Chapter Fifty-Two

Summary

• Bryce Quinlan goes to the Five Roses suburb in Crescent City in search of answers from her father. She had recently discovered that there were tests to assess what had killed her friend, Danika, and was angry that her father hadn’t done anything about it.
• The guards refuse to let Bryce through without an appointment, however, she is joined by Hunt who tries to persuade the guards to let her through. Ruhn, Bryce’s brother, also arrives but urges her not to fight this particular battle.
• Bryce reveals to Ruhn her belief that her father deliberately chose not to help with the investigation into Danika’s death because he wants to find the Horn for himself. Bryce explains that Danika’s death has left her empty and lost.
• Bryce gets frustrated and leaves, deciding to go to a whiskey bar called Lethe. She shortly receives a text from her friend Juniper checking in on her due to her unusually heavy drinking.
• Hunt visits her at the bar and they share a conversation, during which Hunt reflects on his past rebellion and tragic loss of his lover Shahar. Despite a tense confrontation about Hunt’s past behaviour, they share an unexpectedly heartfelt moment where they talk about their shared loss, uncertainty over their future, and a hint of camaraderie familiarizing.
• Hunt leaves Bryce at the bar, leaving behind a tonic to alleviate her aching leg. He later returns home only to find Bryce preparing dinner as an apology. Hunt declines her apology and the two engage in a deeper conversation about their previous lives, regrets, dreams and coping mechanisms.
• Bryce and Hunt develop a deeper connection over their shared sense of loss and the comfort they find in each other's company. They also ponder their future together while acknowledging they have lifetimes ahead of themselves to decide.
• Bryce drifts off to sleep and is visited by a cat with startling blue eyes asking her what blinds an Oracle. The cat suggests to Bryce that she makes the Drop, a transformation that leads to immortality, after which, the cat notes, they can work together to ‘finish this’ – although it’s unclear what ‘this’ is.