Contents
Chapter Thirty-Three
Overview
Adam returns cleaned up and takes Holland to the Watch Man at the Beverly Hills Hotel on a record-hot Halloween morning. Eerie, near-magical signs accompany their arrival. Using his family name, Adam secures entry. The Watch Man, with partner Ernest, serves preassigned teas and pointedly shifts to discussing Holland’s father, signaling crucial revelations ahead.
Summary
After Adam steps away to change, Holland explores the penthouse minibar and discovers a magical “Press for” button and dial. Choosing popcorn, she watches a velvet-lined cabinet conjure fresh boxes and uncanny candy bars, confirming subtle magic at play. Adam returns, amused and newly soberish, and they depart to see the Watch Man.
Driving through a sweltering Los Angeles on Halloween morning, the radio underscores record-breaking heat. Time feels like it’s slipping, but Adam steadies Holland and directs her toward the Beverly Hills Hotel, a place she once deemed too glossy for dark dealings.
In the hotel’s gardens, Holland notes plants seeming to melt and stain, heightening her anxiety. Adam dismisses it as environmental, not magical, but the uncanny atmosphere persists as they reach Bungalow 22. An older man answers and refuses them until Adam invokes being Mason Bishop’s younger brother, which prompts a wary admission.
Inside a Sinatra-inspired bungalow crowded with houseplants and rotary phones, another older gentleman—cheerful and composed—greets them warmly. He is the Watch Man; the doorman is his partner, Ernest. The Watch Man admits his phone accent is affected for work and, acknowledging Holland’s limited time, invites them to a patio already set with three teapots, revealing he expected them.
The Watch Man assigns specific teas—black for Adam, white for Holland—observing until they drink. With pleasantries done, he turns the conversation to Holland’s father, clearly indicating imminent revelations about the past and the Alchemical Heart.
Who Appears
- Holland St. JamesProtagonist; discovers a magical minibar, feels urgency and anxiety, and seeks answers from the Watch Man about her father.
- Adam BishopAccompanies Holland; calms her, leverages the Bishop name to gain entry, and drinks the tea assigned by the Watch Man.
- The Watch ManLives at the Beverly Hills Hotel with Ernest; affects an accent for work, anticipates their visit, serves tailored tea, and raises Holland’s father.
- ErnestThe Watch Man’s partner; opens the door warily, then admits them after Adam invokes Mason Bishop.