Chapter 6
- Byron tells Whit that he's being taken into custody, too, where he will be tried as a wizard. Whit says witches and wizards are fairy tale stuff.
- While upset, Whit's parents don't seem particularly surprised. Whit recalls all the weird lessons about plants and herbs they've given him over the years. Were those significant, somehow?
- Byron informs Whit and Wisty that, according to the law, they can each take one possession. Their mother offers Wisty an old drumstick, and their father offers Whit a blank journal. Wisty thinks they could have taken a little more care in choosing these items.
- The soldiers drag Whit and Wisty out to a van. Wisty experiences a strange sensation and then bursts into flames.
Chapter 7
- So yeah, Wisty's on fire. Everyone is freaking out, but she feels fine; she's not even warm.
- Someone throws a vase of water on Wisty, which puts out the flames.
- Wisty is overcome by the inexplicable, but undeniable, feeling that this whole weird experience had been inevitable.
Chapter 8
- At first, Whit thinks the whole Wisty-on-fire thing was a hallucination. Nope. She was on fire, all right.
- His next thought is that one of the soldiers set her on fire.
- Finally, Whit realizes he needs to help put the fire out. When he does, the windows burst open and rain pours into the room. Coincidence?
- When the chaos settles, Whit opens his eyes and sees a tall, bald dude. He introduces himself as The One Who Is The One.
- The One Who Is The One asks Whit and Wisty to renounce their parents and their past. They aren't interested, though.
- Fine then, says The One Who Is The One. But you're not going to see your parents again until your execution day. Wait, what?
Chapter 9
- Wisty and Whit are in a van with no windows; they are getting serious stranger-danger vibes.
- Whit notices that Wisty is shivering from the cold and wet. He tries to comfort her and notes that she seems rather intact for someone who has recently been on fire.
- Wisty wonders what is going on; Whit wonders if there's been some sort of mistake. Then the van comes to a halt.
Chapter 10
- Whit and Wisty are escorted out of the van by a dozen or so guards. Welcome to the New Order Reformatory.
- The guards drag the siblings inside. They're not interested in making small talk; a guard tells Whit to save his voice for his upcoming interrogation. Sounds like the New Order Reformatory is really rolling out the welcome mat.