Chapter 15 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ 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 the morning after the previous night's events. Mallory tells Teddy that Adrian is coming over for a lunchtime pool party, and the two prepare an elaborate picnic—grilled chicken sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit salad, and lemonade. Teddy, excited, carries the food to the pool deck while Mallory opens umbrellas for shade.

Mallory has already briefed Adrian on the plan: he will babysit Teddy while Mallory and Mitzi attempt to use a spirit board in the cottage. Adrian arrives promptly at noon, wearing a swimsuit and a red Scarlet Knights T-shirt. Teddy greets him with a playful maître d' act, pretending the pool deck is a restaurant. Adrian mentions that his boss, El Jefe, only gives him an hour for lunch, so they need to eat quickly.

Mallory gives Adrian extensive instructions, repeatedly stressing that Teddy must wear his floaties and stay out of the deep end. She is too nervous to eat, glancing repeatedly at the cottage where Mitzi has been preparing for the séance. Mitzi had earlier said that under ideal circumstances Teddy would sit beside them, but she agrees that having him twenty yards away might be close enough.

After a quick lunch, Adrian scoops Teddy up, and Mallory tells Teddy that Adrian will watch him for a while. Teddy is thrilled and runs off to play. Mallory warns Adrian not to come near the cottage, even if he hears screaming, because she doesn't want Teddy to know about the séance. She reassures him that Mitzi has done this a hundred times, but she doesn't sound confident.

Mallory walks to the cottage, where Mitzi has transformed the space. Heavy black fabric covers the windows, blocking all sunlight. The air smells of burning sage, which Mitzi says will reduce interference from unfriendly spirits. Votive candles provide dim light, and a black cloth covers the kitchen table. The wooden spirit board sits in the middle, surrounded by a ring of sea salt. Mitzi explains that the salt is an extra precaution.

Before starting, Mitzi asks to review all the drawings Mallory has received. Mallory had found three new ones on the floor that morning. Mitzi is particularly troubled by the latest drawing, pointing to a silhouette on the horizon. Mallory thinks the figure is walking away, but Mitzi shudders, suggesting it might be walking toward. They decide to ask the spirits.

Mitzi instructs Mallory to turn off her phone and use the bathroom. Then they sit at opposite ends of the table, with a third chair left empty for Anya. Mitzi places a heart-shaped planchette on the board and tells Mallory to rest her fingers lightly on it, warning her not to push. Mitzi closes her eyes and begins the séance, calling out to Annie Barrett and then to Anya.

Mallory feels herself falling into a trance-like state, her worries about Teddy, the Maxwells, running, and sobriety fading away. She hears the sounds of the pool but they become distorted. Then she feels something brush the back of her neck, as if someone passed behind her chair. She turns but sees no one. When she looks back, she feels a presence leaning over her, with soft hair grazing her shoulder. An invisible weight pushes down on her hand, nudging the planchette forward.

Mitzi, unaware of the presence, smiles and welcomes the spirit. The planchette moves in slow circles, stopping at letters that spell gibberish: I-G-E, then N-X-O. Mitzi accuses Mallory of leaning and pushing. Mallory insists it's not her, but she's too scared to argue. The planchette moves faster, spelling random letters like L-V-A-J-X-S. Mitzi grows increasingly annoyed, and when the planchette flies off the table, she stands up, furious, accusing Mallory of pushing the whole time.

Mallory insists that Anya moved her hand, but Mitzi doesn't believe her. The argument escalates, with Mitzi saying this is her livelihood and that Mallory has wasted her time. Suddenly, the door swings open and Teddy appears, having slipped away from Adrian during a game of hide-and-seek. He ducks inside and closes the door, marveling at the candles and the blacked-out windows. Mitzi tells him it's a spirit board, a tool to speak with the dead. Mallory quickly tries to dismiss it as just a game, but Mitzi insists it's real.

Adrian comes looking for Teddy, and Teddy darts out. Mitzi, gathering her things, tells Adrian that there are no spirits in the cottage and that Mallory made up a story for attention. She storms out, nearly tripping on the stairs. Adrian asks what happened, and Mallory explains that Anya was there, moving her arm, but the letters were gibberish. They watch Mitzi wobble across the lawn, clearly high. Teddy returns, dejected, and asks if anyone wants to chase him. Adrian apologizes and leaves to get back to work. Mallory tells Teddy she'll chase him, but he trudges off, unhappy. Mallory worries that Teddy will tell his parents about the séance, and she's pretty sure he will.

Key Events

Mallory and Teddy prepare a picnic for Adrian's lunchtime visit.
Adrian agrees to babysit Teddy while Mallory and Mitzi conduct a séance.
Mitzi transforms the cottage with black fabric, candles, sage, and sea salt.
Mitzi reviews Mallory's drawings and is troubled by the latest one.
The séance begins; Mallory feels a supernatural presence and pressure on the planchette.
The planchette spells gibberish, and Mitzi accuses Mallory of pushing it.
Teddy interrupts, having slipped away from Adrian during hide-and-seek.
Mitzi tells Teddy the board is real; Mallory insists it's just a game.
Mitzi storms out, and Adrian leaves to return to work.
Mallory worries Teddy will tell his parents about the séance.

Character Development

Mallory is increasingly anxious and conflicted. She is torn between her desire to contact Anya and her fear of the consequences. She gives Adrian detailed instructions about Teddy's safety, showing her protective nature, but she also takes risks by participating in the séance. Her nervousness is palpable—she can't eat, she keeps glancing at the cottage, and she worries about Teddy's reaction. During the séance, she experiences something she can't explain, but she is too scared to confront Mitzi's accusations. Her vulnerability is on full display, and her fear of Teddy telling his parents reveals her precarious position in the Maxwell household.

Mitzi is portrayed as increasingly erratic and paranoid. Her use of THC to