Chapter 19: The Exile Formerly Known as Prince
⚠️ 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
Five years before the novel's main timeline, Devon is in labor at Easterbrook Manor. She gives birth to her second child, a boy, on the games room couch, having delayed seeking help to continue playing Final Fantasy. The birth is attended by three aunts, who are disappointed that the child is male. When the newborn opens his mouth to cry, a tubular tongue flops out, marking him as a dragon. The aunts react with horror and discuss informing the knights, who will take the child to their dragon pens. Devon, despite her exhaustion, declares her son beautiful and refuses to accept their dehumanizing view of him.
Matley, Devon's husband, arrives and is furious. He berates Devon for not producing a girl, blaming her for the child's sex. When Devon retorts that sex is determined by the man's sperm, Matley slaps her and then chokes her. Jarrow intervenes, physically pulling his brother off Devon, and a scuffle ensues. Devon passes out, and the aunts pull the men apart.
Hours later, Devon wakes in her bed with a severely bruised throat, unable to speak. Jarrow is there, having stayed to check on her. He gives her a booklet on Morse code to eat, explaining that tapping out dots and dashes is a way to communicate that bypasses the Collector's rules against writing. He also gives her a thimble to make tapping easier. Through this new method, Devon learns that Jarrow is being sent to live with the Gladstones as punishment for defending her, just as his sister Vic was exiled for causing problems.
Devon asks Jarrow to help her take her son to Ireland, as he once offered. Jarrow sadly explains he cannot, as he is leaving that very day. He gives her his Game Boy as a goodbye present, promising to find her years later, after her son has been taken by the knights. He leaves with another Easterbrook brother, and Devon is left alone with her newborn, facing a future of isolation and loss.
Key Events
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Devon gives birth to a dragon son: The birth itself is unusual, with Devon prioritizing her video game over seeking help. The child's tubular tongue immediately identifies him as a dragon, a fact that horrifies the aunts.
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The aunts' dehumanizing reaction: The aunts discuss the child as a “poor little monster” and a “waste,” focusing on his future as a mind-eater rather than his humanity. They plan to inform the knights, who will take him to the dragon pens.
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Matley's violent attack: Matley's rage at having a dragon son culminates in him slapping and choking Devon. This is a stark display of his cruelty and the control he exerts over her.
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Jarrow's intervention and exile: Jarrow physically defends Devon, an act that leads to his own punishment. He is sent to live with the Gladstones, the same exile his sister Vic received.
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The Morse code lesson: Unable to speak, Devon eats a booklet on Morse code. Jarrow teaches her to tap out messages using a thimble, giving her a vital, if limited, means of communication.
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Jarrow's departure: Jarrow gives Devon his Game Boy as a farewell gift and promises to find her in the future. He leaves, taking with him Devon's last source of support.
Character Development
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Devon: This chapter deepens Devon's understanding of love. She realizes that love is not inherently good and can be destructive. Despite knowing the pain her son will bring, she loves him with a bitter, resigned, and complex devotion. Her fierce declaration that her son is beautiful, despite his dragon nature, shows her defiance against the Families' dehumanizing ideology. Her hatred for Matley has become a constant, dull presence, losing its sharp edge.
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Jarrow: Jarrow emerges as Devon's only true ally. His actions—defending her, teaching her Morse code, giving her his Game Boy—demonstrate his loyalty and his view of her as “real family.” His exile is a direct consequence of his kindness, highlighting the cost of defying the Family's rules. He is also shown to be pragmatic, knowing he cannot help Devon escape but doing what he can to ease her immediate suffering.
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Matley: Matley's cruelty is fully exposed. His violence is not just physical but also emotional, as he blames Devon for the child's sex and expresses a wish that the baby had died. He embodies the Families' cold, utilitarian view of dragons as tools.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Destructive Love: Devon's internal monologue directly addresses this theme. She refutes the fairy-tale ideal of love as a pure, positive force, instead describing it as something that can “fry,” “drown,” and “burn.” Her love for her son is painful and hopeless, yet unavoidable.
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Dehumanization of Dragons: The aunts' and Matley's reactions to the baby reinforce the theme of dragons as property or monsters. They see only his potential to consume minds, not the infant in her arms. Devon's insistence on his beauty is a direct challenge to this worldview.
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Exile as Punishment: Jarrow's exile to the Gladstones, mirroring Vic's, shows how the Families control their members by removing those who cause problems. It is a punishment designed to isolate and strip away support networks.
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Fairy Tale vs. Reality: The chapter opens with an epigraph from “Rapunzel” and Devon explicitly contrasts her life with fairy-tale narratives. The thimble, a symbol of domesticity and fairy-tale princesses, is repurposed as a tool for covert communication, highlighting the grim reality of her situation.
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Motherhood and Loss: Devon's experience of motherhood is defined by impending loss. She knows she will lose her son to the knights, just as she lost Salem. Her choice to prioritize her son's immediate needs over her distant hope for Salem shows the brutal calculus of her love.
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Control of the Families: The chapter illustrates the Families' absolute control over their members' lives, from marriage and childbirth to exile and the fate of dragon children.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a crucial turning point in Devon's backstory. It establishes the circumstances that lead to her present-day situation, explaining her isolation and her desperation. The birth of her dragon son and Jarrow's subsequent exile remove her last potential ally, forcing her to face the Families alone.
The chapter also deepens the novel's central themes. Devon's realization about the destructive nature of love is a key insight that shapes her character. Her defiance in declaring her son beautiful, despite his dragon nature, sets up her later actions and her complex relationship with her children. Finally, the chapter introduces the concept of the dragon pens and the knights, expanding the world-building and raising the stakes for Devon's future choices.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Devon's reaction to her son's dragon nature challenge the beliefs of the Easterbrook aunts?
Devon's reaction is a direct challenge to the aunts' dehumanizing view. While they see only a “poor little monster” who will grow up to consume minds, Devon sees her son. She declares him beautiful and insists he is “still mine,” rejecting their focus on his future as a tool for the knights. Her argument that dragons “don't care about humans” and her question about why they are bothered if he eats a few highlights the hypocrisy of their concern, as the Families themselves treat dragons as property.
2. What is the significance of Jarrow teaching Devon Morse code and giving her a thimble?
The Morse code and thimble are symbols of Jarrow's care and a practical solution to Devon's immediate problem of being unable to speak. The thimble, a traditional fairy-tale symbol, is repurposed as a tool for covert communication, underscoring the theme of fairy tale vs. reality. More importantly, the gift is an act of defiance against the Families' control, giving Devon a private means of expression. It also represents Jarrow's view of her as “real family,” as he is willing to share knowledge and tools that could be seen as subversive.
3. Why does Jarrow refuse Devon's plea to help her take her son to Ireland?
Jarrow refuses because he is being exiled to the Gladstones that very day. His punishment for defending Devon from Matley means he cannot physically help her escape. He is also pragmatic, knowing that a flight with a dragon child would be incredibly dangerous and likely unsuccessful. His refusal is not a lack of willingness but a lack of ability. He offers what he can—the Game Boy, a promise to find her later—but he cannot be the ally she needs in that moment.
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