Now that Midnight’s Secret is done, I’m on to writing the next book. The thing is, I should have written Craig and Annaseth’s story even before I wrote Midnight’s Reckoning! I became engrossed with writing Dac’s story that the Leeds Cynn Cruor’s story fell by the wayside. It’s time I pick it up, but not before I write Fleur and Ewan’s story – Firebinders: Fleur.
And yes, it is part of the Cynn Cruors’ world. 😉
But that’s what’s nice about creating your fictional world. You can turn back time and go back to a period which you can thresh out. I’m just not quite so sure what readers will think.
Then again, I just finished writing a prequel…🤔
Speaking of which…a reader asked me an important question about the Cynn Cruors.
How did Herod become a Scatha Cruor?
In Midnight’s Atonement, Elliot Hammond changes humans to Scatha Cruors. Part vampire, he tortures the acolyte before biting them to infuse them with the corrupt Kinaré.
Herod’s transformation was different.
When the Cruors were created by the Ancient Eald, he infused them with his blood. He chose families from Scotland and around the world to be recipients of his own DNA – forged by millennia of walking the earth, from learning very old magick lost to the mists of time, to being adopted by the first vampires, and to absorbing the Deoré’s blood during their mating. The Ancient Eald/Ancient Cynn was an alchemist, and with the magick he had learned and harnessed, he created the vampire/werewolf DNA given to these families. The moment the Kinaré mixes with human blood, these families are irrevocably connected to him, which is why he can read their minds and hear their thoughts too.
As with any evolving species, the Cruors learned to develop their abilities which included strengthening their minds and ‘walling up’ their thoughts that even the Ancient Eald will be hard pressed to break through. Still, this connectivity with the Ancients made sure that the immortals’ path was on the right and true since they were created to keep humans safe and contribute to technology.
But when any of the immortals deviate from their reason for being, this common connection is jarred. Think of it as a guitar string violently plucked. It causes a ripple in the Cruor’s consciousness and this ripple sends a signal to the Kinaré that there is something wrong. The minute this consciousness breaks away from its creator, the Kinaré separates also. Without a tether to hold on to, it now absorbs the dominant trait of its host. In Dac Valerian and Herod D’Argyle’s case, veering away from the Ancient Eald created a vacuum allowing evil to take over.
Herod knew what he was getting into, but he was assured by the Ancient Eald that he would be tethered to the Eald himself for as long as needed. Temptation what it is, the more Herod remained with Valerian, the brittle this link with the Cynn Cruors became. The good part of Herod’s Kinaré weakened and was no match for the corrupted Kinaré’s dominance. It didn’t help either that the Eald abandoned him in the end.
This was how Herod became a Scatha Cruor without being bitten, for corrupted blood to flow in his veins.
If you want to know more about the Cynn Cruors leave a comment to this post and I will reply as soon as I can.
And just as a reminder here is the reading order of the Cynn Cruors Bloodline series.
TTFN!
Isobelle Cate 