Chapter 15: The Pull of Forbidden Magic

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

At midnight, Tana whispers Wolfe's name into the wind on the western shore as instructed. She brings the memory keeper she made for him but almost leaves when she realizes she wants to use high magic again. Wolfe arrives, and she gives him the cologne. He admits he hates her yet still wants her. Tana declares she cannot see him again, but Wolfe persuades her to make the night count. He returns a moonflower to her wrist and reveals the flower is not poisonous to witches—contrary to what her coven believes. He teaches her to draw energy from a fern and create new ferns using high magic. As they walk back, they spot Mrs. Wright, a council member. Tana uses wind magic to create a fog, and Wolfe pulls her into the grass to hide. They nearly kiss, but Tana pulls away. Wolfe tells her that her ability to command the wind is impossible for a witch of the new order and concludes that she is practicing the wrong magic.

Key Events

Tana arrives at the western shore and whispers Wolfe's name at midnight.
She attempts to leave but Wolfe appears when she changes her mind.
Tana gives Wolfe the memory keeper (cologne) as a thank-you gift.
Wolfe confesses he hates Tana yet wants her anyway.
Tana says she cannot see him again; Wolfe responds by pulling her back to the beach.
Wolfe presents a moonflower, explaining it is not poisonous to witches, and suggests Tana ask her mother about it.
Wolfe teaches Tana to feel a fern's energy and use it to grow new ferns.
Tana successfully performs the high-magic act, delighting in the experience.
They encounter Mrs. Wright walking her dog; Tana uses wind to create a mist and hide.
Wolfe tackles Tana into the grass to avoid detection.
After Mrs. Wright leaves, they lie side by side, almost kissing but Tana pulls away.
Wolfe reveals that Tana's command of the wind is impossible for a new-order witch, implying she is meant for high magic.

Character Development

Tana (Mortana)

Tana grapples with her growing desire for high magic. She admits to herself that Wolfe was right—she wants to use it again, and that terrifies her.
She shows boldness by making a handcrafted memory keeper for Wolfe, a personal and intimate gift.
She exercises restraint when she nearly kisses Wolfe, prioritizing her coven's expectations and her betrothal to Landon.
Her magical abilities prove more potent than she realizes: she can manipulate wind and duplicate plants with surprising ease, hinting at an untapped power.

Wolfe

Wolfe reveals his inner conflict: he despises Tana's coven and their restrictive magic, yet he is drawn to her.
He challenges Tana's beliefs about moonflowers and encourages her to question her mother, showing a deeper knowledge of witchery history.
He is a patient teacher, guiding Tana to feel the fern's energy and allowing her to succeed on her own.
His comment that Tana is practicing the wrong magic confirms his earlier warnings and sets up a major ideological clash.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Forbidden Knowledge and Temptation
The chapter revolves around Tana's struggle with the lure of high magic. Wolfe's statement that she will want to use it again proves accurate, and she wrestles with her own desires.

Moonflower Symbolism
The moonflower appears as a central symbol. Wolfe's version of its history—that the first witch touched a moonflower—contradicts the coven's teaching that it is poisonous. The flower represents hidden truths and the idea that what Tana has been told may be a lie.

The Beach as a Threshold
The western shore is repeatedly described as “unstable ground” where anything can happen. It serves as a literal and metaphorical border between Tana's ordered life and the chaotic, wild magic of Wolfe's world.

The Memory Keeper
Tana crafts a cologne infused with her essence—a memory keeper. This gift symbolizes her desire to be remembered by Wolfe, but also her difficulty in letting go of the night they shared.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 15 is a turning point in Tana's arc. She directly confronts her craving for high magic, receives Wolfe's raw confession of conflicted feelings, and learns that moonflowers are not toxic—a revelation that undermines her coven's authority. The chapter culminates in Wolfe's stunning claim that Tana is practicing the wrong magic. This sets up a crisis of identity: Tana must choose between the safe, low-magic path her family expects and the powerful, dangerous magic that comes naturally to her. The near-kiss with Wolfe also heightens the romantic tension and the stakes of her betrothal to Landon.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Tana almost leave the beach before Wolfe arrives?
Tana realizes that her desire to use high magic again is not just curiosity but a genuine pull. Wolfe's earlier warning—that what should scare her most is that she will want to use it again—comes true the moment she steps back onto the western shore. Terrified by the strength of that craving, she tries to flee back to the safety of her coven's rules.

2. What does the moonflower episode reveal about the coven's history?
Wolfe tells Tana that moonflowers are not poisonous to witches and that the first witch born on the island touched a moonflower as her first act. He claims that practicing magic during the day actually weakens it because the moon is the source of magic's power. This directly contradicts the coven's teachings and implies that the elders have deliberately suppressed this knowledge.

3. What does Wolfe mean when he says Tana is “practicing the wrong magic”?
Wolfe explains that commanding the wind (which Tana does to hide from Mrs. Wright) is impossible for a witch of the new order—the low-magic tradition of her coven. Because she can do it so easily, it suggests that the new-order magic is not the correct path for her. He implies that she is naturally aligned with high magic, the more ancient and powerful form of witchery.