I also think Leanansidhe.

She gains power by doing what she does, which is unlocking creative potential at the cost of shortened life.

I've thought a lot about the shadows, and I think what's supposed to happen is that they are re-absorbed by the parent when the coin is taken up. They're an imprint that is to be over-written or returned to the host.

If Leanansidhe works similarly, then what she does is put a seed of herself in a mortal that unlocks their potential by hardwiring in skills they'd otherwise need years of study to unlock, and the shadow grows in said mortal until mommy comes along and reabsorbs it, growing stronger by what the "father" has put into the child. Perhaps the birth of the spirit is what kills the host?

Furthering that analogy, if Bob was safely delivered, his fear of Mab would come down to his being simply too powerful. If Leanansidhe reabsorbed him, she'd grow too strong too quickly, and throw the Courts into turmoil. Amusingly, it would also- if Leanansidhe can track Bob- provide a way for her to have protected Harry's old home- her link to her "child." Perhaps she gets info from Bob.

As to the father- whoo boy! Rashid's old enough. Vadderung and Lea have a bit of something alluded to at Chicken Itza (wouldn't that be a crazy twist!) Assuming Bob's original knowledge of magic is derived from his parents, his knowledge of faith magic and the Knights is, IIRC, a bit sketchy but his knowledge of the Winter Fae pretty extensive. I'd lean towards one of those.

I also really hope Lea drops a line about liking her men- and women- best at 27.

I've posted this before, but I think the answer is that all magic has backlash- that is, it makes you more capable of duplicating a feat.

So it is less older wizards are stronger, and more they have less internal resistance to whatever they've already done.

Hence black magic backlash- it takes less energy to do the same.

And since magic is, to some extent, directing your feelings, ta da.

Example: If killing someone takes anger, magic used to kill shortens your fuse and increases your anger response

Edit: Also why older wizards are so resistant to mind tampering. They've crystallized, for want of a better term

I disagree, I think it was about mantles.

The WK was involved as summoned by Mab, and the Warden of Demonreach volunteered to bind the Titan. When the squid-things attacked, the Za-Lord of the Little Folk joined the battle; in acknowledgement of support his Guard was armed as befitting their service.

I think this is why Mab smiled at Harry when he said he'd handle it. I really do think the Za-Lord is a minor mantle of the Wyldfae, independent of Harry's other identities.

Essentially I am saying: Harry was not Harry, Harry was the mantle at the same.

You could view that I was arguing that the burn was the Faithsabre sending the mantle into brief remission, restoring Harry's ability to choose- since apparently he's the fulcrum, as the seer said in book 1. The Council may be blind to it, Mab and Vadderung may have guessed- but Uriel would *know*.

Burn=antithesis of ice, after all

Pretty sure they're asexual, and the Tor's a building

Lara is Thomas's mother figure, in addition to big sister and partner in the Oblivion War.

I see him going the "last naked woman you'll ever see" route and being bad at it.

I don't think he gave him to Butters so much as Butters inherited him when Harry "died."  It seems like now that Butters is a Holy Knight that he gave Bob back to Harry at some point.  Not sure just when, but Harry tells Molly that he is having Bob go over the castle at the end of Battle Ground.  Sounds like Bob is back with him, or maybe he and Butters have worked out an arrangement to share.  Remember Bob liked the amenities that Butters provided for him, the internet not old prone novels like he got when he lived with Harry.

Implication is that Bob has total recall, and knowledge translates directly into power for him- we're not just talking knowing how to throw fireballs lets him throw fireballs, how hard he throws fireballs is increased when he reads a new biology textbook. A year or two with unfettered high-speed 'Net access 24/7 when Butters doesn't need him, and Bob is now rather terrifying if you think about it. The Archive gets that upgrade axiomatically- but Bob's probably downloading as fast as he can.

I think giving Bob to Butters.

Bob's metaphysical mass is knowledge driven, giving him broadband allows access to the same kind of power explision the Archive has undergone in the digital age.

And it is married to no human conscience or morality