Gemma Doyle 2
Libba Bray
Kartik is told to go to London. The Rakshana are not happy with him because he failed to keep Gemma from taking the power out of the realms. Now they worry that Circe will find a way In. Kartik is told that he must help Gemma find the temple, claim it for the Rakshana (who cannot enter the realms as punishment by the Order), and kill Gemma.
Gemma is having trouble making an ornament and makes a rude comment. Mrs. Nightwing catches her and sentences her to detention. Later, Ann notes that it is Wednesday, their day to go visit Pippa. The girls go to the woods to visit the altar they made for Pippa. Gemma tells the others that she can’t find the door to enter the realms (which is a lie), which makes them upset with her. Gemma finds a note from Kartik on Pippa’s altar asking to see her immediately. Gemma spends Vespers in the chapel thinking of what Kartik could want. When she starts walking back to the school, she thinks she sees him (or something).
Gemma cannot sleep and is wandering the halls when there is a knock on the front door of the school. Gemma gets her first look at Miss McCleethy, who seems familiar with Spence. Gemma spies on the new teacher and notices that she stops when she arrives at the east wing before following Brigid to her new room. Later that night, Gemma has a dream that Pippa is telling her to come back to the realms but to be careful. Pippa roars and exposes sharp teeth.
At breakfast the next morning, Mrs. Nightwing introduces Miss McCleethy as Miss Moore’s replacement. Cecily, Elizabeth and Marsha start talking about how horrible Miss Moore was. Gemma sticks up for her and this eventually leads to Felicity having to stick up for Gemma. Ann tries to stay out of it and Cecily uses that to make Ann feel worse. Gemma spills some preserves on Cecily, and they argue to Mrs. Nightwing whether it was on purpose or not. Mrs. Nightwing makes them all stay for lessons in manner since they are all being brats.
Gemma sees snow for the first time. Felicity throws a snowball at her and Ann falls in the snow, soaking herself. Felicity doesn’t want to hear Ann complain, so she goes to find Cecily and Elizabeth. Gemma starts a snowball fight with Ann. While looking for higher ground, Gemma runs into Kartik. He tells her about the magic running wild in the realms. She must find the temple and bind the magic in the name of the Eastern Star. He kisses her hand and leaves. Gemma feels pain and sickness. Two girls appear that seem to be around her age. She calls to them, but receives no answer. They fade away.
After vespers, the girls are made to watch a pantomime of Hansel and Gretel. During the performance, Gemma meets the eyes of Miss McCleethy and has a vision: there are three girls playing among the cliffs by the sea. Something rises up from the sea. Gemma wakes up on the floor with everyone staring. She looks down and sees that she has started her first period.
Brigid takes care of Gemma until Felicity and Ann arrive. Gemma tells them about the mission form Kartik. Then she tells them her feelings about Miss McCleethy’s gaze. Felicity makes fun of Gemma and Gemma insults the new teacher just before she walks in. Miss McCleethy expresses her wish to be friends and expects Gemma in class the next day. Gemma dreams that she is in the garden and a voice calls her closer until it can see Gemma’s face.
Gemma attends archery lessons and sees that everyone loves Miss McCleethy. She feels the need to impress her somehow. She tries talking, but is reprimanded. While Miss McCleethy is collecting arrows, Gemma gets frustrated and shoots one. It hits Miss McCleethy in the hand. Gemma is made to dress her first wound as penance. The teacher then sends Gemma to her room for new gloves. Gemma gets them and finds a suitcase that Miss McCleethy had insisted on keeping with her when she arrived. Gemma searches through it and finds: A ring in the design of two snakes, an advertisement for a bookstore, and a list of schools for girls where every name has been crossed off except Spence. Gemma returns to Miss McCleethy, who has noticed that Gemma was gone longer than necessary for the task. She recommends that Gemma get more exercise.
The girls all attend the last supper before Christmas break. They exchange gifts (Gemma’s is to take her friends back to the realms). Miss McCleethy tells the girls how Mrs. Nightwing met her husband and Mrs. Nightwing explains his death at Ann’s request. Cecily tells a “Christmas” story. Miss McCleethy spots Gemma’s necklace, but Felicity and Ann drag Gemma away to dance before she can answer the teacher’s calls. The girls meet at midnight and go into the realms. Gemma shows them the smashed runes. Pippa appears, glad to see them again.
As the girls catch up with Pippa, Gemma wonders why she hasn’t crossed over when she had seen her cross the lake. Pippa explains that the Rakshana aren’t exactly protectors of the Order, but are after their power. Pippa asks them to visit again soon and Felicity offers to take Ann home with her over their break so that they can return sooner. On the way back to the door, Pippa crushes a snake with a rock. Gemma notices that she looks at it with hunger. Upon their return, girls realize that they have brought the magic back with them.
Gemma says her goodbyes to Ann and Felicity (after listening to Felicity’s plan to transform Ann over their break). In the night, while the school is almost empty, Gemma notices the door to the east wing is cracked open. Mrs. Nightwing and Miss McCleethy are talking. She overhears some of the conversation, but nothing cohesive. She is caught out of her room by Miss McCleethy and is sent to bed. Too shaken for bed, Gemma starts looking through Ann’s magazines. She is talking to herself in the mirror when Kartik makes his presence known, scaring her. Kartik tells her that he was taken from his parents when he was six to be trained for the brotherhood. He tries to explain that it is an honor before he leaves. Gemma doesn’t know who to trust: Pippa or Kartik. Miss McCleethy arrives with milk and Gemma forces herself to drink some though she thinks it takes funny. The teacher asks her about the necklace and Gemma decides to play dumb. When Miss McCleethy tries to ask about Gemma’s mother, the younger girl insists that it is bed time. Gemma wakes up in the middle of the night and has another vision of the girls on the cliffs by the sea. There are three girls running ahead and a fourth girl holding the hand of a woman dressed in green. The girl tells Gemma not to trust the woman.
Tom is late showing up to collect Gemma from the train station. She thinks that a member of the Rakshana is following her and goes to a random man for help. He points out a logical explanation of why the man appeared to be following her. He asks her opinion on a piece of cameo jewelry for his mother before introducing himself as Simon Middleton. When Tom arrives, he seems to already know Simon and is also a little competitive with him. Simon asks Gemma to come over for dinner some night. In the carriage, Tom remembers that he needs to stop for cake. While waiting, Gemma spots Miss Moore, who invites her (and eventually Felicity and Ann) to call on her. Gemma is the first to inform her of Pippa’s death.
Gemma is at her grandmother’s house for the first time. She overhears her father and Tom arguing because their father hired an Indian driver. Dinner is awkward, and Tom makes it worse by letting slip that he wasn’t on time to pick up Gemma. Their father storms out, stating his disappointment in Tom. Gemma receives a gift from her father (her mother’s favorite book of sonnets). Later, she is given an invitation for her and her family to have dinner with Simon Middleton’s family. He also sent her the box with the secret compartment he had his mother’s jewelry in. Tom accuses Gemma of giving their father a bottle of laudanum. She realizes that he must have gotten her to unlock the curio cabinet so he could get to it. She apologizes, and he tells her to hide it. She puts it under the trap door of the box Simon sent her.
Felicity and Ann arrive to pick up Gemma for shopping. The other two girls seem to have a secret tea with Felicity’s mother. Gemma lies and says that she is going to visit Miss Moore, so she couldn’t possibly join them anyway. Felicity insists that they see Miss Moore right away. They tell their former teacher what has been going on with the realms. She doesn’t seem to believe them, but invites them to a show on Thursday.
The girls all meet Felicity’s mother for tea. Her mother continually corrects Felicity and wanders off to talk with people. The girls sneak away to visit the realms. On their way, Felicity spots Lady Darby, Simon’s mother, who can make or break a person. Felicity warns Gemma to be careful around her during their dinner. Gemma wonders if Felicity has any interest in Simon, but Felicity denies it. They find an deserted bed camber to use for the visit to the realms.
Pippa has found the gorgon (who is a dragon like ship with a snake head). They ask a few questions and find out that they need to go to the Forest of Light. They start off on their trip and Gemma gets sea sick. She goes to the front of the ship and talks to the gorgon. She finds out the magic was loose before, anyone could enter the realms, and the creatures could enter their world. The creatures fought each other for the power. The Order was one of the tribes and always had bower. When they found the temple, they drank of its waters and their power was passed down through generations. No one could come and go as the pleased without the Order’s permission. Some members of each tribe got together and took a couple of the Order’s girls to strike back at them. They found that they could gain a lot of power if they sacrificed the girls. The Order made the runes, which sealed the realms to everyone but them until Circe betrayed them. Gemma asks about the spirits that don’t cross over, and the gorgon replies that she has never seen one not become corrupted. They pass the Cave of Sighs that are inhabited by the Untouchables, the Hajin. The caves used to be the place where the Order would take their lovers, men of the Rakshana. They go through a waterfall and on the other side, they are surrounded by water with an island in the distance. The other girls say that they don’t want the magic to be bound. Gemma tries to explain to them that it is not an option.
Glowing lights lead them into the forest where they become surrounded by Centaurs. The creatures become upset when they learn that Gemma is part of the Order. They take her to Philon. Philon argues with the largest centaur, Creostus, on their way to talk in private. Philon explains that they were loyal to the Order and still punished with the rest of the rebels. It offers the girls a weapon in exchange for some of the magic after the Order regains control. Felicity chooses a bow and arrows. Philon walks the girls back to the boat and points out the gorgon’s ship form is a curse. Since the magic is no longer bound, she may not be bound to tell the truth anymore. On the way back to the garden, the girls have a run in with some water Nymphs (who lure humans into the water to steal their skin). Gemma has the gorgon save them and take them back to the garden. Gemma questions the gorgon about the curse and her loyalty. The gorgon led her people in a rebellion against the Order. They return to their own world and Ann uses the magic to sin in Russian. Lady Darby doesn’t think she’s met the Duke of Chesterfield, who Ann is claiming to be the daughter of. Felicity makes the old lady “break wind” to keep their lie from coming undone right there.
Gemma returns home and uses the last of her magic to heal her father. When she wakes him, he goes to the kitchen for food. Gemma eventually follows him and hears the end of a story he is telling the cook. The maid is about to be sent out to give Kartik his dinner, but Gemma asks to do it instead. Gemma updates Kartik and notices that he and the maid, Emily, seem to like each other. Gemma has another (or the same) vision of the four girls on the cliffs with the woman in green. This time when the woman summons the creature, Gemma notices that she wears the same ring Miss McCleethy has in her trunk.
Gemma and her family attend dinner with Simon and his family. On the way out of the carriage, Gemma falls and Kartik catches her. She goes inside and Simon smiles at her. He introduces them to his mother. At dinner, she test Gemma, who seems to answer well. Tom and their father tell stories. Simon talks with Gemma. Tom tells the story of Nell Hawkins, who was a member of the Order. Simon tries to come up with an excuse to have some time with Gemma. Everyone ends up following them to the library where they do have a few minutes to talk and flirt before the men and women are separated. On their way out of the library, someone is throwing rocks at the window, but there was no one there when they look. Kartik shows that he is jealous when Gemma sneaks down to talk with him. He says Simon looks at her like a ripe piece of fruit. Gemma updates him about Nell.
Gemma goes to the asylum with Tom so that she can meet Nell Hawkins. She reads her poetry until Tom is out of the Room. Nell tells her to stay on the path and the temple is hidden in plain sight. While looking for Tom, a mute man tells her that the spirits are joining and coming for her. Tom refuses to tell Gemma what happened to Nell, but he does tell her that she was going to Saint Victoria’s, which is where Miss McCleethy came from.
Gemma, Felicity, and Ann meet up to shop in London. Felicity pays off Franny (the servant that is supposed to watching her) to leave them alone. Gemma updates them on what she has learned. They see the bookstore that Miss McCleethy had an advertisement for and decide to go in. The man is unable to help them, but Miss McCleethy comes in while they are there. They hide and after their teacher leaves, they buy the same book that she just purchased. The girls decide to follow her. The girls follow her by train and then horse tram. Miss McCleethy ends up going to Bethlam, the asylum, and they assume it is because of Nell. However, they can’t continue or else they will be late to meet Franny.
The girls return to Felicity’s, where they start reading the book they bought. It says that the Order protects the weak minded (lunatics, drunks, etc.). They also find that members of the Order used anagrams to disguise their names. They play with Claire McCleethy until it says “They call me Circe.” They go to the realms where Pippa is waiting for them. They update her and she leads them to a path she hasn’t taken yet. They run into a group of girls who died in a factory fire. One of them is acting odd and telling them to go to the Winterlands. Gemma tells them not to trust whoever the strange girl might be talking to. Pippa’s knight brings her a goat head and Gemma sees Pippa lick her lips at it. They return back to their world and fly over London. Calling themselves the ghosts of Christmas, they prevent a man from committing suicide because Gemma can hear his thoughts. They return to Felicity’s and Polly (Felicity’s younger cousin) comes rushing in for her dolly. Felicity does something magical to it and gives it back.
The girls meet Miss Moore at the art gallery. She explains Milton’s Paradise Lost to them. Felicity asks about evil being innate and states that she feels sorry for Lucifer. They move on and run into Ann’s rich cousins, who inform her that there governess is leaving soon and Ann will be needed sooner than expected. The three girls update Miss Moore and she warns them of the dangers of their accusing Miss McCleethy. Miss Moore sees them home and asks Gemma if she really is suspicious of their new teacher. When Gemma answers yes, Miss Moore decides to check it out.
Gemma arrives home to Lady Darby and Simon calling on her. They go for a walk in the park and Lady Darby invites Gemma and her grandmother to the opera. A carriage being driven by the man with the scar (that followed her in the train station) stops to pick up a woman in a green cloak. Later that night, Gemma has another vision of the girls that died on the cliffs. They show her that Ness was supposed to take them to the realms that day. They tell her to look in her mom’s diary for answer and she finds the newspaper clippings of girls that have died at the boarding schools that were on Miss McCleethy’s list.
Going back to the asylum, Gemma visits Nell again. She asks her about what happened on the cliffs. Nell explains that Circe wanted Nell to take her into the realms, but wasn’t able to. The monster rose out of the sea. Gemma tells the other girl that her friends come to her in visions. Nell gets angry, saying that they are not her friends. She tells Gemma to follow the path that is hidden in plain sight and is taken outside. Another patient tells Gemma that Nell is aligned with bad and that they are all coming for Gemma. She runs into Kartik and he takes her to his secret place in the slums to talk. They come up with the idea that the crescent eye may be a compass in the realms. They go back to the carriage and Mr. Fowlson, the man with the scar, has taken it over. He warns them to each stick to their tasks and leaves. Gemma asks if Fowlson can be trusted. Kartik says he can because he is part of the brotherhood. Later that day, Gemma’s grandmother tells her not to break her father’s heart. Shortly after, an amethyst necklace arrives for Gemma from Simon. Kartik leaves a note on her pillow to come see him, but she is too enamored with thinking of Simon. She burns the note.
The next night, Gemma and her family meet Simon and his family at the opera. Felicity and Ann are there as well. Felicity makes an excuse for them to go to the dressing room and they agree to go into the realms just before intermission. When Gemma is reluctant to leave Simon, Felicity warns Gemma that Simon is a lady’s man. Simon keeps looking at Gemma during the opera. She excuses herself just before intermission.
The girls go into the realms and use the amulet necklace to find the right path to follow. It dead ends Gemma is overwhelmed by the magic and must return home. They run into her party and tell them as much. Cecily and her mother come over and Cecily is about to give away Ann’s real status. Gemma yells “stop” and everything freezes. She tells Cecily to believe everything they say and to treat An as a queen. She also smacks a random man and tells him to stop cheating on his wife. She tells time to begin again and feels much better. When she gets home, she feels ill and the magic is almost gone. She sleeps and has terrible dreams.
Gemma is sick and forced to stay in bed. Her father tells her stories of India before leaving for his club. She receives a reply letter from Saint Victoria’s headmistress, confirming that Miss McCleethy’s employment dates and saying that she left to teach at a school near London where her sister was Headmistress. Felicity and Ann come to visit. They read the letter and decide that they cannot trust Mrs. Nightwing.
The girls send a letter to Miss Moore, updating her. She replies for them to be careful, especially where Nell Hawkins is concerned. Gemma goes to visit Nell before the Lunatic’s Dance. She brought a corsage, but Nell has already received flowers from someone the nurse can’t seem to remember. Nell has the parrot with her and tells Gemma that she will take her to the temple. However, Gemma tries to take the bird away because Nell is about to hurt it. Nell bites her and the nurse takes the bird away. Gemma goes to leave and Mr. Snow tells her not to trust “the one who comes.” Gemma is afraid of Nell.
At the dance, Tom talks with Gemma and her friends. Ann hopes he will ask her to dance, but he doesn’t. The patients start performing for the crowd. Nell recites a riddle that will let Gemma know where the temple is, but the doctors and nurses stop her before she can finish. Gemma notices that Miss McCleethy is also listening intently. Gemma goes to Nell’s room to find out where the temple is. They are interrupted by the arrival of Circe. They hide under the bed and are unnoticed. Nell takes Gemma into her vision, but Nell’s mind is so messed up that Gemma cannot decipher anything. Nell asks Gemma to set her free.
Christmas Eve comes along and Gemma’s father has been missing for two days. Kartik arrives asking for Tom who is at a club with Simon. Eventually, he tells Gemma that her dad is at an opium den. She dresses in Tom’s clothes and Kartik goes with her to get him. By the time they get there, her father has already sold his wedding band and watch. Gemma feels it is all her fault because of who she is. When Tom finds out upon their arrival home, he feels that science has failed him.
The next morning while everyone is still asleep, Gemma goes to thank Kartik. He gives her a statue (which was Amar’s) for protection. They joke, dance, and kiss. Gemma makes a racist comment and doesn’t realize it until Kartik packs up to leave forever.
Gemma spends Christmas morning in church and then goes to Felicity’s house. Felicity has Franny alter a French dress her mom bought her so that Ann can wear it. She also convinces her to lower the neck of the dress she plans to wear herself. Felicity seems to be in a very vindictive mood, especially when Gemma and Ann don’t want to sneak away from the ball to enter the realms.
The dance starts and Gemma dances with a short boy who talks too much. She dances with Simon. Simon and the girls end up sneaking off and experimenting with absinthe. Gemma dances with Simon again and he eventually pulls her up to a maids room. He starts kissing her bare skin. She has a vision and the three girls in white show her the temple. A monster rises above it and she screams. Simon thinks it is because of him and takes Gemma back downstairs before disappearing for the night. Felicity goes to take her cousin Polly to bed and tells her to always lock her door. Gemma, listening in, realizes that the Admiral (Felicity’s father) molests children. When she confronts Felicity about it, but Gemma just upsets her.
Gemma tries to visit Felicity. Ann comes out to apologize for her and inform Gemma that she received a letter asking for proof of her rumored inheritance. Gemma tells Ann to inform felicity that she’s seen the temple. She goes home and relives Tom of watching their father. She finds that something from the realms has been whispering the truth to him. She gives him the last of the laudanum and goes to see Nell, who has killed the parrot and gives her the same warnings.
Felicity tells Gemma to forget what she heard the night of the ball. They go to the garden and it is starting to decay. Pippa attacks and kills an animal. Gemma doesn’t trust her, so Pippa runs off. They start following the amulet again. They go to the top of a hill to look around and see a cathedral. Even though the amulet doesn’t glow, they decide to go that way and start climbing the stairs of the tower. They quickly learn that it isn’t the temple, and they are surrounded by Poppy Warriors.
The leader of the Poppy Warriors, Azreal, decides to see if Felicity is the one that holds the power. Gemma offers them a hunt. Azreal gives them a head start to the catacombs, which have five tunnels and only one way out. Gemma’s magic is blocked by the warriors so that they cannot escape through the door of light to their own world. They find the door into the catacombs and climb down to the tunnels. They decide to stick together to check the tunnels, hoping the door above will hold the Poppy Warriors off of them for a little while. When they have only two tunnels left, felicity reminds Gemma to use the amulet. However, it gets caught in her dress and goes flying when she rips it out. They waste more time looking for it and are found by the time she retrieves the necklace.
Gemma finally realizes what Azreal meant when he told her that their fear lets the warriors in. They start mentally torturing Ann then Felicity. Gemma uses the amulet to find the right tunnel until Azreal says that he visits her father to tell him the truth about her. Felicity overcomes her fear and shoots Azreal with an arrow. They run to a boat and are safe from the Poppy Warriors. However, the boat tips over and the water nymphs get Ann. They walk back to the garden and see the three girls leading the fire victims away with false promises as Nell had warned. They must let them go so that they can save Ann.
Felicity and Gemma see Pippa, who is upset that they want to go back for Ann when they left her behind (because only Gemma went back for Pippa). They agree to bring Miss Moore into the realms for help. Gemma gets their former teacher and updates her. They decide to rely on the gorgon to take them to the lagoon where the nymphs live. The gorgon takes them as far as she can and they see the nymphs preparing to take Ann’s skin. The three girls in white appear and distract the nymphs. Gemma has a rope tied to her and swims with Ann’s dead weight while the others pull them in. The nymphs attention is back on them so Miss Moore and Pippa release the nets (borrowed from the gorgon). Gemma taunts them and they start to sing. Luckily, Ann’s own voice seems to counteract the sirens. The three girls in white approach them with a tracker. They run, but Miss Moore is caught and the gorgon doesn’t stop when Gemma tells her to.
Upon returning, Gemma doesn’t feel well and sleeps. Lady Darby and Simon come to tell her that Ann’s claims of an inheritance are false. She feels sick again. Simon tells her that his mother approves of her and expects them to marry. Gemma asks him to delay his mother’s trip to oust Ann publically. She sneaks over to Felicity’s and warns them. They are going back to find the temple and can use the magic to fix Ann’s problem. When she gets back to her house, the driver forces her into a carriage with Miss McCleethy and Fowlson. They take her to a hideout of the Rakshana, who Miss McCleethy has been working with to bind the magic. She says that she promised them she would bind it to them, but that she is lying. She also tells her that Kartik has been lying to her. Gemma talks to Kartik and confirms that lies. Gemma pretends to faint, but Miss McCleethy is the only one that sees through it. While Kartik carries her, she pulls out the knife he gave her. She doesn’t know the way out, but Karik shows her the way. They walk in the crowded streets with Miss McCleethy and Fowlson following. Gemma spots Simon and his father and switches directions. Kartik shoves Gemma into a cab ahead of a couple and tells them she’s the duchess of Kent. When Lord Darby comes to check on the situation, Kartik smacks the horse and acts like a mad man. Gemma tells the drive to take her to Miss Moore’s place.
Gemma realizes that she has no way to pay the driver, so she makes a run for it. She hides in an alley until Mrs. Porter lets her in because she uses Felicity’s famous name. Mrs. Porter lets her into Moore’s room and comes back to tell her that Miss Moore left a note that morning saying she was going to teach at a school where her sister is headmistress. Gemma realizes that Miss Moore is Circe and allows the rest of Nell’s vision to come through. Miss Moore was the teacher on the cliffs, calling herself Miss McCleethy back then. She grew fond of Nell and tried to save her from her own monster. Nell slips into the water and is rescued by a fisherman. Gemma runs out, guilt of letting Circe into the realms consuming her. The three girls in while say that Circe is close to the temple. A Constable comes along to help Gemma.
Gemma wakes up at home in bed with a fever. They give her drugs to help her rest, but they take her into a dream/vision where she finds that the Cave of Sighs is the temple, the Untouchables its guardian. Asha tells her to leave the dream and clear her mind before Circe can find them, but the drugs won’t allow it. Circe arrives with Nell as her sacrifice and thanks Gemma. When Gemma wakes up, Felicity and Ann are by her bed. She updates them and feigns sleep to avoid them and her guilt. Simon comes to visit and gives her a broach that has been in his family over 100 years. Gemma doesn’t reply, but realizes that she is “wearing his promise.” Tom asks her to go to the asylum to visit Nell, thinking the trip will be good for her. While alone with Nell, she tells Gemma that Circe can’t bind the magic and that there is still hope. Gemma runs out and goes to the train station to tell Felicity and Ann before they leave. Jackson and Fowlson are there, so they all get on the train.
The girls find a compartment and work together to make the door. They start heading for the caves when they find Pippa on the gorgon ship. Felicity calls out to her and she joins them. They arrive and when Asha asks what she offers, Gemma says herself, which symbolizes hope. She goes through a waterfall to face her greatest fear. Circe is there with Nell.
Circe wants Gemma to join her. She says that with her help, they could form a new Order (which would free her from the dark spirits). She also claims that Gemma will need her help. Pippa runs in with Felicity and Ann following. Circe promises that Pippa could stay forever. Felicity can’t shoot Circe. Gemma takes the bow and arrow and shoots Nell so that she can’t be used as a sacrifice. Circe attacks Gemma and they fall into a well. Gemma emerges first and binds the magic in “the name of all who will share the power one day.” The binding uses as a pathway. Circe is bound in a place where she can’t harm anyone. The glamour on Pippa fades away. When they tell her it is time for her to go, Pippa runs off swearing revenge. They see spirits starting to cross over, including Nell, who is glad to finally be free. Some of the fire victims absent and so is Pippa. Gemma releases the gorgon, but she chooses to help Gemma back to the garden anyway. When she returns home, rather than trying to heal her father again, she uses the magic to help him find his courage.
Gemma visits Kartik in his hiding place, asking for his fealty to the Order. She then visits Miss McCleethy to inform her that things will not be going back to the way they used to be. The new Order will share the power. Miss McCleethy warns her that this will fail, but Gemma points out the Order’s own failures. Gemma has dinner at Simon’s house. She asks him if he would still care for her if she were different. He cannot answer the question, which she takes as a “no.” When he is called away by his mother, she sets down the broach and leaves.
Back at Spence, Felicity teaches the younger girls archery. Mrs. Nightwing tells Gemma to be sure about her choice of man because it is painful when they leave you for someone else. Mademoiselle LeFarge is engaged to Inspector Kent. Ann wrote to Tom and told him the truth. He was angry, but Ann expected that. The three girls sit together at Pippa’s alter and comfort each other.
Gemma Doyle Trilogy:
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Rebel Angels
The Sweet Far Thing