It's the fifth day of the readalong, my friends! We're about 2/3 of the way through Witches Steeped in Gold and things are really heating up!
Today we're reading chapters 31-38! As always, avoid my little chapter summaries until you're caught up. Not today, spoilers! When you're done come to the end to discuss this section in the comments!
Chapter 31:
Jazmyne: It’s the end of Jazmyne’s tour, and parting ways with Roje she is picked up by Kirdan, who, unexpectedly, has Ira contained in a carriage.
On the journey to the next town where Kirdan has borrowed rooms they come to a blocked crossroads that seems to not have occurred naturally. Kirdan goes in search of bandits, leaving Jazmyne and Ira to fight off a Rolling Calf. Using the Glyph of Connection, they use Ira’s magic, but something odd also happens with Jazmyne’s necklace. Hmmmm….
Kirdan returns and gets to work clearing the crossroads.
Chapter 32:
Ira: In their rooms Ira awakes to find Jazmyne and Kirdan. Kirdan reveals that Jazmyne’s locket is indeed one of the jéges and that he wasn’t sent to Aiyca as an emissary, but to find the lost mythical objects. Jazmyne is, naturally, not too pleased by this. To make matters worse, he was also the one that set the Rolling Calf after them to prove what the locket was.
The doyenne has been using the Yielding as offerings to work the jéges and she also has two of the artifacts - the Conduit Falls and the Adair First Family Grimoire. The three make a pact that Ira will help them kill the doyenne, and then leave Aiyca, not claiming her throne. They plan to kill Magmire on All Souls' Night and the doyenne during The Sole.
Chapter 33:
Jazmyne: Back in her study Jazmyne tasks Kirdan with befriending - or more - Ira to keep her a bit in the dark about their plans to find the jéges. Jazmyne goes to Anya’s house to get her on board as someone she trusts outside of the Shook Bargain.
Chapter 34:
Ira: Back in her bohío Ira is confronted by Delyse as Ira has been avoiding her. Delyse urges her to give an answer about the Jade Guild’s plan. Kirdan appears to tell her where to meet him on All Souls’ Night.
Chapter 35:
Jazmyne: As Kirdan joins her for a walk around the stupa ahead of the All Souls’ Night preparation, Jazmyne tells Kirdan she forgives him.
On All Souls’ Night Jazmyne, Ira and Kirdan all meet up before going about their respective tasks. Jazmyne’s job is to lure the presider’s away from the party, but she has also tasked Anya with ending their lives, something she neglects to tell Ira and Kirdan.
Chapter 36:
Ira: Ira meets Kirdan in the doyenne’s study and using her Adair blood reveals a passageway descending deep into the castle.
Chapter 37:
Jazmyne: At the festivities, Jazmyne lures an intoxicated Magmire to a room where Anya and Filmore await. They execute her messily, but not before being seen by Presider Caldwell. Anya flees in pursuit.
Ira: Kirdan and Ira finally make it to her mother’s cache of riches. They start to make a copy of the map. Ira, not wanting to get comfortable with Kiran, snaps at him and makes him keep his distance.
We leave off right in the middle of All Souls' Night! What else is going to go down this evening?
Questions:
1. Do you think Presider Caldwell will successfully report what she saw to the doyenne?
2. Where do you think the Jade Guild is while this is happening?
3. Why do you think there dust disappeared when going down to Ira’s mother’s cache? Do you think there is someone else who has access?
4. Where do you think the mirror is?
