Chapter V: Claiming Territory and the Lenten Hunt
Spoiler Notice
This page reveals details from Chapter V of V. E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. If you haven’t read this far, consider starting with the Book Hub for a spoiler-free guide.
Summary
Matteo returns to the palazzo bloodied from Carnevale, soon cleaning up and resuming his affable manner. Sabine, wearing a gilded petal from Bianca’s mask, demands her promised prize. Matteo demonstrates the power to claim space through will alone, hurling her against a wall. She struggles, but by fixing her conviction on each small patch of floor, she inches forward and finally forces Matteo to stumble. He cedes the salon to her.
The lessons continue. During Lent, when masks vanish, Matteo introduces Sabine as his widowed niece and teaches her to hunt in plain sight—never targeting notable firstborns, only those whose deaths will pass unnoticed. They play again and again, pushing her thirst to two weeks, then three. Sabine learns to bend human minds and finds that long courtship makes the killing sweeter. Alessandro, Matteo’s lover, protests the games and the forced celibacy, but Matteo still rewards Sabine’s progress.
Key Events
- Matteo arrives with bloodied clothes, then transforms into his composed self.
- Sabine demands her prize of territorial power; Matteo forces her against a wall with sheer will.
- She claims the salon inch by inch, ending with a delighted laugh when she makes Matteo stumble.
- Matteo dismisses her victory lightly but invites her to play again; she eagerly accepts.
- During Lent, Sabine acts as his “niece” and hunts socially, targeting only safe marks.
- She extends the time between feedings to three weeks and learns to manipulate human will.
- Alessandro throws a fit, angered at losing Matteo’s attention and being forced into abstinence.
- Matteo asks if knowing victims makes her hesitate; Sabine insists the familiarity only sweetens the kill.
Character Development
- Sabine evolves from a creature ruled by immediate hunger to a patient predator. She discovers that she can extend the gaps between kills and savors the gradual corruption of a trusting target. The salon training marks her first deliberate use of immortal will, and the social hunting cements her ability to wield charm as a weapon.
- Matteo solidifies his role as mentor, teaching by challenge rather than direct instruction. His casual ownership of spaces—and his mention of claiming Venice “stone by stone”—reveals the scope of immortal ambition. Yet his affection for Alessandro shows he is not immune to personal attachment.
- Alessandro appears briefly but significantly. His jealous outburst exposes the tension in Matteo’s household and the cost of Sabine’s lessons on the existing relationship. It hints that immortal bonds are fraught with possession and insecurity.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Claiming territory as an act of will: The lesson turns physical boundaries into mental contests. Sabine’s struggle to claim a dinner plate’s worth of space mirrors how immortals stake entire cities—through relentless, incremental assertion.
- Hunting in plain sight: Carnevale’s masks are replaced by social disguise. Sabine learns that the deadliest predators wear the smiles of close acquaintances, not hidden faces.
- The predator’s patience: Stretching the time between kills transforms feeding into a refined art. The motif of gathering tokens (now from month-long courtships, not quick deaths) symbolizes a deeper, more twisted pleasure.
- Jealousy among immortals: Alessandro’s anger reveals that even eternal beings can feel left out, challenging the idea that immortality frees one from petty human emotions.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter pivots Sabine’s arc from reactive fledgling to calculating immortal. She claims her first territory and begins to hunt without the crutch of anonymity, learning that trust is the most potent lure. Matteo’s schooling in plain-sight predation—and the tension it sparks with Alessandro—sets the stage for later conflicts over loyalty, power, and possession. Sabine’s admission that knowing her prey makes the kill “sweeter” signals a moral threshold crossed; she no longer kills to survive but for the luxury of the act.
Study Questions
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How does Matteo’s lesson on claiming space illustrate the nature of immortal will?
Answer: Matteo shows that territory responds to intent, not physical force. Sabine must project “mine” to push back his will. Her incremental victory—floorboard by floorboard—mimics how Matteo says he claimed Venice “stone by stone,” emphasizing that immortal domination is a matter of persistent psychological conquest rather than sudden violence. -
Why is hunting during Lent more challenging, and what skill does Sabine develop?
Answer: Without Carnival’s masks and chaos, Sabine must move through polite society, leaning on Matteo’s fabricated backstory. She learns to select victims carefully, avoid scandalous deaths, and court her marks for weeks. This forces her to read social dynamics, bend minds subtly, and delay gratification—transforming her into a far more dangerous predator. -
What does Alessandro’s outburst reveal about the limits of immortal companionship?
Answer: Alessandro feels entitled to Matteo’s time and body, and he resents the disruption Sabine causes. His jealousy shows that immortality does not erase possessiveness or insecurity. Even within a centuries-long bond, an outside “game” can provoke bitterness, underscoring that immortal relationships remain fragile and emotionally charged.