Serpent & Dove
“Serpent & Dove” by Shelby Mahurin is a YA fantasy novel set in a French-inspired world where witches are hunted by the Church. The story follows Louise “Lou” le Blanc, a witch who has renounced magic and hides in the city of Cesarine, and Reid Diggory, a devout witch hunter. After a chance encounter forces them into an arranged marriage, their opposing loyalties and beliefs create tension. As Lou’s secrets threaten to unravel, the pair must navigate betrayal, forbidden romance, and a brewing war between witches and the Church. The novel explores themes of identity, prejudice, and the clash between duty and desire, blending fantasy, romance, and adventure.
La Forêt des Yeux: Reid
byMahurin, Shelby
The chapter opens with Reid and his companions—Lou, Ansel, Beau, and the injured Coco—taking cover behind a temple altar as arrows rain down. Morgane, a powerful witch, deflects most attacks but is struck in the leg. Coco weakly directs the group toward a hidden exit, and Reid seizes the moment to retrieve Madame Labelle’s body amid the chaos. Despite being pursued by arrows and fire, Reid carries her into the temple, determined to save her, even as pain from his own wound flares. The group races through the temple’s inner sanctum, desperate to escape the battle outside.
As they reach the forest, Reid pleads with Coco to heal Madame Labelle, who is barely alive. Though weakened, Coco uses her blood magic to temporarily stabilize Madame Labelle’s wounds, shocking Beau with her abilities. The group presses onward, aware that Morgane’s forces and the Chasseurs are still hunting them. Coco’s magic buys them time, but her strength is fading, and the urgency to reach their camp grows. The tension escalates as screams from the temple suggest the witches are fighting back, using consorts as shields against the Chasseurs.
Upon reaching their abandoned camp, Coco administers a mixture of her blood and honey to Madame Labelle, reviving her further. Reid, relieved but still anxious, turns his attention to Lou, who remains unconscious despite earlier healing. Coco insists Lou will wake in time and prepares a protective ward using sage and her blood to shield the group from Morgane’s detection. Reid initially resists but relents when Ansel appeals to his concern for Lou. The makeshift ward is applied to everyone, though its effectiveness against Morgane’s power remains uncertain.
The chapter concludes with the group preparing to flee the camp, aware that both witches and Chasseurs prowl the forest. The mountainside offers no safety, and the danger is far from over. Reid’s determination to protect Lou and Madame Labelle drives him forward, even as exhaustion and uncertainty weigh on the group. The chapter leaves their fate hanging in the balance, with the threat of Morgane’s pursuit looming large.
FAQs
1. What critical decision does Reid make regarding Madame Labelle during the battle, and what does this reveal about his character development?
Answer:
Reid makes the risky decision to leave Lou’s side and retrieve Madame Labelle’s wounded body from the battlefield, despite the hail of arrows and danger. This moment reveals significant character development as Reid prioritizes saving his mother figure over immediate safety or strategic advantage. His desperate plea to Coco (“Please… She’s dying”) and willingness to shield Madame Labelle with his own body demonstrate his growing capacity for emotional vulnerability and familial loyalty, contrasting with his earlier rigid Chasseur persona. The chapter emphasizes this transformation through his physical actions and internal monologue (“She’s alive. Alive.”).2. How does Coco’s healing magic differ from Lou’s, and what limitations does she face when treating the wounded?
Answer:
Coco’s magic originates from within her body, requiring her blood as a conduit (“My magic comes from within. Not—not like Lou’s”), whereas Lou’s magic presumably draws from external sources. The healing process involves a combination of blood and honey applied to wounds, which visibly regenerates tissue (“the wound knit itself back together”). However, Coco’s abilities are severely limited by her weakened state—she can barely stand after initial treatment and warns that her efforts only “buy time.” Her magic also demands physical sacrifice, as seen when she tears her wrist open twice, leaving her increasingly frail and unable to guarantee full recovery without proper resources.3. Analyze the symbolic significance of the sage-marking ritual and Reid’s initial resistance to it.
Answer:
The sage-marking ritual (a blend of herbs, blood, and protective intent) symbolizes the uneasy alliance between magic users and former enemies like Reid. His resistance (“No… Don’t be an idiot”) reflects lingering prejudice against witchcraft despite his dependence on it. Coco’s insistence that the markings are necessary against Morgane (“You’ll be the first she targets”) underscores magic’s dual role as both threat and salvation. When Ansel appeals to Reid’s love for Lou (“Do it for Lou”), it highlights how personal relationships are bridging ideological divides. The forced acceptance of the bloody mark on his forehead visually represents Reid’s incomplete but progressing reconciliation with magic’s necessity.4. What tactical challenges do the group face after escaping the temple, and how do these reflect the larger conflict in their world?
Answer:
The group faces a dual threat: Chasseurs with Balisarda arrows and Morgane’s witch forces using human consorts as shields. This mirrors the broader conflict’s moral complexity—neither side holds absolute moral high ground. Their abandoned mountain camp offers no real safety, as both factions hunt them (“Witches and Chasseurs alike roamed the forest with predatory intent”). The tactical dilemma reflects the war’s escalation: Morgane’s brutality (exploiting consorts) has eroded former rules of engagement, while the Chasseurs’ indiscriminate arrows show dehumanization of enemies. The group’s vulnerability—carrying two unconscious women and relying on depleted magic—emphasizes how individuals become collateral in larger power struggles.5. How does the chapter use physical wounds to explore themes of sacrifice and connection?
Answer:
Wounds serve as visceral symbols of interconnection: Reid’s shoulder injury mirrors Madame Labelle’s chest wound, linking them through shared pain. Coco’s self-inflicted wrist tears represent the literal “blood price” of healing, while Lou’s unhealed throat gash (despite Reid’s earlier efforts) shows magic’s limits. The transfer of blood—from Coco to Madame Labelle, then to the protective sage mixture—creates a biological network of survival. Notably, Beau’s awe at the healing process (“How—?”) underscores how these wounds dissolve barriers between magical and non-magical characters, forcing all to acknowledge their mutual dependence. The chapter suggests true connection requires vulnerability, as seen when Reid finally accepts Coco’s mark.
Quotes
1. “I grabbed Lou and ducked behind the altar. Ansel and Beau scrambled after me, holding a barely conscious Coco between them. Arrows rained down on our heads. Morgane blasted most of them into ash with a wave of her hand, but one sank deep into her leg. She screamed in fury.”
This opening scene sets the chapter’s intense, life-or-death tone, showcasing the chaotic battle between witches and Chasseurs. The visceral imagery of Morgane’s power and vulnerability establishes the high stakes.
2. “I pressed my mother into her arms. ‘Please.’ […] ‘She’s dying.’”
A pivotal emotional moment where Reid, typically stoic, reveals raw vulnerability while begging Coco to heal Madame Labelle. This shows his character growth and the human cost of the conflict.
3. “My magic comes from within. Not—not like Lou’s.”
Coco’s explanation of her healing magic introduces an important distinction between types of witchcraft in this world. The comparison to Lou hints at deeper magical hierarchies and sets up later revelations.
4. “Don’t be an idiot, Reid. It’s sage […] It’s the best I can do against Morgane.”
This tense exchange highlights the reluctant alliance between Reid and the witches, showcasing both their conflict and necessary cooperation. Coco’s pragmatic protection ritual demonstrates the blend of magic and survival tactics.
5. “We all agreed to leave the camp as soon as possible, but the mountainside proved just as dangerous as the Chateau. Witches and Chasseurs alike roamed the forest with predatory intent.”
The closing lines emphasize the inescapable danger surrounding the characters, reinforcing the novel’s central conflict. The predatory imagery underscores how both factions have become equally threatening in this war.