Chapter 9: Emory

Emory spends the day buried in Baz’s reading assignment on alignments, captivated by the accuracies of Seers and the possibilities of Glamour, Soultender, and Memorist magic. Fascinated by the idea of retrieving her lost Dovermere memories, she wrestles with shame over her Eclipse mark and a rising curiosity to test these powers.

That night in Noviluna Hall’s austere library, Emory studies selenography beside Penelope, who shares insights on Darkbearer magic. Craving privacy to continue her alignment research, Emory departs alone.

In a dim corridor, Emory hears keys and spots Keiran unlocking the archives. She slips in and confronts him. Keiran reveals he has legitimate after-hours access and demonstrates his Lightkeeper-driven restoration of tarnished early photographs, impressing Emory.

Probing his motives for helping her, Emory learns Keiran lost his closest friend, Farran Kaine, to Dovermere during an Order initiation. The shared grief steels Emory’s resolve to seek answers from within the Selenic Order.

Emory asks to join. Keiran explains her mark doesn’t count because she wasn’t an official candidate, but he offers a path: attend the Order’s exclusive meteor-shower soiree, show the mark, and persuade the leaders by proving what her magic can offer. He warns there’s no turning back. Emory accepts, and Keiran names the venue—the old lighthouse.