Chapter 13: Rune — 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.

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For the next part of the story, see Chapter 14.

This page is designed to help you study the chapter's events, character arcs, and themes.

All analysis is based on the text of the chapter itself.

If you're looking for a quick recap, the summary below covers everything in order.

For deeper insights, jump to the sections on key events, character development, themes, and why this chapter matters.

At the end, you'll find three study questions with answers to test your understanding.

Summary

Rune leads Gideon into her private bedroom, a space she describes as her favorite and safest place, though she has just invited a dangerous enemy into it. She tells him it belonged to her witch grandmother, a claim that is technically true but deliberately misleading. Gideon moves cautiously, like a wolf entering unfamiliar territory, while Rune tries to maintain her composed facade.

Their private moment is interrupted by Lizbeth, who brings a tray with two cups, a decanter of red wine, and a telegram that arrived earlier. Lizbeth also mentions that Verity is looking for Rune, but Rune dismisses this, saying she'll return to the party soon. Once alone, Rune pours wine into both cups, having already enchanted one with a truth-telling spell. She offers the enchanted cup to Gideon, but he refuses, stating he doesn't drink. Rune is caught off guard—she hadn't known this about him. She tries to press the wine on him, but Gideon remains firm.

When Rune sets down the enchanted cup and reaches for the other, Gideon notices the switch and asks if she's trying to drug him. Rune panics internally, but she decides to drink the enchanted wine herself to avoid suspicion. She hides the spellmark on the bottom of the cup with her hands and takes a long swallow. The spell immediately begins to affect her, loosening her inhibitions and making her feel like a cornered animal. She realizes the spell only forces truth when asked a direct question, and Gideon doesn't know she's enchanted the cup, so she hopes to avoid interrogation.

To keep him talking, Rune asks why he abstains from alcohol. Gideon reveals he once needed it to survive, along with other stronger substances, but he doesn't elaborate. He then notices the telegram and asks if it's a love poem. Rune reads it aloud: the Ministry of Public Safety has named her guest of honor at next week's Luminaries Dinner, and she must prepare a speech extolling the Republic's virtues. Rune is horrified—she had planned to skip the event because it forces her to publicly praise the regime that killed her grandmother. She also learns from Gideon that Lola Parsons, the original guest of honor, has been taken into custody for harboring a witch.

The truth spell surges, nearly forcing Rune to confess her hatred of the Republic and her desire to burn it down. She desperately deflects by blurting out smaller truths: she doesn't have a dress to wear, and her seamstress is booked. She also admits she doesn't want to talk about her grandmother. Gideon softens at her tears, and his gaze falls on a large portrait hanging above her bed—a painting of Kestrel Winters, Rune's grandmother, holding a young Rune. Rune claims she kept the portrait as a reminder of evil, but internally she knows the real evil is her own betrayal of Nan.

Desperate to regain control and still needing information about where Seraphine is held, Rune shifts to flirtation. She touches Gideon's lapel and asks how he would describe her. Gideon captures her wrist and traces her palm, and Rune feels an unexpected spark of attraction. He offers her an escape back to the party, but she declines. He makes a joke about his horse being more stimulating than a party guest, and Rune laughs genuinely. Gideon tells her her laugh is like a fuse that lights her up. Rune is shaken by how drawn she is to him, despite knowing he's a cold, heartless murderer.

As Gideon becomes more intimate—touching her temple, running his fingers up her arm, and leaning in to kiss her—Rune realizes she wants him to, which terrifies her. She feels like she's inside her own trap, about to be devoured by her prey. In a desperate move to break the spell, she dumps her wine down the front of his suit.

Key Events

Rune brings Gideon to her bedroom and claims it belonged to her witch grandmother.
Lizbeth delivers wine and a telegram, then leaves.
Rune offers Gideon enchanted truth-telling wine, but he refuses, saying he doesn't drink.
Gideon notices Rune switching cups, so she drinks the enchanted wine herself.
The truth spell begins to affect Rune, making her feel vulnerable and out of control.
Rune reads the telegram: she's named guest of honor at the Luminaries Dinner.
Gideon tells her Lola Parsons was taken into custody for harboring a witch.
Rune deflects the truth spell with smaller truths about her dress and her grandmother.
Gideon notices the portrait of Kestrel Winters with young Rune; Rune claims it's a reminder of evil.
Rune tries to flirt with Gideon to learn where Seraphine is held.
Gideon becomes intimate, and Rune finds herself genuinely attracted to him.
Rune loses control and dumps her wine down Gideon's suit.

Character Development

Rune is forced to confront the limits of her own performance. She's used to being the one in control, but the truth spell turns her into a liability. Her internal panic reveals how deeply she's buried her true feelings about the Republic and her grandmother's death. The chapter shows her guilt over betraying Nan, as she admits to herself that the portrait is a reminder of her own evil, not Nan's. Her attraction to Gideon is a new and dangerous vulnerability—she's never felt this way about a target before, and it threatens her mission.
Gideon shows unexpected layers. He refuses alcohol because he values control, hinting at a past struggle with substances. He also displays a surprising gentleness, offering Rune an escape and making a genuine joke. His observation about her laugh suggests he's not just playing a game—he's noticing real things about her. This complicates Rune's view of him as a heartless monster.
The dynamic between them shifts from predator-prey to a more mutual, dangerous attraction. Rune's realization that she wants to kiss him—more than she wants to save Seraphine—marks a turning point in her emotional state.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Truth and deception: The truth-telling spell backfires on Rune, forcing her to confront the lies she tells herself and others. Her deflection with smaller truths highlights the difficulty of maintaining a false identity.
Forced performance of loyalty: The Luminaries Dinner telegram forces Rune to publicly praise the Republic that killed her grandmother. This is a recurring motif of her having to perform loyalty to survive.
Guilt and memory: The portrait of Kestrel Winters symbolizes Rune's guilt. She keeps it as a reminder of her own betrayal, not as a warning about witches. The painting represents the secret truth she can't escape.
Seduction as espionage: Rune's usual method of extracting information—using flirtation and intimacy—becomes a trap when she genuinely feels attracted to Gideon. The motif of the mimic spider (mentioned in the text) is inverted: she becomes the prey.
Loss of control: Rune's entire plan unravels when Gideon refuses the wine and she drinks it herself. The chapter emphasizes her loss of control over her body, her emotions, and her mission.
Oppression of witches: The chapter reinforces the Republic's brutal regime, with Lola Parsons arrested for harboring a witch and Rune forced to toast the murderers of her grandmother.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a pivotal turning point in the novel's central relationship. It strips away Rune's usual defenses and forces her to confront her own vulnerability, both emotionally and physically. The truth spell creates a high-stakes scenario where she must think on her feet, revealing her resourcefulness but also her fragility. The Luminaries Dinner obligation adds a new layer of external pressure, tying Rune's personal mission to the larger political conflict. Most importantly, the chapter establishes the dangerous attraction between Rune and Gideon, setting up a romantic tension that will complicate her mission to save Seraphine. The portrait of Nan serves as a constant reminder of Rune's guilt, grounding her motivations in her past betrayal. This chapter deepens the reader's understanding of Rune's internal conflict and sets the stage for the escalating stakes of the plot.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Rune drink the enchanted wine herself, and what are the immediate consequences?

Rune drinks the wine because Gideon refuses it and notices her attempt to switch cups. She drinks it to avoid suspicion, but the spell immediately begins to affect her, loosening her inhibitions and making her feel like a cornered animal. The spell nearly forces her to confess her hatred of the Republic and her guilt over her grandmother's death, forcing her to deflect with smaller truths.

How does Rune use the portrait of Kestrel Winters to maintain her cover?

When Gideon notices the portrait, Rune claims she kept it as a reminder of evil, implying she means the evil of witches like her grandmother. In reality, she keeps it as a reminder of her own betrayal—the evil she committed against the person she loved most. This lie allows her to appear loyal to the Republic while secretly honoring her grandmother's memory.

What does Rune's attraction to Gideon reveal about her character at this point in the story?

Rune's attraction to Gideon reveals that she is not as in control of her emotions as she believes. She's used to using flirtation as a tool, but with Gideon, she genuinely wants to kiss him, which terrifies her. This attraction threatens her mission and forces her to confront the possibility that her enemy is not as one-dimensional as she assumed. It also highlights her loneliness and her desire for genuine connection, which she has suppressed in her role as a spy.

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