Splendors and Glooms Chapter 46 Summary

Fire and Ice

  • From Cassandra's room, where she's being kept, Clara can hear Parsefall's voice as he decides to steal the phoenix-stone. She feels helpless because she can't stop him, no matter how much she wants to.
  • Then, she remembers how Cassandra told her that if she wishes for the stone hard enough, she can turn into herself again. She doesn't have to stay a puppet.
  • Clara thinks about it and realizes that if she wishes for the stone—and steals it herself—she can save Parsefall from a terrible fate.
  • When Clara comes back to life, Cassandra is super excited and says that she knew that she could trick the girl into stealing the stone because she knew that Clara loved Lizzie Rose and Parsefall.
  • Clara takes the stone, and it immediately starts burning her. She's dismayed, but then she looks outside and sees the frozen lake—and it gives her an idea.
  • Cassandra starts crying and demands that Clara give back the phoenix-stone. The object has such a strong pull on her that she's already forgotten why she wanted it taken away from her.
  • As Clara runs down the stairs and outside, Grisini watches her in delight. He wants her to become his little puppet again so that he can use the stone's magic for himself.
  • She tells him to take the stone and throws her birthday locket at him; Grisini fumbles for it as she runs outside. He yells in anger when he realizes that it's a decoy and she still has the phoenix-stone.
  • Clara runs out onto the icy lake, and Grisini follows. Then, Clara places the phoenix-stone on the ice and hears the stone crack—she has destroyed it. At the same time, the ice beneath her cracks, too, which is not good.
  • Grisini, screaming, falls straight into the freezing cold water, while Clara lies down flat on a piece of ice and tries not to get sucked into the lake like the evil magician did.
  • Lizzie Rose and Parsefall run out and tell her that they'll save her, and she watches as Parsefall walks toward her with a rope. He lassos her with it and then starts pulling her toward the shore.