Chapter summaries The Ex Hex Erin Sterling

Chapter 35 Summary, Key Events, and 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 in January, with Vivi returning to work at the history department. The winter semester is bleak in Graves Glen, a sharp contrast to the town's October magic. Vivi greets Ezichi, who has finally secured a tenure-track position after years as a lecturer. Ezichi congratulates Vivi in turn on her new teaching roles in the folklore department.

The narrative explains how Vivi came to be teaching on the Witchery side of campus. After Halloween, she spoke with Dr. Arbuthnot about what happened and the change to Graves Glen's magic. Expecting anger or dismissal, Vivi was instead offered a job. She now teaches two classes: a History of Magic course focusing on Graves Glen's past, and a class on Ritual Magic. She's even bought a new scarf—just one, a small nod to her earlier joke about buying too many.

In her office, Vivi pulls out a heavy book she received in the mail at Yule: a history of Wales written by a Welsh witch over a hundred years ago, bound in bloodred leather with gold foil lettering. There's no return address, just a note in Rhys's handwriting: 'For your office. Xx.' No 'cariad,' no 'I miss you,' but the gesture shows he was thinking of her. She tells herself that's enough.

Later, Vivi heads to the Witchery side to meet Dr. Arbuthnot. The building is quieter, the snow less trampled, and the air smells of patchouli. As she walks down the hall, she passes offices with names stenciled on frosted windows: A. Parsons, J. Brown, C. Acevedo, and then—R. Penhallow.

Her heart hammers. She tries to convince herself it must be someone else, a cousin named Richard or Rebecca Penhallow. But she reaches for the doorknob anyway, knowing it's rude to enter without knocking, needing to shut down the flutter of hope in her chest before it takes flight.

Inside is a small office—one window, a desk, a lamp, a filing cabinet, a bookshelf that's empty, walls bare. And there, sitting behind the desk, grinning at her, is Rhys.

He says, 'Hello, cariad.'

Vivi is stunned. She wonders if she's walked through a spell or if this is some faculty hazing trick. But Rhys stands, walks over, and gently shuts the door. She manages to ask why he's there.

Rhys explains that he went back to Wales, business as usual, but he was completely miserable. So miserable that Wells—Wells!—told him he was a sad bastard, which was distressing coming from the president of the Sad Bastards Club. Rhys realized the only thing for it was to be with Vivi, or at least near her. And since the college is named after his family home, they were willing to let him teach the odd class.

His business is still running—he can manage it from Graves Glen. He mentions that Bowen said the moment needed a big gesture, though Rhys quickly claims he decided that himself with zero help from his brother. He wanted to prove he was serious about staying, about putting down roots. This isn't a lark, he insists.

He steps closer, telling her he's very much in love with her, clarifying that she's the woman in question. Vivi laughs through sudden tears, joking that she can't compete with Aunt Elaine for his heart because her baking is atrocious. Rhys calls that her only fault.

Then he makes his full declaration. He loves her, very much. He admits he's flippant sometimes, makes jokes instead of saying the truth, but she's everything to him. He's had her heart from the moment he saw her on that hillside, and he hates that he wasted nine years without her. He won't waste a single second more. He tells her that if she needs to be in Graves Glen, then he needs to be there too—simple as that.

Vivi steps back and looks into his blue eyes. She realizes that Rhys might have been The Fool, but maybe she is too. The image of a person walking merrily off a cliff isn't necessarily about recklessness—it's about taking a leap and trusting that something, or someone, will catch you.

She blurts out that she wants to go to Wales with him. Rhys is confused—did she miss the part about him moving here? Vivi explains that it doesn't have to be either-or. They can do both, have both. It will be messy and hard sometimes, but it will be worth it. She loves him too, has had his heart just as long, and she trusts him with it.

As soon as she says it, she knows it's true. She trusts reckless, capricious Rhys, who glides through life but who loves her and has proved it over and over. The Fool and The Star, just like Gwyn's cards had shown—leaping off cliffs and shining steadily, opposites who couldn't live without each other. Who didn't have to.

And that, Vivi admits as Rhys leans in to kiss her, might be the most magical thing of all.

Key Events

  • Vivi begins her new teaching role in the folklore department, teaching History of Magic and Ritual Magic

  • She receives a book from Rhys at Yule with a brief note, showing he's thinking of her

  • Vivi discovers R. Penhallow's office on the Witchery side of campus

  • Rhys reveals he moved from Wales to be near her and secured a teaching position

  • Rhys declares his love, and Vivi reciprocates

  • The couple agrees to split their time between Wales and Graves Glen

Character Development

Vivi takes a significant leap in this chapter. Her new teaching position shows she's embracing the Witchery side of her heritage and the changes to Graves Glen's magic. More importantly, she moves from guarded hope to full trust. When she sees Rhys's office, she tries to suppress her hope, but she opens the door anyway. Her proposal to split time between Wales and Graves Glen demonstrates a mature, practical approach to love—she's not asking either of them to give up their lives, but to build a shared one.

Rhys undergoes his own transformation. The man who once left Vivi behind now uproots his entire life to be near her. He's honest about his misery in Wales, admits his flippancy, and makes a grand, public gesture by taking a teaching position at the college named after his family. His declaration—that he's had her heart from the hillside and won't waste another second—shows he's finally ready to commit fully.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Fool and The Star: Gwyn's tarot reading comes full circle. Vivi reinterprets The Fool's cliff-walking image not as recklessness but as a leap of faith, trusting someone will catch you. The Star, associated with hope and steady light, pairs with The Fool to represent opposites who complete each other.

Big gestures and putting down roots: Rhys's move is explicitly framed as a big gesture (with Bowen's alleged input). The empty bookshelf and bare walls of his new office symbolize a fresh start, a life being built from scratch.

Compromise and new beginnings: Vivi's both/and solution—Wales and Graves Glen—rejects the either/or framing that has haunted their relationship. It's a practical, adult compromise that acknowledges messiness while choosing commitment.

Magic as metaphor: The chapter's final line reframes magic itself. The most magical thing isn't spells or curses but the trust and love between two people.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is the emotional climax of the romance plot. It resolves the central question of whether Vivi and Rhys can be together, and it does so through a combination of grand gesture and practical compromise. The chapter also pays off the tarot symbolism introduced earlier, with Vivi's reinterpretation of The Fool providing the thematic key to the entire relationship. Vivi's new teaching role ties her personal growth to the larger story of Graves Glen's changed magic, suggesting she's fully embraced her place in the town's magical community.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Vivi's reinterpretation of The Fool card change the meaning of the chapter's resolution?

Vivi initially associates The Fool with recklessness, which fits Rhys's capricious nature. But in this chapter, she reinterprets the image of walking off a cliff as an act of trust—leaping and believing something will catch you. This reframing allows her to see Rhys's move not as impulsive but as a committed leap, and it emboldens her to take her own leap by declaring her love and proposing a shared future.

2. What does Rhys's decision to move to Graves Glen reveal about his character growth?

Rhys's move demonstrates a fundamental shift from his earlier behavior. He admits he was miserable in Wales, acknowledges his flippancy, and makes a concrete, public commitment by taking a teaching position. The fact that he's willing to uproot his life, maintain his business remotely, and put down roots in Graves Glen shows he's moved from casual affection to serious, demonstrated love.

3. Why is Vivi's proposal to split time between Wales and Graves Glen significant?

Vivi's proposal rejects the either/or framing that has defined their separation. Instead of asking Rhys to give up Wales or sacrificing her own life in Graves Glen, she proposes a both/and solution. This demonstrates her trust in their relationship and her maturity—she's willing to accept messiness and difficulty because she believes the relationship is worth it.

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