Chapter 20 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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 Tristán spending a full day managing the fallout from his disastrous photo shoot, which pushes their planned visit to Clarimonde Bauer back to Thursday evening. The delay suits Montserrat, who wants to see her sister Araceli before Araceli leaves for Morelia. The two meet for coffee and churros downtown. Montserrat, unwilling to reveal anything about Ewers or the spells, deflects questions about her work and lies about being busy with shifts. Araceli mentions attending the Basilica on the Virgin of Guadalupe's feast day, and the conversation drifts to Christmas plans. Montserrat assures her sister she won't be alone for New Year's, claiming she and Tristán will order takeout together.

After dropping Araceli off, Montserrat stops at the same occult bookstore where she previously bought Crowley material and purchases more books. Back home, she drags out an old plastic Christmas tree, strings lights on it, and settles in to study. She reads about a group of amateur sorcerers in Washington who attempted a spell against Hitler in 1941, then turns to Ewers's writings on sympathetic magic and reflecting hexes. The text describes historical practices of sacrifice—hitobashira in Japan, ancestor sacrifices in China, King Aun of Sweden offering his sons—and connects the Icelandic term blót to the idea of cursing. The key passage she underlines explains that to reverse a curse, one must reflect it, and that greater magic demands a greater price.

Montserrat also reflects on Ewers's childhood, imagining him as a neglected younger brother in a large, lonely house, told he was special while the world was beneath him. She recognizes the manipulative rhythm of his prose—how he contradicts himself yet makes readers dance to his waltz.

The following evening, Montserrat picks up Tristán and they drive to Las Lomas. The neighborhood is exclusive, with tall walls, trimmed hedges, and expensive homes—a stark contrast to Montserrat's world of potted plants and apartment buildings. Clarimonde's house is a Brutalist structure behind a white wall and silver gate. A servant admits them after Montserrat presents a page of Ewers's writing.

Inside, Clarimonde Bauer sits on a white couch in a white room, sketching a still life. She reveals she knows them from the dub they made, and confirms she possesses the film—Abel sold it to her for protection from Alma. She explains that the spell they triggered by dubbing the reel has reset the clock, and the only way to end the snare is to finish what Ewers started: completing the ritual, which would resurrect him. She demands the silver nitrate print and their cooperation, describing her remaining cult members as a congregation eager to greet him.

Montserrat refuses. When Clarimonde begins drawing runes on her sketchpad—each stroke a word in an incantation—Montserrat grabs a piece of charcoal and draws her own symbol on the table: the word no, written the way she and Tristán used to write it as children. The paper Clarimonde was drawing on burns to ash. Clarimonde, shaken, warns that Montserrat will never be safe without the film, but Montserrat pulls Tristán out of the house.

Back at her apartment, they drink tequila. Montserrat is drained, feverish, and nursing a migraine. She tries to explain that she reflected the spell, though she isn't entirely sure how she did it—comparing Ewers's magical system to sound editing, something you feel rather than explain. Tristán insists on staying the night, joking about not splitting up in a movie, and they share her bed with a pillow wall between them.

At three in the morning, Montserrat wakes to Tristán's breath against her neck. He whispers, Follow me into the night—but the voice is not his. She knows his voice intimately from decades of dubbing and friendship. She turns on the lamp to find him fast asleep on the other side of the bed, the pillow wall still in place.

Key Events

Tristán spends a day managing photo shoot fallout, delaying the visit to Clarimonde until Thursday
Montserrat meets Araceli for coffee; lies about her work and assures her sister she won't be alone for New Year's
Montserrat buys more occult books and studies Ewers's writings on sympathetic magic and reflecting curses
She reads about historical sacrifice practices and the principle that greater magic demands a greater price
Montserrat and Tristán visit Clarimonde's Las Lomas home
Clarimonde reveals Abel sold her the film for protection from Alma
Clarimonde demands the silver nitrate print and cooperation to finish Ewers's spell, which would resurrect him
Montserrat refuses; counters Clarimonde's rune-casting with her own symbol, burning the paper
They flee to Montserrat's apartment and drink tequila
Montserrat wakes at 3 a.m. to Tristán whispering in a voice that is not his own

Character Development

Montserrat demonstrates significant growth in this chapter. Her study of Ewers's texts moves from passive reading to active application—she successfully reflects Clarimonde's spell, though she can't fully articulate how. Her anger becomes a tool, and she shows protective instincts toward Tristán, pressing her palm against his knee to keep him from fleeing in fear. Her lie to Araceli about her work and her assurance about New Year's reveal how much she's willing to shield her family from the danger she's in.

Tristán is more vulnerable here. He's visibly shaken by Clarimonde's demands, wanting to run, and his fear is palpable. Yet he also shows care for Montserrat—insisting she not drive home drunk, tucking her into bed, and staying the night despite her protests. His joke about not splitting up in a movie underscores how the supernatural threat has begun to feel like a horror film they're trapped in.

Clarimonde Bauer is revealed as a formidable antagonist: a sorceress, cult leader, and classist who views Montserrat and Tristán with barely concealed contempt. Her claim that she would not have killed Abel and her characterization of Alma as a murderous figure position her as a rival power, not a simple villain. Her demand for the film and her threat that Montserrat will never be safe without it sets up the central conflict.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Sympathetic magic and reflection: The chapter's core magical principle—that curses can be reflected back—is demonstrated in Montserrat's counter-spell. Her drawing of no as a childlike word becomes a powerful symbol of refusal.

The price of magic: Ewers's text emphasizes that greater magic demands greater sacrifice. Montserrat's migraine, fever, and exhaustion after reflecting the spell suggest she's already paying a physical price.

Class exclusivity: Las Lomas is described in detail—tall walls, trimmed hedges, expensive homes, and a Brutalist fortress—contrasting sharply with Montserrat's world of potted plants and apartment buildings. Clarimonde's contempt for them is rooted in class and race, echoing Ewers's recruitment of the purest members of Mexican high society.

Religious syncretism: The chapter opens with Araceli's devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe and the Christmas season, set against Montserrat's occult studies. Montserrat reflects that Mexico is syncretism in motion, and that Ewers's magic system is similarly a blend of borrowed traditions.

Fear as power: Clarimonde warns that fear gives a sorcerer power over you. Montserrat's refusal to run—her decision to counter the spell instead—is a direct rejection of this principle.

Supernatural possession: The final scene, with Tristán speaking in another voice while asleep, introduces the threat of possession and raises the stakes dramatically.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point. It confirms the film's location and Abel's deal with Clarimonde, reveals the cult's continued existence, and establishes the central choice: finish Ewers's spell (and resurrect him) or refuse and face the consequences. Montserrat's successful counter-spell proves she is becoming a practitioner, not just a reader. The chapter also deepens the class critique, showing how Ewers's legacy is preserved by wealthy, exclusive disciples. The closing possession of Tristán signals that the supernatural threat is no longer abstract—it has reached into their most intimate space.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Montserrat refuse Clarimonde's demand, and what does this reveal about her character?

Montserrat refuses because she understands the cost: finishing the spell would resurrect Wilhelm Ewers, a man who built a cult on exclusivity and manipulation. Her refusal is both moral and practical—she doesn't want a dead sorcerer walking around Mexico City, making snares and curses. It reveals her growing confidence in her own magical ability and her willingness to defy a powerful figure, even at personal risk.

2. How does the chapter use the contrast between Las Lomas and Montserrat's neighborhood to reinforce class themes?

Las Lomas is described as exclusive, with tall walls, trimmed hedges, and expensive homes where nobody cared to put up proper signage because residents know where they're going. Montserrat's world is one of potted plants and apartment buildings. Clarimonde's contempt for them—their dress, their mannerisms—echoes Ewers's recruitment of the purest members of society. The chapter suggests that the occult cult is as much about class exclusion as about magic.

3. What does the final scene with Tristán's whispered words suggest about the supernatural threat?

The voice that whispers Follow me into the night is not Tristán's—Montserrat recognizes his voice intimately from decades of dubbing and friendship. The fact that he's asleep while speaking suggests possession or supernatural influence, and the phrase itself is an invitation, implying the entity wants Montserrat to follow. This raises the stakes: the threat is no longer external (Clarimonde, Alma) but has entered their most private space.