Chapter 35 Summary: Holes in the Tapestry
⚠️ 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 Reid confronting Lou, who has just emerged from the crown prince (Beau) wearing a smirk that contrasts sharply with the grief in her eyes moments earlier. Coco steps in front of Lou and adjusts her neckline, while Célie playfully pinches Lou's cheeks—a moment of levity that quickly gives way to tension.
Jean Luc arrives on the scene, having abandoned the conclave to follow Célie. He kisses her openly, and she initially responds with surprise and happiness. But when she realizes he disobeyed the priests and the king to trail her, her joy curdles into fury. She demands to know why he is there, and he admits he has been following her since Cesarine, having spoken with Father Achille about her near-fall from a cliff. Célie is outraged—not only that he abandoned his post, but that he and her parents believed she needed protection. She delivers a fierce rebuke, insisting she is not porcelain or weak, and storms off with her pack.
Meanwhile, Reid confronts Lou about his missing memories. He demands she return them, but Lou and Coco explain that only the witch who cast the enchantment can break it—and that witch is Reid himself. Lou tells him he will need to stay with them until he figures it out. Reid is furious and distrustful, but he has no choice.
The group acquires horses at the next village. Jean Luc tries to help Célie mount, but she knocks his hand aside and climbs up herself. Beau pairs himself with Coco, leaving Reid and Lou to share a horse. Reid refuses, demanding rope to tie Lou behind the horse. Coco threatens him, and Lou warns she will gut him if he tries anything. After a tense standoff, Reid reluctantly climbs onto the horse behind Lou.
As they ride, Lou reveals their destination: Chateau le Blanc, her ancestral home, which they plan to rob. She describes the castle's defenses—an enchanted door guarding the treasury, and hundreds of witches living there year-round. Coco suggests that bottled L'Eau Mélancolique waters or her own blood might break the door's enchantment, though no one is certain.
The physical proximity on the horse creates an uncomfortable tension for Reid. He is acutely aware of Lou's body against his, and his body responds in ways he finds shameful and confusing. He tries to ignore it, but the sensation persists. Lou eventually offers to move behind him, and after a clumsy maneuver, she settles behind him with her arms around his torso.
Lou then explains the method for restoring his memories: he must focus on the