Danners

Eli is less morbidly curious than I am. I would’ve made a beeline for my file if it was available and read it in full. It’s probably for the best that he didn’t though, considering the performance he has to put on for the Vespers. It’s be interesting if Eli dropped ole Remy a postcard: “From Montaigne, with love.” If Adrien’s grandfather is who that name belongs to, and it’s the grandfather he’s always droning on about, maybe there’s a way to lure him to campus to die. Because if Remy dies and Adrien rescinds, that covers that part, right? Adrien doesn’t want or like this. That’s the impression I get anyway. Or maybe I just don’t want him to die and for Eli to be the one to kill him. (Of the others, Nora’s the only one I’d like as a Final Girl.) What a heavy chapter! But still a fantastic one. I’m amazed by your ritualism!

“Carter! Carter! Carter” Vane’s narcissism got the best of him with Carter. You can’t leverage a man’s pride or safety when he’s ready and capable of sacrificing it. Vane, in the end, only cares about his own station, his own power; he’d never even fathom sacrifice. Watching Vane unravel this chapter was a true, genuine delight. I giggled. I tittered. I frickin’ cackled. Just like I will when he gets his comeuppance. Part of me wonders if Vane won’t leap from the tower but the rest of me figures he still believes he’s right. He won’t stop until he is stopped. Thank you for revealing the boys’ names. It’s a fitting close to this chapter, humanizing them in a way Blackwater didn’t previously allow. While the times aren’t optimal for it, I hope the couples grow old together. I could babble endlessly about this chapter but instead I’ll end with this. I can’t stop thinking of that boy from the prologue and how, even though his escape cost him his life, it saved Miller’s. It saved all of them. And it saved Carter’s soul. (Crep, just kidding. More. Arthur Miller?!)

As the saying goes, Time is not on our side, But what does the Fool care about endings with such a wonderful new beginning ahead of him, Andrew at his side.

Fingers crossed the powers that be find something damning when Vane is under the microscope. I have my suspicions but I’m still holding my breath. Hope is such an alien thing in this place and now the boys have it. Despite what happens when Vane tears apart the West Wing, they have that. May they cling to it not only to as a shield against despair but as a weapon against Vane, against the Masters, against the darkness and the cold. And Elias said he loves Calloway! And Calloway heard him! The lone Watchman isn’t alone anymore.

Eli being on the hook is the best case scenario, don’t you think? Another candidate puts he and Lucien under a different sort of deadline but if it’s just Eli, they can focus more acutely on themselves. Feed Lucien little by little so he doesn’t rip his bond mate apart. Eli pretends to be gung-ho about the Vespers while figuring out how to dismantle the bindings. Maybe suss out Adrien’s willingness. I don’t know. I’m too impatient for this sort of scenario and too prone to a scorched earth solution. Hehe.

My guess is it’s more mundane in that they’re groomed. The Vespers did what they’ve done with Eli: giving them privileges, making them feel like they belong, getting the “donors” to trust them implicitly. The sacrifices have already performed a ritual as part of their induction and perhaps more by feeding time, so what’s one more? As Lucien said, they’re brought downstairs not knowing what to expect . . . until it’s too late. Simple coercion mixed with wine or a tranquilizer maybe. As for Adrien’s direct involvement, I’m leaning towards yes. These kids have been at the university for at least four years now if the TA was present for the last feeding. It’s possible though, if that was the last one, the Vespers have avoided claiming another victim. That — devil’s advocate— could be Adrien’s influence. Out of all the Vespers, Adrien seems like the one who’d balk at human sacrifice. Clearly just drawing Lucien’s blood makes him squeamish. I dunno. His betrayal, if it comes, will be the most bitter, so I’m kinda hoping he’ll choose to help and end this once and for all.

Turns out Eli has some bite after all. Let the plotting begin!

I assume there’s an altar there. Sacrifice Vane; save everyone. Win/win!

Right?! That telescope is just waiting to crack open Vane’s thick skull.

Vane can go straight to Hell. Carter was correct in his assessment: the man is a monster. Worse, he’s a believer — and the truth is of his own design. Vane, for once, miscalculated. Instead of making examples out of Kaxe and Miller, he transformed them into symbols of the rebellion. Fitting that a narcissist like Vane, vane as he is, designed his own downfall. Hang in there, Miller!

A lot can happen over winter break. Eli has two weeks to a month (depending on the schedule) to study phlebotomy if he doesn’t want to physically offer his wrist. But, that being so impersonal, I wager he’ll go the direct route, especially if he and Lucien become closer. Lucien’s “please” was profound. His loneliness given form in a single word, allowing him also to express his worry without saying so. He must fear that whatever Eli discovers in the archive will drive him away and he’ll be caged and alone again. Speaking of the cage: a spoken phrase and a key, huh? I wonder if Lucien could reproduce it for Eli when the time comes.

The more complicated the system, the easier it is for part of it to break down. Vane considers his reign uncomplicated and precise when it’s anything but. I much prefer the simple (but layered) truth the Pact we witnessed this chapter. Specifically “Happy Birthday” and how, when said between Elias and Calloway, it rang like something else. Three words instead of two.

*gasp* Tarot archetypes?! Oh, honey, you have my undivided attention. You just added a whole ‘nother layer to this tale and I’m IN.

“Well, sir, it’s like this. We found him at the foot of the stairs and he was beyond saving. He must’ve had his telescope with him when he fell because it was in him.” A pause. ”Skewered, yes, but not how you’d think.” A second, more uncomfortable, pause. ”When he finished tumbling, he did so with enough force and at such an angle that he swallowed the damn thing!” There’s a choking sound followed by the embarrassed clearing of a throat. “Not with his mouth, sir, with … uh, the other end.” My fantasy. Tee hee.

I’ve heard of crying over spilled milk but never drooling over orange juice. Looking forward to their date and the next chapter, not necessarily in that order.

Not a terrible tv series, excellent cast. Ha ha ha.

Welcome back! Hope your surgery went well and you’re recovering! Eli’s ballsy as hell. When I’m in the dark, I’ve got a running list horror movie no-nos I cycle through. The same ones Eli activity chose to dismiss — not ignore, dismiss. Good man. And we get to meet Lucien at last! Just as emaciated as I expected but surprisingly pleasant for a starving predator. That he’s been keeping tabs on the body working in the library is a welcome surprise. Also, Lucien recognizing Eli's name and then, courtesy of a phone light, putting that name to a face. Him recognizing the name means he’s heard it spoken, probably by Adrien. Adrien seems like the kind of guy who babbles when he’s nervous, and bloodletting a vampire definitely makes a guy nervous. Now to sit back and watch Eli put the pieces together. So exciting!

We saw it coming and Vane didn’t disappoint. I could almost hear his butt pucker every time he remembered how the boys defied him. While I enjoy watching his control crumble, I’m positive he’ll only become more dangerous and vicious as his iron grip continues to rust. Master Carter keeps impressing me. From his unofficial tutelage to his outright defense of the West Wing boys, he stepped up. I hope the boys don’t give him anything worthwhile to report on but it’s inevitable Vane will figure something out. It’s too bad malicious compliance isn’t an option . . . or maybe it is. Watching Calloway chip away at Elias’s defenses (and Elias tempering Calloway’s recklessness) gives me a warm feeling inside. As long as Vane underestimates him, he’ll remain a beacon of hope for the West Wing. Fingers crossed for that. Meanwhile I’m daydreaming of someone sneaking into Vane’s office and rimming the eyepiece of his telescope with powdered dye.

Miller is indeed stronger than he seems. He plays to his strengths and, more importantly, he genuinely cares, which is a rarity in and of itself. That he’s managed to tame Kaxe with a soft touch is downright amazing. Kaxe’s night terrors are a troubling addition to the character but explain a lot about him. As rash and aggressive as he is, I’m glad he has Miller to hold on to.

Also, anytime one character is teaching another character to read, all I see are the women on the bus in A League of Their Own.

Master Carter quietly orchestrating some of Calloway’s discoveries/conveniences is so meaningful. A former soldier (a former combat medic?) recognizing a broken system within a system and doing what little he can to even out the imbalances. If he’s doing this for Calloway and, by extension, Elias, I have to wonder how much — if anything — he’s doing for the others. That boy from the prologue — he didn’t know it at the time, but his sacrifice may truly be the linchpin in dismantling Vane’s monstrous domain. He changed one man’s heart and that man, his humanity reignited, is now a variable instead of a constant. What I’d really like to know is who sabotaged the rig. We know now it was sabotaged and by someone who knows what he’s doing. The intimation is Calloway but he’s too precise to leave evidence behind. Master Carter is another possibility, although I don’t see him endangering the boys. My money is on Vane by way of an underling, someone he leveraged into it: another exercise to destroy morale and/or test the boys’ ability to spot and avert disaster. I’d expect Vane to order a search of the boys’ belongings after his inventory comes up . . . uh, full of holes. So Calloway better stash what he can in the passage between the latrine and the Ghost Station, keeping only the spoon to open the catch. The spoon’s the important bit — not because it’s the key but because it’s the gateway to more alone time with Elias. Speaking of Elias, it’s interesting how invested the other boys are in his growing relationship with Calloway. It’s almost like they appreciate what he’s sacrificed by being the Watchdog of the group. It’s like they’re saying “It’s about time.” And, from what you’ve written about the young man, it is about time. Another nuanced chapter.

His crack is his obsession with control, with order. Nowadays it’d be watching young boys through a telescope but, y’know . . .

I love that Miller’s the Vane approved “fix” for Kaxe. He’s a likable guy so far and I can totally see how he’s able to curb the big bully’s more explosive tendencies but man, that’s a lot of responsibility for the little guy. Not that he’s in on the plan; he seems genuinely fond of Kaxe. I hope he can relax a little bit around Calloway and, like, enjoy being someone’s friend.

I have to agree that having Vane’s eye on you isn’t a positive. Knowing how the man catalogues and applies leverage, holding his attention just invites more opportunities for him to pick you apart. Fortunately, I suspect Calloway’s mind works in a similar manner and that’s part of what makes him a good artist. Master Carter’s warning — to me anyway — offered Calloway a solution as well. Focus on the mending, at least where Vane can see. Leave the engineering behind closed doors — don’t stop, just be subtle. It’s behavior I imagine being utilized by savvy aristocrats. Now, as for Elias’s attention . . . I don’t think either of them can stop that collision from happening or how dangerous it’ll be. Maybe Elias does. If Calloway is important to him, he’s a weakness, he’s leverage. Even so, like I said, that fuse is already lit. I’m both excited for and dreading where all of this is heading.

The fuse is long but it’s been lit, and now we wait …