Hell Bent

“They’d been getting along well then, and Alex had felt something like hope, a kind of ease between them that might have grown into trust. If she hadn’t let him die.”

In this quote, Galaxy Stern (Alex), reminisces on her relationship with Daniel Arlington V (Darlington) before the demon consumed him. She blames herself for what happened, and it is one of many examples of her struggling with regret for her past inaction. In addition to her regret, the quote also highlights the theme of hope and its fragility.

“A single word. Darlington’s voice. Desperate, demanding. Wait. They’d almost done it, almost reached him. They’d been so close. He would have gotten it right. He always did.”

This quote, which comes right after the attempted ritual in Scroll and Key, highlights two major points in Alex’s mentality. The first is her frustration and guilt regarding his entrapment in hell. The second is her belief that Darlington is better than her at the ritual style of magic used by Lethe, where she tends toward less structure in her abilities.

“Had she not quite believed it? Despite her talk of the gentleman demon? Despite the arguments she’d made to Anselm and the board? Had some of her thought everyone else was right and that this ridiculous quest was just another opportunity to throw herself into harm’s way and appease her own guilt over his death?”

This passage suggests that Alex may have had doubts about the success of their mission to rescue Darlington, despite her outward determination. She also implies that her desire to rescue him was motivated by a need for personal redemption rather than a genuine belief in his survival.