Chapter Twenty-Nine

Harry escorts Lara through a restrained New Year’s party at the Drake, noting political heavyweights and the absence of feeding. Near eleven, they withdraw to an executive suite, with Bear and Freydis guarding the door. Harry recounts Lord Raith’s earlier taunts; Lara remarks he seems bolder than usual.

Harry lays out a rough but precise ritual circle using paint, candles, incense, and a tuning fork. He explains the test: contain Lara’s Hunger without harming her, warning her not to step out and that it could be painful. Lara removes her heels and takes her place in the figure-eight loop as Harry centers himself.

Activating the circle, Harry gathers power through his love and loyalty to Thomas, blowing out the room’s lights as magic builds. Probing Lara, he senses an Outsider nature within the Hunger. In a commanding voice, he asserts authority and orders it to separate.

The circle flares as Lara convulses. Smoke condenses into a pale, faceless double—the manifested Hunger—linked to Lara by glowing strands. Straining against its resistance, Harry proves the separation works and then gently reverses the process, channeling the entity back into Lara as the energy ebbs.

Exhausted, both collapse. Fireworks crackle outside as the room darkens. Lara, shaken, realizes she is briefly not Hungry. Harry confirms the proof-of-concept: the ritual can separate a White Court vampire from its Hunger, meaning Thomas can be saved.