Chapter 39: Drystan's Touch and a Buried Memory

⚠️ 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

Astrea regains consciousness in the Scarlet Rose, the brothel she had followed Drystan to the previous day. She finds Drystan reclining with three companions—a red-haired woman straddling him, another woman and a man nearby. Drystan feeds from the woman’s neck. When he notices Astrea is awake, he dismisses the others. He explains that Davina handed over pills to counteract whatever made Astrea ill in the Poison Garden. Drystan then updates Astrea on the keyholder trial: Enver is dead, killed by Draven who stole his key; Draven is collecting his final piece; Rose is also close to finishing her trial; and Arwan remains difficult to track but may be near the end as well. When Drystan touches the scar on Astrea’s neck, a suppressed memory rushes back. She sees herself attacked in a forest by a hooded figure with caramel-colored eyes—the same eyes that Drystan has. The vision ends, and Astrea stumbles backward, now suspecting that Drystan is the Nightsdeath attacker. Nyte appears, cloaked in shadow, and asks if Drystan touched her. He admits he could do nothing to help her. Astrea leaves to find the trial’s next clue. In the upper hall of the brothel, she sees eight doors marked with stars, seven purple (occupied) and one white. She enters the white-star room.

Key Events

Astrea awakens at the Scarlet Rose and witnesses Drystan feeding from a woman’s neck.
Drystan gives Astrea water and reveals Davina provided her pills.
Drystan reports that Enver has been killed by Draven, who took his key.
Drystan touches Astrea’s scar, triggering a brief flashback of the hooded figure who attacked her.
Astrea recognizes the figure’s eyes as Drystan’s, confirming his identity as Nightsdeath.
Nyte appears, asking about Drystan’s touch and expressing frustration that he couldn’t protect Astrea.
Astrea enters a room in the brothel marked with a single white star to continue her trial.

Character Development

Astrea: Her traumatic memory resurfaces, connecting the figure from her past to Drystan. This forces her to reconcile the prince’s careful, seductive demeanor with a violent attacker. She shows determination to continue the trial despite her fear.

Drystan: Displays a mix of helpfulness (providing water, updating her) and danger. His casual feeding and the discovered memory label him as a potential antagonist. He remains ambiguous.

Nyte: Appears protective but limited, unable to act directly. His distant tone and admission of powerlessness deepen the emotional gap between him and Astrea.

Davina: Off-screen but instrumental in Astrea’s recovery by providing pills.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Suppressed memory and identity: Astrea’s scar holds a hidden past. Drystan’s touch unlocks it, linking him to the attacker. The scar becomes a symbol of lost knowledge and betrayal.

Trust and predation: The brothel setting blurs pleasure and danger. Drystan’s feeding resembles the assault in the forest, paralleling desire with violence.

Isolation in competition: Enver’s death reinforces that the trial admits no allies. Astrea must rely on no one but herself—even Nyte is powerless.

Light and darkness imagery: The white star door versus purple occupied doors echoes the contrast between opportunity and entrapment. Nyte’s shadow and the glittering brothel emphasize opposing realms.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the identity mystery. Astrea finally has concrete evidence linking Drystan to her attack, confirming the long-held suspicions of Rose and Cassia that Drystan is Nightsdeath. It also accelerates the trial plot, showing that Astrea is falling behind and that the competition is deadly. Nyte’s helplessness deepens the stakes, suggesting that only by winning the trial can Astrea free him—or herself. The recovered memory recasts all of Astrea’s interactions with Drystan, raising the question of how she can possibly kill him when he holds her key.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Drystan touch Astrea’s neck, and what memory does it awaken?

He traces her collar over the exact points of her scar, and this triggers a vision of being attacked in a forest by a hooded figure with caramel-colored eyes. The memory shows her running, falling, and seeing the man wipe blood from his mouth—the same eyes she now sees on Drystan.

2. How does Nyte react to learning that Drystan touched Astrea?

Nyte asks directly, “Did he touch you?” and after Astrea says no, his lips press together and he gives a small nod. He admits he could do nothing for her, reflecting his constrained position and his emotional distance.

3. What does Drystan reveal about the other keyholders?

He states that Enver is dead, killed by Draven who stole his key; Draven is collecting his final piece; Rose is heading for her final; and Arwan has been difficult to track but may also be near the end trial. This tells Astrea she has only two pieces of her own key left but is not ahead.