These Hollow Vows

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, graphic violence, and substance use.

Sebastian shakes Brie awake, urging her to breathe. He heard the Banshee and promises that he “won’t let death be the end” (364). He explains that they need to be bonded in order to give her the Potion of Life, which will turn her into fae. She asks him to describe the bonding ceremony, which he depicts as “elegant” and “pure,” though he gives few specifics. An audience is optional, though he recalls his own parents’ bonding ceremony, which happened when he was a child. Some physical connection is required; this need not be sexual or romantic, though it commonly is. Brie is surprised to discover that she longs to feel this connection one day.

Sebastian falls asleep again, but Brie is kept awake by memories of the Banshee. She slips out of bed and asks the mirror to show her Jas. The mirror first shows Jas on a stone floor and then shows her sleeping in a comfortable bed. Brie is uncertain of which image to trust. She uses her shadows to approach the Grimoricon. When she touches the book, however, it turns into a giant serpent and attacks her.