The Britchannia Library Presents: One Dark Window Part 1

Transcript

Speaker: Welcome to the Britannia Library. we are your librarians, Brittany and Chandler. Every week we will be recapping and discussing our current read, anything from the latest trends to longtime favorites.

Speaker: Depending on our selection, we'll cover it over multiple episodes, so be sure to stick around to hear the full story. We have started our next read, One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig.

Speaker: This is book one of the Shepard King duology. Spoiler alert, we will be discussing what happens in the book. If you wish to read along, this book is already broken into three parts. Part one we'll cover through chapter 14. You're welcome to read and come back to listen to our thoughts or follow along as we discuss now.

Speaker: And we do want to give a bit of a PG-13 warning here for foul language and mature themes throughout book. And speaking on that, the trigger warnings mental health, parental abandonment, and child neglect.

Speaker: murder poisoning violence death and gore yeah so we start with part one the cards so chapter one each chapter starts with like a little card yeah i take a little card that has a little like rhyme on ah That gives you a little bit of insight into this world.

Speaker: And like what kind of the chapter brings. It's like a little bit. little bit, kind of. So where we kind of summarize the cards for each chapter. And so on the first one, we learn of an infection that comes as a fever and can cause the infected person's veins to turn black.

Speaker: So interesting. So Elspeth, our main character, is shoved out of a window at nine years old. What a way to start. What a way to start. Push an eye on a lot of window. okay When the physicians arrive at her aunt's house and her aunt directs her to hide in the woods as this was done to protect her.

Speaker: Yeah, I kind of sense it's like a protecting mood. So she runs to the woods, but when she had fallen from the window been pushed, she had hit her head. So she kind of is like struggling to make it to the tree line. And there's a voice in her head that urges her on, but she ends up fainting.

Speaker: before she actually reaches the trees. And she actually kind of says, like, she thinks it's a dream, but she knows that you don't dream when you faint. um And she feels the mist kind of gather around her and like in her.

Speaker: And then just feels this excruciating pain and screams. um She feels the pain in her arms and everything and looks down and sees black veins. But suddenly she wakes under an alder tree inside the tree line with paint in her hands.

Speaker: Interesting. It's like, yeah. Yeah. And her palms are all scratched and her nails are broken and bloody and the earth around her is disturbed. And Elizabeth shares that this was the first time she stopped fearing the voice in her head, the nightmare, as we learn, who's been with her for 11 years.

Speaker: And now we go back to the present day and Elizabeth meets up with her cousin, Ione, at the edge of the town, Blunder. They wander through the market, admiring merchant stalls as Elspeth kind of regards her cousin.

Speaker: She kind of just reflects on how her cousin Ioni is real. And she just kind of, that she shares her emotions freely while Elspeth is definitely more anxious and keeps her feelings hidden.

Speaker: She's way more cautious. Yeah. I mean, she has to be. Obviously. So Elspeth loves Ione's emotional support, especially on days like today, ah when they're going to visit Elspeth's family at the Spindle House, since it's her name day.

Speaker: Interesting. So the nightmare speaks up as Elspeth admires Ione, and we learn that no one knows what the infection did to her, despite her aunt protecting her during the fever. Right.

Speaker: Once the fever had passed, her aunt declared that the infection gave her no magic and... That was it. No magic. and Okay. Cool. So she's drawn back to the present when they hear a woman's screams and see her being taken taken away by the King's elite soldiers known as Destriers after they reveal the black veins on her arms.

Speaker: ah So taking her away. This kind of gave me like flashbacks to Took her as a moth with a lace. Yes. With the scar marks. Yep.

Speaker: So they rush to spend the spindle house and she admires the spindle tree in the courtyard next to a smaller white-winged tree. I like it. I love all the trees and all the nature in this book. i that's ah That's a really big basis in this is the Yeah.

Speaker: In the spirit of the wood and all that. We'll get to that. but So at the door, they're greeted by her father's butler, Balian. I think it's Balian, actually. Who leads them to the parlor where we meet Elspeth's stepmother, Miriam.

Speaker: Who doesn't like her. And her two half-sisters, Demia and Naya. And it's kind of seemed like they are like okay with her. Yeah, Demia and Naya don't really have a problem with Elspeth. They kind of treat her like a sister.

Speaker: yeah but it's still like a farce it's not like the close bond and they're also far apart in age so yeah super close they're like teenagers yeah and she's like 20. yeah 9 plus 11 20 math is nothing yeah she's 20.

Speaker: So Miriam actually insults the memory Elspeth's mother by hating the flowers that are left in the room. Yeah, they're irises and her mom's name was Iris. Yeah. So she and her twins also then begin to talk about the upcoming Equinox Festival, which will be held at the castle, the king's castle called Stone.

Speaker: Yes. uh and elspeth hasn't attended an equinox festival in some time yeah apparently there was like an incident well the incident was at last year's and she was like oh i don't know what happened because i haven't been there oh that's right yeah it was something with like prince hoth using his car yeah to like um i mess with people Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right.

Speaker: Mm-hmm. the nightmare in Elspeth's head allows her to see the well card growing from Eric Spindle's pocket as he approaches the realm. Mm-hmm. The well card, which is one of the 12 Providence cards, grants the Bits Bearer magic.

Speaker: Mm-hmm. That card was given to Eric as a dowry from Elspeth's mother's family. Interesting. So Eric gives Elspeth Yaro, ah yeah I will say that wrong, Yaro flowers and Miriam kind of comments on it, but Eric kind of puts in her place. I love it.

Speaker: Yeah. He was like, can I not create my daughter in my own home? Yeah. Take that. Yeah. So they're summoned to dinner, and as they leave the parlor, Miriam grabs Elizabeth's arm and demands that she not attend Equinox, despite her father's wishes due to an incident with a boy at a previous celebration. This was what I was referencing. Yeah. That incident. Yeah, that incident. Because that's why she was like, I don't want you to go because you're just going to cause drama.

Speaker: But her dad wants her to go. yeah Get over it. Yeah, she's like, obviously you're not. and She's like why obviously? So near him also reminds her that the Hawthorns are paid to take care of her and she's supposed to stay away from court.

Speaker: Hurt by those comments, Elspeth decides to leave early, waiting until she's outside to kind of let it all out and cry because i mean that hurts like hearing your aunt's family is being paid which she like at this point she knew but it still hurts to hear i mean her aunt didn't take her in for money and she knows that which obviously means something but still yeah easy that sucks So she actually ends up having kind of a mental conversation with the Nightmare, who thought that she should have stayed since leaving is basically letting Miriam win. I will say, we talked about this a little bit, but the Nightmare gives Taryn from Fourth Wing vibes. Yes.

Speaker: Yes. He is definitely sassy. He has his own thoughts. I also love, by the way, in this book, whenever the nightmare b speaks, he speaks in rhymes. He speaks like it's very poetic. And so just reading it.

Speaker: And riddles. It's so pretty to read. I love it. It's very pretty book. Yeah. But Elspeth kind of just feels that her father doesn't truly want her there since he'd sent her away so long ago.

Speaker: i mean, true and fair. I can see that. She ends up killing time sitting by the river. She's like clicking off a flower and it's like a snap from urgent nearby. But she's hoping that Ailey will leave early and they can walk back together. Yeah. um But after too long, she decides to head back on her own and clutches a charm as she heads back into the woods.

Speaker: So then we dive into chapter two, which we get another little card. And this card talks about how nothing is free and how magic comes at a cost and ends with like a little line.

Speaker: Magic is love, but also hate. Love it. I mean, i told you about this one and we were having some difficulties kind of summarizing these cards because they're, like you said, poems. They're poems and they're a bit repetitive. Yeah.

Speaker: But it's also like, Some of them are longer, of them are shorter, and some of them are like, you can't, it's hard to hard to summar summarize without, like, just saying saying it. wasn't work And so, when Elspeth got sick, her father took her in the night by carriage to her Aunt Opal and her uncle here in Hawthorne's house.

Speaker: So, basically snuck her out in the dead of night. Yeah. So, no signs of magic ended up showing up, but kind of even the animals ended staying away from her.

Speaker: And, uncle ended up having a providence card called the nightmare that allows the user to put thoughts in anyone's mind the creature in the car on the card was scary and had yellow eyes and she felt like it was watching her so she had touched it this is like all during a flashback when she was a kid when she'd seen um so she fainted after touching the card and she wakes up on the floor and she hears claws tapping and looks around front an intruder but there's nothing

Speaker: The clickings that are mine. Ooh. o So she can speak to the nightmare monster, but she doesn't have the card's ah ability. Yeah. So she kind of searches for answers in the old book of Alders, which is like an old book that had like all the rules and rules.

Speaker: Which the cards, I believe the cards all get it um from that. I guess. And so she's kind of looking up any and information about the nightmare card, but she's unable to like use her powers like the nightmare card intended. Instead, when she would ask for the nightmare in her head's health,

Speaker: she would become faster or stronger, kind of like more keen to her senses. And she said like it's been in her head for 11 years. So ah just, that's a long time. i just want to say it's a very werewolf-esque.

Speaker: A little bit, yeah. i mean, when she described the monster in the cart, it's, you know, it's a mixture between you know, man, an animal. Yeah. So it's very, and yellow eyes, it's just giving real work. It is.

Speaker: No, I agree. I haven't looked up like renditions of people drawing the nightmare, but I think that would be what I do after we stop recording. So while she's walking through the woods, so we come back present day.

Speaker: ah she's walking back to uncle's estate. A few highwaymen catch her alone. Oh, no. Oh, no. They ask for her name, and the monster tells her to lie.

Speaker: I love it. Yeah. And with the whole interaction with the monster during the scene, or the nightmare story, is great. I would say in the audiobook, she sounds so helpless.

Speaker: Like, when she's responding to the monster, she's like, help Really? Ah, dang. That's not how I interpreted that. Yeah. She was more like an angry, like, tell me. Come on. No, it's like in the audiobook at least.

Speaker: It is. I love the differences we get between reading it and audiobook. because they definitely The monster's laugh, like the nightmare's laugh is great. Love it. Okay. ah So she does lie and states that her name is Jane Yarrow.

Speaker: Yarrow. Dang it. Okay. Jane Yarrow. But when she says that she works on her uncle's estate, they get greedy by the idea of his providence cards, thinking that she'll know where they are. go So he has multiple, which she only knows a nightmare. So wait, what?

Speaker: Yeah. She calls out for help and the nightmare floods her veins and helps her get away. Kind of like he, she like throws off the attacker that like grabbed her by the hood and then like push the other one away, like kind of into a tree. Yeah.

Speaker: So like she got the mom of her and then gets away. Um, but because of that help, she will show the marks of it for a little bit. Her arms the veins in her arms will be black every time that magic use it shows.

Speaker: It fades, but it takes a while. Yeah. So Elspeth, you know, kind of worries about being reported, but the nightmare tells her that the card thieves but who are usually killed slowly and publicly,

Speaker: would really only be giving themselves away reporting it. they were go They were looking to steal cards. So if they report you, they have to say what they were doing. egg Exactly. like so So, yeah, you're good.

Speaker: So then then the nightmare just kind of fades away from it. Yep. And that's how we end that chapter. And then to chapter three. So in this card, in a rhyme, we learn that the shepherd king asks for more powers and that the spirit of the wood warns them nothing comes free.

Speaker: He admits that he paid a steep price and warns to use them carefully. Twelve blessings, twelve curses, twelve providence cards. The Hawthorns receive an invitation to the Equinox Festival.

Speaker: Yay! So, Aunt Opal isn't sure about attending since the family is behind on their taxes. Ooh. So, that kind of sucks. Yeah. But, Tern, not Pern, Tern, who's the says he will pay for their taxes and more with the nightmare card that he's been holding on to.

Speaker: And he's like, it's a really rare card. Well, it's only two of those. Yeah, we find that out a little later. But, like, everyone's like, uh. I think she, I think. and She may have mentioned it. and I think Melvin Elspeth mentions it here, but there's only a one other.

Speaker: So, yeah. It's kind of rare. Oof. So her aunt is definitely sitting there wondering, you know, why he never told her about having it. She's pissed. Well, yeah, because that's a pretty big secret to be keeping. Yeah. um And her cousins are busy admiring the card. Little teenagers. Yeah. And, like, one them's like, no, no, no, touch it.

Speaker: It's too old. You're like, you messed up. And her uncle actually goes to rip the card, but it remains intact, protected by the magic it's made of. Interesting. Yeah, it can't be destroyed. So Aunt Opal explains that the Shepherd King was gifted magic by the Spirit of the Wood and that he used that to make the cards.

Speaker: But Tyrne comments that it's more of an infection. Interesting. And then I get any kind of comments that it must be worth a lot. And Elspeth's uncle says, oh, I'm counting on it with like an odd look in his eye while he's looking at her. yeah That was weird.

Speaker: I don't get a good vibes. No. God, no. From Uncle Hawthorne, whatever whatever his name is. Uncle Tyrne. Yeah, Tyrne. I don't know. He's off.

Speaker: So Elizabeth then recalls her mother and Aunt Opal telling her and Ione the stories about the spirit of the wood, who people used to kind of seek out for magic. ah And the shepherd king was granted some magic by her and decided to share it with the kingdom via these providence cards.

Speaker: So after this, people stopped seeking out the spirit of the wood And she kind of got offended because they already had magic, so they weren't coming to her anymore. They weren't giving her offerings, which was the whole reason she gave them powers to begin with. Yeah, so it's kind of like, eh, you pissed her off.

Speaker: And so she got mad and shrouded the kingdom in a thick mist. It, like, keeps growing, too. Yeah, which can lead to people losing their way and minds. Love that.

Speaker: Yeah, love it. Mist can also infect children, giving them magic more dangerous than what the spirit used to bestow. it's like just more unstable versions of that.

Speaker: However, all of magic all magic comes with a price, often causing the infected to degenerate, either mentally or physically. Like some of them even physically become warped.

Speaker: I have to say, when all magic comes with price, I just keep thinking of once upon a time. yeah It's Rumpelstiltskin. Come on, Rumpelstiltskin. Everything comes with a price.

Speaker: I mean, that's a common theme in just general. It is. alllan no No, for sure. It's not just once upon a time. I know it's not just once upon a time, but in the last like six months, I watched all of it.

Speaker: So it's just prevalent there. um So when the shepherd king actually went to lift the mist, he came back and he wrote the old book of Alders, which warns about the dangers of magic, how to protect yourself in the mist and how to destroy it.

Speaker: Interesting. saying So apparently the mist can be stopped by collecting the full deck of providence cards under the king's namesake tree, along with the black blood of salt.

Speaker: and the sickness will be ended. And then, a quote, new beginnings, new ends, but nothing comes free. oh Yeah, a little menacing there.

Speaker: So Elspeth's mother continued to share that cards, mist, and blood were all connected, e and Aunt Opal explains that the spirit tricked the shepherd king. She only revealed the way to lift the mist after he traded in the only twin alders card, which means the deck can't be united and the mist will continue to spread.

Speaker: Yeah, which i I do want to make a comment here because it's never really specified. And this is a question that I have when it talks about uniting the deck. Is it one of each card? It's one of each card.

Speaker: Okay. Yeah. ah Because it references the 12 Providence cards, but there's multiples of each. it's I think if you get all 12. Just one of Okay. Yeah. Okay. That's what I wasn't sure of. Okay. Sorry.

Speaker: it That's what I took from it whenever we find out what we know later. Yeah. So, Elspeth goes to find her aunt in the garden. who is making a tincture, and Elspeth shares that she really doesn't want to go to Equinox.

Speaker: yeah But Opal thinks that upsetting Miriam is reason enough to go. She's like, I'd love it. I'd love to see that. She's like, I'd love to see that interaction. Yeah.

Speaker: Not to mention the chance at seeing Alex. This is a young man, we learn, who fancies Elspeth after they had kissed at Equinox.

Speaker: Three years prior. That was the last time she'd gone. And has been writing her letters ever since. Okay, but like, if she doesn't write you back for three years, just get over um right I'm sorry. little simpy there.

Speaker: It's not a little simpy. It's a lot. Yeah. It's a lot. o That's not okay. Give it up. I'm sorry. The nightmare actually agrees with her. And Opal hands Elspeth a letter from her father. oh Actually asking her to join the celebration. And she's like, he's trying.

Speaker: Yeah. Which is nice. I like that. Mm-hmm. So she's not worried about Alex or her family, though. She's actually kind of worried about the threat of degeneration. She's like, I don't want to break down in front of all these people, basically. Her body's fine, which means it could be her mind that changes or she falls ill like her mother.

Speaker: Yeah, which is the first moment her mom kind of got sick. and um Which I think is interesting. She's like, everyone degenerates, but I don't know. And I could just lose it in the middle of the room. Yeah, that's scary. That is scary.

Speaker: I'd never leave the house. I'd never. Yeah, for real. So she still doesn't want to go. But Aunt Opal tries to comfort her by saying that Elizabeth deserves a full life. Fair. But she could just at least go to an idea. Yeah.

Speaker: Just go. Just go. Just don't annoy her. Just for that. like Just for that face. Just for her face of seeing you there. Like, it will be worth it. Mm-hmm. The night before they leave, Elspeth dreams she's in a room with lines over it and a rotting ceiling.

Speaker: Also want to note, she has not dreamt since the nightmare has right entered her brain 11 years ago. That's crazy. It's been 11 years since she's dreamed.

Speaker: So she's like, at least my dreams are free. Or my night's free. Um... But she dreams she's in a room with vines and like a rotting ceiling. And sitting at the center of the room is a man in like golden armor. And he has golden eyes, like yellow eyes.

Speaker: But suddenly she's transported to her uncle's study. Weird. And in the study, the man is gone and a monster sits the desk. Elspeth asks the Nightmare who it is, and he says it's someone who died ages ago, like the man that she'd previously seen.

Speaker: When she mentions the yellow eyes, he shares a story about the girl, the king, and the monster they became. It's not really a story. It's literally just that.

Speaker: Yeah. Riddles. Yeah. Riddles. Poems. And then into chapter four. I get all the card note explanations this time. Not all of them. Not all of them. think I get them.

Speaker: So this card tells us magic smells of salt. Then describes how it has a balance. Good, evil, love, hate, life, and death. Then asks the reader or whoever it's talking to if you can spell it in the mist, in the cards, or in your house.

Speaker: Ominous. So we learn that the mist has been spreading for years and that the families in Blender have learned to kind of just keep away from it. And Ione asks Elspeth what she thinks the king will give her father for the nightmare cards.

Speaker: we like We then learn that there are 78 providence cards in total. Wow. there It's like it descending order. So there are 12 black horses for the king's elite guard, the destriers, 11 golden eggs, 10 prophets, 9 white eagles, 8 maidens, 7 chalices, 6 wells, 5 iron gates.

Speaker: Sorry. I'm so glad you did that. Please don't. Please keep it in. Please cut that one. He'll keep it in. Four sides, three mirrors, two nightmares, and one twin alders.

Speaker: So the nightmare warns Elspeth cryptically to be cautious of Hawthorne because he's bargaining with thieves and would offer a soul to get what he wants. ah Yeah, he's kind of a psycho, I think.

Speaker: Yeah, you're picking up that he's crazy. Yeah, for sure. So Iona tells Elspeth she's actually going with Kieran to present the nightmare card to the king. He's kind of hoping to introduce her to one of the princes, Hoth Rowan.

Speaker: Hmm. Elspeth thinks her cousin is delusional for wanting to be with the prince, but Iona tries to explain that things maybe could be different with like a little influence like from her.

Speaker: And I love this part because Elspeth's like, you created this version of this man in your head. Mm-hmm. And she's like, have not heard the stories of him? Like, white all this stuff. like So at this point, I only, like, Elizabeth does call her delusional to her face.

Speaker: And she walks away from her angry. Yeah. So when they arrive, her father. By the way, this is when they're walking to. Yeah, they're walking to Stone. Yeah. For the celebration. And so when they arrive, her father is actually surprised to see her. And Mira is furious. LOL.

Speaker: Love it. Deal with that girl. Right? And he even offers for Elspeth to stay with them, like, in the spindle. In the spindle of rooms that they're alive. And she accepts, you know, because she just had that fight with Ioni. So she's like, I don't really want to be over there. going to be awkward. Yeah.

Speaker: And she admits it was fun to watch Naren freak out about her being there. Yeah. I love it.

Speaker: On her way to the Great Hall, Elspeth runs into Alex. Good old boy. Good old boy. He offers to save her seat, going as far as telling her she would ask her father if it was okay.

Speaker: On her way to the Great Hall, Elspeth runs into Alex, her sweet little man. He offers to save her a seat, going as far as telling her that she would that he would ask her father if it was okay. Again, this is overstepping.

Speaker: she has not talked to you three years. wait ah years Oh my God. Like, come on, dude. One hole is kiss, I guess. For him?

Speaker: When she gets into the hall, she sits in the first available seat that she sees and turns to Alex and politely declines. I'm obsessed. She's like, another time. I'm good. Bye.

Speaker: ah hand gently raises her up so they can toast the king. Like, she's sitting down and doesn't realize that everyone else is standing. Yeah. And she ends up being next to Amory Yu, the prince's cousin.

Speaker: They drink a bit of wine. He's a little younger. Yeah. and But Elspeth starts to kind of feel unwell because she's only had wine. And they have, like, honestly, the cutest little... And they also have a lot. She's overwhelmed. She was overwhelmed in the market. She's being overwhelmed in this giant dining hall full of all the nobility.

Speaker: Yeah, I agree. Yeah. But I also do love the conversations between them when Emery is like, she doesn't want to eat her soup and he's like, yeah, save room for the good stuff. And they're like, can you stop?

Speaker: I'm like, Honestly, love it. Like, okay, dude. So she's kind of feeling a little sick and gets up to go outside. And Emery insists on escorting her.

Speaker: And so he kind of gets up and she doesn't want it, but they go. And when they get out of the hall into the staircase, Emery offers more wine to her. Yeah. He like snuck a thing and wine away. He like continues to offer it to her and she waves it off and he keeps trying to get her to take more.

Speaker: And at this point, she's like, I'm done. I can make it the rest of the way. But he closes the space between them, pinning her against the banister, like on the staircase, insisting that there's something odd about her.

Speaker: He says that he sees her and describes a yellow gaze narrowed by hate and a darkness and shadow. Ooh. When he says he sees blood on her hands, she slaps him across the face.

Speaker: Obviously. the job. Freaked out. Yep. He still has a hold on her and she cries out, but before she can get help from the nightmare, his older brother, Raven-Yu, arrives and sends Emery away.

Speaker: a We'll note here that Raven is also her father's successor as the captain of the Destriers, the elite guard that hunts down those with magic.

Speaker: Ooh, it's giving crimson moth here. It's giving crimson moth. 100%. So when Elspeth tells him her name, he says her father only has two of his daughters living with him and he questions why.

Speaker: And she tells him it isn't any of his business. But then realizes, like, this is the captain of the Death Shrew. You can talk to him like that. And then apologizes, saying, like, she's tired. Like, I am... Well, it's not even just that he's captain Death Shrew. He's the prince's cousin. Yeah. Like, you can't... Close to one. He can't be that way. Yeah.

Speaker: So he walks her to her father's room. Like, he escorts her. And as she lays down, she wonders how his cousin, Elm, like, he was He was up with... Yeah, he was on the other side of Elm.

Speaker: He was the one that told him to, like, not at all so yeah making the jokes about the soup he was the one who actually told raven about embracing a year and was able to corral him but raven wasn't anywhere near the great hall so how do you know how would how would elm have been able to tell raven yeah so I get to introduce the next card o for chapter five.

Speaker: We learn about the maiden card. This warns us to be wary of beauty divine unopposed and that her thorns will grow sharp. She'll eat her own heart.

Speaker: Ooh. Okay, maiden. Interesting. Elsie wakes up the next morning to her sisters standing over her. be so scared. fact that she didn't really wake up with a scream. Mm-hmm.

Speaker: but And they're like immediately start asking her about Emery. They're like, oh, we saw you go off with him. What happened? Like, he's too young for her. Yeah. And Miriam immediately snips at Elspeth and then tells her to avoid him.

Speaker: i think she even comments like, isn't he a little younger for you? Yeah. That's a little side comment. And when she shares that Emery was a pig, Naya shares that he's usually sick or drunk and rambling. Like, and weird stuff. Yeah.

Speaker: And when Naya asked if he said anything weird to her, she talks with the nightmare about Emery mentioning yellow eyes. yeah And she pretends to act annoyed and claims he was just too drunk.

Speaker: And Nina says he used to break things when he came to Spindle House. But apparently that was like way back in the day. And Naryam was this like a kid. Yeah, it was that when her dad was the captain. Right.

Speaker: So we also learned that he was sent to Stone to be managed by Prince Renelm's side guard, which can control anyone. Yeah. Renelm is Elm. Elm, sorry. Elm and Renelm the same. Yeah.

Speaker: I couldn't remember if we had introduced him, so i I put him in as one Elm, but he goes by Elm. Sorry. We love Elm. We don't love Elm, but we do. I think he's just funny.

Speaker: you know I don't know why I like all the snarky men. I really do. like

Speaker: Please see us later for very interesting podcast where we talk about our issues.

Speaker: Cut that out. Oh my god.

Speaker: Eric arrives and tells the family that he's going on the hunt with King Rowan the next day, ah later that day. suggests that the women go and walk in the gardens with the other ladies, because all the men are going, I guess. Mm-hmm.

Speaker: Elspeth has no interest in hanging out with the other ladies, but she goes and tries to find Ioni or her aunt. Either of them would be okay. Yeah, she's like, I'm going to at least deal Because when they go down there with Miriam and her sisters, they literally abandon her and they don't even introduce her to anyone, so she's got no one to talk to.

Speaker: she's unable to find them, and so she like fully goes outside with everyone else and kind of stops and admires the garden like as she walks. right. um She's also able to see the profit cards that are floating around, including the maiden card. It's supposed be providence cards.

Speaker: Damn it. It's okay. It's because one of them was a profit card. That's right. Okay. You're good. She's also able to see other providence cards that are floating around, including the maiden card.

Speaker: So Elizabeth kind of thinks of Ione as she searches for her, that she could be the only one able to improve things in Blunder. Like, she could, you know, she is a force.

Speaker: Yeah, and she, you know, she knows that Elspeth was infected and, like, doesn't imagine it doesn't, like, shun her or anything like that. So she's, like, more understanding. So she's, like, if anyone could kind of change the cool ways of wonder, it would be her because she's so nice and sweet and pure.

Speaker: Yeah. But she's only able to find her Aunt Opal. And I love every time they interact. They always hug. And her aunt is always, like, so happy to see her. love that. She's, like, just hard like, oh, hey. Yeah, big hug. Like,

Speaker: I love the love. I love the love. So Elsie speaks to her about other children possibly surviving the infection. And while Opal doesn't know of any other cases, Elsie would think it's possible because of like her father, the captain of the estuaries didn't turn her in.

Speaker: Yeah. So if he is like the cat, if he is the captain didn't turn her in, she was like, there had to have been other parents who, who protected their children in a similar way. A hundred percent. You know?

Speaker: So suddenly, Ione shows up with the maiden card in her pocket. Well, Elspeth can see it when nobody else can. Yes, Elspeth can see it, but yeah. um And we know that this will allow her to change her appearance.

Speaker: She hasn't used it She still looks the same. And Elspeth actually senses lie from Ione when she asks where she's been. Yeah. She's kind of hurt by the secrecy, so she pulls Ione aside to talk privately. Yeah.

Speaker: And she's upset with her for meeting with the prince and asks if he gave it to her. But Naomi just thinks that Nelspuk is being selfish because she's like, no, don't. You're interfering with her, basically. Yeah.

Speaker: So after hearing a warning about rowing trees from the nightmare, Elspeth tries to warn Ioni against using it and marrying the prince. But Ioni accuses her of being selfish again. But Elspeth just tries to tell her that she's already perfect as is.

Speaker: Like, yeah she doesn't need to change anything about herself. She's like, the gap in your teeth, like, everything about you, the way you laugh, like, it's perfect. You are you. hate it. And so when Elspeth says that she loves Ioni, Ioni begs her to let her make her own choices.

Speaker: Then she turns and leaves without a second glance. Like, yes and no, girl. Tension there. um So she's definitely hurt and kind of feeling empty as well.

Speaker: Elspeth runs deeper into the garden, like not paying attention to where she's going. It's deeper in the mist, all that. Until she stops at a poplar tree to cry. She worries that If Ioni uses the card, it will change her.

Speaker: And the nightmare hints that the main card is kind of a misunderstood card. It's more than just vanity. Yeah. um Frustrated by his repeated riddles, though, she stands to leave and is discovered by Raven, who has the other nightmare card in his pocket.

Speaker: Dun-dun, dun-dun-dun-dun. Twist. So now know where both the nightmare cards are. Mm-hmm. So going to Chapter 6. Our card starts kind of describing a highwayman.

Speaker: So a highwayman is described as having two eyes for seeing, two ears for hearing, and one tongue for lying. And the card ends with, there is no chance for a cut first.

Speaker: The highwayman meets the hangman. Interesting. So Elspeth can see the nightmare card in Raven's pocket, and it's obviously panicking. Raven asks what Elspeth did to her hands, because while she was, like, going through to the garden, she, like, cut her hands up.

Speaker: And she explains she was admiring the roses. And he asks to look at them, and she lets him. He asks what she was doing alone in the woods at night 15 nights ago. Oh.

Speaker: o And she quickly realizes that he was the highwayman from that night. well Or one of them, at least. Yeah. When she tries to say that he must have her confused with someone else, he says, yours is in the face I'd soon forget, Miss Spendill. Aww.

Speaker: It's cute. It's cute. It's cute. She apologizes to him and says that her family is waiting and then takes off into the mist. but look He follows after her yelling for her to stop and that he won't hurt her.

Speaker: And as she is running, something over overcomes her and she hears in her head someone call her name and that they aren't going to hurt her. She screams and falls to her feet, covering her ears, and then Raven appears next her and covers her mouth.

Speaker: She can hear the hunting hounds and tries to run, but he grabs her, telling her to stop. She tries to run away again. This time he grabs her leg, but she falls, and she pretended she proceeds to kick his chest and face to get away. i mean...

Speaker: Do what got to man. You got to go. And he tells her another sound and we're both dead. And the nightmare kind of agrees in her head. He's like, you don't want to mess with King Rowan. You need to stop.

Speaker: Yeah. And she's like, okay. So when they both finally stop, he can see the black in inkiness like running through her veins. She tried to pull her sleeve back, but it's too late. Yeah. He's seen.

Speaker: Yeah. He tells her again that he's not going to hurt her. but comments how she has hurt him twice now. Yeah. And she retorts saying that he used a nightmare card on her, but he takes it out, taps it three times, and is no longer using it.

Speaker: o They look at each other for a while, and he finally asks if she ran because of the infection. Normally, people who caught the infection were actually hated more than the infection itself. Yeah. so But Raven looked at her with concern and wonder, not a hatred.

Speaker: So Elizabeth asks, now what? And Raven kind of throws that question back at her. I was like, what do you think is going happen? And she responds, you know, if you're going to take me back to the dungeon, you can just kill me now.

Speaker: Yeah. Like, I'm not doing that.

Speaker: He says he isn't going to kill her or arrest her, but they do need to leave. Which, you know, fair. She asks what he heard in her head, but he says nothing. Just a faint tapping or clicking noise.

Speaker: She tells him, my mind is my own. I don't give you permission to enter it. And his response, I have no time to ask. Oh, well. I can't. It's funny. It is.

Speaker: um i like that. I like the little sassy. He is sassy. He goes on to explain that he isn't in danger and that he just wants to understand the magical gifts that she possesses with the infection and that they can't really do that in an open area.

Speaker: And she tells him that she doesn't have magic. And he tells her that she is a good liar and will fit in. yeah Love it. She asked him not to go through the garden with the ladies and their Providence cards and he immediately perks up and is like, how do you know that they have cards?

Speaker: Oh, girl, you gotta watch what you said. Girl! Miss Cautious here slipping up and giving away her secret. A little bit, yeah. So the next chapter starts and learned about this time ah we about charms in this card.

Speaker: Charms are explained as being neither living nor dead. And must come from an animal born in Glunder. Once it dies, it needs to be buried and can only be dug up from the earth sprouts. And you must not take more than the size of your palm.

Speaker: And it's like anything. is like feathers, bone. Crow's foot is what she has. Yeah.

Speaker: So that's the card. went about charms. ah They head back to the castle via a rope. Because, you know, with the mist, we've got to find our way back. um And they enter a locked wooden door that Raven has the key to.

Speaker: And despite Elspeth's concern of trap, she's like, don't... I don't really trust this. He's like, after you. And she's like, mm-hmm. But he does his best to comfort her and then leads her kind of through the castle.

Speaker: She stops without realizing at a staircase and the nightmare hints at what happens in the dungeons. But Raven gets her attention and promises he'll never take her there. so I mean, he keeps reassuring her.

Speaker: Which I will say is really nice. I feel like it's a really big green flag there. Yeah, real big green Because can definitely sense the anger the anxiety. and he's like, hey, it's all good. It's good. We're good. They pass portraits of past Rowan King's and reach another locked door.

Speaker: Once through, Elsbeth backs into the wall as dogs bark at her. They're pulled back by Raven and they listen to him as Elsbeth explains that animals don't like her.

Speaker: Yeah. She's like, oh, animals don't like me. Yeah. As she looks around the room, Raven leaves her and locks her in. so she looks for a weapon. Yeah. I mean, practical.

Speaker: And luckily the dogs leave her alone. like They stay on the bed where Raven told them to sit. Good. and She's worried that she... Obviously she's worried that she's revealed too much when having...

Speaker: you know mentioning that she can see the province cards. Yeah. And she kind of begins to discuss Raven's intentions with the nightmare. And suddenly they hear steps and the door is unlocked. Raven returns with his sister, Jesper, and a physician named Philik.

Speaker: Elspeth immediately freaks out because the physicians test for magic, but he says that he won't report her. Right. Phyllic asks about when she got infected and Elsa's magic, and she says it allows her to see Providence cards.

Speaker: Like, that's it. This shocks everyone, and she further explains that she sees a color corresponding to the velvet lining each card, even through the mist. So she can see these colors, basically.

Speaker: As she tells Phyllic that she hasn't seen any degeneration yet, another person arrives, Prince Renel, or Elm, we've discussed. the younger son of King Rowan.

Speaker: And he introduces himself and he has a scythe card in his pocket, which is red. Yes. So kind of wary of him due to another warning from the nightmare.

Speaker: Anytime the Rowan arrives, he gives a very similar warning. He hates them. He starts, it starts the same. Like you wear the Rowan tree. It's very spread as, or it's very spread as blood.

Speaker: And then it ends a little bit differently. It's very interesting. Um, And the scythe card he carries kind of gives a warning about that as well. um She introduces herself.

Speaker: You know, just saying, hi, how did you meet you? And he kind of calls her out. We're going by Jane Yarrow. Yarrow. What is it? Yarrow. Yarrow. Yarrow.

Speaker: Jane Yarrow. It's Yarrow. keep thinking of Rebecca Yarrow. That's why. I know. It's like a flower. and Yeah.

Speaker: um And that comment makes her realize that he was the other highway man. and She's like, oh no. So she's immediately annoyed because Brazen and him both have attacked her. And she's worried about another time from them again. So she demands that he leaves when she says anything else.

Speaker: Yeah. Helm's gotta go. Helm's gotta go, man. he He can take his scythe card before I say anything else. Yeah, exactly. And then we go to chapter eight. So on this card, we found out what the shepherd king gave up for all the cards. Oh, because every magic has a price. um So the black horse card, what you got power and speed.

Speaker: He gave blood from his war horse. For the golden egg card, you got abundance and wealth. He gave two years of his life's health. For the profit card, which you got foresight, he gave his fright.

Speaker: For the white eagle card, you gained courage, he gave his skin, and he said he had like scars on his hands. and so For the maiden card, which was beauty, he gave his hair.

Speaker: Interesting. So like each of the cards, had to like give something of himself basically. So Phil and Jesper leave the cellar. And when Raven returns, he has a bunch of Providence cards in his pocket.

Speaker: Obviously about to test her theory about seeing the colors. Yeah. Her quote powers. Yeah. They don't believe her. The nightmare was like, told you. Yeah. So Raven blindfolds her and has her tell him what providence cards he's putting on the table.

Speaker: She thinks about the power of each card and the consequences of using it. With the good of the card, you know, comes the bad. Right. The black horse granted you good combat skills, but if you used it too long, it would make you weak.

Speaker: Right. The golden egg granted you wealth, but would lead to greed. The profit would give you foresight, but then the user wouldn't be able to change the future outcomes they've seen. Yikes. Yeah. And like the white eagle granted you courage, but would be replaced by fear.

Speaker: The maiden gave you beauty, but would turn your heart cold. The well granted you clear sight to recognize your emani enemies, but the beholder would be betrayed by a friend.

Speaker: The iron gate offered you serenity, but would take years off of your life. The scythe gave you the power to control others, but would cause great pain to the beholder. Interesting.

Speaker: The mirror granted you invisibility, but when used too much, it would lift the veil between the two worlds, exposing a world of ghosts. The nightmare allowed the beholder to speak into the minds of others, but would reveal your deepest fear.

Speaker: The twin elders gave the power to commune with the spirit of the wood, and no one used it too long to know what would happen. Right. Because he lost it. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker: And when he puts one down that doesn't give off any light, she tells him there isn't one there. And then I hear inside her head confirms and tells her there isn't a card there. Like be confident basically.

Speaker: And when she takes off the blindfold, she sees the twin elders card, but tells Raven it's a fake. And he's impressed with her skill and ask her who knows about it. Yeah. She's, you know, reluctant to tell him that her family knows anything, but she does admit that they knew about her fever.

Speaker: and She promises him that she hasn't told anyone about her ability to see the cards. The Nightmare tells her she needs to strike up a deal with him to keep herself out of the dungeons. Right. She tells him that she will help him and the Prince hunt down cards if they leave her family alone, and as long as he promises to never use the Nightmare card on her again. Ooh.

Speaker: That is fair. and like that. Mm-hmm. All right. Chapter nine. On this we learn that the Providence cards are activated by touch and intention. Tap it three times to activate it and three more to stop it.

Speaker: It also warns the war owner to guard them carefully as the cards can change loyalty if touched by another. Interesting. So Elspeth returns to her room and gets ready for dinner, ruminating on Raven and the secrets he must be keeping as well.

Speaker: Demia enters her room and questions where she was due to her appearance before Miriam kind of urges them to kind of hurry up. Yeah, cause she's like got twigs in her hair. She shit looks a little disheveled. Her sleeve is torn. you Like, she's like, we were all in the gardens and none of us look like you. Why are you looking like that?

Speaker: So she asked her half-sisters if they knew about Ioni getting the maiden card and they are like living for the gossip. Yep. But they are also upset that they know nothing. right Naya pulls out a dress for Elspeth that her uncle had bought her, causing the other one to comment that he must have borrowed the money or traded something of value, which makes Elspeth think of the nightmare cards. one hundred 100%. So with some last-minute comments from her sisters about Alex, the chime rings, and they had and our Upon being announced at the Great Hall, Prince Elm approaches them and offers to take Elspeth to dinner.

Speaker: She reluctantly agrees to go with him. She's like, if I can go sit with... It's just a way for away from my family for a minute. Yeah. So Prince Elm seems to think she's special due to Raven's interest in her.

Speaker: But before they can talk more, Prince Hoth comes to meet Elspeth. And we learn a little of his use of the Scythe Guard. Kind of using it to execute people. Yeah. But he's like flirting with her too.

Speaker: He's like, where have you been hiding? Yeah. And I'm like, oh and then we talk and then we hear that he's using the scythe card to execute people in horrific ways, like making them jump off cliffs.

Speaker: Well, no, that was Elspeth saying like what the scythe card can be used for. yeah It's described that he makes people walk into the mist. Oh, that was right. Yeah, yeah, you're right. Yeah, which is basically a death sentence.

Speaker: Before he can get worse, though, Prince Elm takes Elspeth away from him, and as he goes to get another drink, Elspeth finds her aunt and asks about Ioni mentioning their argument a little bit. She's like, I want i want to things to be right between us.

Speaker: And Opal actually tells Elspeth that Tyrion had taken Ioni to meet King Rowan. Tyrion made some sort of deal by trading in the nightmare card, and he didn't tell her what, didn't consult with her.

Speaker: oh Yeah. Elspeth's cousins run by and kind caused mess. So Opal runs off after them, leaving her alone. ah She has like tears in her eyes at this point too. Like she's really upset. She's freaking out. Yeah.

Speaker: i She's like, I don't know what's going on. My husband's not telling me anything. Oh my God. then our other kids are causing messes and she's like, I can't go anywhere nice. I can't imagine being an awful. Oh my God.

Speaker: love her. Me too. So at this point, Alex, of course, of course ah but approaches Elspeth and says he has already asked her father's permission for Elspeth to join his family for dinner.

Speaker: Can you please leave her alone? Leave Elspeth alone. Leave her alone. So Elspeth obviously doesn't want to join them.

Speaker: And when Raven shows up, she uses him as an excuse. yeah She's like, he's already promised. I've already promised to dine with the used. tonight. Sorry, so sorry. Like, uh, sorry.

Speaker: And then and Alex is, like, trying to stop it. And Raven, I will say, love that he plays along, and he just, like, looks at Alex. And he's like... And Alex is like, okay. Yeah.

Speaker: yeah And so when Alex leaves, Raven cautions Elsbeth against the nice ones before s escorting her to his family's table, because he's like, hey, you said you would, so... And she's like, well, don't really have a choice, guess. Yeah.

Speaker: And then the king arrives and is described as intense and formidable with Prince Hoth following behind. Before they consent, Before they can sit, Prince Hoth makes an announcement about the trading of Providence cards in order for the king to get rid of the mist.

Speaker: um He then signals for someone to approach and Elspeth notices two colors, but mainly the pink of the maiden card. no He continues to announce that the king has knighted Pyrrha and that he will be marrying Ione, who is currently using powers. Her appearance is And she's like, already I'm forgetting what she looks like. That's the power of the card, you know? And she approaches the prince.

Speaker: She hands over the other card, and she proudly shows off the Nightmare card. I hate everything. Like, really? Really? liked you, and now I can't stand you.

Speaker: know. I know. Love your flaws. And chapter 10. So this card, we're kind of getting some more explanation about the providence cards and the shepherd king continues to explain what else he gave up for each card for the well, the spirit of the wood asked for a chamber for the iron gate, his golden armor,

Speaker: <unk> from earlier We mentioned the golden armor man. and around him For ah the scythe, she took his sleep. For the mirror, he gave her his queen's old bones.

Speaker: And for the nightmare, he gave her his soul. Knew it. Yeah. I called it. Now i made predictions yeah yeah I'm to say after rereading all of this, now I'm like, why didn't I?

Speaker: Why didn't this click in? I don't understand. like here' boom It is. It is. So Elspeth is shocked that Iona used the maiden card. She doesn't realize that she doesn't sit at this point. She's like so shocked she's not sitting down. She's still standing.

Speaker: Raven kind of pulls her arm to sit down. Yeah. She's also total lost her appetite, so she's not eating the food arrives. And Raven kind of asks about her having the nightmare card and seems upset that Elspeth didn't mention it.

Speaker: He's like, did you know? She's like, yeah. He's like, uh, you didn't want to... Mention that? Yeah. And so Elsteth kind of counters and she demands to know everything. But he says that he's going to have to call the council together. Hmm.

Speaker: Hmm. So she and Raven leave the face separately and then meet up. They go up to his room and she is surprised to find it covered in boats. Sorry.

Speaker: They hang out in Raven's room and like as they're about to like leave, they hear Orith Willow, which is Felix's cousin, the head physician outside the door talking about Emery and how they want to sedate him.

Speaker: What? Yeah, and they're like, we can't really go through the captain. Like, can't bother him with this. And I'm like, what? Seems a little shady there. You like, go to the guy's brother. Elsa says that she knows who he is because he he was the one that came for back at the beginning of chapter when she was nine and got pushed out the window.

Speaker: Yes, but that physician. Yeah, that physician. But that was her aunt who hit her. and Raven goes to his wardrobe and removes the false back. He takes out his nightmare card and uses it to tell his family that they need to meet.

Speaker: Interesting. He then takes out a mirror card. What? Another one? He has another card? Yeah. And offers it to her. Because, like, they need to get out of there and go through it.

Speaker: Like, he's like, you're going to use it. Yeah. So that we can sneak out of here. And she's like... She refuses to touch it because she knows that she will actually absorb the magic of any card she touches.

Speaker: This is where we find this out, and I'm like, what? Yeah. Well, I mean, it was kind of implied when you touched that card, but the fact that this is, like, explicitly stated. And the nightmare, like, confirms it, too.

Speaker: Yeah. And only tells him that it's because she knows that there's a price for using magic. Yeah. Look, I'm not touching it. want to pay the price. Right. So he...

Speaker: He goes, you mind if I use it? And she's like, no. This is the mirror cards. Remember, this is the one that if he, it open it opens up the veil the veil between the world, can see all the ghosts. And she's like, I don't i don't want to see ghosts. I'm good. Yeah.

Speaker: of So he uses the card because she's like cool with it to make himself invisible. And they start heading back to the cellar with her following the glow of his two cards. There's also a cute moment where she's like, there was nothing in front of me.

Speaker: I touched his abs and was like,

Speaker: so dumb we are a little bit so miriam finds her alone in the hall and alone alone supposedly uh and says that she's starting to earn a reputation after running off with the captain of despairs i know when he right there back When she insults Elspeth's mother, Elspeth finally tells her off. I love this. I loved it.

Speaker: She points out that her father, Eric, one won't let Miriam change anything in Spindle House because it's the way Iris set it up. She says that when the house falls, the only thing left will be the white bean tree he planted in the courtyard next to the Spindle tree.

Speaker: And he planted it the day that her mother died. I'm sorry. That's saying something right there. That's something. powerful feelings that is such a good comeback and like miriam has like tear like she's she's like she like is like i oh i love this such a good scene great you she leaves her stepmother there and when they're out of range raven tells her she did well dealing with miriam he's like does she always treat you that way and or does she always talk to you that way when she does yeah and i'm like oh my god and so before they enter the cellar

Speaker: He warns her it will not be a pleasant discussion. And he opens the door to reveal Elm Rowan, Philip Willow, Jesper, and Fenir and Moret Yu, which are Raven's parents.

Speaker: Yeah. That should be interesting. Yeah. So the next chapter, we learn about the Scythe card. This card warns that the wielder of the Scythe card will feel pain upon using it to command others, since all magic has a price.

Speaker: And in the room, Elspeth can see three cards aside from Raven's nightmare card. She sees a scythe, a prophet, and chalice cards. Raven introduces her and then introduces his parents, the, how do say them again?

Speaker: Faneer and Meret? and Yep, that's right. Faneer. Faneer like veneer. f Got it. but introduces parents in addition to the others that she'd met before.

Speaker: So she notes the similarities in the parents to their kids Raven's father, Finir, explains that she needs to be tested before they can reveal anything else. Basically like a trust thing. Yeah.

Speaker: The scythe, chalice, and nightmare cards are presented and she's asked to choose one.

Speaker: Yeah, so she's going to be interrogated with one of the cards, and the Nightmare basically tells her, he goes, choose the side card. Yeah, which she already knew the Nightmare 1 was off the table because she made Raven promised never to use it that wasn't going to happen so she does she chooses a scythe guard and Elm explains that he'll use it to alter her emotions she begins to feel giddy and laughs like uncontrollably like tears streaming down her face doubled over laughing before she starts slapping herself Like one slap and then another.

Speaker: And then like the third one. Yeah. Wavin's like enough. Enough. We get it. And then like Elm claims that it was ensured that there's a tether. And I'm like, okay, even Moret was like, you need to tell.

Speaker: So Fenir asked her to talk about herself and she shares that she got sick when she was nine years old and she was sent to her aunt's house. She doesn't know how Tiern got hold of the nightmare card, just that his sword was bloodied when he got back.

Speaker: Mm-hmm. Everyone is kind of shocked that Tyrion held on to it for so long. Yeah. like They're like, oh, that's in the years? Yeah, they're like kind of and Moret's great up said he was waiting for the right time. Yeah.

Speaker: Hmm. We know why. So Raven goes to ask if she trusts them, but Elm cuts in and asks if she finds Raven handsome. Yeah. oo not like the po like she has to answer kind of like she's impelled and she's compelled to to feel like she's like she's like i want to answer truthfully yeah but she doesn't yeah and she responds yes for a test reader i'm like oh my god i love it she's still gotta throw in the little snide gomit love it okay but raven smiles he is all he is a little bit of a smirk there

Speaker: and But Philly could then ask about our magic, and she struggles to answer. And that's when Raven kind of asked about her combat skills due to throwing off Elm and hints at other powers. Yeah, he like, I'm sorry, but, like, you don't look like you can fight that well. How are you? was like, he was like, you couldn't have done me. Like, Elm, he's lazier than me, so you probably could have pushed him off, but still.

Speaker: You got me twice. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So suddenly the nightmare shares that the card's magic doesn't affect him. Oh, come on, dude. You couldn't have told us like- Earlier. Oh my God. Any of the 11 years we've been together, bro. This tarn energy. This really is.

Speaker: You didn't ask. So he comes forward and is able to loosen the side's control on her so that she can say she has no other magic. Elm asks to train Elspeth to fight, but she says she's never been trained. She's like, I've ah just made... I know how to survive. That's it. Yeah.

Speaker: And that no one else knows of her magic, that her life has been one seclusion mostly. And after some silence, Raven's mother, Moret, speaks up and makes Elspeth promise that she won't tell anyone what's shared in the room, which she does.

Speaker: And she says, like, I don't want to lie. like yeah I want to tell the truth, and I do. Yeah. like That one's not Elm pushing her. Yeah.

Speaker: I do want to trust these people. Exactly. So when Raven asks for her help to find the Providence cards, Elspeth asks why they're collecting cards separately from the king. And they want to stop the mist too, but in order to do so, they'll help to spill the blood of an infected person.

Speaker: yeah So once the king has the complete deck, He plans to kill Emery, which the U's obviously don't want. Yeah, obviously. I mean, so Moret is the king's sister. Yes.

Speaker: Yeah. So she's like, I'm not to let my brother kill my son. What the hell? What the heck? So they can't discuss more, though. So if she wants more answers and to help, they'll need to bring her to Castle Yeah.

Speaker: Yeah. So Jesper shares that they only need the well, iron gate, and the missing twin alders card. So they're close. And when they have a complete deck, they'll use someone close to the king.

Speaker: Someone who has committed great wrongs o for the infected blood requirement. Okay, yeah. Because she's like... If you're not going to use Emery, obviously- Who are you going to use? You still to kill someone who you're going to use. And they're like, oh, just don't worry. Bad guy.

Speaker: Bad guy. You're good. Bad guy. So wondering if she'll like ever be cured and worrying at the possibility of finding a card that's been lost for centuries, she agrees to help them you know for the cure. Yeah. like Yeah. The Twin Alders card has been missing for 500 years.

Speaker: But she can see the cards. And she can supposedly see them through the mist. So she should be able to find it, right? Yeah. Right? Sure. Right. Hey, it's only a duology.

Speaker: gotta find out something. Right? In the next chapter, we learn about the profit card. This card kind of summarizes being wary of the visions that will come when the user uses the card.

Speaker: So, it's very vague. Very vague. Out the dispeller door, Elspeth listens to the conversation that the U family has back there. Well, and Philip and whatever, and Elm.

Speaker: Yeah. For the whole group. there She eavesdropped in. She got her ear to that door. Do it the old-fashioned way. yeah She's like, help me out here. he's like ah Old-fashioned Ear to door. Come on. It's so cute. I love it.

Speaker: Tarn. Yes. like ah So Lorette apparently saw in a prophecy using a prophet card that they would find someone on the forest road. None of them expected it to be Elspeth, but there's a reason that she's the only one they found that night.

Speaker: Ooh. So they decide that she will need to go back to Castle U with them. But they need a story to tell people why she is there. yeah They initially suggest that she could just stay at Spindle House. Because not far. Yeah.

Speaker: But Raven says no super quick. Because he's like, I know she would not be happy there. i mean, he saw the interaction with Miriam. So he knows that would be a good time for her. And Fenir agrees, saying that she needs to stay in their house to not raise any suspicion. Because if she's like sneaking out to go help them all the time... It's still going to be... wire Why is she going over to their house all the time? It's still going to be weird.

Speaker: So Jesper suggests that they tell people she is there so Raven can court her. She's like, I have an idea, but you won't like it. This is such sibling energy and I love it. totally is.

Speaker: And he says he will do it if there isn't any other way. And I'm like, You make it sound like it's such a pain. And they talked a little bit more. They were like, is it that bad? Like, she's clever.

Speaker: and And I'm sorry, but literally, did you not just say earlier in the chapter or earlier in the book, your face is not one I would forget? Yes. Excuse me, Leon. He goes on to say that like, I do find her beautiful, but anything follows.

Speaker: but And he doesn't even say it. He doesn't even give a reason. Like, he's literally like, wow, she's beautiful. I'll do it. Like, if that's what it takes. But he doesn't give reason. But he also still sounds, like, very, like, begrudging about it.

Speaker: I'm like, get over yourself. Yeah, like, it legitimately makes the most sense. It's the most logical explanation. Grow up. Exactly. So when he goes to open the door, Elspeth tries to back away from it and falls.

Speaker: Love a clumsy queen here. We are clumsy queens. Yes. And he asks how much she heard. i will admit she likes, she is honest. So she admits that she heard enough. Yeah.

Speaker: I love her. Yeah. So also throwing his words back at him, if the ruse will help, I'll try. and he is shook. He's like, he's like, okay.

Speaker: Yep. Okay. Okay. So Raven then asks about Alex and she says, what about him? And he tells her that he's in love with her, but she just brushes it off and says that she's promised him nothing.

Speaker: Like literally he is a simp and she he means nothing for her. She's like, I'm so over this boy. Like stop talking about him. They jokingly talk about how Elf is an ass, which I love that.

Speaker: Cause he talks like, he's like, it couldn't have been fun to be under the control of the scythe guard. Yeah. She's like, no. Your brother sucks. Yeah. He's like, yeah. Yeah. Your cousin. Oh, cousin. Sorry.

Speaker: And he tells her that finding the cards will be dangerous work. But they've been doing this for a while and they they know how to keep her safe. Yeah. She asks. Right. So she asks, what if she's caught?

Speaker: And he says, well, you'll basically be in the same situation you were to today, but at least now you'll have some allies. Aww. Aww. He got some friends. I love it. She asks at this point if she's able to leave and he tells her that she isn't a prisoner and can go whenever she likes but thought that she wanted to find a cure.

Speaker: And so she agrees to be a part of this little team. think it's cool. Well, yeah, I think for lot You can go wherever you like, but don't you want to find a cure? ah That still feels a little crappy, you know.

Speaker: But it's essential to help. I know. So he tells her that they'll make their way to the Guardian so that they can be seen together for a little bit.

Speaker: But says that he wants to show her the reason for his treason first. The writing still. I know. So she asks why King chose Emery for the sacrifice, and Raven tells her that because he's dying from the infection. He's, like, degenerating. and Yeah.

Speaker: i mean, yeah. He says he has tried to reason with the king just like hundreds of different ways, but he won't budge on it. yeah They have to complete the deck by solstice because the old book of Alders says that the card should be joined on the darkest day.

Speaker: And Emery's power is also more chaotic on the equinox than solstice. And they don't think he's going to make it after this one. Yeah. So they get to Emery's room.

Speaker: but he's not there. Oh, God. This crazy child, where are you? Let's go. So, chapter 13. We get a little degeneration note.

Speaker: and Degeneration due to magic can happen fast or slow. Usually those with magic lose their minds, but some lose their lives. Oh, no. Yeah.

Speaker: So they go looking for Emery and have to enter the gardens where the party is. And before they can search the crowds, the king approaches them. Reven introduces Elspeth and he says he hopes to see Elspeth around for more.

Speaker: I don't like this. so like, clearly you made an impression. Yeah. yeah So Elspeth sees Emery between two white eagle carts off to the side of the gardens.

Speaker: And when they head towards him, Elspeth is knocked down by the crowd. Like, she just keeps, like, getting bumped into and knocked over. The girl has no center of balance. I don't either, so I understand that. I know.

Speaker: I frog went up the stairs all the time. So she actually does fall, but Prince Elm appears and helps her up. she got split from Raven. He, like, ran up ahead she said that he was over there. She's like, he's over there, and he took off. Yeah.

Speaker: So Elm picks her up and leads her through the crowd, using his card, actually, to get the guests to move out of their way. Yeah. He's like, I can't take this anymore. He takes the scythe card out, taps it, and, like, splits 50 people, like, a bunch of them.

Speaker: And Elf is like, their eyes glaze over, and they're just like, ah. And I cannot, like, she goes, I'm appalled at, like, the power of that. And just the casualness with which he uses it. Like, i't want yeah I don't want to wheeze through these people. Let me make them part the Red Sea for me. Like, Jesus.

Speaker: It's so crazy. It's so crazy. It's insane. So they make their way through and the people easily. And they see Emily get hit by one of the men holding a lightning card.

Speaker: And suddenly Raven appears. When one of the men goes to hit him. Raven quickly dodges it and pushes Emery out of the way. yeah Instead of stepping into health, though, Al lets Raven release some pent-up energy from the day.

Speaker: He says, let him have a son. Yeah. And he hits one of the men. Emery then drops the coin taken from the guy back on the man, like, under the tree. He's, like, hanging from a branch. He's, like, sorry, runs in the family. Yeah, sticky fingers by the head.

Speaker: my God. i really didn but now we understand why he's says all this crap like at least we know he's going crazy well he's going crazy but he's also he's also still a drunk he's like drunk as heck at this point fair no um and this but this the way he's talking does make her realize it is degeneration related still as well you know She asks Elm about Emery's magic and learns that he can read people with a single touch, like their deepest secrets.

Speaker: he He can know everything about them. And he grabbed her the stairwell that first night. So this causes her to remember what he said to her. And Elm continues to explain that Emery seems to get worse.

Speaker: each solstice and equinox, which is why they're like, he's not going to last much longer. So, as Raven fights the second man, Elm continues to tell her that Emery told him about her because he was excited to meet another infected person ah aside from his brother. What?

Speaker: What? Pause. Wait. Hold up Wait a minute. Let's get some answers in it. What? Okay.

Speaker: Yeah, so... Elm realizes that Raven didn't tell her about She's like, oh, you didn't know. m But then the nightmare, you know, check chimes in. and he was like She was like, did you know? And he's like, have my suspicions. She's like, seriously?

Speaker: Tell So they go to watch the end of the fight as Raven takes down both men. And he says something to them that Elm and Elspeth can't hear. But then the men give Raven their white eagle cards.

Speaker: They just hand them over. Yeah. And Elspeth sees the light from the guards disappear the moment that Raven touches them. What? Oh my god, last chapter for this part. So we learn a little bit more about the final Providence card, the Twin Alders card. It's used to summon and commune with the spirit of the wood.

Speaker: However, she didn't tell the shepherd king the cost that he would have to pay until after. He's unable to use any of them.

Speaker: Yeah. oh So he's like, my cards go to you. but people Because I can't. Oh my god. So Elspeth confronts Raven about him having magic.

Speaker: But Emery chimes in with some nonsense. Love it. And Elm emerges to help get Emery back inside. Yeah, he's like, we gotta ruin it. Let's go. He tries to run up a tree and falls out of the tree. like It is so funny. like I'm sorry, but Emery, I think, wasn't so... I'm picturing a more grown-up Donnie.

Speaker: from the wild-born fairies, honestly. That's literally what I'm picturing. If Emery wasn't such a little aggressive butthole in the beginning, he would be my favorite character.

Speaker: I'm not gonna lie. I'm gonna shout him out as I like him. I like his crazy ass. As soon as I found out that, I'm like, okay, this is so funny and I'm obsessed with him. I love it.

Speaker: Let's save Emery at all costs. Please protect this child. So, Elsmeth follows Raven to a secluded tree outside the garden. And he shows her his ability to make the cards not work. Like, he holds it in his hand, but when he drops that it, light it lights up again. It's only unlit when it's in his hand.

Speaker: And he explains that they don't work on him. The cards don't work on him. He can't use the cards, but they don't work on him either. Which, like, good. That's a good thing. Mm-hmm.

Speaker: So... You know, except for some reason, he can still use the Nightmare and the Mirror card. And maybe the Twin Alders card. mean, we don't know. He's been lost, though. Yeah.

Speaker: Like, he's only been able to use the Nightmare the Mirror. Does that mean that those can be used on him? Yeah, probably. guess the Mirror can't really be used on anyone else. No.

Speaker: Interesting. Interesting. And the Twin Alders, you can't really use on anybody else because you're talking to them. Yeah. Yeah. Fair. Okay. So he kind of reminds her that they're in public and storms off, but they're approached by her drunken half-sisters. Love it. Nya and Damia.

Speaker: Nya and... Nya and... I can't. Nya and Damia. Yeah, I'm dumb. I can't. Well, you're mixing Nya and Nerium. That's right. Yeah. There's too many names. Too names. Lots of vowels, too.

Speaker: Very similar. So he keeps, in order to keep up the ruse of them courting, Raegan takes Elspeth's hand in front of her sisters, which kind of makes them freak out. Remember, they're drunk.

Speaker: Demi is like freaking out, like, oh my god! But Nya is like, just mouth agape, like, but, uh, like speechless. yeah So to avoid them further, head to the dance floor.

Speaker: And she senses a bunch of eyes on them and kind of asks him if the dancing was really necessary, but he tells her to trust him. um she go sweet She's like, how can I trust you when you've just been omitting everything? Fair.

Speaker: Again, Crimson Moth vibes. Yep. Shield of Sparrow vibes. Yep. ah Secrets. I'm sensing themes here. I'm sensing themes of romanticity books that we pick.

Speaker: Secrets suck. Fourth wing. Oh my God. oh We have too many. Okay. As the dance ends, Elspeth storms off and meets up with Emery and Elm. and they They stopped to get a drink. Yeah. They stopped.

Speaker: They stopped on their way. They're going to let Emery drink more. Okay, bud. Okay. That's fine. So Emery begins to recite the nightmare card when he makes eye contact with Elspeth. well She's like, no, no, no.

Speaker: Stop it right there. yeah ah Which I just want to point out here. It's only when he makes eye contact with her. Granted, he's already touched her at this point, so he probably knows all her secrets. I think he just recognized that that was who she was, you know?

Speaker: And this is going to make her think that he did see her secrets the other night, which obvious. I mean, he had commented on the yellow eyes. so Come on. And with one last riddle or warning, Emery starts vomiting blood. No!

Speaker: Baby Emery, no! We were talking about protecting you! Yeah. like the mar at all And that's where it is ends. Yeah. This is our life. Oh my goodness.

Speaker: let's get to our questions. I can hurry up and cover part two. Honestly. So who is your favorite character for this part? Well, now that we've talked about it, now I want to say Emory. I don't want to say Emory because it's like weird to say Emory. He's our combo, what's it, like special character.

Speaker: ah what's it like special Oh, shout out. Yeah, shout out. Sure. But probably Elspeth or Aunt Opal. Mine is Aunt Opal for sure. Yeah, Aunt Opal is a great character.

Speaker: Like you said, the way that they're always in Iraq, the way that they hug every time they see each other, the way that she's so understanding and very protective of her, it's just, it's it's very sweet.

Speaker: Yeah. i love that I love it. I do want to mention, too, like, comparatively to the book that we just read was Shield of Sparrows, no offense to Odessa, but we love it.

Speaker: But like, she was so like aloof, like had no clue and would just be like questioning everything and not trying to figure out some stuff. And I feel like- was a lot more isolated, but like self-isolation. Granted, a lot of that was from how she'd grown up. Again, if you haven't listened to Shield of Sparrows, go back and listen to us talk about it.

Speaker: But- ah it It's kind of how she was raised, and she it's probably just enforced that she has to do everything herself, but she's still not doing it. It took her a long time to get off butt.

Speaker: It took her a long time in that book kind of like actually start doing something about something, and Elspeth, I feel like, she's getting in there, and she wants to she wants to find a cure. This opportunity has presented itself, and she's going to do it.

Speaker: and Also, she never risked the magic before. She was like, I just... Flying under the radar. Yeah. You know? So she's being very smart about it. Not that Odessa isn't smart, but she's not really thinking things for her.

Speaker: Yeah. Well, we'll find out how she is in the next book. Yeah, we'll see. What was your favorite twist for this part? I mean, it's not necessarily a favorite because i don't like it, but it blew my mind that the king was planning to use his own nephew, Emery, to clear the mist.

Speaker: Yeah, that's not a good call. I also love the little family bonding. The entire youth family is like, you know, treason. I'm so here for it. I love that. Family bonding via treason.

Speaker: Let's go. 100%. So I had like two favorite twists. There are quite a few twists though in this. i would say there were like four or five good, good, good twists.

Speaker: So like my first one was Ioni using the maiden card. Yeah. Like, I'm sorry, girl. She, I'm sorry, but I'll just be sitting here talking about how real you are and how generous and just like everyone loves you just for being you. And then you're going to see her and change.

Speaker: It's annoying. It's annoying. And then my actual favorite twist, because I don't want my favorite twist to be about Ioni because I don't like her anymore. um Is Raven being infected? Yeah.

Speaker: Finding out that Raven is infected. Mm-hmm. Like, what? Yeah. Keeping the secrets, man. What's your favorite quotes? Or quotes, I should say. already know you're going to have multiple. Yeah, we have quotes.

Speaker: We have quotes. I have three, but they're all short. so Yeah. My first one is, that's how the best lies are told with just enough truth to be convincing. Mm-hmm. Fair.

Speaker: Great. And then this one was kind of like a end of a quote. And it was too young to fully comprehend the dangers of the world to be so innocently occupied. That's just beautifully written.

Speaker: It's so poetic. Like her writing is great. I mean, she's writing a bunch of, you know, riddles and poetry throughout. So you know she's going to be good. And then my last one was too long.

Speaker: Have I let her mistake my silence for weakness? Love it. Agree. Because silence doesn't always mean weakness. We learned in Shield of Sparrow's he was quiet so that you can learn more information. yeah like It's not.

Speaker: But I just love it. yeah Yours? yeah so I love this one. Even though we don't like her, I liked it before. Everyone loved her and she loved them back.

Speaker: Even to her own detriment. She didn't pretend, Ione. She simply was. That's just so pretty. also but my top favorite is It's the nice ones you should look out for.

Speaker: ah hundred percent. hundred percent. The overly nice ones. A little, be a little sketchy. What's your biggest question or theory from part one?

Speaker: Okay. You know, I'm full of the theories. You are so ahead of me. So first off, I just, this isn't necessarily a theory. I just, it's a coincidence. I'm wondering. So in the very first chapter,

Speaker: When she wakes, she wakes under an alder tree. Yeah. And that's the tree, that's the missing card. Yep. The alder tree. So I'm just wondering, some kind of connection, like, interesting. Yeah. um I love that the Aunt, the Nightmare, makes a comment when she goes a find her in the garden.

Speaker: She says something about that old witch. And I'm wondering if she's, I'm wondering if somehow Elspeth is descended from the spirit of woods.

Speaker: Maybe that's why she has the magic has an effect on her differently or she has that. I'm just, I don't know. I think it's interesting. What's that special? Well, I mean, yes. I'm just saying. But mainly it's the, it's the nightmare is very,

Speaker: uh, what's the word? He's very, intentional with his words. Oh. And when he does the riddles. Yes. So the fact that he calls her that old witch. Yeah. don't that's just like a, like a that old hag. Like, I don't know if it's necessarily like a comment like that. I feel like it's intentional. Yeah.

Speaker: So don't know. biggest theory though, is that the nightmare in her mind is the soul of the shepherd king. Cause that's what he gave up for the nightmare card was his soul. you suck because we're going back to this and we're listening and um we're talking about it and then she talks about how he gives the golden armor of And good and and then in the dream, he's wearing golden armor and um and has yellow eyes. Oh my god. Like, you're right.

Speaker: The shepherd king is the nightmare. He is. That is his soul in her head, basically. So I think she absorbed him from the card. Yes. So um also think every time Rowan approaches the friend or the king, he gives some kind of warning about the Rowan trees.

Speaker: So I think the Rowans betray them. the shepherd king. That's fair. I think they took over because I still think that they, that line somehow betrayed the shepherd king because of all the warnings he gives about the realms whenever they're around. and Yeah. Specifically the phrase, the earth at its trunk is dark with blood shed.

Speaker: Yeah. So something's got to be nefarious about them. 100%. All right, go. ah So like my biggest question, this is just like so confusing to me, I think.

Speaker: So if she can absorb the cards, like she absorbed the nightmare card, if she touches another card, she'll absorb that one too. How will they manifest in her? Well, I think it'll be different based off of the card. Like the nightmare ah allows you to enter other people's heads but she can't though she can't though but she absorbed the ah ability i'm the one actually kind of related to yours i wonder can the cards be used again We don't know if her uncle ever tried using the nightmare card after she touched it.

Speaker: So when she absorbed the nightmare within her, did she absorb the magic from the card and it's just a card now? Well, it still gives off a light. So I don't think so. That's true. I'm just thinking like, for example, like if she absorbed the mirror card.

Speaker: would she have to like intentionally decide when she wants to go invisible? Is she like Violet from, from Invincibles where she, you know, like has to just think about it. Like, that's my thing is like, i could understand like,

Speaker: i I just would, have i really want to see, and like, hopefully we get that and we get to see how it manifests. Yeah. um Another one question I have is, why can Raven only use the Nightmare Card, the Mirror, and maybe the Twin Alders?

Speaker: Like, it makes a face, like he's kind of like, She asked him like why he can only use those and he was like, he he was frustrated and that's when he was like, now's not the time to talk about this. And I'm like, I need to know. I need to know. I'm sorry.

Speaker: And then my last one is not really a question, but kind of like Looking forward to Miriam, her dad, and the Hawthorne's reaction to being courted by Raven. Yeah. i I just want to know.

Speaker: The daughter of the former captain of the Death Rears being courted by the current captain of the Death Rears, who also happens to be the king's nephew. Like, I just want to see the Love it.

Speaker: So, that was the end of part one We will see y'all next week for part two. Yay! Which is the mist. Well, I know we are looking forward to the rest of the book.

Speaker: Thank you for listening and tune back in next week for part two. And if you have a story you want us to tell, you can let us know on one of the platforms listed in the description. And while you're there, you can like and follow to stay up to date for the next story.

Speaker: Thank you for stopping by for our tale. The library is now closed. Bye-bye.

Speaker: you