Impact Winter · Audible Originals

Episode 8. She Knows

September 5, 2024·38 min·3 clips

Felix realizes he can use vampire powers on a shade, changing everything he thought he knew.

This episode follows the vampire queen Dasha and her human preceptor Felix as they investigate a recent assassination attempt and deepening court conspiracies. Dasha, grappling with her mysterious connection to the original Queen, and Felix, navigating vampire politics, seek proof of who is targeting them. Their primary suspect is the powerful council member Vedusia, the Queen's former wife. Felix infiltrates Vedusia's heavily monitored residence to obtain security footage, using his new, unexplained psychic abilities to subdue her majordomo, Cyprian Budge. Dasha simultaneously distracts Vedusia with a tense, intimate dinner at the palace, exploiting the vampire's lingering love for the Queen. The recovered footage shows Vedusia's scion, Giselle, arriving just after Felix was attacked, only for Vedusia to later execute her with a knife to eliminate witnesses. The episode also explores Dasha's "mad theory" that she and the original Queen are two halves of a single goddess, which would explain her unique powers and memories. A subplot involves the vampire Kershan, whose expedition logs show a suspicious, unaccounted-for month-long gap, as reported by the courtier Yor. In a major twist, Kershan confronts Dasha and Felix in their bunker, revealing she knows their secret: the Queen is not dead but in a magical sleep, and Dasha has found her resting place. The most surprising moment is Vedusia looking directly into the security camera after killing her own scion, as if aware she is being watched. Felix's discovery that he can psychically influence other vampires marks a significant shift in his capabilities. Dasha's use of borrowed memories and seduction to manipulate Vedusia reveals the psychological complexity of her deception. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with Kershan's declaration that she has known the truth all along, fundamentally changing the power dynamic. The tone is suspenseful and gothic, blending intimate character drama with a tense political thriller. The style is heavily narrative, driven by dual plots of a heist and a dangerous seduction, all underscored by supernatural mystery. Listeners who enjoy atmospheric horror, complex court intrigue, and morally grey characters will love this episode. Those who prefer straightforward action or are uncomfortable with themes of psychological manipulation and implied intimacy might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A queen's lie turns intimate, poisonous, and hard to put down.

A failed staking, a queen who may only be asleep, and a room full of pretense give this episode its charge. The dialogue keeps moving from teasing to menace without losing its edge, so even the lighter exchanges carry weight.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a queen, a trap, and a lie that might still be true, press play.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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