Chapter 18: Aurienne the Criminal – 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
After two hours of seith-depleted work, Aurienne stabilises Mordaunt’s abdominal wound; by a miracle the blaecblade missed his intestines. Cíele reports what he witnessed: Mordaunt killed another Fyren who was heading to Swanstone because he thought Aurienne was in danger. Aurienne is both disturbed and grateful. She sends Cíele to ask Cath for a consultation. While awaiting their meeting, she steals IV supplies, cannulae, and medication from Swanstone’s supply room, nearly gets caught by Quincey, and later commits forgery to balance the inventory records.
At the Publish or Perish, Aurienne bribes Cath with fortified wine and explains the “non-patient’s” condition without naming him. Cath advises continued antibiotics and observation. Élodie arrives to announce a vaccine candidate for the ongoing plague. After leaving, Aurienne cares for Mordaunt, who is groggy and affectionate. He mistakes her anatomical diagram for a “tit wank” and, before falling asleep, makes a remark about wanting to be suffocated by her thighs. That night, relaxing in the bath, Aurienne masturbates and involuntarily imagines Mordaunt between her legs. She climaxes with horror and pleasure, then forcibly compartmentalises the experience, insisting it means nothing.
Key Events
- Aurienne finishes operating on Mordaunt; the blade missed his intestines.
- Cíele explains that Mordaunt killed a fellow Fyren to protect Aurienne and then burned the body.
- Aurienne steals medical supplies from Swanstone, modifies the inventory log, and avoids Quincey’s suspicion.
- She meets Cath at the pub, shares her secret diagram, and receives wound-management advice.
- Élodie shares news of a vaccine candidate; the friends celebrate.
- Mordaunt wakes up, drinks bhreue, misinterprets the diagram, and makes a suggestive comment before falling asleep.
- Aurienne bathes and, while masturbating, inadvertently fantasises about Mordaunt, climaxing with mixed shame and pleasure.
- She resolves to compartmentalise and never think about it again.
Character Development
- Aurienne Fairhrim crosses multiple ethical lines: she operates on an enemy without reporting, steals and forges records, and admits to herself that Mordaunt is “more important” than she wishes. Her internal debate about right versus good shows her growing moral complexity. The bath scene reveals that her compartmentalisation is fraying: her subconscious desires clash with her rational vows.
- Mordaunt appears unusually vulnerable – docile, affectionate, and tearful over a flower. His comment about wanting to be “suffocated by your thighs” hints at a deepening attraction beneath his usual bravado.
- Cath proves a loyal but suspicious friend. She refrains from pressing for details even though she draws parallels to Aurienne’s past with the Hedgewitch Amagris.
- Élodie provides levity and celebration, grounding the chapter in a broader context of hope (the vaccine) amid personal turmoil.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Compartmentalisation and self-deception: Aurienne repeatedly tells herself “he is what he is” and insists her feelings are “justifiable.” Her fantasy breaks this defense, yet she immediately mental fortifies again.
- Crime and moral compromise: The chapter title “Aurienne the Criminal” underscores her slide into theft, forgery, and secret healing. Each illegal act is justified as necessary, mirroring Mordaunt’s earlier rationalisations.
- The “tit wank” diagram: The repeated misinterpretation of her anatomical sketch becomes a running joke that also symbolizes how others (and her own subconscious) see through her clinical detachment.
- Water and cleansing: The bath scene contrasts purification with the eruption of impure desire. Lavender steam and soap do not wash away the image of gloved hands and silver-white hair.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a turning point in Aurienne’s internal conflict. She moves from healer to criminal, and from denial to the forced acknowledgement of her attraction. The stolen supplies and forged records create concrete stakes that will later need consequences. The vaccine announcement offers a ray of hope against the plague backdrop, while the bath scene ensures readers understand that Aurienne’s feelings for Mordaunt are no longer just “important” but deeply personal. The chapter sets up the central emotional dilemma: can she continue to compartmentalise, or will her true desires break through?
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Aurienne decide to save Mordaunt even after learning he killed a fellow Fyren?
Aurienne acts on instinct and emotion; she could not let him die despite knowing the moral cost. Cíele notes she had already begun treatment before she understood what Mordaunt did. She later rationalises that his action saved lives at Swanstone, but the initial impulse was purely visceral. -
What parallels does Cath draw between Aurienne’s current situation and her past with the Hedgewitch Amagris?
Cath remarks that Aurienne’s secrecy resembles “the situation with the Hedgewitch.” Both cases involved furtive attraction and relationships outside her Haelan duties. Aurienne reacts defensively, insisting she would rather die than repeat that mistake – yet she is already repeating the pattern. -
How does the bath scene reveal Aurienne’s true feelings, and what does she do to cope?
While masturbating, Aurienne unconsciously imagines Mordaunt performing oral sex. She climaxes before she can stop herself, mixing pleasure with horror. Afterwards she tells herself it “meant nothing” and that she will “never think about it again,” demonstrating her reliance on compartmentalisation to avoid confronting her emotions.