A Little Legendborn/Bloodmarked/Oathbound Nick Davis Top 15 Moments
Oathbound Spoilers Ahead!!!
Well, well, well. It appears we have finally made it to the Nick Davis portion of my series! I guess Tracy wanted to quiet the voices that said Nick was boring and only smelled like laundry. I have to say, in book three, Nick came with that energy. Bust right through the door and let you “Study him” before letting you know that he is not the one or the two.
The chaotic Gemini/Incubus is a tough act to follow, but Nicky did NOT come to play.
As a refresher, I’ll take you through Legendborn and Bloodmarked to the delicious yearning and heartstoppers of Oathbound. Happy reading.
15. Calling Bree by Her Whole “Gubment” Name
“Briana Irene Matthews! I freeze, then pivot slowly to look for the sort of asshole who calls out someone’s full name in public to get their attention.”
I love this moment because, upon rereading it in the context of what we now know, it left so many delectable clues to Nick’s character. First of all, he is bold. This is the child who denounced his throne and gave the proverbial middle finger to his father and the Order, but it also lets us peek into what he will become.
“I found out when your last class ended. Made a guess as to when you’d hit dinner, then estimated how long it’d take for you to get through the buffet line in Lenoir, find a table, and eat at that hour of the day. All I had to do was show up and wait outside the exit closest to Old East.”
This gives us a glimpse into how cunning Nick can be and how innately calculated he is. He later hits us with, “Not a creep, just clever.” He will later go on to show us how clever he can be.
“Using the momentum of his next step, Nick throws a fast, hard punch to Sel’s jaw. The hit knocks the sorcerer back into the same oak that stunned the fox…”
“You know I can’t strike you in return.”
“In a voice made of iron, Nick says, ‘Precisely.’”
At this point in Legendborn, Nick had been attacked more than once and had been getting his ass handed to him. It was clear that he and Selwyn had a rift, but this was a show of force. A reminder, not just for Sel, but anyone else who meant to harm Bree. It also showed the imbalance of power between the two. For all of Sel’s outright disdain, this showed cracks in the mask of congeniality that Nick wore so expertly.
13. Nick Selects Bree as His Squire
“I, Nicholas Martin Davis, Scion of King Arthur Pendragon, first-ranked select Page Matthews, as my Squire. With her agreement, we will be bonded. For this war and beyond.”
Again, if Nick is nothing else, he is BOLD. I saw this as another proverbial middle finger laced with “F@%K all y’all!” The fact that he knew the tightly wound Vassels, Order folk, and some Legendborn did not like the idea of Blackness being so close to power made this moment gleeful. Of course, like Bree, he didn’t think it through, but he was ready to risk it all, come what may, as long as he had her by his side to do it. It was a moment that let the masks slip off of these puddle-deep spectators, showing that they never cared about the people, only the power and what they could siphon from being close to it.
“Nick’s head jerks up, eyes red and shiny with grief and fury both. ‘No, you aren’t.’ In an instant, full armor flashes into place around his body, and twin blades appear in his hands. Max lunges. Faster than a Merlin, Nick’s crossed blades meet his opponent’s throat, then part–cleaving Max’s head from his body.”
“Daaaaamn!” is what I shouted when I read this. I am sure like most, I grew tired of Max and his brand of asshole. He had it coming in so many ways and I was glad that Nick was the one to give it to him. I also enjoyed how Nick has found what I like to call the “End you” point. The neck. In Oathbound, he chokes the shit out of his cousin for suggesting Bree stole his destiny.
“You choked me! Donovan croaks. He rubs at his throat while I search internally for remorse for my own actions.”
Then there is this moment with Zoe.
“‘These blades are razor-sharp and about a quarter inch from your jugulars.’ Nick’s voice is calm and deadly above me. ‘All they need is a little push.’ When I look up, I find Zoe’s red eyes glaring down at me from between Nick’s glowing aether swords. He is on one knee between us, arms up, holding the sharp edges of his blades in a tight cross beneath her throat.”
First of all the way he does not play about Bree is top tier, and secondly, this has become his move! At first, his own brutality scared him, then he decided “I like this shit!” I won’t get into the symbolism of going for the neck and the mind-body connection, but I will say that he also kisses Bree here, often.
11. Nick Flees (Goes Trouncing Through the Woods) Cue @paigeagainstdamachine
“The opening is here, now. Sel and Nick turn back to each other, eyes meeting again. Then some unspoken, silent understanding passes from charge to Kingsmage, and Sel sucks in a breath. ‘No…’”
“Nick takes one step back. Then another. And then I’m saying it, too. ‘No.’ He shakes his head, and the meaning is clear. He’s leaving. Without us.”
This moment stressed me out! I knew that Nick had to be leaving for good reason. Especially after telling Bree where they were. What we know now is that he saw Selwyn’s death at the hands of Erebus, and he was not having it. It was such a tense moment because we finally had them all together, but I know Nick is a play it close to the vest type of dude. He won’t show his hand until he needs to and this moment shows how far he is willing to go to protect those he loves.
10.Nick Goes After Bree in Arthur’s Fresh Hell
“‘No!’ Lancelot’s helmet is gone now. I can see the scruff on his chin now, the dark blonde hair matted in sweat against his forehead. ‘I can’t lose you; I won’t lose her…’”
This scene in Bloodmarked is one of those that is so hard for me to go back to. The pain and willing sacrifice from both boys do me in. I am a sucker for devotion and reverence and unwavering love. Nick is literally holding her as she continues to try to burn him away while Sel consumes her Root, knowing the outcome. This moment stings! It shows that they are willing to go to the ends of the earth for Bree, but it also shows Nick’s love and care for Sel. He is ever-present in his mind, and though their relationship has been tumultuous, you can begin to see how Nick is letting that mask of resentment slip. He says,
“‘We had faith,’ he says quietly. ‘That you’d know how to get us all out safely.’”
Bree describes his voice as a bond that encapsulates all three of them, and he describes the world being broken, essentially if the three of them were not in it together.
9. Nick Invokes the Curia
“No, I don’t think I will listen here,’” Nick says brightly. "In fact, I think you will listen to what I have to say. Every single word.”
When I say this was a boss move, and the fact that it pissed off the Regents? De-lish! In moment 15 I talked about how cunning Nick was, and I thought this was a full realization of just how cunning he could be. He used the structure of evil against itself and to read how it pissed them all off (Cestra in particular) filled me with joy. Plus, the fact that he was talking cash money shit to all of them, making them face themselves, was epic.
“Your supremacy," Nick says, brows tight. ‘Your misogyny. Your racism. Your cowardice.’”
I just know ass cheeks were clenched! Especially Aldrich (whom I hope Bree personally destroys and makes good on her words). Nick worked overtime to use his power and privilege to make the Regents bend to him.
“Nick scoffed. ‘Sel can hit me if it’s done in the name of 'training.’ William, you know that. He can do more than hit me if he’s been brainwashed to believe that hitting me is for my own good or praised for 'preparing' his Scion for battle. My father knew the way to Sel’s heart–and fists—was to tell him that sometimes, protection looked like violence. That was the only language Sel knew for a while. Until I renounced my title and we both learned better.”
This was another difficult scene to read. These kids have been so abused that even Willilam, with everything laid out for him, had a hard time believing his cousin would participate in such cruelty. It shows how Sel was used as a battle axe, crushing Nick in the name of duty and training. It shows how the machine of hate and power is fueled by the bodies of the young and vulnerable. It also shows that Nick is not okay. He is the veneer for the Order. He looks the part, and it does not matter to them if they break him in the process. They probably think that makes him a more formidable warrior. We saw that his father was willing to force his hand if he did not agree with his plan. The problem is, they did not count on Nick’s goodness and heart, which is hard to fathom when you have neither.
7. Nick Learns About His Inheritance
“The enhanced vision can’t be predicted or stopped. The first thing to know is that ‘vision’ is a complicated word. It’s both something you can possess and something you can receive. Something you use and something you create…”
While Donovan was a PhD level asshole, he was dropping knowledge about Lancelot’s abilities because that is what he prepared for. It was a treat to learn the inner workings of how Nick sees in the dark so to speak. That his vision is tailored to meet his King, a holy weapon in an earthly hand as it is called. It’s information such as this that lets us in on everything Nick has done in the prior two books. It explains his understanding, his running away, his rage. We see him move with much more confidence in this book because he is learning and honing his skills (as they all are), and I am here for it!
“But when anger touches Nick, it only hardens his resolve. ‘You need to walk away, Valechaz. Now.”
“That so.’” Valec’s chin tips up, exposing glinting fangs beneath the stage lights. ‘Nicholas?'”
“Lightning flashes in Nick’s eyes. ‘A soul to kill and die for, right?’”
Well, shit! I adore Valec, but Nick said, “Not too much na!” Valec understood the assignment, and because he is also with the shits, he recognized his error and needed to step out (that made me chuckle). This is Nick’s Fuck around if you want to, era and ANYONE can get it. Nick is not one to raise his voice and rant and rave, but he has the quiet kind of rage that the well-versed in it see coming and promptly get out of the way. It is the Nick that Will saw clearly at the Curia and it scared him because he understood that this Nick would scorch the earth.
“I send a fiery fist flying to his face, a deadly, root-powered right hook perfected from sparring with Elijah–and he catches it—God, he’s fast—grunting with the effort. Before I can jerk my fist away, he takes a slow breath—and the flames of my right hand disappear.”
The Mission Impossible vibes of this scene were palpable. One spy comes in to steal the precious object while being thwarted by another spy hell bent on doing the same. It was a far cry from Bree describing him as the newly recruited secret agent (even though he low-key was for Ava’s funky ass) at the Selection Gala. This scene shows how Nick’s precision combat and brute force made him vicious in a tight space. When he punched Bree in the face, I winced. I did however see the parallel of him kissing her in the elevator and avoiding her injury to when he did the same after they dispatched hounds on campus in Legendborn. He is attuned to her body as Sel is attuned to her essence (soul).
“‘I…’” Nick steps closer. He searches my face, torment pulling at his features. His gaze claims my brows, my eyes, my lips. When he finally answers, his voice is a desperate rasp. ‘I’m drowning in you, Bree. I shouldn’t want to. I should fight it. But I can’t.’”
Lawd have mercy! My God, Tuhday! Why did Ms. Deonn make these dudes mannish! When I was this age, not one boy spoke this way, and if they did…I suppose that is a story for another day. The yearning is strong with this one! The tension here is pulled tighter than day one cornrows. I honestly don’t know how either boy was able to maintain, but the fact that he and Bree are playing married couple in this shared space is wild. His resolve is ironclad, but so is his respect for Bree (who is with the shits). The want, the desire, the heat…Tracy ain’t no good!
“There, right at his breastbone, lies a small black fragment of metal no more than two inches long. Surrounding it is a layer of blue crosshatched magic.”
Nick revealing this arrangement with Ava was heart-sinking. He is determined to not have Bree feel the sting of Arthur’s possession again and made a huge leap to try and thwart it. He made a bargain and did not sort out the ways it could be harmful. He is not necessarily concerned with himself, but the impact to Bree and Sel. The ache from him saying that essentially, because Sel is in “Demonia” his loss will not hurt as much. The thought that he sat with this and thought about the impact without truly internalizing the hurt had me shaking my head. The implication is that this is a journey that he will need to take on his own. He says,
Followed by “Not for this,” in reference to Bree reminding him that it’s “You and me.”
The parallel to the Firefly scene where Sel also utters “Not for this,” in reference to not trusting Bree to keep her eyes covered. The through-line of a character doing or not doing something that would call into question their logic and trust regarding their decisions. The way these three are willing to fall on the sword for each other is a painful reality that all of them have readily faced. I can’t wait to see how this unfolds in the last book.
“When I finally whisper, ‘And if I want to burn it all to the ground?’ His answer is a quick grin against my lips. ‘My blade is yours.’”
The heat of the rooftop scene almost set my book ablaze. Almost melted my earbuds and fused them to my eardrums. Excuse me?! Considering that Nick and his clever hands had Bree rolling her hips and doing the dutty wine on his lap, this line was bathed in innuendo. The fact that his voice is described as a warning in this scene, like, are you sure? Because I am going to give you what you need right now. His focus on her throat, that mind-body connection,
“Nick paints reverence across my throat and seals wonder to my mouth.”
This scene was a culmination of him holding back, but giving Bree what she needed in the moment, what she asked for. He puts on full display his control of himself and his tenderness. He gives room for her be vulnerable, he listens to what she wants, he gives her space to think. He operates in her want, her desire. Come on, then Davis!
Look at you, you made it to my number one Nick moment. I hope you are okay! The scene at Penumbra when Nick takes on not only his questions but Bree’s had me taking a walk after I read it. When Mikael asks if he suspected something more than friendship with Sel, Nick says,
“I don’t think it; I know it.”
Nick says this through clenched teeth, from the fight to resist the demon and his feelings. When Mikael asks him how it makes him feel, he says,
“Relief, our lives are hard. Short. They both deserve happiness where they find it. Heartache. Because I don’t know what or how I’ll feel if…if their happiness is found with each other.”
When Mikael asks why he is not angry with Bree/Iris, he says,
“Because she is worthy. And while I have lost my faith in the world…I never lose faith in her.”
Nick lays himself bare in this chapter. The confession of knowing that she and Sel share an intimacy, a love (even if it is not named as such from her), a closeness and that he would be willing to accept that if they decided to take it further was like Mikael took that dagger to my chest. Sel also does this in the woods when Bree kisses him. He stops her and basically says he does not want her like this, especially if the three of them have not talked.
They not only prioritize Bree, but they prioritize each other. Though I know the two of them would internally melt if she chose one over the other, nobel shit aside, I love how Nick and Sel love each other. He reveals he ran into the woods because he saw Sel’s death. In Legendborn (shoutout @justbrainrot), he decided to answer Arthur’s call because he saw Rhaz hit Sel, possibly causing his death.
It is the love he has inside of him that wraps Bree and Sel in its safety. Loving people that deeply is a bond older than anything the Order can fathom. It is something the Shadow King cannot relate to, which is why his court is in shambles. It is the connective tissue that will see them defeat the Regents, the Order, and the deadbeat Shadow Daddy.
They won’t know what hit them.
Whew! You made it to the end! That was a hell of a ride, wasn’t it? What are some of your favorite moments from Mr. Davis?
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