been charged with murdering a Mortal in cold blood. With tensions rising quickly, Graydon and his best friend Detective EDRYD SERELL need to find Kalla’s missing weapons before they get into the wrong hands, but the investigation isn’t moving. 

Frustrated, Graydon revisits the scene of the crime where he’s confronted by a masked woman (Ara) with a sultry smile and a desire to steal his newfound evidence. A magical fight ensues, but just as he’s about to arrest her, they realize they are soulbound: eternally linked and destined to fall deeply in love. Ara uses his moment of surprise to flee, leaving Graydon unaware of her true identity.

Graydon opens a case on the vigilante. Believing her to be a suspect in the robbery and later, the shocking murder of Veilfall’s mayor, he is determined not to develop feelings. Ara, however, is dangerously intrigued by Graydon. She tricks him into meeting and starts sending him evidence to prove her innocence. Unable to resist her slightly psychotic allure, Graydon eventually finds himself just as engrossed, and the two start working together in secret.

At Kalla, Ara begins to suspect RIMIRON GALINAR, the shady head of security, to be the mole. He puts her under the constant surveillance of NORLAN WAKES, who makes investigation nearly impossible. After witnessing Rimiron steal something, she takes the theory to Coren but is swiftly dismissed. Instead, he reminds Ara of an upcoming police banquet that she must attend. Realizing Graydon will recognize her as his soulbound if he sees her—thus revealing her true identity—Ara hires a shapeshifter to take her place. Graydon is none the wiser, but Ara is left conflicted and heartbroken.

Later, a Mortal journalist is murdered. Believing them to have been investigating the robbery, Graydon and Ara break into the Veifall Gazette. There, they witness thugs shooting the journalist’s computer with stolen Kalla pistols. Ara tracks down the journalist’s source, revealing an anti-magic terrorist organization called Flame Keepers and a set of mysterious videos that she takes back to Graydon’s apartment. After a heated moment that nearly results in their first kiss, they watch the videos, which are recordings of horrific experiments. Ara begins to suspect the Flame Keepers are trying to give Mortals magic.

The time comes for the Mayor’s funeral, and Darix is released from jail to attend. Part of security for the event, Graydon sneaks off to meet vigilante Ara, who’s attending as backup. Still unaware of his soulbound’s identity, Graydon tells her that he thinks Aravenna Kalladine is a disgrace to her parent’s legacy. Hurt, Ara loses some of the trust she’s built in him.

As feared, the Flame Keepers attack, killing dozens of guests and officially revealing their existence. In the process, they kidnap a police officer—Edryd’s younger brother, TARAN. 

While getting a location on Taran, Ara learns the real target was Darix, and that the Flame Keepers killed the Mayor to lure Darix into the open. Afraid of Graydon getting hurt, Ara chooses not to reveal Taran’s location to the police, setting off alone instead. But when she gets to her car, Edryd is already waiting—and he’s figured out who she is. Holding her identity over her head, he forces her to include him in the rescue mission. They find Taran, and then, not knowing what else to do, Ara runs.

Feeling betrayed, Graydon hunts her down and forces her to confront their growing feelings during a dramatic car chase. He wants something real, but finding it too much, Ara flees again. Yet the pull of their bond is too great, and later that night, she goes to Graydon’s apartment and they have their first kiss. He then reveals Taran is in a critical coma—but Ara is relieved to find that Edryd has seemingly not yet revealed her identity.

The relief is short-lived, however, and Edryd soon gives her an ultimatum: She has ten days to tell Graydon who she is, or he’ll do it for her. Believing Graydon to hate her true identity, Ara starts to feel like she’s at the end of her rope. 

Darix’s trial finally comes. Graydon testifies but Darix’s lawyers have been watching him. They discredit him by revealing his increasingly inappropriate relationship with the vigilante, and the trial becomes a disaster. 

Protests lock the streets as Veilfall tensely awaits the verdict, so Ara and Norlan, who has become her friend, go for coffee. Thinking them to be kindred spirits, Norlan then tricks her into attending a Flame Keeper rally and reveals himself as the mole. Ara learns Darix has been acquitted and the Flame Keepers are going to assassinate everyone they deem responsible, including Graydon’s close friend MELICA AETHERAS, the chief of police. Ara escapes and saves Melica from a strange red device. In the process, Melica learns Ara’s identity—but not that she and Graydon are soulbound—and agrees to keep her secret. A vengeful Norlan follows them but is killed by Rimiron, who was innocent all along. 

Also declared innocent, Darix holds a celebratory masquerade ball the following week. Worrying Flame Keepers will attack, Ara and Graydon attend, but find the tension between them too great to ignore. They sneak away for a passionate encounter that ends with Graydon telling Ara he loves her. She agrees to let him finally remove her mask, but they are interrupted by Graydon’s coworker. He chases after them, but is unable to stop them from telling Melica what they saw. Finally, Melica tells Graydon that the vigilante is Aravenna Kalladine, leaving him shocked and hurt—especially when he realized Edryd knew the whole time.

Meanwhile, Ara learns that Darix has gone missing and sets out to find him. Graydon catches up and confronts her, but Ara incapacitates him to continue her rescue mission. When she finds Darix, he is severely injured, just like Taran. Flame Keepers appear and reveal that Darix and Taran’s magics are gone—a process called excision—caused by the mysterious red device they’d tried to use on Melica. They reveal their plans are only just beginning, but as they’re about to take Ara’s magic, Graydon appears and the two fight their way out.

The next morning, Ara tells him everything, but hurt that he’s the last one to know her identity, Graydon walks away from her for now.