Chapter 37 Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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 Verity Thaumas arriving at Alex's door, only to be turned away by Frederick, who tells her that Alex is indisposed after another fit. Frederick is immovable, refusing to let her see him, and Verity is left with the crushing weight of the secrets she learned the previous night. She had planned to tell Alex everything, but now that plan is impossible.
Restless and nauseous, Verity wanders the halls of Chauntilalie, pacing in circles and passing the same mirrors three times. Her thoughts churn with Julien's revelation about Gerard's selected women—women whose bloodlines Gerard hoped to manipulate to coax out divine power. Verity cannot understand why she was chosen, since her family tree is ordinary and mortal. She recalls Viktor's speculation that Gerard might be trying to contact the Denizens, the older gods hidden in the Sanctum.
A sudden conviction strikes her: the weeping wraith she saw earlier was not a hallucination. She was real, and Verity was the only one who could see her. If the gods know all and see all, the wraith might hold answers about Verity's gift and Gerard's plans.
Determined, Verity gathers supplies: a flask of poppy tea brewed twice as strong as usual, a pink candle, matches, and a sprig of laurel leaves cut from the poison garden. She spreads a blanket in the Garden of Giants, a secluded spot where no one will find her. She lights the candle, drinks the tea, and breathes in the laurel's toxic fumes, calling out to the wraith.
The world shifts into shades of blue—deep navy, cerulean, lapis, and cobalt. The trees seem to multiply. Verity takes another swallow of tea and inhales more laurel. Then the hallucinations begin: a statue of a giraffe-like creature with eight eyes comes to life, its jaw unhinging to devour her, but it freezes and returns to stone. Magenta blood rains from the trees, staining her skin. The pond boils with unseen beasts, and the air hums with waves. Snowflakes with grimacing, rage-filled faces swirl around her. Verity collapses, shivering and terrified, curling into a small ball.
Just as she fears the end, she hears soft footsteps. Cool fingers cup her cheek, and a familiar voice murmurs comfort. It is Eulalie's ghost, scooping Verity into her arms. Verity throws her arms around the ghostly form and weeps with gratitude.
Key Events
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Frederick denies Verity access to Alex, who is suffering another fit.
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Verity wanders the estate, haunted by Julien's revelation and Viktor's speculation about the Denizens.
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She becomes convinced the weeping wraith was real and decides to summon her.
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Verity gathers ritual items: poppy tea, a pink candle, matches, and laurel leaves from the poison garden.
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She performs the summoning ritual in the Garden of Giants.
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The ritual triggers intense hallucinations: a living statue, blood rain, boiling pond, and snowflakes with faces.
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Verity collapses in despair and fear.
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Eulalie's ghost appears and comforts her, and Verity embraces her, weeping.
Character Development
Verity Thaumas is pushed to a breaking point in this chapter. Her desperation to understand her gift and Gerard's machinations drives her to knowingly poison herself—a reckless, self-destructive act that shows how far she will go for answers. Her earlier resolve to confide in Alex is thwarted, leaving her isolated and frantic. The hallucinations strip away her composure, reducing her to a terrified, shivering child. Yet her instinct to reach out to the supernatural, even at great personal risk, reveals her courage and her willingness to sacrifice her own safety for truth.
Eulalie's ghost appears as a source of maternal comfort, a stark contrast to the cold, menacing wraith Verity sought. Her presence suggests that not all spirits are hostile, and that Verity's connection to the dead may have deeper, more protective roots.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Ritualistic self-poisoning: Verity's use of poppy tea and laurel leaves mirrors Gerard's experiments with toxic plants on pregnant women. Her act is both a desperate gamble and a dark parallel to the methods she is trying to understand.
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Hallucination vs. reality: The chapter blurs the line between what is real and what is poison-induced. Verity's conviction that the wraith was real—despite the hallucinations—raises questions about the nature of her visions and the true power of the Denizens.
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Despair and helplessness: Verity's inability to see Alex, her circular pacing, and her collapse under the hallucinations all emphasize her emotional vulnerability and the crushing burden of hidden knowledge.
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Isolation and secrecy: The Garden of Giants is chosen specifically because no one will find her there. Verity's ritual is a solitary act, underscoring her isolation from allies and the secrecy surrounding Gerard's experiments.
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The Denizens (older gods): Viktor's speculation and Verity's summoning attempt introduce the idea that ancient, forgotten deities may be reachable—and that Gerard's bloodline experiments are tied to contacting them.
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Risk and sacrifice: Verity knowingly poisons herself, risking death or madness, to gain answers. This motif of sacrifice for knowledge echoes the sacrifices Gerard forces on others.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point in Verity's investigation. It transforms her from a passive observer of Gerard's horrors into an active seeker of forbidden knowledge. Her decision to summon the wraith—and the subsequent appearance of Eulalie's ghost—opens a new avenue of communication with the supernatural, potentially providing the answers she desperately needs. It also deepens the mystery of Verity's own nature: why can she see spirits that others cannot? The chapter sets up a direct confrontation with the divine, raising the stakes for the rest of the novel.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Verity decide to summon the weeping wraith, and what does this decision reveal about her state of mind?
Verity decides to summon the wraith because she becomes convinced that the creature was real and not a hallucination. She reasons that if the gods know all and see all, the wraith could explain her gift and Gerard's plans. This decision reveals her desperation and her willingness to take extreme risks—she knowingly poisons herself—because she feels she has no other options. Her mind is a tangle of half-truths and unanswered questions, and she is driven to act even if it endangers her life.
2. How does the setting of the Garden of Giants contribute to the chapter's atmosphere and Verity's actions?
The Garden of Giants is described as a secluded, overgrown area with towering statues and wild brush. Verity chooses it because she knows no one will find her there, which allows her to perform the ritual without interference. The isolation amplifies the sense of danger and secrecy, and the statues themselves become part of the hallucination—one comes to life and threatens her. The garden's wild, untamed nature mirrors Verity's own chaotic emotional state and the forbidden nature of her actions.
3. What role does Eulalie's ghost play in this chapter, and how does it contrast with the weeping wraith?
Eulalie's ghost appears as a comforting, maternal presence, speaking in a familiar voice and offering physical warmth through cool fingers and an embrace. This contrasts sharply with the weeping wraith, who is described with pointed gray teeth, a cruel grin, and a menacing demeanor. Eulalie's appearance suggests that not all supernatural entities are hostile, and it provides Verity with emotional relief after the terrifying hallucinations. It also hints that Verity's connection to the dead may have protective elements, not just dangerous ones.