Serpent & Dove

Lou and Coco live in the attic of a theater named Soleil et Lune (Sun and Moon). They raid the actors’ costumes for disguises and then make their way to Tremblay’s mansion near Brindelle Park. The wooded park used to be a sacred grove for witches, and the trees—which the Church unsuccessfully tried to burn down—still give off the sweet, herbal scent that magic carries in Serpent & Dove. Having performed a ritual of blood magic, Coco tells Lou that something awaits her at the mansion; however, she can’t specify what the danger will be. Bas flippantly wishes he had magic, regretting that it seems to be a talent exclusive to women. Coco points out that being persecuted as a witch isn’t particularly fun.

When they get to the mansion, Coco sedates the dogs while Lou magically breaks the locks. Having not used her magic for two years, she’s rusty. Dame Blanche magic always demands a physical or mental payment, so she must break her fingers to open the locks. To render the guards unconscious, she trades intimate memories of her and Bas’s relationship. When Bas opens the safe, Lou spies Angelica’s Ring and rejoices, knowing that once she possesses it, Morgane will “never find [her]” (55).