Chapter 21

Alex attacks Linus Reiter but is overpowered until she summons a schoolteacher Gray, whose presence taints Alex’s blood. Reiter recoils, calling her “grave-tasting.” Alex uses the Gray’s strength to land blows, then pivots to strategy: she smashes his valuables, ignites liquor and curtains, and escapes through shattered French doors.

Pursued by fear and adrenaline, Alex sprints through town until a gas station’s bright lights feel safe. She releases the Gray and breaks down. The schoolteacher appears, kindly confirming Reiter’s long history of murder—bodies buried in his gardens. Alex cleans her wounds, steels herself, and calls Turner for a ride.

Fueled by anger, Alex phones Eitan Harel, who admits there was no debt—Reiter is a rival. He reveals seven others died before her. Alex realizes she was bait, vows to sever ties, and contemplates killing Eitan carefully to protect her mother, which will require money and a plan.

Turner arrives and drives her back. He updates her case: a psych lab scandal tied Stephen, Beekman, and Ed Lambton, but Lambton’s alibi stands; Michelle Alameddine lied about her timeline and was linked to Stephen’s study. Turner presses Alex about the Los Angeles deaths, but she withholds the truth.

As Halloween nears and the Gauntlet demands a fourth, Turner unexpectedly agrees to join, framing it as prying a soul from the devil. Alex questions good versus evil; Turner insists he saw the devil at Black Elm. Their pact sets the team for the imminent descent.