A Shade of Chrome and Malice by K.L. Devore

Here is a summary with spoilers for A Shade of Chrome and Malice by K.L. Devore

Gray has been looking for Chrome, and she feels like he is just taunting her, as he is staying out of reach. He just turned infernal to save her, and now he is a very different version of himself. She wants to get to him so she can yell at him for his decision, but also make up for the lost time and the fight they had before everything went bad. During Gray’s search, she is dealing with the consequences of Chrome destroying the veil and separating their world from Arcadia, thus merging the two realms. More creatures are now roaming free, and Gray now has more to fight.

While searching, she runs into a man who calls himself Shadow, who is also looking for Chrome. He also wants to take Gray, knowing that she is a direct route to him. Shadow claims that he wants to kill Chrome because Chrome once killed him. He promises to come for her soon, just as she tries to kill him.

Gray makes it back to her home and goes straight to Chrome’s room to be around his belongings. She runs into Slate, who tells her she cannot keep running. It has been two months since she found out Slate lived, and they need to have a conversation about it. She refuses and pushes him out.

Meanwhile, Cotton and Scarlett are stuck in the realm with Valik. During this time, Cotton is forced to reveal a secret he has not shared with anyone. He has a severed tongue thanks to King Forest. The two are then taken to a teacher. Valik believes that Cotton has a unique power that can be trained, and he wants him to start working on telepathy, which he manages to pick up quickly.

Gray has a strange dream where she sees Chrome, but when she wakes, she realizes it was real because her mother’s last letter to her, the one Chrome stole, is back on her desk. Gray then has a meeting with everyone in her group, many of whom she still does not trust, but she has no choice. Slate reveals that Celanea wants the Seraphite Stone, which is the stone Forest was after. It is the key to controlling the aether in Arcadia, and if Celanea gets ahold of it, her dark magic will be fully awakened, and she will no longer need siphon bonds to use her power.

Chrome hates what he has become. In a few rare moments, his true self comes out. He is then summoned to Celanea and King Forest, whom he is currently working for. She tells Chrome to find the Seraphite Stone. During his task, Chrome goes feral and runs into Aster, and to send a message about how much he wants to protect Gray, he kills him.

Slate forces Gray to fight him so she can get some of her aggression out. She is still incredibly upset with him even after the fight. Slate reveals more about when the two of them met and that it was all planned. Gray hates him even more for it, but their conversation is interrupted when they find out about Aster’s death. His death comes with another message. Every day Gray does not come to Chrome, he will kill someone from the Hollow.

To process all of this, Gray goes out by herself until Shadow shows up, claiming he took the wards down. Gray knocks him out so they can interrogate him later, but because the wards are down, enemies can come in and the fighting breaks out.

Chrome feels Gray’s panic and has the need to go protect her. He transports to the Hollow and runs right into his uncle Orion, and Chrome kills him. He then goes straight for Gray, and Slate has to keep her from him. All Chrome wants is to take Gray away, but Gray is the one who has to tell him and yell at him that she does not want to be with him and that he is the one who ruined their relationship. As Chrome turns away, he runs into Shadow, who says, “Hello, brother,” and the two start their fight. Gray watches them fight and realizes they look a lot alike. Slate confirms that the two are brothers. Gray uses her powers to break up their fighting, along with the rest of the Hollow’s fighting. She has to use Slate’s power as well to ground herself. Chrome disappears, and Shadow offers to stay and protect her people in return for the chance to take down Chrome the next time he chooses to come back.

Cotton continues to get trained by Valik, and Scarlett is there to help. One day, they go on a small excursion to see unicorns, who happen to be darkened creatures. It goes badly, and Valik’s power ends up being drained. Cotton is the one who saves them all, proving that he does have some unique power.

Chrome makes it back to Celanea’s place, and as he does, his old self fights to come back. He realizes what he has done to Gray, the Hollow, and his uncle Orion, and he is devastated. Celanea calls him in and wants him to go to the Wind Realm to find answers about the stone, and Forest wants him to bring Gray to them as well.

Gray gets her people moved out and into the human world but continues to struggle with feeling inadequate for her job, especially when some people tell her just that. Her self-pity comes to a stop when they are attacked again, this time by griffins. She has to combine her power with Aella, and she almost drains her, but Slate has to stop her.

Cotton continues to work with Nell on telepathy, and he is progressing fast. Valik wants to know more about his past, and they eventually find out that he is part Druid.

Chrome visits the Wind Realm and receives a very unwelcome hello. He then decides to go visit Gray. He is excited that she almost drains Aella but furious that Slate stops her. After that, he goes back to Forest, who is furious that Chrome still does not have Gray and insists on going with him on his missions until it is accomplished. Forest makes him stop nearby at a girl named Royal, who turns out to be Forest’s other daughter, a daughter between him and Celanea. Forest plans on using her as the true queen, which Chrome hates. Forest wants Chrome and Royal to work together to find Gray.

Gray and Slate are exhausted, as are their people. They find a place to shelter for the night, and Gray needs a distraction. On top of that, she wants closure she never had with Slate. She asks him for one more night, for a chance to say goodbye. Slate agrees and says if it is going to be their last night together, he is going to give it his all and not hold back. The two spend the night together, wash up together, and then cuddle up before they are interrupted by Chrome and Royal.

Chrome feels immense lust from the bond and transfers to Gray. To his anger, he sees his best friend and his twin soul having sex. He watches the whole thing, wanting to use it against them when the time comes. Once they are done and Royal arrives, they barge in, and Chrome uses his shadows to take them prisoner. Chained up, they wake up, and Chrome arrives. Slate is not scared of his brother and claims he has been training for this moment for years, baiting Chrome into fighting him. Once close enough, Slate uses his angel light powers, and normal Chrome comes back, though the curse is still there. Chrome quickly takes them to the Wind Realm with the druids and tells them to prepare for when bad Chrome returns. He looks at Gray with love and hurt, knowing what he saw when she was with Slate.

Cotton progresses enough that he starts looking for Gray and finds Onyx. He also realizes something big is coming and that they need to get to Gray fast.

Gray and Slate find refuge at the Wind Realm castle. Sharing a room feels awkward, and Gray cannot stop seeing Chrome’s broken face. She still has feelings for Slate, and always will, but after a conversation, they decide those feelings are about what they could have been. Slate says he will always love her but knows she will choose Chrome and is okay with that. He is excited to watch her grow. Their conversation is interrupted when infernals attack, and while they are distracted, Chrome comes and starts fighting Slate. Chrome overtakes him and grabs them again, transferring them to the prison. Chrome baits Gray, and she partially falls for it. She notices the real Chrome surfaces when they kiss and hopes taking it further will bring him back. They have sex in the prison, but the real Chrome never returns, making Gray feel used. It is worse when she finds out Slate was awake the entire time and that was why Chrome wanted it. Forest arrives to speak with her, leaving her more vulnerable and angrier at Chrome. Chrome also reveals Royal is now a prisoner behind enemy lines.

Cotton and Onyx reach the Wind Realm but miss Gray. They meet Brecken, the king, who wants to know more about Cotton and invites them in. After meeting with Brecken, they are given a room to recover. Instead, they reconnect and share an intimate moment before being interrupted. Brecken has a new mission for Cotton. He must retrieve the stone near Celanea, and Brecken gives him the Eternal Sword, a weapon capable of killing her.

Celanea is thrilled to have Gray and Slate. She forces Gray to drink something that will prevent her from ever having children. Chrome tries to stop it but fails and gives up. Gray is taken back to the prison, where Slate tells Chrome he messed up. When Gray wakes, she is angry and refuses to look at Chrome. After Chrome leaves, Slate gives her her mother’s letter, which mentions a white sword that can sever bonds. At that moment, Cotton and Onyx arrive to break them out. Gray is weak, and Slate has to push her forward. As they are about to escape, Chrome and Forest intercept them.

Forest attacks Cotton and Onyx with his radioactive ability. When Forest stabs Cotton, he does not die and begins to heal. Chrome and Slate fight again, and Gray can only watch. When Shadow appears with a knife to her father’s throat, Gray drains him. Weak and out of control, she drains everyone. Slate knocks her down. Shadow frees Forest from Celanea’s curse, but Gray kills her father anyway; much to Chrome's happiness.

Slate quickly turns to Chrome and uses his angel power on him to get the real Chrome to come back. He is devastated for Gray and runs to her, knowing that she might start her devolution soon. He says he is so sorry for everything that has happened and what he has done to her. But then he begs Gray to kill him, saying it is the only way. She does not want to, but she gets the sword from Cotton and stabs Chrome. As he is dying in her arms, she feels their bond break, but she also gets a rush of memories from their younger years and realizes how much he was in her life—she just never knew. She cries as he dies in her arms, but when Slate comes, he is very confused as to why she is alive, because according to the oath he took, once one died, the other should die.

Chrome, for the second time in his life, feels free again. He knows he is about to die and has accepted it—until he realizes he is coming back to life again. He realizes what Valik did to him when he was sixteen was not just a one-time event; it could happen again. Chrome is somewhat invincible. He wakes and finds Gray. The first thing he thinks about is the betrayal between Slate and her, but also that he forced a hysterectomy on her. In general, they have a lot to work through. She is surprised but happy he is alive, but is devastated that their bond is broken. Chrome gets sad about that as well, but they both know they need to start moving because Celanea will surely be on her way soon, as the bond between Chrome and her was just broken as well.

Though it is too late, Celanea does arrive, and with her she brings out Onyx and Cotton’s fathers. After Onyx’s father tries to kill Celanea and she snaps his neck, they all listen. That is until Shadow decides to pull a trick and pretend to trade sides, giving Gray an opportunity to focus all her power on Celanea. A massive electricity volt strikes Celanea, and then Gray collapses. Gray feels Chrome take her through the portal and also hears that Onyx is missing before she fully passes out.

Though she was just blasted with all the power Gray had, somehow Celanea is still alive and just as powerful, to Chrome’s dismay. But he cannot leave an unconscious Gray behind. So after sending Slate to hold her off, he starts pouring his power into Gray in hopes that it will charge her up enough to wake. What it ends up doing is pouring some of his essence into Gray, connecting them in a different way. Gray wakes, and the two go back to fighting Celanea. Though all three are very battered, when Celanea knocks the two boys away, she manages to grab Gray with some shadows and disappears.