Alex Stern, #2
Hell Bent
by Leigh Bardugo
Contents
Chapter 44
Overview
Anselm reveals the Gauntlet was an offering and beacon built to lure a Wheelwalker, demanding a soul to keep hell sated. He tempts Alex, Turner, and Darlington with perfect-life visions and threatens Mercy through Eitan.
Alex counters: she drags Eitan’s soul, yokes him as the sacrifice, ferries her friends home, survives Anselm’s bite, and escapes back to Sterling as snow falls.
Summary
Anselm explains Yale’s founders used the Gauntlet not for exploration but as an offering, trading others’ future suffering for power. He reveals it as a beacon meant to draw a Wheelwalker—Alex—to hold hell’s door open. He tempts them with visions of perfect lives and offers safety if Alex remains.
Alex sees seductive futures for herself, Turner, and Darlington, then a reimagined life with Mira and Hellie. Anselm escalates by showing Eitan approaching Mercy, forcing a choice: Alex stays to keep the door open, or Mercy dies. Alex instructs Dawes to shut the door behind her and appears to accept the sacrifice.
Instead, Alex springs her plan. Mercy douses Eitan with datura oil at Sterling’s basin. Alex plunges her hand through the water, rips Eitan’s soul free, and yokes him as the demanded murderer. Turner, Dawes, and Darlington form a defense as Anselm attacks; Alex, as Wheelwalker, channels her allies through her and sends them back to the mortal realm.
When Alex leaps after them, Anselm bites her wrist, drinking her blood as she tries to drag his spirit with her. She forces him off and dives through, bursting into Sterling’s snowy courtyard. Tzvi has fled, Eitan’s body lies facedown, and Mercy, Turner, Dawes, and horned Darlington stand shaken but safe beneath the Weaver’s frost-laced web.
Who Appears
- Alex (Galaxy) SternWheelwalker; resists Anselm’s temptations, orchestrates Eitan’s trap, rips his soul, yokes him as the sacrifice, ferries allies home, escapes after Anselm bites her.
- AnselmReveals the Gauntlet as an offering and beacon; tempts with ideal visions, threatens Mercy, attacks, drinks Alex’s blood, nearly dragged across before she escapes.
- Daniel “Darlington” ArlingtonPart-demon; identifies the beacon’s purpose, refuses Alex’s sacrifice, defends her with blade and horns, returns to the mortal realm through Alex.
- Detective Abel TurnerRejects temptation, bluffs he’ll kill Alex to prevent disaster, commands the defense, and returns through Alex’s conduit.
- Pamela DawesRealizes the Tower is a beacon; arms herself with scholarly wards, helps defend Alex, and escapes through the Wheelwalker.
- Mercy ZhaoBait at Sterling; douses Eitan with datura oil, survives the confrontation, reunites with the others in the snowy courtyard.
- Eitan HarelThreatens Mercy; has his soul torn out by Alex and is yoked as hell’s demanded murderer, left facedown and burning in blue flame.
- TzviAccompanies Eitan, steals Mercy’s salt sword, flees once the confrontation turns.
- Not BlakeDemon wearing Blake Keely’s face; one of Anselm’s pets, underscoring his manipulations.