Chapter 16: Hanging in the Balance
Luce stands at a crossroads, torn between notes from Cam and Daniel. Haunted by her intense kiss with Daniel the night before, she recalls his subsequent fear and cryptic warnings that "something changed" and "it will come." Determined to end things with Cam, Luce heads to the cemetery first.
Cam appears distraught, apologizing for his behavior. When Luce attempts to let him down gently, he correctly guesses her feelings for Daniel, warning her against rushing into things. Luce admits to kissing Daniel, calling it the best kiss ever. Enraged, Cam demands a "dying wish" kiss. As they kiss, an unseen force throws them to the ground, interrupting the moment. Daniel and Gabbe arrive, and to Luce's shock, Gabbe easily overpowers Cam. Daniel, hurt and angry, pulls Luce away and reveals the truth: he is immortal, and they are cursed to fall in love every seventeen years, with Luce dying each time she remembers their past. Overwhelmed by this impossible story, Luce flees, but not before asking him to tell her the "good news" he mentioned.
Chapter 17: An Open Book
Back in her dorm, Luce struggles to process Daniel's revelation. She finds a book left by Penn, The Watchers: Myth in Medieval Europe, containing a sepia-toned photograph from 1854. The photo depicts a young man identical to Daniel standing next to a young woman who is unmistakably Luce. This tangible proof shatters her disbelief, confirming Daniel's story. The theme of Secrets and Deception begins to unravel as Luce realizes the depth of the mystery surrounding her.
Luce rushes to the library, hoping to find Penn, but instead encounters Arriane and Roland, who tease her about her love life. She then runs into Miss Sophia, who seems to know about the book and its significance. When Luce mentions kissing Daniel, Miss Sophia is shocked, stating that such a thing is "usually impossible." Flipping through the book, Luce discovers sketches in the margins—a shoulder, a knee, a hand holding a peony—that she instinctively knows are her own, drawn by Daniel. Miss Sophia coldly tells her that they are both "damned." She reveals that because Luce's parents are agnostic and she was never baptized, her soul was "left up for grabs" in this lifetime, breaking the cycle of reincarnation. Overwhelmed but now certain of her love for Daniel, Luce resolves to find him. Miss Sophia insists on accompanying her, and they find a terrified Penn at the cemetery gates, who describes seeing strange lights.
Chapter 18: The Buried War
Luce runs into the cemetery, leaving Penn and Miss Sophia behind, drawn toward a chaotic storm of light. She now fully believes Daniel's story and accepts that Daniel is an angel. She finds him atop a mausoleum, watching a swarm of shadow-locusts. He is horrified she has returned. Luce confesses that she knows he is an angel, explaining how it makes sense of her dreams, his grace, and their profound connection. Daniel is stunned, revealing that she has never figured this out in any previous life.
Their reunion is interrupted by Cam, who reveals he is also a fallen angel and has broken their truce. He summons a terrifying army of shadow-demons, initiating a battle over Luce. The theme of Good vs. Evil manifests as a literal war. Arriane and Gabbe appear, confirming they too are angels, and summon a luminous angelic host to counter Cam's forces. They explain the stakes: if Cam's side wins, it will mean Hell on Earth. They also confirm that Luce's unbaptized status is a game-changer; if she dies now, it is permanent. Daniel insists that Luce must flee for her own safety and tells her to go with Miss Sophia, whom he believes to be an ally. As Luce and Penn run from the escalating battle, a stray shadow bolt strikes Penn, leaving a severe, charred wound. Miss Sophia carries the injured Penn as they escape to the school gymnasium. Once inside the foyer, Miss Sophia reveals her true nature, stating that Penn is "slowing us down," she pulls out a dagger and murders Penn by slitting her throat, leaving Luce in horrified shock.
Chapter 19: Out of Sight
Holding Luce at knifepoint, Miss Sophia forces her up a hidden staircase into a secret chapel. There, she reveals her true identity and motives. She is one of the 24 Elders, a member of a secret sect called the Zhsmaelim, who are tired of the celestial stalemate. Her plan is to permanently kill Luce, exploiting the loophole of her unbaptized soul. She believes Luce's final death will force Daniel to finally choose a side in the war between Heaven and Hell, thus tipping the balance and ending the eternal conflict.
Miss Sophia ties Luce to a stone altar, preparing to sacrifice her. She mocks Luce's love for Daniel, calling her a "stupid, selfish, ignorant, spoiled little girl." Just as she raises the dagger to strike Luce's heart, the stained-glass window in the ceiling shatters. A cascade of silver light fills the chapel as angels descend to save her. The light coalesces into Daniel, who unfurls his magnificent, iridescent wings for the first time in front of a conscious Luce. He is followed by Arriane and Gabbe, who also reveal their wings. The angels explain that Miss Sophia's sect is a dangerous third party in the conflict. They also reveal that Roland and Molly are fallen angels aligned with Cam. The battle in the cemetery ended in a typical stalemate. Realizing Luce is now a primary target for many factions, they decide she must be taken to a safe location by a mortal they can trust.
Chapter 20: Daybreak
At dawn, Daniel and Luce walk across the campus, which is now swarming with confused students and police investigating the "incident" in the cemetery. The graveyard is filled with a strange, thick dust—the physical remnant of the angelic battle. They find the grave of Penn's father, and Daniel promises to bury Penn beside him. Overcome with grief, Luce struggles with leaving her friend behind, but Daniel reassures her that Penn will always be with her in her heart.
Daniel flies Luce across the lake, where a small plane waits. Their history teacher, Mr. Cole, is revealed to be their mortal ally and the pilot. Arriane and Gabbe arrive to say a final goodbye, giving Luce the Watchers book for her journey. In their final moments alone, Daniel gives Luce a silver locket containing a tiny photo of them from a past life. He explains that it used to be hers and warns her to trust her instincts, as her past lives' memories are still within her, even if she can't access them yet. After a final, passionate kiss, Luce boards the plane with Mr. Cole. As they take off, she sees a final flash of violet light from the forest where Daniel remains. Clutching the locket, she flies away from Sword & Cross toward an unknown safe haven, accepting the start of a long and difficult journey. The epilogue reveals Daniel secretly watching over Luce as she sleeps in a remote cabin. He is soon joined by Cam, who has arrived for a clandestine meeting, suggesting their conflict is far more complex than it appears.
Key Events
- Daniel's Revelation: Daniel reveals to Luce that they are caught in a cycle of reincarnation, falling in love every 17 years, with her memory of their past lives causing her death.
- The Photograph: Luce discovers a 19th-century photograph of herself and Daniel, confirming his story.
- The Battle of the Angels: A literal battle between angels and demons erupts in the cemetery, with Cam leading the demons and Daniel, Gabbe, and Arriane leading the angels.
- Penn's Murder: Miss Sophia reveals herself as an enemy and brutally murders Penn in the gym foyer.
- Miss Sophia's Betrayal: Miss Sophia is exposed as a member of the Zhsmaelim, a secret sect trying to force an end to the celestial war by killing Luce permanently.
- The Great Reveal: Daniel, Gabbe, and Arriane reveal their angelic forms and wings to Luce. It is also revealed that Cam, Molly, and Roland are fallen angels.
- Luce's Escape: Luce is flown away from Sword & Cross by her history teacher, Mr. Cole, to a secret safe location to protect her from those who now want her dead.
Character Development
Luce transforms from a confused teenager into a young woman accepting an extraordinary reality. Her journey validates her feelings of déjà vu and the mysterious shadows, revealing them as echoes of her past lives. The photograph solidifies her trust in Daniel, and witnessing the angelic battle cements her place in this ancient conflict. Penn's death forces a brutal end to her innocence, pushing her from a passive victim into someone who understands the life-or-death stakes of her existence.
After pushing Luce away, Daniel embraces his role as her eternal love and protector. The dam of his secrets breaks, and he reveals the painful truth of their shared curse. His decision to tell her everything shifts from avoidance to direct confrontation with their fate. Unfurling his wings symbolizes his complete vulnerability and trust, fully revealing his true self for the first time.
Miss Sophia undergoes a dramatic reversal, shifting from a kind librarian to a cold-blooded zealot. Her betrayal reveals that the conflict is not a simple binary of Good vs. Evil but a complex war with multiple factions. Her actions demonstrate the danger of extremism and the deceptive nature of appearances.
Cam's charming facade crumbles, revealing his true nature as a powerful fallen angel. His actions are driven by a possessive obsession with Luce and a deep-seated rivalry with Daniel. While positioned as the primary antagonist, his final appearance in the epilogue suggests his motivations and allegiances may be more complicated than they seem.
Themes & Symbols
This theme reaches its peak as Daniel explains the celestial curse binding him and Luce. Their love is fated to repeat through centuries, yet forbidden from ever truly flourishing because it results in Luce's death. The fact that their kiss doesn't kill her this time introduces hope, suggesting that fate is not immutable and their love might finally have a chance to break the cycle.
The abstract conflict between good and evil becomes a literal war in the cemetery. However, the novel complicates this binary. Miss Sophia, believing she acts for a greater good, commits a purely evil act. The angels on Daniel's side are not perfect, and the "demons" like Cam retain traces of charm. The "dust" left after the battle symbolizes the moral grayness and destructive ambiguity of their eternal war, where victories are unclear and loss is certain.
Luce's existence is defined by this theme. The photograph from 1854 serves as proof of a past she cannot remember. The revelation that she was not baptized introduces a crucial twist: for the first time, she has a degree of free will. Her soul is "up for grabs," meaning her choices in this life have permanent consequences, breaking the pattern of fate that has governed her for millennia.
The Watchers Book & The Locket
The book and the locket are key symbols of Luce's forgotten past. The book contains not just historical information but personal history—the photograph and Daniel's sketches. It is the key that unlocks the truth for Luce. Similarly, the locket Daniel gives her is a tangible piece of a past life, a promise of a history she can reclaim and a future he is determined to share with her.
Key Quotes
"It's happening again, isn't it? The kiss. It's killing you."
Daniel's words highlight the tragic cycle of their love. The kiss, meant to be a symbol of affection, becomes a harbinger of death, emphasizing the cruel nature of their curse and the constant threat hanging over their relationship.
"Because you weren't baptized. Your soul was… left up for grabs."
Miss Sophia's revelation about Luce's unbaptized status is a game-changer. This loophole in the celestial rules offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that Luce might have a chance to break free from the cycle of death and reincarnation. It also introduces a new level of danger, as various factions now see her as a key to winning the eternal war.
Significance
These chapters serve as the novel's climax and resolution, revealing the central mysteries. The suspense explodes into a full-blown supernatural war, fundamentally changing the story's stakes. Penn's murder is a pivotal moment, ending any semblance of normalcy for Luce. The revelations about the angelic factions, the nature of the truce, and Luce's unique mortality status set up the central conflicts for the rest of the series. Luce's escape from Sword & Cross signifies her departure from her old life and her full entry into the hidden world of angels and demons, establishing the new status quo for the sequel.