Chapter 46

Returning to Black Elm, Alex, Darlington, and Dawes spot Reiter’s freshly washed Mercedes in the driveway, a chilling sign that he can reach them even in daylight through familiars. Shaken from cremating the basement dead, Alex checks the car; the trunk holds Michelle Alameddine’s body, hands tucked as if in prayer. Alex reels with guilt and flashes back to leaving Mercy at the JE gate, where Mercy, haunted by killing, questioned whether adventure was worth the stain it left.

Darlington steadies Alex and explains his deduction: Michelle had been Reiter’s familiar, likely recruited as an undergraduate to watch the Gauntlet because Reiter couldn’t enter warded spaces. Dawes protests that Michelle wouldn’t aid a demon, but Darlington argues Michelle wanted to believe a promise of immortality; the story was the lure. Alex notes the bite marks and realizes Reiter fed on Michelle’s pain as well as her blood.

Resolving not to let Michelle be buried like Reiter’s other victims, Alex insists on cremation. She reframes her fear as anger, calling out Reiter’s pride for killing Michelle rather than keeping her alive to spy. They lay Michelle between the elms, Darlington recites lines of an old poem, and Alex summons fire again, committing Michelle to the flames.

As Michelle’s body burns, Alex hardens her intent: to hurt Reiter as he hurt Michelle and the others. The discovery confirms Reiter has been close, using human agents, and escalates the stakes for Lethe’s fractured team as grief becomes a vow of vengeance.