An Ember in the Ashes

Given how much the Augurs know, it may be that them giving Laia to Elias as a prize was a test. The final trial is a sham. The only person who’s truly tested is Elias, and it seems orchestrated to remove him from play. The Augurs likely know that Elias will manage to escape his death, hence why they used Laia as a victim and faked her death. Laia’s movements after her encounter with Mazen may all be planned by the Augurs. The sword the blacksmith gives Laia suggests he will return in the sequels to help with Laia or Darin’s next moves if Darin is still alive. Chapter 47 shows Laia planning and being prepared to act, even though she’s scared. Her character arc is complete, and she’s found her inner reserves of bravery to rescue those who are important to her. This supports the theme of What Makes Us Who We Are, as Laia grows into her bravery as the story reaches its climax.

Chapter 46 is a vehicle to humanize the Commandant. Throughout the book, the Commandant has been a force of pure evil—torturing people for the most minor infractions and not caring if people lived or died. In the prison, she confesses her hatred for Elias because he represented a time of weakness in her life. She also reveals that her father (Elias’s grandfather) never respected her because she was a woman in what he deemed to be a man’s position. The Augurs found Elias despite the Commandant’s efforts, suggesting that, even with the training to shield her mind from the Nightbringer, the Augurs’ unique abilities allow them to work around magic used to push them away.

The Commandant believes Elias was a mistake and that his death will free her. She doesn’t understand that her mistakes are her own to deal with. Elias’s death will change nothing for her. This supports the theme Fear Is Inescapable, since the Commandant attempted to run from her pregnancy and then from her child. Her fear that the baby would stop her climb up the Martial ladder was not relieved by running away from the child.

Marcus seems to be back to his normal self in Chapter 48, suggesting either that he’s putting on a show for the execution or that he’s gotten over killing Zak because of what doing so has let him achieve. Even restrained, Elias takes Marcus down, meaning that Elias is a far more skilled fighter than Marcus. It’s likely Elias’s proficiency has made Marcus jealous and that Marcus is terrible to Elias and Helene because he feels inadequate. Marcus’s mind games don’t work on Elias here. Elias has completed his character arc. While he believes he goes to his death, he has freed himself from what he’s done and the life he’s been forced to live. He has taken responsibility for the wrongs he’s committed, which lets him shrug off Marcus’s attempts to make him feel bad.

When Elias’s gaze meets Helene’s during the execution, he wonders if she remembers their lives, which suggests that the look in Helene’s eyes is blank. Given how she helps Elias in the final chapter, she’s likely putting on a show for Marcus’s benefit. The deal Helene made with the Augurs shows her willingness to protect Elias. When she swore to be loyal to the new emperor, she knew there was a chance it could be Marcus, and despite her fear of him, she made the agreement anyway because she couldn’t bear the thought of Elias dying. This is the last time she can cover for him because after this, they’ll be enemies, but to her, an alive enemy is better than a dead friend.

Chapter 49 shows how Laia has grown. At the beginning of the book, she would have run when given an opportunity, but now, she sends Izzi in her place, knowing she’s giving up a chance for safety. Laia still wants to avenge her family, but she can see past the immediate situation in a way she couldn’t before. While she has the chance to kill the Mask who murdered her grandparents, doing so would blow her cover, and she would lose her only chance to rescue Elias. There will be another chance for revenge, and Laia’s restraint shows she knows the conflict is far from over. It also demonstrates The Power of Choice—finally Laia has agency in how she will proceed, and she finds the strength not to resort to impulse. Her struggles so far also support the theme of What Makes Us Who We Are since she has finally found her courage and has used all the experiences she has had up to this point to strengthen her character. Her final silent vow to Darin is a promise for the next book. She also makes Elias promise to help her, and both these things suggest their next stop is the maximum-security prison where Darin is being held.