A Discovery of Witches

The vampires and witches adjust to living with each other. Sarah futilely tries to teach Diana spellcasting, but Diana doesn’t have the patience for witchcraft. Sarah admits someone stronger needs to teach Diana about her magic. Matthew appoints Marcus his marshal, or chief military officer.

On an evening walk, Diana senses an “aura of dark intention” (494). Matthew phones for help, but it is too late. The vampire Juliette, whom Matthew knew in New Orleans, arrives to kidnap Diana. Juliette works for Gerbert, who had groomed her to be everything Matthew wanted. Juliette realizes that Diana’s vibrancy and feelings are what Matthew enjoys. Juliette attacks Matthew, slitting his throat. Diana suddenly holds a bow and arrow, but hesitates to kill Juliette, who then tears a hole in Matthew’s chest. Diana throws balls of fire at Juliette, who catches on fire and slowly burns to death, screaming Matthew’s name.

Matthew is dying. Diana holds him and urges him to fight. Matthew tells Diana that he loves her and has searched for her his entire life. Marcus, Miriam, Em, and Sarah cannot save Matthew. Diana refuses to let him go. Diana sees the young huntress and the old ghost from the house and asks for their help, consenting to any future demand. They agree, so Diana makes Matthew drink her blood, pulling power from a tree. Matthew bites Diana in the neck for her more vital blood. Diana tells Matthew she loves him, and that her blood is inside him, giving him life. Diana starts to die.

Marcus and Miriam save Diana’s life. Diana sleeps, but has dreams about being pursued by their enemies and about standing at a crossroad. Diana does not tell Matthew she made a promise to the goddess in exchange for his life. Matthew explains that Juliette is insane. Gerbert took her from a bordello, made her a vampire, and instructed her to assassinate Matthew after she got close to him and learned his family secrets. Matthew once loved Juliette for her fragility but thought she had died in WWI. Matthew tells Diana not to use her magic to save him from death, and not to ask anyone to make her a vampire.

Diana tearfully confides everything that happened to Ysabeau. Ysabeau is empathetic, alludes to a personal story about the goddess, and urges Diana to be careful. The aunts are distressed that Diana gave her blood to a “desperate, dying vampire” (513). Em reveals she saw the maiden and the crone beside Diana. Diana admits she has seen both before. Em cautions that they are powerful forces and worries that Diana has given up everything for Matthew. Em warns Diana that she cannot ignore the darker parts of Matthew. Matthew returns from hunting with a plan to buy himself and Diana time before fighting the Congregation: They will go timewalking.

Diana visits the spot where Juliette died and sees that oak tree she leaned against when saving Matthew is now dead. Diana worries about the promise she made to the goddess. Diana notices that Matthew isn’t being overprotective anymore because he has seen her bravery in battle and knows she can fight (517). They tell everyone about the timewalking plan. Back in time, Diana can learn from a more powerful witch. They need to carry three items from the time they plan to visit to help direct them there safely. Diana is anxious, but Sarah reassures Diana that she’s been timewalking her whole life. While they are gone, Miriam and Marcus will return to Oxford, and Sarah and Em will go to Sept-Tours.

Nathaniel Wilson, the son of Agatha Wilson (the daemon Diana met in Oxford), arrives with his pregnant wife, Sophie. Sophie is “sweet” (523) and ingenuous. She came from a family of witches but turned out “wrong” as a daemon (524). Her unborn baby is a witch, something that will cause problems with the “segregation rules” (527). Sophie has been dreaming about Diana and gives her a silver figurine of her namesake goddess. Matthew recognizes it as the white queen: a chess piece he had lost on a long-ago All Souls Night. The house gives Diana an ancient poppet, and she realizes that the ghost of the old woman is her ancestor, Bridget Bishop, and the doll was hers. The poppet contains an old gold earring with a pearl teardrop that belonged to Ysabeau. Sophie observes that they need one more daemon to be a conventicle or “gathering of dissenters” (532).

The witches prepare for the Halloween holiday. Marcus and Nathaniel chafe under Matthew’s commands. Matthew gives Diana immunizations against many now-rare diseases including typhoid, diphtheria, cholera, and smallpox. Em helps Diana practice timewalking. Diana focuses too strongly on the details, and Em tells Diana she needs to feel the magic. When Diana thinks of Matthew, she succeeds. Diana builds her timewalking skills and practices taking Matthew with her, which is more challenging.

Hamish arrives bringing items Matthew requested from Sept-Tours. Hamish is angry that Matthew sent him orders from the Knights of Lazarus, even though Hamish is the ninth knight and doesn’t have to “become involved” (544). Sophie charms Hamish—they are now a proper conventicle. Matthew explains everything that has happened to the entire group. Nathaniel disagrees with Matthew about how the war will be fought, and objects when the vampires want to study Sophie and her baby’s DNA. Sophie deescalates the argument, pointing to visions she’s had that the Congregation will come for them. She offers Matthew her DNA. Matthew, Marcus, Hamish, Nathaniel, and Sarah plan the war. Hamish quotes William Blake’s “The Tiger” and warns Diana she has a “tiger by the tail” (550). He tells her be careful of Matthew; that he will be a different person when he goes back in time. Diana doesn’t believe him.

As Matthew’s seneschal, Hamish will oversee legalities while Matthew and Diana timewalk. Diana signs a document giving him power of attorney and writes letters declining speaking at the alchemical conference and requesting leave from the college. Diana doesn’t have a will and believes she doesn’t have any assets until Matthew reveals a marriage agreement that gives her one-third of his extensive assets, including homes, money, planes, and cars. Diana doesn’t want to discuss what will happen if anyone dies, but Matthew insists. She divides her estate among Matthew’s children. Matthew steps down as the grand master of the Knights of Lazarus and puts Marcus in charge. Nathaniel also joins the Knights.

Hamish declares that the war has started and soon humans will become aware of it. When they do, there will be “casualties, hysteria, and confusion” and the conventicle and the Knights will have to help protect humans (555). Sarah and Em will try to manage the witches. The Knights will protect Sophie. They toast to Marcus, Nathaniel and Hamish. Sophie and Nathaniel depart, promising to make Diana godmother of the baby. Hamish leaves with a final warning to Diana. Matthew and Diana timewalk back to Sept-Tours where they relive the night Matthew danced with Ysabeau and Diana. Sarah and Em depart for the Halloween coven gathering. Sarah tells Diana to listen to her teachers and embrace her gift. Miriam and Marcus also say goodbye. Matthew and Diana are finally alone.

Matthew and Diana have a relaxing and normal day “playing house” (563), though Diana worries about timewalking. They still do not consummate their marriage: Matthew wants to wait until there is more time and they are safe. On Halloween night, Diana dresses as a stereotypical witch and manages to light the jack-o-lanterns with a spell. Together, they hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Matthew’s kindness to the children charms Diana.

Matthew opens the parcels that Hamish brought from Sept-Tours and informs Diana they will timewalk to his English home, Old Lodge, in the year 1590. He shows Diana a handwritten copy of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. Marlowe, or “Kit,” was a daemon and Matthew’s good friend. Back in time, Matthew and Diana will hunt for Ashmole 782, which will be complete and not yet enchanted. Ysabeau gives Diana a massive diamond and gold ring that Philippe had given her. The three bands are engraved with different poesies, or affectionate verses, which all uncannily pertain to Diana and Matthew’s love. As Matthew slips the ring on Diana’s finger, he murmurs traditional wedding vows and a prayer. They change into period clothing and ask the house to hold onto their other belongings. Matthew picks up Faustus, the chess piece, and the gold earring as the items that will guide them to 1590. He describes the scents and sounds of Old Lodge and Diana smells lavender and quince. Together they walk back in time.

Sarah and Em return to the Bishop home after their coven gathering. They know immediately that Diana and Matthew are gone. Sarah wonders if Matthew and Diana are alright, but all Em can answer is, “They’re together” (577). They get ready to go on a road trip with friends before going to Sept-Tours. Matthew did not tell Sarah where and when he and Diana were going. The house gives Sarah a book and a note from Matthew, which indicates they arrived safely in the past. The book is titled The Shadow of Night and includes a verse about the goddess Diana. Sarah envisions Diana in the past. Sarah burns the book and note. After she leaves, Matthew’s Lazarus coffin drops out of the fireplace onto the fire. A drop each of blood and mercury spill from the ampulla and seep into the heart of the house. The house sighs in contentment and gives off “a forgotten, forbidden scent” of “commingled vampire and witch” (579). As Sarah and Em drive away, the ghosts of Diana’s grandmother and Bridget Bishop settle down to “remember the past—and await the future” (579).