Chapter 28: Nico — 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 in the present with Nico sparring against Reina in the garden. He takes a hard hit to the face, stumbles into a rosebush, and concedes the match. Reina, ever blunt, observes that he is out of sorts. Nico mumbles a half-hearted excuse about her improving, but his distraction is obvious. The two sit on the lawn as the sun sets, and Reina eventually asks what's wrong. Nico deflects, and the narrative pivots to the encounter that has been occupying his mind.

Earlier that day, Nico lurked outside Parisa's room. She calls him out for lurking and sulking—her telepathy makes pretense impossible—and invites him inside. She's reading a vintage X-Men comic, which she explains by noting that Professor X is a telepath. Nico fidgets, clearly uncomfortable, and Parisa grows impatient with his hesitation.

Finally, Nico confesses: he saw her die in his head. This refers to the dream-reality Parisa constructed earlier, in which Nico witnessed her death. Parisa dismisses the vision, insisting that the version of her in his head doesn't exist. But Nico admits he feels responsible, and Parisa counters that she chose his mind precisely because he is the least capable of guile.

Their conversation takes a surprising turn when Parisa reveals she knows about Gideon. She's heard Nico speaking to him in dreams and has deduced that Gideon is a traveler who operates in dreams rather than thought. Nico, caught off guard, admits that Gideon is a hybrid creature—half mermaid, half satyr. Parisa presses further and extracts the confession that Nico himself can travel in dreams, transforming into a falcon. She's delighted by this revelation but declares they can never sleep together, as she makes a point of never sleeping with people more magical than herself.

The conversation shifts to the nature of dreams. Parisa shares her theory that dreams are an astral plane absent of time, a space where time moves differently, much as it does in space. Nico confirms that dream realms feel indistinguishable from reality, and Parisa suggests that most people don't look closely enough at details to notice the difference. She then offers practical advice: Nico should carry a talisman, a secret object that anchors him to reality and lets him know whether he exists on a physical plane or inside a dream. She recommends Gideon carry one too.

Nico, emboldened by the unexpected intimacy of the conversation, asks about Callum. He wants to know whether Callum would really hurt Parisa. Her answer is chilling: it doesn't matter whether Callum plans to hurt her, because she'll kill him before he does. Then she leans in and whispers something to Nico that lands like a blow—something that leaves him reeling for hours.

The chapter returns to the present. Reina asks again what's wrong, and Nico, picking at a thorn from the rosebush, asks her a strange question: would she kill someone to have all of this—the Society, the power, the life? Reina doesn't hesitate. Yes, she says, and closes her eyes, warming silently in the grass.

Key Events

Nico loses a sparring match to Reina, visibly distracted
Nico confesses to Parisa that he saw her die in his head
Parisa reveals she knows about Gideon and his dream-traveling
Nico admits he can also travel in dreams, transforming into a falcon
Parisa declares she won't sleep with Nico because he's more magical than her
Parisa shares her theory that dreams are an astral plane without time
Parisa advises Nico to carry a talisman as a reality anchor
Parisa tells Nico she will kill Callum before he can harm her
Parisa whispers something to Nico that shakes him deeply
Reina answers yes without hesitation when Nico asks if she'd kill for the Society

Character Development

Nico spends this chapter stripped of his usual bravado. He's clumsy around Parisa, admits to feeling responsible for a death he witnessed in a dream, and reveals his most guarded secret—his ability to dream-travel in falcon form. His vulnerability is striking: he asks Parisa for help understanding Gideon's nature, and he's visibly shaken by whatever she whispers to him. By the end, his question to Reina about killing for power suggests his worldview is cracking.

Parisa shows an unexpected side here. She's typically calculating and seductive, but with Nico she exercises genuine restraint, admitting she wants him in bed but won't risk ruining him. She shares her theories openly, offers practical advice about talismans, and reveals her lethal intentions toward Callum. The moment of tension in her face when Nico asks about Callum hints at depths she usually keeps hidden.

Reina remains characteristically direct. She notices Nico's distraction, doesn't press when he deflects, and answers his question about killing with immediate, unflinching honesty. Her yes is delivered without hesitation or moral qualm, underscoring her pragmatic relationship with power.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Dreams vs. Reality: The chapter's central concern. Nico's vision of Parisa's death blurs the line between what's real and what's constructed. Parisa's theory that dreams are an astral plane without time complicates the distinction further, suggesting that reality itself may be a matter of perception.

The Talisman as Reality Anchor: Parisa's advice to carry a secret object that confirms one's location in reality is both practical and symbolic. It represents the need for grounding in a world where minds can be invaded and dreams can feel indistinguishable from waking life.

Secrecy and Trust: Nico reveals Gideon's identity and his own dream-traveling abilities to Parisa, a significant act of trust. Parisa, in turn, shares her theory about dreams and her intentions toward Callum. The exchange creates a rare moment of mutual vulnerability.

Machismo vs. Vulnerability: Parisa explicitly calls out Nico's machismo when he bristles at being called naive. His struggle to be emotionally open—to admit he's scared, to ask for help—runs against the masculine posturing he's accustomed to.

The Cost of Power: Reina's immediate yes to killing for the Society raises the question of what the initiates are willing to sacrifice. Nico's discomfort with the question suggests he's beginning to weigh that cost.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter delivers several pivotal revelations. It confirms that Nico possesses dream-traveling abilities of his own, not just Gideon, and establishes the falcon transformation as a key part of his identity. Parisa's theory about dreams as a time-less astral plane provides a framework for understanding the Society's more esoteric powers. Her threat against Callum escalates the tension between the initiates, and the whispered secret she shares with Nico creates a mystery that will presumably pay off in later chapters. Finally, Reina's unhesitating yes to Nico's question crystallizes the moral divide between the characters: some are willing to kill for power, and others are beginning to question whether the prize is worth the price.

Study Questions

1. Why does Parisa refuse to sleep with Nico, and what does this reveal about her character?

Parisa tells Nico she would most want him in bed, but she refuses because he's more magical than she is—she makes a point of never sleeping with people more magical than herself. She also admits she doesn't want to ruin him, suggesting a rare protective instinct. This reveals that Parisa's seductiveness is a calculated tool rather than an uncontrolled appetite, and that she maintains strict boundaries even in intimacy.

2. What is the purpose of the talisman Parisa recommends, and why does she suggest both Nico and Gideon carry one?

Parisa explains that the talisman serves as a reality anchor: a secret object that lets the carrier know whether they exist on a physical plane or inside a dream. Since dream realms feel indistinguishable from reality, the talisman provides a way to verify one's location. She recommends Gideon carry one too because he travels in dreams regularly, and the same confusion could affect him.

3. What does Reina's immediate yes to Nico's question reveal about her and the Society's values?

Reina answers without hesitation that she would kill someone to have the Society's life. This reveals her pragmatic, survival-oriented worldview and suggests she's fully committed to the competition. It also highlights the moral cost of the Society's power—the initiates are being shaped into people willing to do whatever it takes, and Reina has already accepted that bargain.