Rose in Chains
by Julie Soto
Contents
Chapter 40
Overview
Orion performs an ancient ritual to mask Briony’s virginity, extracting a glowing orb into a jar. At dawn, Cohle and Reighven arrive with nurses to inspect her. The scan confirms the ruse and reveals Briony remains fertile; sterilization is ordered. Serena intervenes violently, stopping the procedure and claiming Briony under her protection, escalating open conflict with Mallow’s enforcers.
Summary
Orion arrives through the portal to conduct a covert ritual Toven found in a Starkish text. With Serena restraining Briony and Orion chanting, a shallow cut over Briony’s heart and searing cramps culminate in a glowing orb—her “virginity”—which Toven captures in a jar. A test confirms the masking worked. Tension flares when Briony confronts Toven for withholding the plan; he slips and calls her “family” before fleeing.
At dawn, Toven brings Briony to a drawing room where Serena, Cohle, Reighven, and two silenced nurses await. Under their orders, the nurses conduct scans. Fertility lights show Briony is fertile; Reighven demands a virginity check, which the masking spell passes, satisfying their suspicion that Toven has slept with her.
Cohle orders sterilization, citing Rosewood protocol and mentioning Carvin’s correction. Toven protests but is overruled. As the nurse moves to sever Briony’s fertility, Serena unleashes force, hurling the nurse back and knocking Reighven unconscious. Facing Cohle, Serena declares Briony under her protection, halting the procedure and setting a direct challenge to Mallow’s authority.
Who Appears
- Briony RosewoodSubject of the ritual and inspection; masked as non-virgin, revealed fertile, nearly sterilized before Serena protects her.
- Serena HearstSupports the ritual, then violently stops the sterilization and declares Briony under her protection.
- Toven HearstFinds the ritual, orchestrates Orion’s help, captures the orb, withholds information, protests sterilization, calls Briony “family.”
- Orion HearstPerforms the ancient masking ritual, cutting and chanting to extract Briony’s virginity into a jar before departing.
- Reighven (Lag)Arrives to inspect; taunts Briony and Toven; demands virginity scan; knocked unconscious by Serena.
- CohleLeads the inspection with Reighven; orders sterilization after confirming fertility; stunned by Serena’s defiance.
- Male nursePerforms scans, prepares to sterilize Briony, then is blasted back by Serena.
- Female nurseConducts scans including the virginity test using white flowers; remains silenced throughout.