Chapter 30 Summary: Gideon's Point of View

⚠️ 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 Gideon and Rune walking through the woods after leaving the meadow. Gideon breaks the silence with a confession: the last girl he fell in love with was a witch. He then recounts his family's rise from poverty. His parents became royal dressmakers, moving from the Outer Wards to Old Town and finally into the palace itself. Gideon was brought in to help, and Cressida specifically requested that he be assigned to her, so he went to live at Thornwood Hall.

Gideon admits that Cressida didn't only want him as a tailor—they became intimate. He remembers her silvery casting scars, which she displayed proudly, and admits she completely bewitched him. But things went wrong quickly. His mother began to fall ill, seeing things that weren't there and accusing her family of terrible acts. Gideon realized the Roseblood sisters were slowly torturing her with witchcraft. Rune is skeptical, pointing out that the spells described sound like forbidden Arcana magic, which requires blood taken against someone's will and corrodes the witch who uses it. Gideon recalls Cressida's justification for seizing power at any cost.

The hardest part of the confession follows. When Gideon tried to end things with Cressida, she threatened his little sister, Tessa. Terrified, he complied, but Cressida killed Tessa anyway. Rune is shocked—she thought Tessa died of the sweating sickness. Gideon explains the true story: at a party where he poured tea, Cressida convinced herself he was cheating on her. She demanded he prove his devotion by sewing three dozen silk roses by sunrise. He managed only a dozen, and that same day Cressida used a spell to strike Tessa with the sweating sickness, locked her in her room, and refused to let anyone tend to her. Gideon tried to break in, then attacked Cressida, but guards dragged him off and chained him. By the time he was released, Tessa was dead.

His mother drowned herself a day later, and his father hung himself a few days after that. Still not satisfied, Cressida threatened his brother Alex. Gideon began drinking to cope with being forced back into her bed. He recalls the night she branded him with a curse, pinning him to the wall and searing his flesh, telling him she would activate it if he betrayed her again. Rune realizes that's why Alex killed Cressida.

They emerge from the woods to see the shoreline and a calm bay. Gideon says he's spoiled a perfect evening, but Rune grabs his hand and tells him he's spoiled nothing. She says, “You are not the things that happened to you.” Gideon wishes that were true, but he believes none of us can escape our pasts. He reflects on how his past shaped him—helping the rebels take the palace, shooting Analise and Elowyn, and hunting witches because he believes they are wicked to the core. At that thought, he pulls his hand free, remembering why he's here: he suspects Rune is a witch hiding in plain sight, and he needs proof. The telltale sign is the silvery casting scars every witch carries. As the sun sets, Gideon unbuttons his shirt and announces he's going for a swim. He pulls it off and drops it in the sand. Rune's startled expression shows she's seen something—presumably the curse brand on his chest—and Gideon raises an eyebrow, asking if she's coming.

Key Events

Gideon confesses his past relationship with Cressida and the tragedy that followed.
He reveals that his mother was tortured by the Roseblood sisters using witchcraft.
Rune explains that the spells described are forbidden Arcana magic, which corrupts the user.
Gideon recounts how Cressida threatened his sister Tessa, then killed her anyway.
He describes his mother's suicide, his father's suicide, and his own descent into drinking.
Cressida brands Gideon with a curse as a means of control.
Alex kills Cressida, ending the threat.
Gideon and Rune reach the shore, and Gideon removes his shirt, revealing something that startles Rune.
Gideon internally reaffirms his suspicion that Rune is a witch and his need to find proof.

Character Development

Gideon is stripped bare in this chapter—both literally and emotionally. His confession reveals the depth of his trauma: the loss of his entire family, his helplessness against Cressida's cruelty, and the lasting shame of being coerced into intimacy. His belief that witches are inherently wicked is shown to be a direct result of his suffering, not an abstract ideology. Yet the chapter also shows his internal conflict. When Rune offers him compassion, he momentarily softens, but he quickly pulls away, reminding himself of his mission. His decision to remove his shirt is a calculated move to expose his curse brand—a test to see if Rune will recognize it as proof of his past, or perhaps to gauge her reaction.

Rune demonstrates both empathy and knowledge. She listens without judgment, corrects his misunderstanding about Arcana magic, and offers him a lifeline with her words about not being defined by past events. Her reaction to his shirt removal—startled, not disgusted—suggests she sees the brand and understands its significance, though she doesn't yet reveal her own secrets.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Abuse of power and manipulation: Cressida's use of threats, coercion, and physical branding shows how power can be weaponized to control another person.
Trauma-driven witch hunt: Gideon's hatred of witches is explicitly tied to his personal trauma, making his crusade a cycle of violence rather than a moral stance.
The past's inescapability: Gideon's belief that “none of us can escape our pasts” is central; his past drives every action, even as he tries to move forward.
Witch scars as proof: The silvery casting scars are a recurring motif—Cressida wore them proudly, and Gideon now looks for them on Rune as evidence of her identity.
Sea as cleansing: Gideon wants to dive into the sea to wash away his stain, but he knows it's impossible; the sea offers only a temporary escape, not redemption.
Silk roses as symbol: The roses Cressida demanded represent her sadistic control—Gideon's failure to produce them leads directly to Tessa's death.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the emotional core of Gideon's arc. It explains why he hunts witches with such fervor, turning his mission from a political cause into a deeply personal vendetta. It also creates dramatic irony: the reader knows Rune is a witch, but Gideon's suspicion is now explicit, and his plan to expose her is set in motion. The final image—Gideon removing his shirt to reveal his curse brand—is a turning point. It forces Rune to confront the physical evidence of his suffering, and it forces Gideon to commit to his deception, even as he feels a pull toward her. The chapter deepens the romance's tension by showing how much is at stake for both characters.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Gideon decide to tell Rune his full story, even though it's painful?

Gideon tells Rune because he believes that if this were a real courtship, she would want to know the truth about him. He also wants to test her earlier claim that neither of them thinks themselves too good for the other. By confessing, he's putting her words to the test—if she rejects him after hearing the truth, he won't blame her.

2. How does Rune's knowledge of Arcana magic challenge Gideon's understanding of the Roseblood sisters?

Rune explains that Arcana spells require blood taken against someone's will and that the magic corrodes the witch who uses it. This contradicts Gideon's simple belief that witches are evil by nature. It suggests the Roseblood sisters knowingly corrupted themselves, which complicates the idea of inherent wickedness and introduces the theme of choice versus nature.

3. What does Gideon's decision to remove his shirt reveal about his intentions toward Rune?

Gideon removes his shirt to expose the curse brand Cressida gave him. He knows that every witch carries silvery casting scars, and he's looking for proof that Rune is a witch. The act is a deliberate test—he wants to see her reaction to his scarred body, hoping it will reveal whether she recognizes the mark of a witch's curse or shows signs of being a witch herself.

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