Chapter 33 (32) Summary: The Kiss and Cecily's Return
⚠️ 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
Joanna and Collins wait on the porch for Esther and Nicholas to return through the mirror. Collins grows agitated and drinks several beers, then switches to sharing his personal story to distract them both. He reveals his grandmother owned a bird-sight magic book, which he read at age sixteen, sparking his lifelong passion for magic. He found the magical community through online message boards and later worked as a bouncer while studying hospitality in college. Joanna admits she loves romance novels because they guarantee happy endings and real connection. Tension builds between them until Collins kisses her. The moment is cut short by the sound of an approaching car. Joanna recognizes it as her mother Cecily’s vehicle. Cecily emerges frantically and attacks Collins, then realizes Joanna is unharmed. She explains that the wards protecting the house are down, and her own silencing spell is broken. Cecily asks Joanna for permission to break another silencing spell in the basement—a spell she read twenty-three years ago. Joanna agrees and invites her mother inside.
Key Events
- Collins opens a can of dog food for the cat, but the animal does not appear.
- Collins narrates how he discovered magic through his grandmother’s bird-sight book and felt the world “cracked its lid” when he met others who knew about magic.
- Joanna confesses her fondness for romance novels, valuing their promise of connection and happy endings.
- Collins and Joanna kiss; Collins halts the kiss when he hears an engine.
- Cecily arrives in her car, screaming at Collins before Joanna intervenes.
- Cecily reveals the wards are down, her silencing spell is broken, and she knows Richard is coming.
- Cecily asks Joanna to let her break a second silencing spell in the basement.
- Joanna grants permission, and Cecily enters the house.
Character Development
Joanna shows newfound openness by sharing her reading tastes and responding physically to Collins. She also starts to peel away her suspicion of her mother, agreeing to let Cecily inside despite years of guardedness.
Collins lets down his own guard, describing his past with humor and vulnerability. His admission that he prefers “long hair” indirectly reveals romantic interest in Joanna, and his kiss—though tentative at first—signals a shift in confidence and desire.
Cecily arrives desperate and afraid, but quickly composes herself and makes a direct, respectful request rather than forcing her way in. Her tearful plea for permission indicates a desire to rebuild trust after decades of enforced silence.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Connection vs. isolation: Joanna’s confession about romance novels and Collins’s story about “light and air finally get[ting] in” both underscore the human need for genuine connection. The kiss is a physical manifestation of that theme.
- Breaking silence: Cecily’s decision to reveal the truth and her request to break the basement’s silencing spell highlight the motif of secrets stifling relationships. Joanna’s consent starts the process of honest communication.
- The power of choice: Cecily explicitly gives Joanna a choice to let her in, emphasizing that coercion undermines trust. Joanna’s “Come in, then” marks her active participation in uncovering the family’s hidden history.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter advances two major plotlines simultaneously. Joanna’s romantic relationship with Collins begins in earnest, giving her a personal stake in the fight against Richard. Meanwhile, Cecily’s return brings a missing piece of the past—the second silencing spell—into play. By choosing to trust Cecily, Joanna opens the door to revelations that will likely affect Esther and the entire family. The chapter also deepens the world‑building by showing how ordinary magic users (like Collins and his family) discover the hidden magical community.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Joanna value romance novels so much?
Joanna says romance novels are about connection—people overcoming differences, flaws, and secrets to find happiness. She used to prefer them because, unlike real life, they guarantee a happy ending. This reveals her longing for stability and her fear of the uncertainties surrounding her own life.
2. How does Cecily’s arrival change the stakes of the story?
Cecily brings immediate news that the wards are down and Richard will come for his book. She also introduces the existence of a second silencing spell in the basement—one she cast years ago. Her willingness to break it promises crucial backstory about why the family has been hiding, which directly threatens the current plan.
3. What does Collins’s background reveal about the magical community?
Collins discovered magic through a family heirloom book and connected with other magic users via internet message boards, then was recruited by the Library. This shows that magic knowledge is fragmented and often passed through families, but digital networks allow isolated individuals to find each other. It also illustrates that the Library actively recruits people with magical ability, as it did with Collins.