I'm Barrow. Shade Barrow. And you better not get me killed. |
— Shade to Farley, Steel Scars |
Shade Barrow was the older brother of Mare Barrow. He was a newblood with the ability of teleportation.
Biography[]
Early History[]
Growing up in the Stilts, Shade always had lots of girls following him around. Like most Reds, when Shade turned eighteen he was conscripted to the Nortan army. Before being forced to leave his family, Shade gave Mare and Gisa a single pair of earrings to split as a parting gift, following the tradition of his older brothers.
Steel Scars[]
Sometime during his first year of military service, Shade was assigned to the Tower Legion, a support troop conscripted to Corvium, where he was an officer's aide. While in the army, Shade sent letters to his family whenever he could, albeit few and far between.
During Operation Red Web, Shade is part of the team led by Corporal Eastree to meet with a captain of the Scarlet Guard, Diana Farley. From then on, Shade becomes a spy for the Guard, working from inside the military fortress to gather intelligence, due to his privileged position as an aide of a high-ranking Silver.
When Shade learns that the Scarlet Guard's safe house is going to be attacked by Silvers, he warns Farley's team and they flee into the woods. During their escape, Shade uses his ability to teleport Farley to safety, revealing to her that he is a newblood. After proving he is a Red despite his ability, Shade is then officially oathed to the Scarlet Guard.
Shade continues working from Corvium until he discovers he is being transferred to the Storm Legion, battling on the front, because the Silvers found out what he was. Shade asks to meet with Farley in order to get out of Corvium, and is saved by Crance from execution and starvation in The Choke. The Mariner catches Shade stealing food but lets him, and they journey together from the Choke, eluding Security and the legions. After his escape, he meets with Farley in Rocasta and with the help of Corporal Eastree, they manage to fake Shade's death.
When Mare's newblood ability is revealed during Queenstrial and she is apprehended by the royal family, Shade and Farley begin to hatch a plan to save her.
Red Queen[]
Shade continues working with the Guard, secretly meeting with Diana numerous times to pass on messages, receive orders and share news about his sister, while the two of them grow closer. After the Guard finally manages to save Mare and Cal from being executed in the Bowl of Bones. Shade reunites with his sister, who had joined the Scarlet Guard to avenge his death. While still on the underground train, Shade fills Mare in on everything.
Glass Sword[]
Upon arriving at Naercey, the group is attacked and pursued by Maven Calore and the Nortan army. They manage to escape on a submarine, but Shade is injured protecting Mare. While recovering on the submarine's infirmary, Shade and Farley share a conversation about the status of their relationship, the future of newbloods and Mare in the Scarlet Guard, and the repercussions of their failed mission in Archeon.
After their arrival in Tuck Island, Shade, Farley and Kilorn rescue Mare and Cal who had been imprisoned by Colonel Farley. They flee the island and relocate to the Notch, which they used as the base for their mission to recruit newbloods. Shade aids with the more tactical side of the rebellion, playing a large role in the formulation and execution of plans. He is part of several missions, including the one in Harbor Bay where they are betrayed by Crance, and then Shade gets attacked by the Seaskulls. Meanwhile, he and Farley develop a romantic relationship and Farley gets pregnant with Shade's child.
After their encounter with the seer Jon, Shade is part of the volunteer group that raids Corros Prison to rescue the Silvers and newbloods imprisoned by Maven. The attack is successful and they manage to free the prisoners. While the group and the prisoners are retrieving, Shade manages to jump several people to the air jets to flee. However, when Shade attempts to jump Mare to safety, he is killed, struck in the heart by one of Ptolemus Samos's deadly needles, which had been intended for Mare.
The group transports his body to the air jet, where Farley kneels over his corpse, holding his hand. She is devastated by Shade's death as is his sister, Mare. Back in Tuck Island, a funeral is held for Shade, where his family and Farley are present. His friend Kilorn, does not attend the ceremony, unable to bear it.
Shade's daughter, Clara Farley-Barrow, is born sometime later and even though he never gets to meet her, Mare notes that he must have known about her.[1]
Personality[]
Shade was caring, patient and intelligent. He was able to see through people's manipulations and lies because he himself could be very sly and manipulative. He also had a good sense of humor. Mare remembered him the most fondly out of all her brothers because he was the only one who didn't bully her, and who attempted to understand her. He didn't always get along with his older brothers because they picked on him for his smaller size. He was incredibly loyal and refused to leave the side of the people he loved even when things got dangerous. Shade was very trustworthy and was a consistently nice person. He tried to rationalize the decisions made by others. Shade was smart and the only member of the Barrow family who was able to write "worth a lick".
Physical Description[]
Shade had honey-colored eyes, brown hair and gold skin. He was tall, though not quite as tall as his older brothers, with a lean frame. Mare described Shade as always being the "handsome one" of the Barrow brothers. Before his conscription, Shade had shoulder-length hair.
Abilities[]
Shade had the mutation that granted him a Silver-like ability despite having Red blood. Shade was a teleporter, meaning he could "jump" other people and objects as long as he was touching them. He could only teleport certain objects and certain amounts of people, depending on size, weight, and amount.
Relationships[]
Diana Farley[]
- I'll follow my captain wherever she goes. - I told you, Barrow, I won't be your captain much longer. - I'll still follow you. (...) - Maybe I want to follow you too. |
Shade and Diana Farley first met during Operation Red Web and Farley remained his contact in the Scarlet Guard. During a Silver attack on the Scarlet Guard's safe house, Shade fled with Farley into the woods and used his ability to teleport her to safety, revealing to her that he was a newblood. Farley was convinced that Shade was a Silver at first and turned on him. Shade told her to cut him, proving his blood is red. Realizing that Shade was on her side after all, Farley officially oathed him to the Scarlet Guard.
The two of them were attracted to one another almost since the beginning and Diana helped him forge his death to save him from execution. Shade continued secretly meeting Diana numerous times to pass on messages, receive orders and share news about his sister, while the two of them grew closer. Eventually Shade started finding excuses to meet with her, so that they could spend more time together, until one day Farley ordered him to kiss her and they began a mainly physical relationship.
After the assault on Naercey, Diana and Shade talked about their feelings for each other on their way to Tuck Island. She tried to keep him safe and stayed by his side. They then developed a romantic relationship during their time recruiting newbloods, after escaping to the Notch, where Diana got pregnant with Shade's child. Diana was emotionally crushed when Shade was killed during the battle of Corros Prison and stayed by his corpse. She then attended his funeral and gave birth to their daughter, Clara.
Mare Barrow[]
Shade was Mare's favorite brother. He never bullied Mare, unlike their brothers, and attempted to understand her. Shade was very loyal to Mare and stayed always by her side, using his ability to protect her whenever he could, refusing to leave her side even when faced with danger. He was injured in Naercey when he stepped in front of bullets to protect her and then died trying to save her in Corros Prison. Mare was devastated by his brother's death, which left a hole in her that could never be filled.
Trivia[]
- Shade was conscripted on February 2, 319 NE.
- Shade died on November 7, 320 NE. He was buried on November 8, 320 NE.
- Mare names her son, Shade Calore, in honor of him.[1]