The Fiery Heart is the fourth book in Richelle Mead's Bloodlines series and was released on November 19 2013. It is to be told in both Adrian and Sydney's perspectives.[1]
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Everything's going to be okay. The center will hold. How do you know? Because we are the center.
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .
But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.
Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.
Plot
As the novel Indigo Spell ended where Sydney proclaimed her love to Adrian, and they both get into relationship while Sydney found that her little sister Zoe has became a "junior" alchemist and was given the same assignment as Sydney. The Fiery Heart begins at
Sydney's relationship with Adrian and holding to witchcraft while both equally bring her to danger from Alchemists and their concepts. Everything's put at risk when Sydney's parents begin their divorce which causes conflicts to Carly, Sydney ,and Zoe since they have to each choose one of their parents, most importantly for Zoe since she is underage. Zoe is brainwashed by her dad to support him while Sydney chooses her mom's side since her dad is less caring and more of cold-hearted.
Sydney's relationship with Adrian was smooth when Sydney's dad came to meet Zoe and Sydney. Her dad was collecting elements to prove that their mom is incapable of taking care of kids and falsely saying she might be having an affair. Throughout the process, he called Keith and from that moment Sydney's anxiety increases as she found that Keith has became more like a robot instead of human as an effect of re-education by the Alchemists. In order to escape, Sydney started to use her magic and skills to create a ink that would prevent from compulsion existing in the original Alchemist ink. After a lot of research, she found that salt can be used and did spell on it. She tested it on Trey, and it worked. However when Adrian asked Sydney to take it as the tattoo is non-visible, she said there's plenty of time after everything would be solved.
During all of this, Adrian is fighting his own demons where his excessive usage of Spirit causes him to be unstable and face psychological problems, including hearing the voice of his late Aunt Tatiana. Lissa called Adrian and asked his help on a case where Strigoi changed back again to identify the changes as it can possibly help the Moroi to prevent further Strigoi attacks or keep everyone safe from Strigoi. As Adrian went to help, he drew blood from Olive, the girl who was changed back from Strigoi, and contained the spirit in the blood so it can be held for longer. During this process, he used his spirit energy so much that he almost passed out.
After returning back from Lissa's business, he started to feel anxiety to the extreme level where he went to the pawn shop where he earlier pawned Aunt Tatiana's rubies for money to buy presents for Sydney's birthday. This is where Sydney found him and cried as she is scared and worried for him. As a concern for Sydney's happiness, Adrian consulted a psychiatrist and started medication which stopped his spirit abilities, making Jill's connection with him fade.
On Sydney's side, her strong connections with the Moroi, dhampirs, and Ms Terwilliger have made Zoe suspicious. Luckily Zoe doesn't suspect Adrian as he and Sydney mostly communicate via text using an untraceable prepaid phone which they call Love Phone. As Sydney and Adrian were invited back to the court again regarding the Strigoi issue, Sydney revealed that she can possibly create a ink that would keep them safe from Strigoi by tattooing it in their body. As everyone was there, they sought for help from Abe who is well connected and can get them any ingredients they needed to proceed. However, Sydney asked a special favor from Abe to use his earth abilities on her own vial of ink so she can use it. She used it on Trey ,and it worked. The vial that Sydney created for the Court was tattooed to Neil who wonders whether it worked or not since the only way to find it out is by an attack from Strigoi.
After few unexpected moments, where Lissa and Sonya asked Adrian to use his spirit abilities, Adrian broke the news that he is on pills which deeply upsets Sydney. After the court business, they were on their way back where their car hit a tree and they were forced to find a shelter at a nearest hotel. As the whole situation was during winter, Sydney was forced to use her magic to form a fireball for warmth. Neil saw and promised that he wouldn't tell anyone. At the hotel, Sydney and Adrian made love and brought their relationship to a whole new level.
After returning back, Sydney and Adrian contacted Marcus so that they can give him the ink for his new recruits of ex-Alchemists. Neil got a new idea to find a Strigoi and let it attack him while Sydney remained hidden only unless something went wrong. Neil also invited Eddie to join, and eventually Eddie discovered Sydney's magic abilities.
Zoe kept on suspecting Sydney and worst of all, Adrian lost his Love Phone, causing him to contact Sydney using his normal phone. Sydney, Neil, and Eddie find a Strigoi. It attacked Neil, and to their surprise the tattoo ink worked. Neil's blood caused discomfort to the Strigoi, and it was killed in the end with major help from unexpected allies Angeline,Trey, and Jill. As Eddie argued with Jill on how dangerous it is for her to expose herself in a Strigoi situation, Jill kissed Eddie proclaiming her love for him.
On their way back, Sydney got dropped off at Adrian's place, and she told him everything that happened since she had been keeping the whole plan a secret. The next day, Adrian instead of Sydney went to give large amounts of ink to Marcus. While Adrian dealt with Marcus, he texted Sydney to meet at Ms. Terwilliger's place, and Sydney replied that she is delighted. As Marcus and Adrian along with Ms. Terwilliger waited for Sydney to come, Adrian realized that it was late, an uncommon occurrence for Sydney. He texted her multiple times but received no reply. Suddenly, they heard a car roughly pulling up their front drive. Realizing it might not be Sydney, Ms. Terwilliger opened the door and found Eddie with ragged clothes saying that Sydney was taken by the Alchemists.
On Sydney's side of story, she received text from Adrian that the venue has changed to some cafe. She invited Eddie along and texted Adrian to see if he got the Love Phone back, which he affirmed. As Eddie opened the door of the cafe, he realized it was an ambush and ordered Sydney to run. While they were hiding, Sydney heard her dad asking her to surrender and Zoe saying that Eddie is not Sydney's love life. Realizing she imposes risk to Eddie, who might be killed by the Alchemists, she tricked Eddie into splitting up while she surrendered.
As Sydney is captured, she realized who betrayed her since Zoe was the one who found the Love Phone in her car and put together what had been going on. Her dad, since his glory was more important than his daughters, thought Sydney posed a threat because she supports her mom and used this as a chance to get Sydney's testimony out of the way. As Sydney was drugged and sent to re-education.
Adrian stopped taking his pills in order to get his Spirit abilities back so he can visit her in dreams. But that didn't happened, even with his growing Spirit abilities. He couldn't find Sydney nor could Ms. Terwilliger, who failed to contact with Sydney with her magic. Desperate and miserable, he did everything he could to rescue Sydney and eventually realizes Sydney's last word to Eddie was some sort of spell which translates into the Center will Hold. When he realized something, Adrian got his way out by saying he needs to go somewhere so he wouldn't feel anything for a while, and Jill asked for how long. He answered, "It doesn't matter."
The novel ends as a naked Sydney is being mentally tortured at re-education, which is trying to force her to confess her sins and get purified through the process. As she would not like lose herself as Keith did, she decided to give the re-education process a hard time. The novel ends as she says, "All right. Let's see what you've got."
