The Book Eaters

Devon finishes telling Killock her story. She explains that she and Cai ran away and that she once had to feed him a human baby to keep him alive. She discusses Ramsey, leaving out that she’s setting a trap. Devon hypothesizes that the family fell apart because they argued about the future of mind eaters in the community. Killock confesses that he ate his own father’s mind and that he sees the act of feeding off another person as a form of religious communion. He explains that Devon and Cai will have to remain with him as part of his family. A bell goes off, announcing a ritual service.

The group goes into a chapel, where more Ravenscar siblings wait. Killock begins a religious speech in the voice of his father. He goes to a table and removes the tablecloth, revealing a cage with a human trapped inside, and feeds on the man. Afterward, Hester invites Devon out, and Mani offers to watch over Cai. Outside, Hester explains that she and her siblings made a pact to remove their mind-eater tongues and live off Redemption. Hester followed through, but Killock resisted and returned to feeding off humans.