Chapter Summaries

Lorne tested how his Winner abilities manipulated luck and warned Kaspars that disaster might be coming. After meeting Maric, he learned of a dangerous tomb linked to the Tudor Dynasty and the Amon family, then discovered Maric suspected Sharron had developed feelings for him.

• Lorne tested his luck-manipulation abilities by winning several card games against Kaspars and warned Kaspars to leave Backlund because his fortune looked ominous.
• Lorne encountered Maric, who said the Indulgence Faction's demigod might be nearby and that he and Sharron might abandon their base.
• Maric told Lorne that a team exploring an ancient tomb near the Stratford River had disappeared, and that the tomb belonged to an Amon of the Tudor Dynasty.
• Maric asked Lorne what had happened between him and Sharron, explaining that she seemed to be sulking after overhearing him speak with his female friends.
• Lorne denied doing anything to upset Sharron and hurried away, while Maric wondered whether Sharron had feelings for him.

Charles received Diamond K’s approval and instructions to prepare a broad campaign against the Hall Family, while postponing action until the Society was ready. He planned to advance his potion and accepted an invitation to a Charity Foundation gala, which he considered a potential investment.

• Charles read Diamond K’s letter praising his work and promising promotion and potion advancement after he completed his current assignments.
• Diamond K instructed Charles to build an alliance against the Hall Family and exploit its overseas assets to fuel accusations of collusion with enemy nations.
• Charles resolved to prepare carefully, beginning with drinking his potion and advancing.
• A clerical worker delivered an invitation to a Charity Foundation gala from the Police Station, and Charles decided to attend and consider investing.

Lorne bought formal clothes for the Charity Gala and practiced dancing with Xio before Sharron delivered a document to help him smuggle arms to the Captain. Sharron withdrew after refusing to give him dance lessons, leaving Lorne to wonder whether she had watched his lesson with Xio.

• Lorne bought a formal outfit at a clothing shop, and the owner recognized him as the East Borough Hero and gave him additional clothes for free.
• Xio taught Lorne to dance and explained the subtle conversation expected at social gatherings.
• Lorne told Xio he planned to buy a house in Backlund after his busy period ended.
• Sharron gave Lorne a document that would help him bypass customs inspections for his arms-smuggling plan with the Captain.
• Sharron confirmed that Kaspars had left Backlund after Lorne warned him about his bad luck and the Indulgence Faction.
• Lorne asked Sharron to teach him to dance, but she refused and disappeared, prompting him to wonder whether she had watched him and Xio practicing.

Councilman Macht and Liana discussed James Scott’s offer for Hazel to manage the Charity Foundation and what it could mean for their daughter and family. Macht grew to approve of James as a potential son-in-law and proposed arranging an engagement after Hazel began working with the foundation.

• Liana asked Councilman Macht what was troubling him, and he explained that James Scott had offered Hazel a role in managing the Charity Foundation instead of helping with his campaign.
• Councilman Macht worried that Hazel was too young and might owe James a damaging favor, while Liana argued that managing the foundation could be good for her.
• Macht told Liana that James had acquired several factories and planned to invest heavily in the foundation, revealing greater resources than they had expected.
• Liana suggested that James had given Hazel the foundation to earn the Macht family’s approval, and Macht reconsidered James’s wealth, fame, courage, and potential.
• Councilman Macht proposed waiting until Hazel began managing the foundation before arranging her engagement to James, calling it a surprise for her.

Exhausted by managing the newly acquired factories, Lorne woke from a strange dream of a giant snake and a little boy and feared that Will Auceptin might be in danger. Sharron brought him a ruby for Audrey Hall’s gift, then hinted at an unexpected suggestion for the upcoming Charity Gala before disappearing.

• Lorne woke in his office from a dream of a giant snake trying to eat a little boy and wondered whether someone was hunting Will Auceptin.
• Fors became frustrated after Xio persuaded her to turn down Scott’s invitation to the Charity Gala, warning that Lorne might see her in the papers and become jealous.
• Sharron brought Lorne a ruby, and he explained that he planned to make Audrey Hall an elaborate gift to thank her for helping his friends.
• Sharron asked why Lorne was giving Audrey a gift, then questioned his plans for attending the gala without a companion.
• Sharron hinted that she had a suggestion for Lorne, but vanished before explaining it, leaving him with a strange premonition.

Lorne made a glowing protective bracelet as a return gift for Hazel, while Leonard and Klein were assigned to attend a charity gala and observe or approach James Scott. The chapter left Klein agreeing to accompany Charles after receiving a 150-pound fieldwork allowance.

• Lorne crafted a ruby bracelet infused with Sun-pathway spirituality and judged that its holy light could exorcise and purify while providing protection.
• Soest told Leonard to observe James Scott at the charity gala and consider whether he could be recruited or developed as an informant.
• Soest chose Leonard for the assignment because he was suited to a gala, despite Leonard's curiosity about the choice.
• Charles asked Klein to attend the gala as his assistant and introduce the Guild to James Scott, explaining that the Guild planned to invest in the charitable fund.
• Klein worried that someone might recognize him as Rustig, but accepted the assignment after Charles offered him a 150-pound allowance.

Lorne discussed hiring Lawyer Jurgen as his legal adviser and learned of a villa for sale in Backlund. At the charity gala, he spotted a carriage bearing the Loen Royal Family’s coat of arms, and his unease grew.

• Lorne invited Lawyer Jurgen to become his personal legal adviser, but Jurgen said he needed time to consider because of his workload.
• Lorne asked Jurgen about houses for sale, and Jurgen told him about a garden villa on Williams Street that its owner was selling at a reduced price.
• Lorne asked Jurgen to introduce him to the villa’s owner so he could arrange a viewing.
• Lorne dressed for the charity gala and traveled by carriage to the Backlund Police Station.
• Lorne saw the Loen Royal Family’s coat of arms on an ornate carriage and felt his premonition intensify.

At a police charity gala, Lorne reassured Hazel after she felt overshadowed by Audrey Hall, then noticed Prince Edessak’s presence and sensed that something was seriously wrong with his luck. The chapter left Lorne wary of the prince as he headed toward Sherlock Moriarty.

• Hazel attended the gala and worried about her missing teacher, while wondering about James Scott’s intentions toward her.
• Audrey Hall arrived and drew the guests’ attention, leaving Hazel feeling inferior until Lorne teased and reassured her.
• Lorne told Hazel that Audrey was probably a Beyonder whose Sequence was higher than Hazel’s, and Hazel asked him for help advancing.
• Lorne left Hazel to approach Sherlock Moriarty, then noticed Prince Edessak arriving with Duke Seville.
• Lorne felt an icy chill when he met Prince Edessak’s gaze and sensed that the prince had run into serious trouble.

At a charity gala, Lorne met Bishop Elektra, spoke with nobles and royals, and was appointed to manage a foundation funded by Capim’s assets. After delivering a speech and donating ten thousand pounds, he spotted a familiar policeman from Tingen scrutinizing him.

• Audrey noticed Lorne at the gala, and he caught her watching him before turning his attention to the guests.
• Bishop Elektra spoke with Lorne about his faith and introduced him to nobles, while Lorne pledged an additional twelve thousand pounds to the charity fund.
• A police commissioner announced Capim’s crimes and appointed Lorne to manage the foundation, then invited him to speak.
• Lorne explained that he had acted to find a missing worker’s child and pledged ten thousand pounds to help the rescued girls.
• The royal family and other guests donated to the foundation, and Lorne recognized a black-haired policeman from Tingen watching him with suspicion.

At the charity gala, Klein and Leonard separately noticed Lorne, while Lorne accepted a dance invitation from someone he recognized as Teacher Sharron. The chapter ended with Sharron revealing she had been at the gala since Lorne comforted Hazel.

• Leonard approached Lorne after Pallez sensed a familiar aura, while Klein recognized Leonard and tried to avoid him.
• Klein brought Lorne to a quiet corner to discuss Director Charles's proposed investment, and Lorne agreed to discuss it after the gala.
• As the dancing began, Audrey watched Lorne and prepared for him to invite her, while Hazel grew upset when she saw him approach Audrey.
• Hazel suddenly cut in before Lorne and offered him her hand, so he danced with her instead.
• Lorne noticed his partner matched his movements too precisely, realized she was not Hazel, and identified her as Teacher Sharron.

Lorne discovered that Sharron had possessed Hazel and brought her to the ball, then warned her that the Royal Family’s unexpected presence made the situation dangerous. After dancing with Sharron, he gave her a sapphire as a precaution, and Hazel returned to herself with only a vague memory of the dance.

• Lorne questioned Sharron, speaking through Hazel, about how she had entered the ball unnoticed.
• Sharron explained that she had investigated beforehand and that the Royal Family’s attendance had been unexpected; Lorne urged her to leave after their dance.
• Sharron said she would take Lorne hostage if discovered, and the two continued dancing while discussing Hazel’s memories and their escape.
• Lorne slipped Sharron a sapphire with the activation word “door” and reassured her that he would be safe.
• After the music ended, Sharron disappeared into the crowd, and Hazel awoke with only a vague impression of dancing with James Scott.

At a charity reception, Lorne spoke with Viscount Dela and Prince Edessak about the Capim case and his shotgun. A calamity premonition revealed that a chandelier was about to fall on them, but Ince Zangwill forced the Quill to rewrite the prediction and prevent the accident.

• Lorne was crowded by nobles eager to hear about his rescue, while Hazel was left waiting outside the group.
• Viscount Dela and Prince Edessak approached Lorne and asked about the Capim case and the detective who had helped investigate it.
• Lorne offered Edessak the shotgun he had used and discussed a possible investment in his factory with Dela.
• Lorne's Calamity Premonition showed a chandelier falling on him, Dela, and Edessak during their conversation.
• Ince Zangwill crossed out the Quill's prediction and wrote that the reception had passed all safety inspections and no accident would occur.

At the party, Lorne and Charles grew wary of Leonard’s presence and decided to leave the investment on hold, while Lorne deflected Hazel’s romantic interest. On the way home, Lorne encountered a stranded black-haired woman whose face seemed familiar.

• Klein warned Charles that Leonard was at the party, so Charles decided to leave early and postpone the investment.
• Lorne noticed a golden-haired dog watching him from the banquet hall entrance and recognized it from their earlier meeting.
• Hazel asked Lorne whether they had danced, and he explained that she had invited him before warning her not to develop feelings for him.
• Lorne left the party without speaking to Audrey Hall and reflected on his strange Calamity Premonition during the carriage ride home.
• The coachman stopped for a woman blocking the road, and Lorne recognized the black-haired stranger as a familiar face.

Lorne recognized a stranded woman as someone he had met before, but when he escorted her toward a police station instead of the docks, she fled into a dark alley. He returned home after warning his coachman of a possible trap, then found a strand of the woman’s black hair in the carriage.

• Lorne offered the woman a ride after she asked to go to the docks, and he noticed her tremble when he mentioned the Royal Family.
• Lorne stopped the carriage and insisted on taking her to a nearby police station, despite her protests.
• The woman clung to Lorne and claimed she had escaped from home, then broke free and ran into a dark alley.
• Lorne told his coachman he suspected the woman had been bait in a possible setup and said he had reported the incident to the police.
• Lorne used Spirit Vision to inspect the carriage and found a single strand of long black hair on the seat where the woman had sat.

Lorne reunited with Sharron, who gave him a midnight lesson and asked about the Captain, while Ilyin sensed another of her kind nearby. Two days later, Lorne bought an old residence on Williams Street and suspected it might hold unusual surprises.

• Sharron returned safely and began teaching Lorne from the Book of Secrets, then asked him who the Captain was.
• Ilyin returned to Minsk Street with her mission earnings and hoped to earn a charm that could free her from her curse.
• Ilyin sensed someone nearby who was one of her kind and feared her peaceful life was about to end.
• Lorne met Miller Carter through Lawyer Jurgen and negotiated to buy the former viscount's house on Williams Street for two thousand pounds.
• Lorne signed the transfer contract and stood outside his new property, sensing it might contain unusual surprises.

Edwina and Danitz met a freighter off Dilinus Island to receive Brando’s arms shipment, which Danitz planned to sell to the Rorsted Archipelago Resistance Army. After the weapons were unloaded, Edwina prepared to take them aboard the Golden Dream, while a closing hint suggested the Ripper shotgun’s prototype had attracted another observer.

• Danitz told Edwina he had arranged for Blood Axe Lack of the Rorsted Archipelago Resistance Army to buy the arms shipment.
• Edwina considered the risks of the deal and her debt of gratitude to Brando for offering her the Cataclysmic Interrer potion formula.
• Edwina asked Danitz why he was short of money, but a ship’s whistle let him avoid answering.
• Edwina inspected the incoming cargo and explained that it mainly consisted of ammunition and firearm components.
• Danitz found Brando’s Ripper shotguns among the crates and decided he wanted to keep one.
• Edwina ordered the crew to load the arms aboard, while the narration revealed that someone with the prototype had also seen the weapon in use.

Lorne enlisted Maric to help with his villa and bought a Marauder Beyonder characteristic after learning about Maric’s expedition to the Amon Family mausoleum. When Lorne tested it against his damaged Monocle, the characteristic vanished and some of the cracks in the lens disappeared, suggesting it could repair itself with characteristics from its pathway.

• Lorne decided he needed help managing his villa renovations and asked Maric to have zombies supervise the work.
• Maric told Lorne that the Indulgence Faction had come to Backlund but failed to find them, and that he had explored the outer area of the Amon Family mausoleum.
• Maric sold Lorne a Marauder characteristic for 250 pounds and agreed to help with the villa’s renovations, security, and moving.
• Lorne asked Maric if he wanted to become his housekeeper, but Maric declined.
• Lorne placed the damaged Monocle beside the Marauder characteristic, and the Monocle absorbed it, leaving fewer cracks in the lens.

Lorne considered whether Marauder characteristics could explain the Monocle’s self-repair and grew suspicious of Hazel’s missing teacher. Sherlock Moriarty asked Lorne to join him at Green Cemetery to investigate Will Auceptin’s dreams and whereabouts.

• Lorne tested the Monocle’s appraisal function and considered exploring the Amon Family Mausoleum with Sharron.
• Lorne suspected Hazel’s teacher might have intended her to consume lower-sequence Marauders.
• Sherlock Moriarty told Lorne that Doctor Aaron had dreamed of Will Auceptin beneath a strange tree near Green Cemetery.
• Lorne agreed to accompany Sherlock to Green Cemetery that afternoon to investigate Will.
• Klein asked whether Lorne had designed his gun, and Lorne said he had bought its patent.

Lorne, Klein, and Doctor Aaron found the tree from Aaron’s dreams and dug up Will Auceptin’s decomposed corpse beneath it. Lorne discovered that Will’s Beyonder Characteristic was missing, leaving him unsure whether the snake in the dream had killed Will or someone had taken it.

• Lorne met Doctor Aaron, who said his dreams of Will had returned despite seeking help from an Evernight church.
• Lorne and Klein accompanied Aaron to Green Cemetery and found the birch tree from his dream, where Lorne sensed something unusual in the ground.
• Lorne gave Aaron a shotgun for protection, and he and Klein began digging beneath the tree.
• The group uncovered a child’s decomposed corpse with part of its left leg missing, and Aaron identified it as Will Auceptin.
• Lorne searched the corpse and surrounding soil for Will’s Beyonder Characteristic but found nothing.

After Will Auceptin’s corpse is found, Lorne and Klein report it to the police, while Fors receives a commission at Mrs. Anlisa’s grave. Lorne remains convinced that Will may still be alive, and writes a message on Will’s paper crane.

• Lorne, Klein, and Doctor Aaron discover Will Auceptin’s corpse, pray for protection, and decide to call the police.
• Lorne uses Spirit Vision and confirms the corpse has been dead for a long time, though he suspects Will’s influence and feels something is wrong.
• At the police station, officials clear Lorne, Klein, and Doctor Aaron after Beyonders from the official forces intervene.
• Fors meets Lawrence, Mrs. Anlisa’s brother-in-law, at her grave and receives a commission that may change her life.
• Lorne’s pendulum confirms Will is dead, but his wooden box gives no answer when he asks how to find Will.
• Lorne resists destroying Will’s paper crane and writes on it, “I’ll come find you.”