Character Analysis
Throughout the book, Gemma hears people talk about Stephan—Alex and Aislin's father and the leader of the Keepers—but she never meets him. She mostly hears about how great he is from Alex, but she also gets a warning to not fully trust him from Laylen. Because of this, Gemma isn't sure what to think… until she realizes that the man she's been seeing in her visions and nightmares is Stephan. Whoa:
"That's my father." He gave me a funny look. "Why?"
I jumped to my feet, panic firing through me as wildly as the sparks did when Alex had kissed me. "Because he's the one I saw force my mom into the lake." (31.111-112)
It turns out that Stephan is the person who pushed her mother into the lake and led the Death Walkers to Gemma in her dreams. As if that's not bad enough, he's also determined to take away Gemma's emotions and her soul, as well as completely wipe her mind so she can no longer function. Talk about an evil villain, right? Then again, maybe Stephan's just trying to save the world… Or so Alex seems to think, anyway.