House of Salt and Sorrows

Annaleigh, Camille, and Fisher gather the other sisters for the scavenger hunt for magical doors; the youngest are thrilled. They discuss potential locations, and triplet Rosalie yells that she has a brilliant idea. The group walks to Pontus’s cave near the sea, the Grotto, a place for offerings. They inspect the Grotto, and Rosalie asks about the Pontus statue; the god’s trident seems like it may move. Fisher reaches up and presses the trident. The statue moves to reveal a hidden door with torches on each side; sea glass at the statue’s feet turns into water. The group is amazed, and Fisher enters the door first.

The sisters anxiously wait for Fisher to return, until Rosalie finally rushes in after him. Ligeia enters next, but Camille stops Lenore from following her other triplets. Finally, Fisher, Rosalie, and Ligeia return with smiles. The door led them to a different land, and they have invitations to a ball that night. Upon entering the dark, Fisher imagined a ball for Camille to find a potential husband and was suddenly transported to a castle. The group plans to return later for the ball.

Camille and Annaleigh get ready for the ball as per Fisher’s invitation, which implies the ball’s theme is “Nightmares and Daydreams.” Fisher brings the sisters flower wristlets and masks. He’s dressed in black with snakeskin painted on his face, showing his fear of snakes. He’s enamored with Annaleigh’s beauty.

The group rushes to the Grotto and holds hands before entering the magical door. They’re transported to a faraway forest bathed in silver and are carried by swans to a castle. They ascend the steps as music begins.

The group enters a pristine ball draped in rich blacks and reds. Men dance with the sisters, including Annaleigh’s handsome stranger, Cassius, who flirts with her. Eventually, Fisher cuts in. Annaleigh and Fisher dance, and she asks him what’s wrong. She prods until he finally admits he didn’t like seeing her with another man. Though he long thought of her as a sister, his feelings have changed. Annaleigh is taken aback, and Fisher excuses himself. A man in a dark dragon outfit dances with her next. She asks for his name, but he doesn’t provide it. He claims people can give up their darkest secrets at masquerade balls.

Annaleigh excuses herself, and Cassius finds her. They stroll outside, talking about the howling wolves, the ball, and her dress. She realizes they’re at Pelage, the farthest location from Salann. Cassius says he came for the dancing, just like Annaleigh. He loves the sky and her gown, calling her the prettiest girl. When she asks about his own outfit, he says his gray suit symbolizes regret. Cassius holds Annaleigh’s hand, making her blush, and they head inside to dance once more.

About a week later, Annaleigh wakes up to a recurring nightmare. Since the ball at Pelage, she’s dreamt of balls in which a handsome stranger asks her to dance; the ball room then turns greenish, the music slows, and a Weeping Woman cries black tears as she asks to dance. Annaleigh is perturbed by the nightmare but gets dressed. The older sisters keep going to the balls, but the youngest have to focus on their studies.

Hanna enters Annaleigh’s room and announces Ortun will be returning from his capital meetings; Morella has been singing all morning. Hanna asks about Annaleigh’s time with her son, Fisher, but he’s been avoiding her and the balls since confessing his feelings. Ortun returns and notes how tired his daughters look. Annaleigh tries to discuss Eulalie and Edgar, but he dismisses her. The sisters ask to get new shoes since their dancing shoes are worn. Ortun is surprised and tells them to buy sturdy shoes in town this time. He asks Fisher, who finally returned, to take them on a rowboat to the next island for new shoes.

At the shoe store, Rosalie takes a while to find a pair. Annaleigh takes the youngest to a pub to buy apple cider but then tells them that she needs to run an errand. She goes to Edgar’s clock shop, and he’s uneasy to see her. She apologizes for how he was treated at Highmoor Manor and asks for help with Eulalie’s murder investigation. Edgar asks about a potential diary since Eulalie found out a deadly secret, but she didn’t write. He suspects the family’s valet, Roland, since he seems obsessed with Eulalie. Annaleigh disagrees but believes Edgar’s story about a shadow pushing Eulalie. They agree to meet next week, during the Churning Festival. They hear a noise upstairs, but it seems to be the shop’s owner.

Annaleigh returns to the pub, finding the youngest with cider and Cassius. She and Cassius send the youngest to get more cider while they chat. He notes her weary eyes, but she’s more interested in hearing about him. He claims his father is recovering from scarlet fever. As for himself, Cassius has lived everywhere—including Lambent, home of Viscardi, the Trickster god of bargains, a desert with red healing flowers. He doesn’t answer questions about his mother’s business or why he has moved so often. The pair is interrupted by a scream from outside.

Annaleigh pushes through a gathering crowd to see Edgar in a pool of blood. Cassius tries to pull her away from the body. Fisher appears and checks Edgar’s pulse, but he is dead. He says Edgar jumped from the clock shop’s window, but Annaleigh doubts it. She remembers her and Edgar hearing a noise in the clock shop and begs Fisher to look for the culprit. He returns, stating no one was there.