Between Worlds, Between Lives

Kem, a legendary Hound, emerges from maternity leave to attend a high-society party, feeling both liberated and alien in her own skin. The city of Acantis is alive with politics and old rivalries, but Kem's mind is split between her new life as a mother and the thrill of her old work. The party is a rare chance to reconnect, but the boundaries between her identities blur. As she navigates the crowd, she's haunted by memories, longing, and the sense that something is not right. The world feels fragile, as if she's always on the edge of slipping into another reality—an Echo—where nothing is quite as it seems.

The Party and the Veil

The party is a microcosm of Acantis: powerful Elders, ambitious guilds, and dangerous undercurrents. Kem's old rival and complicated friend, Rika, is present, stirring up unresolved feelings and suspicions. The air is thick with political tension, and rumors swirl about a mysterious clock—an Echo relic—recently acquired by the hostess, Dona Marjorie. Kem's instincts as a Hound are on high alert, even as she tries to convince herself she's only here to relax. But the Veil between worlds is thin tonight, and the party is about to become the epicenter of something far stranger and deadlier than anyone expects.

Echoes and Old Wounds

Kem's uneasy reunion with Rika is fraught with unresolved pain from a past betrayal. Their banter is sharp, but beneath it lies longing and regret. As the party unfolds, Kem's Hound senses pick up on oddities: a strange beetle, a figure lurking in the garden, and the unsettling presence of the clock. The boundaries between reality and Echoes—alternate layers of the world—begin to blur. Old wounds are reopened, and the sense of impending disaster grows. The party's surface glamour hides a gathering storm, and Kem is drawn inexorably back into the work she can never truly leave behind.

Dangerous Guests Arrive

The party's fragile peace is broken when a guest collapses, poisoned by something not of this world. Panic spreads as more fall, and Kem's training takes over. The poison is traced to the wine, but it's no ordinary toxin—it's Echo magic, deadly and nearly impossible to cure. As guests die around her, Kem realizes she's one of the few left standing, spared only by her abstinence for her child's sake. The true threat is revealed: an Empyrean, a being of immense Echo power, has come to play a deadly game, and the party is now the board.

Poison in the Wine

As the poison claims more lives, Kem scrambles to find an antidote, but it's too late. The Empyrean's agent enters, and with a single stroke, the world is torn apart. Kem and the survivors are cast into an Echo—a reflection of reality—where the party begins anew, but with subtle, sinister differences. Only Kem remembers the deaths, the poison, and the horror. She must navigate this new layer, searching for allies and answers, as the rules of the game become ever more twisted and the cost of failure grows.

The Clock Strikes Odd

The grandfather clock, an Echo relic, is the axis around which reality spins. Each time it strikes, the world shifts to a deeper Echo, resetting the party and its guests, but only Kem retains her memories. She discovers that the Empyreans are using the convergence—a rare alignment of all Echoes—to play a contest of blood and power. Each Echo demands a sacrifice, a blood seal, to bind it to the year. Kem races to understand the rules, gather allies, and prevent the Empyreans from claiming victory and shaping the fate of the world.

Falling Through Echoes

With each toll of the clock, the party and its guests are plunged into deeper, more dangerous Echoes. The world grows more surreal and perilous, and the Empyreans' agents—monsters, assassins, and Echo-born horrors—hunt for their targets. Kem and Rika, now reluctantly allied, must navigate shifting dangers, unravel the Empyreans' schemes, and protect the innocent. The deeper they go, the more the Echoes reflect their own fears, desires, and regrets, forcing them to confront not only external threats but the wounds within themselves.

The Game of Empyreans

The true nature of the Empyreans' game is revealed: to name the crux year, shaping reality for a century to come, they must make blood seals in each Echo, each requiring the death of a specific guest. Kem and Rika realize they are not just pawns but potential players, their actions shaping the outcome. Allies are gathered—Pearson, Jaycel, Blair, and the enigmatic Clockmaker—but trust is fragile, and betrayal lurks. The Empyreans' power is overwhelming, but Kem's stubborn will and Rika's cunning offer a slim hope.

Blood Seals and Sacrifice

As the Echoes grow more dangerous, the sacrifices become more personal. Friends and innocents die, only to be restored in the next Echo, but the trauma lingers for Kem. Rika's secrets come to light: her connection to an Empyrean mother, her own Echo-born nature, and the depth of her feelings for Kem. The two women's bond is tested by betrayal, guilt, and the impossible choices the game demands. To save the party—and the world—someone must make the ultimate sacrifice.

Allies and Enemies Revealed

The last Echoes strip away all illusions. The true players are unmasked: Rai, the relentless Empyrean of conquest; Arhsta, the web-weaving manipulator; and Ylti, the childlike force of chaos. Kem and Rika must face not only their enemies but the truth of their own hearts. The final blood seal demands a death that will not be undone. In a moment of desperate love and courage, Rika sacrifices herself, forcing Kem to confront the meaning of hope, loss, and the power to shape the future.

The Empyrean Duel

With Rika dead and the world on the brink of annihilation, Kem faces Rai in a final, impossible duel. Drawing on every lesson, every scar, and every ounce of stubbornness, she fights not to win, but to buy time and protect what she loves. The battle is brutal, pushing her beyond her limits, but with the help of her friends and the last remnants of magic, she manages to cast Rai out, locking him beyond the Veil. The cost is nearly everything, but the world is given one last chance.

Naming the Year

With the clock tolling the final hour and the clouds of oblivion closing in, Kem is left with the power—and the burden—to name the crux year. Grieving, exhausted, and changed forever, she chooses hope. The world is remade, the dead restored, and the Empyreans thwarted, but the scars remain. Kem and Rika, both marked by their ordeal, are given a second chance—not just at life, but at love, family, and the possibility of healing.

Hope in the Crux

The party resumes, the city breathes again, and Kem returns to her daughter, forever changed. The Empyreans linger in the shadows, watching, but for now, the world is safe. Kem and Rika, united by pain and love, look to the future with cautious optimism. The lessons of the night—about sacrifice, resilience, and the power of hope—echo through every layer of reality. The crux year has begun, and with it, the promise that even in the darkest hour, hope endures.

No One Returns Unchanged

The survivors of the party are left to grapple with memories they cannot fully recall, haunted by dreams of blood and fire. Kem and Rika, the only ones who remember everything, carry the weight of what they've done and what they've lost. The city moves on, but nothing is quite the same. The boundaries between worlds have been tested, and the scars of the night linger in every shadow.

The Price of Protection

Kem returns home to her daughter, Emmi, her sense of self forever altered. The Clockmaker, an Echo of Emmi, offers a gift of protection, but Kem chooses to give it to her child rather than herself. The cost of hope is high, but it is a price she is willing to pay. The world is full of danger, but also of love, and Kem is determined to face whatever comes with open eyes and a fierce heart.

The Mother and the Hound

Kem and Rika, both wounded and wary, find solace in each other. Their relationship, forged in fire and blood, is fragile but real. Kem must balance her duties as a Hound with her responsibilities as a mother, learning to accept help and to trust in the bonds she has formed. The future is uncertain, but for the first time, she allows herself to hope.

The End Is a Beginning

As the city celebrates the turning of the year, Kem and Rika step into the unknown together. The Empyreans watch from the shadows, the Echoes whisper with possibility, and the world spins on. The last hour between worlds has passed, but the story is far from over. In the crux year of hope, anything is possible.

Characters

Kembral Thorne (Kem)

Kem is the heart of the story: a legendary Hound, renowned for her Echo retrievals and blink step magic, now struggling to reconcile her fierce independence with the vulnerability of new motherhood. Her relationships are complex—haunted by betrayal, longing, and the need to protect. Kem's psyche is a battleground between duty and desire, guilt and hope. Her journey is one of self-acceptance, learning to trust others, and discovering that true strength lies in embracing both her scars and her love. Her bond with Rika is the emotional core, fraught with pain and possibility.

Rika Nonesuch

Rika is Kem's equal and opposite: a Cat, master of secrets and illusions, shaped by trauma and the legacy of her Empyrean mother. Her wit and bravado mask deep wounds—abandonment, manipulation, and the fear of being unlovable. Rika's journey is one of reclaiming agency, choosing love over fear, and facing the darkness within and without. Her sacrifice is both an act of love and defiance, and her resurrection is a testament to her unique nature as Echoborn. Her relationship with Kem is a dance of trust, betrayal, and redemption.

Rai (Laughing As He Rises)

Rai is the primary antagonist: an Empyrean driven by the need to win, to shape the crux year in his image. His power is overwhelming, his presence both seductive and terrifying. Yet beneath his arrogance lies exhaustion, loneliness, and a desperate hunger for meaning. Rai's fixation on Vandelle as his anchor reveals his vulnerability, and his ultimate defeat is as much a tragedy as a victory. He embodies the dangers of unchecked ambition and the cost of never accepting loss.

Stars Tangled in Her Web (Arhsta)

Arhsta is the unseen hand behind many of the night's events, weaving webs of influence and pain. Her relationship with Rika is one of control and abandonment, shaping Rika's deepest fears and strengths. Arhsta's power is insidious, her motives enigmatic, but her presence forces Rika to confront her own identity and choose freedom over bondage. She represents the seductive danger of power without empathy.

The Clockmaker

The Clockmaker is a child Echo, a reflection of Kem's daughter, Emmi, shaped by the unique bond of a mother who blink stepped while pregnant. She is both innocent and wise, her creation of the clock a desperate act to protect those she loves. The Clockmaker's offer of protection to Kem is a poignant echo of the story's themes: the price of safety, the power of love, and the legacy we leave for those who come after.

Dona Marjorie Swift

Marjorie is a pillar of Acantis: warm, shrewd, and secretly the Fisher Queen, leader of the Echo relic smugglers. Her kindness is a form of strength, and her ability to navigate politics and danger is unmatched. Marjorie's support is crucial to Kem's survival, and her own secrets reveal the complexity of power in Acantis. She is a model of resilience, compassion, and the quiet force of women who hold the world together.

Tarchasia Vandelle

Vandelle is a Dockside Elder, driven by a fierce desire to reform the city and protect its vulnerable. Her ambition makes her the perfect anchor for Rai, but her conscience ultimately leads her to reject him, even at the cost of her life. Vandelle's arc is a meditation on the dangers of righteous anger, the seduction of power, and the courage to choose integrity over victory.

Jaycel Morningray

Jaycel is Kem's childhood friend, a Butterfly guild member whose wit and bravado mask deep loyalty and vulnerability. Her relationship with her sibling Blair is tender and protective, and her willingness to fight for her friends is unwavering. Jaycel's presence brings levity and heart to the story, and her near-death is a reminder of the stakes.

Blair Morningray

Blair is Jaycel's sibling, a newly sworn Raven with a magical Echo eye. Their innocence and curiosity are a counterpoint to the story's darkness, and their unique perspective is crucial to unraveling the mysteries of the Echoes. Blair's survival is a testament to hope, and their bond with Jaycel is a source of strength.

Pearson

Pearson is Kem's colleague, more comfortable with research than danger, but always ready to help. His persistence in trying to recruit Kem back to work is both a running joke and a reminder of the world outside the night's horrors. Pearson's survival and recovery are small victories in a story full of loss.

Plot Devices

The Convergence and the Echoes

The convergence is a cosmic event where all Echoes—alternate layers of reality—align, allowing for travel and influence between them. The party's descent through the Echoes, triggered by the clock, structures the novel as a series of escalating challenges, each Echo reflecting a different Moon and theme. This device allows for exploration of character, world, and the consequences of choice, as each layer strips away illusions and forces confrontations with truth.

The Blood Seal and the Naming of the Year

The Empyreans' game requires a blood seal in each Echo, binding the year to their will. The final act—naming the crux year—will shape reality for a century. This device raises the stakes from personal survival to the fate of the world, forcing characters to grapple with sacrifice, agency, and the meaning of hope. The blood seal is both literal and symbolic, representing the cost of change and the power of choice.

The Grandfather Clock

The clock is the axis around which the story turns, its chimes marking the transition between Echoes and resetting the world. It is both a source of danger and a tool of salvation, created by the Clockmaker to protect and to bind. The clock's crack, Kem's blood, and the embedded glass are all symbols of brokenness, resilience, and the possibility of healing.

Memory and Forgetting

Only Kem (and later Rika) retain memories across Echoes, creating dramatic irony and isolating them in their struggle. This device heightens the emotional stakes, as the cost of knowledge is loneliness and guilt. The restoration of the dead in each Echo is both a mercy and a curse, as the trauma accumulates for those who remember.

Empyrean Anchors and Agency

The Empyreans require mortal anchors to act in the world, making the contest as much about human agency as cosmic power. The anchors' choices—Vandelle's ambition, Rika's defiance—shape the outcome, emphasizing the theme that even the smallest actions can have world-altering consequences.

Analysis

Melissa Caruso's The Last Hour Between Worlds is a dazzling meditation on trauma, agency, and the power of hope in the face of cosmic indifference. By structuring the narrative as a descent through Echoes—each a distorted mirror of reality—the novel externalizes the psychological journey of its protagonist, Kem, and her allies. The convergence is both a literal and metaphorical crossroads, forcing characters to confront their deepest wounds and the consequences of their choices. The Empyreans, with their overwhelming power and insatiable need for anchors, embody the seductive danger of power without empathy, while the blood seal ritual interrogates the cost of change and the ethics of sacrifice. At its heart, the novel is about the resilience of the human spirit: Kem's refusal to give up, Rika's reclamation of agency, and the choice to name the year for hope rather than despair. The story's modern resonance lies in its exploration of motherhood, found family, and the necessity of accepting help and vulnerability. In a world where the boundaries between realities—and between people—are always shifting, Caruso suggests that the only way forward is together, with open eyes and open hearts. The last hour between worlds is not an ending, but a beginning.

Last updated: October 29, 2025