Something I forgot to post with my first message, can someone explain what the hell happened to Lea? Was it ever explained better?

From what I gathered she was given some crazy powerful dagger. Next thing we see is her frozen in Arctis Tor, and now apparently Mab bitch slapped the crazy out of her.

Are there any inferences that could be drawn that I missed?

 

Eh, you've got it more or less. There are a few details in the books but nothing really concrete.

 

I think there was more to it than just raw power. Lea acted practically possessed in book 8 and speaks of "affliction" in Changes. I think the athame was responsible somehow but I suspect it was something more like the Denarian coins.

It has been speculated that since Cowl&Kumori gave Lea that athame, and since Cowl atleast seemed to work with an outsider in White Night, that perhaps the athame contained somekind of outsider that entered Lea and made her do crazy things and Mab had to freeze Lea to contain her until she could be "exorcised".

 

Yeah, it is in book 7 during the confrontation where Cowl&Kumori want Harry's book about the Erlking. Harry recognizes the two from the party and remarks that they gave the Athame to Lea and Kumori basically confirms it.

So basically, Cowl the major bad guy gives Lea an Athame, Soon afterwards Lea goes insane and starts acting all possessed. One plus one is often two.

 

Jim has said that the athame is a vector for power, and Lea is now the second most powerful Sidhe in Winter, even more so than Maeve it seems. Mab had to assume Lea's responsibilities temporarily as she'd rendered her incapable of fulfilling them, thus her showing up when Harry called Lea in Dead Beat (coincidentally when Cowl and Kumori were doing the Darkhallow...).

Hmm, I think it will be interesting if Cowl and/or Kumori are the ones who revive Dresden. Could be interesting.

 

I just realised something that I can't believe I'd missed.

Thomas is Ebenezar's grandson just as Harry is. Do you think McCoy knows?

 

I think McCoy doesn't know it, yet. It was mentioned that Dresden's mother disappeared for some time and noone knew where - we know it was time she lived with Lord Raith.

Besides, if McCoy knows about Thomas than he's a good actor as he is always hostile, untrustful at best, towards him.

 

McCoy did know where she was, even met the white king, hence Ortega knowing about the familial bond.

 

This. Was it Eb or someone else who asked is Thomas was feeding on Harry?

 

In Blood Rites, Lara assumes Thomas was feeding on Harry until she finds out they're brothers. Dunno about anybody else after that, though.

 

Elaine asked this Broken Chains by LittleChicago. Although I suppose it probably happened in the actual series somewhere as well.

 

Yeah, this.

 

I think Elaine at least assumed Harry was being fed upon in WN.

 

Does seem quite odd, but then again Harry might have been expecting it after what Thomas endured through the Skinwalker. He's back to being White Court predator numero uno and looking out for himself, whilst still caring for Harry just not as... carefree as he was doing before.

I guess when he hears it's Harry's kid, he's stunned because, well, he spent books ridiculing Harry for not being with a woman in god knows how long, till Lucio anyway. That and I figure neither of them expected to have kids, so Harry's either not realised what Thomas implied in a lax of... his usual logic, or it takes a few seconds for it to kick in by which time Thomas' agreed to help because of it being, well, his niece.

I think that made sense... I'd go back & re-read the scene for myself but i'm away from my Dresden series for a week so =\.

 

Margaret didn't 'map out' the Ways in the traditional sense. She traveled them so much she got a sense to their underlying connectedness. That alley beside the Blockbuster connects to the Mystic Swamp which can lead to Paris etc. This 'sense' of the Nevernever is what is in the gem, what was given to Dresden.

There's been a passage with the Eebs that's been bothering me for a long time..

Name us to the Circle. The Circle could mean the LorON's but it is also the BC's name for itself. If it is the BC they are referring too not only would this mean the BC's existance is far more known then it should be and that the Red King has some kind of membership in it. After Dresden wiped out the Red Court his murder would have been retaliation of the BC.

As well they are not of 'the first Maya'. Normally I'd assume they mean they are not of the first created, like the LotON or Arianna. But they also say they are interlopers. Red Court Vampires who are interlopers in the Red King's Court. Am I wrong in thinking the Eebs are Red Court not born of the Red King? I so the RC menace has been dealt a crippling blow but it is not destroyed.

 

The way the book was written - and for it to make sense at all - The Red King had to be the ultimate predecessor/ancestor to ALL Red Court. My take on that conversation is that the Eebs weren't from South America before they were turned, and the Red King wouldn't fully accept anyone not born to the Maya or their decendents as 'true' Red vampires.