Hell Bent

The night before Halloween, Alex, Dawes, Mercy, Turner, and Tripp gather at Il Bastone. Mercy dresses formally to make a good impression. Alex reflects on the human desire for magic and how stories of magical worlds evoke a longing for the extraordinary, which can make people vulnerable to exploitation.

The group discusses their plan for the Sterling Library ritual. Mercy will be a sentinel while the others walk the Gauntlet together, fasting for six hours before. Dawes explains they will use “death words” for protection and salt armor for Mercy. She describes the ritual’s steps, including using blood to mark their path and the use of datura, a drug that loosens the soul’s connection to the physical world. They may encounter hallucinations or a falling sensation. The ritual carries risks, including something following them back from hell.

To bring back Darlington’s soul, they need to secure it in a vessel that needs to be precious to him. Alex believes that the thing they need is a keepsake box connected to Darlington’s longing for magic.

Alex and Mercy, feeling guilty for leaving Lauren during Halloween for the ritual, decorate their common room extravagantly as a form of penance.