Chapter 22 'What It Is to Drown': Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with Lou and Nicholina locked in their psychic battle within the waters—a realm of currents and memories. Lou struggles to breathe and think as fragments of faces and sensations rush past, and Nicholina snaps at her throat. Lou realizes she cannot fight Nicholina physically in this realm, so she makes a crucial strategic shift: she decides to drown Nicholina in emotion rather than water.

Lou kicks down an unfamiliar current, and the two spiral into a memory of the temple by Chateau le Blanc. There, past-Nicholina stands with a human heart in her hand, her mouth dripping like a wild animal's. La Voisin drags an unconscious woman from the temple steps. Lou fans the shame of this memory into a weapon, cutting into Nicholina's psyche. Nicholina tries to justify the killings as necessary, but Lou presses her advantage, goading her with the name of Mathieu—Nicholina's dead lover—and threatening her with death either way. Nicholina, consumed by rage and bloodlust, forgets her loyalty to La Voisin and attacks with everything she has. Lou breaks her grip, rolls atop her, and strikes her.

When La Voisin lifts the unconscious woman's face, Lou sees it's Coco. Before she can process this, Nicholina tackles her into another current, and they land in a battered bedroom in Chasseur Tower. Lou seizes a shard of bedpost and stabs Nicholina, but the wound heals quickly in this realm. Nicholina reveals that Reid is behind them. Reid, furious and hurt, declares that Lou is not his wife—a blow that echoes Lou's deepest fears.

The two plunge into another memory: a dark tent where Lou's mother Morgane and La Voisin are making a deal. Nicholina protests that they cannot involve the children, and La Voisin slaps her, reminding her of her place and threatening to revoke the gift of immortality she gave her. Nicholina thrashes in humiliation, tearing them from the memory.

Finally, Nicholina drags Lou down the coldest current of all: the amphitheater where Ansel died. Lou tries desperately to intervene, to shield Ansel from Morgane's knife, but her hands pass through everything—she is immaterial in this memory. Morgane kills Ansel. Nicholina circles them, repeating the cruel words Lou once spoke to Ansel, cutting Lou's strings one by one. Lou crumples beside Ansel's body, numb, unable to cry, realizing that part of her died here already.

Key Events

Lou realizes she can drown Nicholina in emotion rather than water
The two spiral into the temple memory where past-Nicholina holds a human heart
La Voisin reveals the unconscious woman is Coco
Lou goads Nicholina with Mathieu's name, breaking her control
The battle moves to Chasseur Tower, where Lou stabs Nicholina with a bedpost shard
Reid appears and declares Lou is not his wife
A memory of Morgane and La Voisin in a tent shows La Voisin slapping Nicholina
Nicholina drags Lou to the amphitheater where Ansel died
Lou cannot touch anything in the memory—she's immaterial
Morgane kills Ansel; Nicholina repeats Lou's cruel words to him
Lou crumples beside Ansel, numb and broken

Character Development

Lou faces the consequences of her past actions in this chapter. Her realization that she can weaponize emotion against Nicholina shows her growing tactical cunning, but it also forces her to confront the shame and guilt she carries. Her desperate attempt to save Ansel in the memory—knowing she can't—reveals how deeply his death haunts her. The chapter ends with her emotionally shattered, unable to even cry.

Nicholina is revealed as a creature of control and manipulation, but also one with vulnerabilities. Her reaction to Mathieu's name shows she has her own grief and rage. The memory of La Voisin slapping her reveals the power dynamic between them—Nicholina is a tool, not a family member, despite what she claims.

Reid's brief appearance is devastating. His declaration that Lou is not his wife confirms her worst fears and gives Nicholina ammunition.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Drowning is the central metaphor. Lou literally drowns in the waters of memory, but she also drowns in emotion—shame, grief, guilt. Nicholina tries to drown her in despair by showing her the worst moments of her life.

Shame as a weapon — Lou explicitly uses shame against Nicholina, fanning it into a weapon that cuts through her defenses.

Memory as a weapon — Nicholina uses memories to torture Lou, forcing her to relive Ansel's death. But Lou also uses memories against Nicholina (the temple, Mathieu).

Puppetry and control — Nicholina is described as a marionette, and she in turn tries to control Lou. The cutting of strings is a recurring image.

Helplessness — Lou's inability to touch anything in the Ansel memory—her hands passing through the knife—is a powerful symbol of her powerlessness to change the past.

Grief and guilt — Lou's guilt over Ansel's death is the emotional core of the chapter. The cruel words she spoke to him are repeated back to her.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the emotional climax of Lou's internal struggle. It forces her to confront the worst moment of her life—Ansel's death—and the guilt she carries for the cruel words she spoke to him. It also reveals that Coco was present at the temple, suggesting a deeper connection between Coco's past and La Voisin's schemes. The chapter deepens our understanding of Nicholina as a tragic figure—a creature of La Voisin's making, controlled and discarded. And Reid's rejection of Lou, even in a memory, underscores the stakes of her journey.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Lou choose to drown Nicholina in emotion rather than water?

Lou realizes that fighting Nicholina in the waters is futile—she can't breathe, can't think, and the currents are overwhelming. But she understands that Nicholina is vulnerable to emotional wounds. By using shame, grief, and rage as weapons, Lou can attack Nicholina where she's weakest. This is a strategic shift from physical to psychological warfare.

2. What does the memory of La Voisin slapping Nicholina reveal about their relationship?

It reveals that Nicholina is not a willing partner or family member to La Voisin—she's a tool. La Voisin threatens to revoke the gift of immortality she gave Nicholina, making clear that Nicholina's loyalty is bought, not earned. This undermines Nicholina's claims of family and belonging.

3. Why can't Lou touch anything in the Ansel memory, even though she could touch objects in the Chasseur Tower memory?

The evidence suggests that memories have different rules. In the Chasseur Tower memory, Lou could interact with objects (the bedpost shard), but in the Ansel memory, her hands pass through the knife. Nicholina explains that they can't change the past, even in memories. The key point is that Lou is forced to relive Ansel's death without being able to intervene, emphasizing her helplessness.