The Serpent and The Wolf by Rebecca Robinson

Here is a summary with spoilers for The Serpent and The Wolf by Rebecca Robinson

Vaasa Kozar returns to her new room. She has just been married off to Reid of Mireh, and she wants nothing to do with him. Her brother Dominik sold her off because she has a dark and lethal magic that she cannot control, and it killed their mother. Though Vaasa sees this as dramatic, she knows that Dominik and her father are one and the same, very cruel men, so she understands why her brother did this. Still, it does not make her happy.

When her new husband Reid returns to their rooms, Vaasa takes her opportunity, gets him tied down, and runs away, seeing this as a chance to start a new life somewhere else. Vaasa only makes it a few days without being caught, but eventually Reid finds her sneaking around and manages to pin her to the ground. He asks for just a minute of her time to hear him out on a bargain.

He begins by telling her that he knows about her magic, that he saw it in her, and that he has a way to help her control it. He proposes that she return to his home, where witches can help teach her, and in return, she can stay for three years, helping him look good for election and the council. If she agrees, after the three years are up, he will let her go without any fuss and even provide her with the financial means to do so. She agrees, and they return to his home.

Vaasa worries about how she will be treated due to her actions the last time she was in Reid’s home. But that concern is quickly forgotten when Reid tells her that the two of them will be sharing a room because they have to appear in love. Vaasa is furious and decides to take the couch.

Vaasa is introduced to Reid’s mother, a witch who understands exactly what Vaasa is going through with her magic. She begins training her, along with a few other witches. The progress is slow, and Vaasa hates it. Weeks pass in training, but one day Reid is gone, and Vaasa decides to train with weapons. It has been a while since she was able to do so, and Reid has not allowed it. While there, she encounters the commander of Reid’s men, who has held a vendetta against Vaasa ever since she left Reid the first time on the night of their marriage. They fight, and while Vaasa holds her own, the commander lands all the decisive hits until Vaasa taps out. The commander delivers one more cut after she taps out, slashing her neck, before another soldier tackles the commander away. Vaasa rises with dignity, goes to her room to shower, and calls for a healer to bandage her wounds.

A couple of days later, Reid arrives to find Vaasa asleep. When he sees she is all bandaged, he wants to know more, but when he notices the neck wound, he is furious and knows exactly who did it. He goes down to the training grounds and pins his commander to the ground. The commander tells the whole story accurately, and Reid delivers a slash to the throat similar to Vaasa’s. Then he dismisses her from command. Vaasa appoints a new commander of her choice, ironically choosing the former commander’s wife. She realizes that she and Reid may make a good team.

Vaasa continues her studies and discovers that her magic resembles an animal, a serpent. She finds this fitting because that was her father’s nickname, as well as her brother Dominik’s. She feels like she has inherited the family characteristics through her magic. Even more, she feels the magic taking over, and now she wants it gone entirely. Her teachers and the other witches warn her that with these thoughts, it will be even harder to control her magic. During her training, she also learns that it was actually her mother who approved the betrothal, not Dominik. This completely shocks her, and she does not know what to do with this information.

During her training, Vaasa feels like she does not see Reid very often, but she does manage to make one friend, Amalie, a very young girl whom she can confide in. Vaasa accidentally lets slip that her brother is coming soon, likely to see if she is dead, because Vaasa and Reid are a threat to his throne, and Dominik does not want any threats. Reid does not know this secret yet, and Vaasa asks Amalie to keep it.

Soon, Dominik arrives, and Reid also comes, having learned that Dominik is coming for negotiations. Reid wants Vaasa present for the negotiations, though Dominik does not take her seriously. After the negotiations, Vaasa quickly talks with Reid and one of his men. She promises that she is on their side and wants to speak with her brother, essentially acting as a spy. They agree this is a good idea, though Reid wants his man to go in because Dominik will not expect someone who knows their language. For the first time in weeks, Vaasa and Dominik are reunited. Vaasa puts on an act to make Reid think she is still struggling with her magic, making herself seem weak. She also mentions that Reid is giving her her freedom, and if Dominik wants Vaasa on his side, he needs to sweeten the deal. Dominik offers her any kingdom of her choice if she helps Reid get elected and assists in negotiations. She agrees, and they drink to solidify the deal. Right before Vaasa drinks, she realizes her brother poisoned her drink. Reid claims it was a test to ensure she has not lost her edge.

Back in her and Reid’s room, Vaasa tells Reid everything, and his man confirms it. Reid is furious that Dominik tried to poison her and almost kills him in the moment. Vaasa calms him, saying she is fully on his side and wants to take him down the right way. Vaasa then reveals that if Dominik were to die, Reid is next in line for the throne due to their marriage. He is shocked and now more determined to gain the throne for both of them, though Vaasa does not want it.

As days pass, Vaasa begins to feel more in control of her magic. Reid includes her more in his plans and teaches her about his kingdom, army, and everything she might need to know, including trade routes with the salts, which is the main thing her brother wants. Eventually, they set sail to another part of the kingdom, but they are attacked on the way. Vaasa holds her own in the fighting, but when it ends, she realizes Reid is missing. She runs to his room to find him tied up, with her cousin holding a knife to his neck. Carefully, Vaasa uses her magic to defeat her cousin. Afterwards, Reid is angry that she put herself in danger, but they share a kiss and a moment together.

Once they land, the focus is on Reid’s election. He is put into a gladiator-type competition against his competitors. Everything goes well, and Vaasa starts to fall for Reid even more as she watches him fight. When a monster appears at the end of his fight, she intervenes with her magic, causing an explosion the likes of which she has never seen. Everyone in the stadium is shocked. She runs away, worried she ruined Reid’s chances at election. In the process, she yells at Amalie, damaging their friendship, which she does not repair. She spends the night in the library studying to figure out what happened while Reid does damage control with his image. As events unfold, the two appear to be the perfect couple, maintaining the upper hand in the election.

Eventually, Reid comes to Vaasa and wants to amend their bargain. He wants her to stay until her brother is killed and then continue staying as long as she thinks necessary until the people are settled. Essentially, it is an open invitation, because he admits he loves her and wants her to stay. She admits she loves him as well, and they sleep together, though in her inner monologue, Vaasa still believes she is staying only for the original three years.

The election ceremony approaches, but Vaasa realizes she has not seen Amalie recently and wants to apologize. She goes to her room to find her captured by Dominik. He tortures Amalie until Vaasa promises to write a letter to Reid making it appear she betrayed him. Vaasa does not want to, but as the torture continues, she has no choice. She says yes, though she is upset to discover Reid’s right-hand man is also present, having been part of the plan the whole time.

Reid is officially elected, and the ceremony is about to start. He has not seen Vaasa in a few days, until he receives a letter from her. He is heartbroken, thinking she truly left, especially when he realizes she never agreed to stay longer than the three years. But as the last line is read, he realizes it is something she would never say and suspects something bad has happened. At that moment, Vaasa enters, her magic surrounding her, holding a head in her hand. She throws it on the ground—it is Dominik’s. She reveals that she never intended to betray Reid; it was all her brother’s plan. If Reid has any doubt, he only needs to look at his right-hand man.

Anger rises in Reid, and he sees a man he trusts switch sides because Vaasa is running plans. He tackles the man to the ground and lands hits but is interrupted when a monster erupts into the room and transforms into Ozik, her father’s and brother’s right-hand man, a man she grew up with and despised. Ozik reveals he has been pulling strings in her life and her brother’s life for years, even manipulating her father’s life to achieve his goal—the throne. Now that Vaasa has killed Dominik, the only obstacle is her and Reid. Ozik executes a finishing blow, killing Reid. Vaasa is devastated and willing to do anything to bring him back. She begs Ozik, who strikes a bargain: she must willingly give up her powers to revive Reid. She agrees and immediately feels her power ripped from her. She does not care because she sees Reid breathing and moving again.

She starts to hug him but is dragged backward, ropes around her neck and arms. Vaasa sees Reid fully wake up before Ozik takes her away, and she passes out. Reid, just revived, also passes out. When he finally wakes, he remembers that he has won the election, though he does not care. He only wants to find his wife. His mother tries to convince him to remain calm and think rationally. Reid is filled with fury and vengeance, ready to go after Ozik and his wife.