Chapter XI: Silver Heels
Contains spoilersOverview
After leaving the Library buoyed by the falling star, Gabriel de León witnesses Aaron de Coste sneaking from the Armoury and hides in the Cathedral, where he overhears Sister Aoife weeping and praying for guidance. During his dawn stable duty, Gabriel is attacked by Vivienne La Cour, who has somehow escaped the Foundry, and two wretched. With only his aegis, a shovel, and his horse Justice, Gabriel kills the wretched and burns Vivienne to ash, then single-handedly quells the ensuing stable fire. Injured but alive, he suspects Aaron aided Vivienne’s escape.
Summary
Leaving the Library with renewed hope after witnessing a falling star with Astrid Rennier and Chloe Sauvage, Gabriel returned toward Barracks and spotted Aaron de Coste sneaking out of the Armoury in violation of curfew. To avoid being seen himself, Gabriel hid in the Cathedral, where he overheard Sister Aoife, aide to Seraph Talon, weeping and praying to the Mothermaid to reveal whether a “gift” was a curse or blessing.
At the sky platform, Keeper Logan shared a wry exchange with Gabriel about the portent, quoting scripture together. Gabriel then began his stable duty, greeting his horse Justice and working under the unsettling presence of two chained wretched kept to harden the horses.
Vivienne La Cour, previously captured and drained in the Foundry, ambushed Gabriel in a frenzy and bit his shoulder. Justice shattered his pen to save Gabriel, allowing Gabriel to rally and ignite his aegis, which burned Vivienne. When Gabriel demanded to know how she escaped, Vivienne insinuated betrayal within the Order.
Vivienne broke the chain anchoring the suspended wretched, turning the fight into a three-on-one assault. Gabriel smashed one wretched’s skull with the broken shovel haft and killed the other by stomping it to pulp with his silvered heels, while Justice repeatedly struck to protect him. Vivienne attacked again, tearing Gabriel’s scalp as he wrenched free; Gabriel hurled a lantern into her, setting her ablaze.
Vivienne fled the stables as a living torch and collapsed in the snow, burning to ash with a final sorrowful cry. The fire spread through the stables; despite severe wounds to his shoulder, throat, and head, Gabriel repeatedly doused the flames with barrows of snow until Kaspar and Kaveh arrived, finding the blaze defeated and all three vampires destroyed.
As Kaspar tended him and praised the miracle, Gabriel fixated on Vivienne’s taunt that his “holy kin” did not love him as they should. Remembering Aaron’s secret visit to the Armoury, Gabriel suspected Aaron had freed Vivienne and quietly repeated, “Tried to kill me,” framing the attack as an attempted murder enabled from within San Michon.
Who Appears
- Gabriel de León
narrator and initiate; hides after curfew, battles Vivienne La Cour and two wretched, saves the stables, and suspects internal betrayal.
- Astrid Rennier
initiate and secret research partner; recalled from earlier that night; associated with the falling star omen.
- Chloe Sauvage
sisternovice; her fervent belief in the falling star’s portent lingers in Gabriel’s thoughts.
- Aaron de Coste
fellow initiate; seen sneaking from the Armoury after curfew; implicitly suspected of aiding Vivienne’s escape.
- Sister Aoife
Seraph Talon’s aide; found weeping and praying in the Cathedral about a mysterious “gift,” revealing inner turmoil.
- Keeper Logan
library keeper; shares scripture and banter with Gabriel at the sky platform.
- Vivienne La Cour
highblood vampire; escapes the Foundry, attacks Gabriel, unleashes two wretched, and is killed by fire.
- Justice
Gabriel’s horse; breaks free and repeatedly saves Gabriel by kicking attackers.
- Kaspar
Sūdhaemi stablehand; finds the aftermath, aids Gabriel.
- Kaveh
Sūdhaemi stablehand; witnesses the scene and rounds up the horses.
- Two wretched
chained vampires in the stables; freed during the fight; both are destroyed by Gabriel.
- Seraph Talon
head of discipline; not present but contextually linked through Sister Aoife’s role as aide.