Is Kaine really a Love-Interest Traitor?
At the end of Chapter 12, Mara, the Mistress of Deceit reveals that Kaine was on the wraith's side all along. There are two possible outcomes where Kaine remains a love interest (and, unfortunately, one where they really were a villain and not a love interest):- Mara is lying to discredit Kaine (she is the Mistress of Deceit, after all).
- Kaine initially started out as a Fake Defector from the Wraith King, but after spending time with Willow and her sisters, they underwent a Fake–Real Turn and genuinely wanted to leave the Wraith King (to the point that they began regaining their human memories). Whether Willow will forgive Kaine or not is up to them, but if Kaine remains a villain, then unfortunately it's another single love interest book with Rainer as the only love interest and Kaine as a "not-meant-to-be" love interest that's actually a villain (much like Rowan from The Phantom Agent, since like TPA, Kindred isn't explicitly stated to be single LI).
- The truth is revealed in Chapter 13; Kaine was initially a Fake Defector before changing their mind and wanting to be with Willow for real. Not that it stops Willow and her coven from feeling hurt and betrayed, of course.
Kaine will redeem themself and join Willow's side for good
In Chapter 13, despite Kaine initially plotting against Willow before genuinely wanting to be on her side, Willow is still hurt and betrayed and sends Kaine away. The description for Chapter 15 mentions Willow receiving help from "an unlikely ally". There's a good chance of said ally being Kaine, who wants to redeem themself however they can, much like Ayna from Foreign Affairs. Kaine will help Willow save her family, and Willow will realise that Kaine really has changed for the better and rekindle their friendship and/or romance.- Almost certainly confirmed in Chapter 15, unless Kaine pulls a double Face–Heel Turn in the final chapter.
Will the book be a standalone?
Since the second half of 2022, only one book has been confirmed to be getting a sequel (and even then, it's more of a spinoff). The only VIP early access book with multiple love interests to get a sequel is currently Immortal Desires (which only got a sequel because Pixelberry was swayed by the fans), and it looks as if Kindred won't be a single-LI story, since the events of Chapter 15 prove that Kaine is almost certainly a love interest and not a Romantic False Lead. If the story is a standalone, the Morrigan sisters will defeat the Wraith King and live happily ever after. If it gets a sequel, the Wraith King's defeat will spark the coming of an even greater threat (much like Kane in The Elementalists, the Empire of Ash in Blades of Light & Shadow, and The Eclipse in The Cursed Heart).- Kindred has been confirmed as a standalone as of August 28, 2023.
If the book is a standalone, Willow and/or her sisters can die in the final chapter if too many wrong choices are made
The description of Chapter 16 asks "Can you defeat the Wraith King and save the world, or will your powers be absorbed in the process?" If the book really is a standalone, it could be a shake-up of the usual formula; the protagonists potentially dying at the end if the wrong choices are made hasn't been seen since the It Lives series, and it would be interesting to see again.- On August 28, 2023, the book has been confirmed as a standalone. Whether the main characters live or die based on their choices remains to be seen.
- Jossed. They survive and destroy the Wraith King no matter what.
