Chapter 5: Rune — 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 Rune pressed against the powder room door in the hallway, listening to Gideon's screams as Cressida tortures him inside. Her initial reaction is fury and hatred—she reminds herself that Gideon came to kill her, that he put a gun to her head, and that she should feel nothing but contempt for him. She even wishes she knew memory-erasing spells so she could wipe every trace of him from her mind.

Yet the sound of his agony undoes her resolve. She steps toward the door, wanting to intervene, but stops herself. Defying Cressida is impossible; the witch queen is far more powerful than Rune, and Cressida is their only hope of saving the witches left behind. Even if Rune could rescue Gideon, he would likely try to kill her again. Still, a question nags at her: Gideon had the upper hand in the powder room and could have shot her long before she noticed him in the mirror. Why did he hesitate?

Before she can act, Prince Soren arrives with four soldiers, having heard she was attacked. He assumes she's the victim and insists on taking her to his quarters for protection, locking her inside with guards posted at the door. Rune is sick with worry about Gideon, but she realizes something: while she has no power over Cressida, Soren does. Cressida desperately needs his army.

Rune decides to use Soren's attraction to her as a weapon. She pulls him to the bed, climbs into his lap, and plays the part of a frightened, grateful fiancée. She tells him she wasn't sure about the betrothal before tonight but now believes fate intervened. She reminds him of the surprise weekend trip to Caelis she's planned—dinners, the ballet, a hotel room—and then makes her request: seal the alliance with Cressida tonight, and they can celebrate tomorrow.

Soren agrees, mistaking her motives entirely. He leaves to find Cressida, orders his soldiers to guard the door, and locks Rune in his room.

Key Events

Rune listens to Gideon's screams from the powder room and struggles with her conflicting feelings of hatred and concern
She considers intervening but recognizes she has no power to defy Cressida
Soren arrives with soldiers, assumes Rune was attacked, and takes her to his quarters
Soren locks Rune in his room with guards posted
Rune decides to use seduction as a tool to manipulate Soren
She mentions the planned weekend trip to Caelis as bait
Rune demands Soren seal the alliance with Cressida immediately
Soren agrees and leaves, locking Rune in

Character Development

Rune is the emotional center of this chapter. Her internal conflict is stark: she insists she hates Gideon, yet his screams tear her apart. She reminds herself he tried to kill her, that he doesn't deserve her pity, but she can't shake the question of why he hesitated when he had the chance to shoot her. This suggests a growing awareness that Gideon may not be the simple enemy she's painted him as.

The chapter also reveals Rune's capacity for cold, strategic manipulation. She recognizes her own skill at seduction and deceit—skills she's used before to save witches—but this time she feels alienated from herself, describing the experience as if a ghost is acting in her place. She's willing to use her body and her engagement to achieve her goals, even as the thought of a lifetime married to Soren makes her skin prickle.

Soren is portrayed as possessive and easily manipulated. He's enraged that another man touched his fiancée, and his desire for Rune blinds him to her true motives. He mistakes her urgency for passion, her manipulation for affection.

Gideon is absent from the scene but looms over it. His suffering drives Rune's actions, and his earlier words about the Crimson Moth—that she is no caged thing—echo in her mind as she uses her agency in the most compromising way possible.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Seduction as manipulation: Rune weaponizes her sexuality and Soren's desire for her. This is presented as a survival skill she's honed over time, but the chapter emphasizes the emotional cost—she feels like a ghost in her own body.

Hate vs. love: Rune's feelings for Gideon are explicitly framed as the opposite of love—fiery, insatiable hate—yet her actions betray a deeper attachment. She can't abandon him even when logic says she should.

Powerlessness and leverage: Rune has no power over Cressida, but she recognizes that Soren does. The chapter is about finding and exploiting leverage when you have none of your own.

Freedom vs. captivity: Rune is literally locked in Soren's room, and the imagery of the Crimson Moth with clipped wings—Gideon's words—underscores the theme. Rune is a creature meant for freedom, trapped in a gilded cage of her own making.

Memory erasure: Rune wishes she could erase her memories of Gideon, a motif that hints at the pain of unwanted attachment.

Sacrifice: Rune is willing to sacrifice her body, her comfort, and her future to save Gideon and advance the cause.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal for several reasons. It deepens the central tension between Rune and Gideon by introducing doubt about his intentions—why did he hesitate? It also establishes Rune's agency and strategic cunning, showing that even in a position of powerlessness, she finds ways to act. The chapter advances the political plot by securing the alliance between Cressida and Soren, and it sets up the weekend trip to Caelis, which will presumably be the setting for future events. Finally, it raises the stakes for Rune personally: she's now committed to a marriage she dreads, all in service of a cause that may not even want her.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Rune decide to help Gideon despite his attempt to kill her?

Rune is torn between hatred and compassion. She reminds herself that Gideon came to kill her, but his screams are unbearable to her. The key turning point is her realization that Gideon hesitated when he had the upper hand—he could have shot her before she even saw him. This suggests he may not be the uncomplicated enemy she believes him to be, and it's enough to make her act.

2. How does Rune manipulate Soren, and what does this reveal about her character?

Rune uses Soren's desire for her as leverage. She plays the role of a frightened, grateful fiancée, climbs into his lap, and dangles the promise of a romantic weekend in Caelis. She then makes her demand: seal the alliance with Cressida tonight. This reveals Rune's strategic cunning and her willingness to sacrifice her own comfort and body for her goals, but it also shows the emotional toll—she feels detached from herself, like a ghost acting in her place.

3. What is the significance of Gideon's words about the Crimson Moth in this chapter?

As Soren's hands roam over her, Rune recalls Gideon's voice saying that the Crimson Moth is no caged thing and that he pities the man who clips her wings. The memory underscores the irony of Rune's situation: she is a freedom-loving figure trapped in a gilded cage, using her own captivity as a tool. It also suggests that Gideon sees something in Rune that others—including Soren—do not.