Rose in Chains
by Julie Soto
Contents
Chapter 17
Overview
Serena escorts Briony through Hearst Hall, reveals the house’s Starksen-stone magic, and pointedly leaves Briony’s door unlocked. At midnight, Briony sneaks to the kitchen Journal and confirms Sammy Meers escaped, killed Del Burkin with a cloaker, and took Didion and Velicity. Weighing desperate options, Briony is discovered by Orion.
Summary
Serena Hearst wordlessly walks a weakened, hungry Briony through Hearst Hall to the kitchen. Briony eats while noticing a living Journal page depicting Sammy Meers as “most wanted.” Serena explains there are no servants because the hall was built from ancient Starksen stones, implying the house itself serves.
On the return walk, Briony maps corridors, spots a vast library, and endures Serena’s cool counsel that Hearst Hall is “the safest place.” Serena unexpectedly invites Briony to call her “Serena” and leaves without locking the door, signaling a shift from jailer to wary custodian.
That night, Briony slips out and returns to the kitchen Journal. She rewinds to the eclipse and scans reports, confirming propaganda and omissions about the auction. She infers Sammy escaped during Larissa’s failed revolt. Eight days later, a report details a break-in at Del Burkin’s estate: Sammy and a cloaker killed Burkin and abducted his heartsprings—Didion and Velicity.
Hope surges as Briony imagines Sammy, Finola, Didion, and Velicity forming a nascent resistance. A description of Velicity’s missing forearm reveals that killing a master does not free a heartspring and that amputation can bypass a tattoo. Briony briefly considers self-amputation but rejects the risk without allies or magic.
As Briony whispers for the next page, the sconces flare. Orion Hearst appears in the doorway, catching her at the Journal and ending her clandestine search.
Who Appears
- Briony RosewoodWeakened captive at Hearst Hall; explores the house, studies the Journal, discovers Sammy’s actions, and is caught by Orion.
- Serena HearstEscorts Briony, reveals Starksen-stone nature of the hall, offers guarded sympathy, and leaves Briony’s door unlocked.
- Orion HearstIntercepts Briony at the kitchen Journal during her midnight search, ending her clandestine reading.
- Sammy MeersFugitive in Journal reports; escaped auction, killed Del Burkin with a cloaker, abducted Didion and Velicity.
- Finola RosewoodMentioned as likely cloaker accomplice; her skills give Briony hope of an organized resistance.
- Velicity PuntReported as abducted heartspring; missing forearm implies tattoo bypass by amputation.
- Didion PuntReported as abducted heartspring from Burkin’s estate alongside Velicity.
- Del BurkinJournal reports him killed in his home; his deathspringing doesn’t free his heartsprings.