Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

Christian, Silas’s younger brother, accosts Silas in his study to ask why he is selling the estate. Silas has purchased Gorse End in Liverpool, an enchanted house, and he secretly plans to drain its magic for his own use. Christian uses his kinetic powers, and Silas flashes back to being attacked by his father. Christian demands to know what happened to their mother, and Silas responds with a blow that knocks his brother unconscious.

Silas performs the work to steal his brother’s spells and shrinks his body to the size of a peanut. He hides the body in the wine cellar, along with that of their mother. Silas is sick to realize that he’s a murderer but justifies his response as self-defense.

Fletcher Portendorfer arrives at sunset, responding to Merritt’s letter. Fletcher helps extract Merritt from the pit in the kitchen, and Hulda wards the house, thinking, “Whimbrel House wasn’t a terrible house, just an immature one” (71). She reflects on her earlier position at Gorse End and again has a vision of a wolf. Over breakfast, she reminds Merritt that he will need to hire staff. Fletcher is Merritt’s closest friend and tells Hulda how Merritt got himself hired at a steel factory so that he could write an exposé of their illegal business practices.