Ninth House

Alex is severely injured, but is adamant about not going to the hospital. The detective takes her to Il Bastone, where Pamela attempts to heal her with a magical ritual. They fill a large crucible with goat’s milk and Alex takes a bath. The pain ebbs and she suddenly sees the Bridegroom. The house is warded, but after their meeting in the Egypt-like borderlands, any water can connect them.

Alex is not sure how she was able to absorb Bertram’s ghost without his permission, but Bertram, confesses that it had been a pleasurable experience. When Pamela brings food, Alex invites the Grey into herself once more.

Alex experiences Bertram’s memories of his last moments. He had been alone with Daisy, discussing their honeymoon plans, when they had heard a sound. Suddenly, Bertram began hallucinating or experiencing someone else’s memories: He was on an operating table surrounded by boys cutting him open, remembering taking their money. The person inhabiting Bertram could not recognize Daisy and was afraid of her. Finding a gun in his hand, the soul in Bertram’s body shot the young woman and then himself. 

Alex pushes Bertram’s ghost out of herself. She realizes that someone had possessed him that day—someone who had been a prognostication sacrifice. She goes to Darlington’s room and finds evidence that he had indeed been looking into the Bridegroom’s case.

Detective Turner comes back with files on Tara’s murder. Her boyfriend was back in jail and the detective wants to know why. The three of them organize the evidence and Tara’s connections to the various societies. After looking at pictures from the dead girl’s apartment, Pamela recognizes a miniature crucible that could have helped create portals for Lance to use.

Alex discloses her persistent suspicions of Dean Sandow and Pamela agrees to talk to his housekeeper in order to find out his schedule the day of the murder. Alex prepares to attend one of Professor Belbalm’s soirées. 

At Professor Belbalm’s house, students are already gathered. Dean Sandow is also there. Alex ends up helping out in the kitchen all night, and in the process confirms Dean Sandow’s alibi for the night of the murder.

The following day, she visits the Yale greenhouses where she suspects someone has been growing Merity. The person in charge has fled, but Alex learns that Tara and her boyfriend had occasionally visited the place.

She convinces Detective Turner to let her question Lance. 

Turner and Alex question Lance. He tells them that Tara was growing weed when a Manuscript member asked her to grow Merity, which they started selling on the side. Another society’s member asked her to grow special mushrooms, which Tara used in creating small tabs that could create portals. The student who had tasked Tara with growing the mushrooms took both her and Lance on short trips around the world. Lance was been able to travel to the apartment to attack Alex by using one of the tabs.

After the interrogation, Turner takes Alex back to the dorms, promising to investigate the two students involved with Merity and the tabs.