In the fourth chapter of Untold, Kami holds court at the most awkward meeting in the history of the universe. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Untold.
Chapter Four: Meeting
Can we just talk about how distinct these characters are in this scene? Not one of them is like the other, the dynamics between them are clearly established, and Brennan plays them off one another to gives us a RELENTLESS sense of uncomfortable pain. Pain. SO MUCH PAIN.
I feel weird about the thing, but let’s discuss many other THINGS before we get to the thing.
- Seriously, the first sentence of this chapter is just so terribly exciting. Lillian Lynburn agreed to attend the meeting with Kami? Holy shit, I never thought this would happen on the first attempt. HOLY SHIT.
- I should have thought about that for half a second because we are talking about Lillian Lynburn here, the woman who is proud of not having a heart. And yet, even then, I don’t think I would have been prepared for this.
- Which means I must state that I unequivocally adore Kami in this chapter. She takes on a thankless, merciless task, and she does it with a sense of humor and a sense of dedication. It’s not that we haven’t seen this before. It’s just that it’s so much more obvious than it ever was that Kami was made for this, you know?
- Lillian is just emphatically cruel here, insulting literally every single person in the room with no tact, no sense of decorum, and no respect for… anything. Or anyone. Or any place or time, and there’s a part of me that kind of loves how she gives virtually no fucks at all? Okay, look, I’m not interested in defending her behavior or actions, but I kind of have a thing for vicious matriarchs with tons of power? Like, it’s a character archetype that I’m invariably drawn to, and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that I basically described my own mother. Yeah, that’s her. I’m into it, y’all.
- At the same time, I love that Rusty is completely unfazed by any insult thrown his way.
- Anyway, let’s talk about all the uncomfortable things said in this meeting, starting with Lillian’s insistence that everyone is useless. AHEM, LILLIAN. If I may remind you, didn’t Angela use her chains to beat the hell out Rob? Okay, yes, Rob got away just after that. For Lillian, if you aren’t a sorcerer, she has no interest in talking to you, and I think that’s another demonstration how people like the Lynburns really do believe that they are superior beings. In her mind, at least Kami once had something to offer, but it seems like she and Jared take after one another in this regard. They resent Kami for cutting the link. Granted, it’s for different reasons, but I couldn’t ignore the parallel.
- Then Lillian says that they can’t discover the names of the other sorcerers, and for real, it’s a perfect example of how Lillian cannot listen to what other people say. That happened in the previous chapter! Ash observed that his mother and Jared were just saying what they wanted to say, not responding to one another like normal people do. She’s pretty much doing the same thing here because KAMI LITERALLY JUST TOLD YOU HOW SHE DISCOVERED THE IDENTITY OF ONE OF THE SORCERERS. So yeah, they can do it! Don’t discount these people because they can’t do magic, Lillian!
- Why am I saying that? It’s not like she can respond to what I’m typing. Then again, I shout at y’all in recorded videos, so this is essentially par for the course.
- I WANT TO READ THE AURIMERE RECORDS. BADLY.
- So, Brennan saves a HUGE possibility for the future until this chapter, where Lillian reveals that JARED COULD TOTALLY REMAKE THE LINK TO KAMI AGAIN.
- WHOA
- WHOA.
- I mean, it also explains why Jared was drawn to the Crying Pools in the last book!
- BUT SERIOUSLY. He could remake the link. He could remake the link.
- Actually, any sorcerer who survived the ritual could make a link to a source, and Kami happens to be the only one around. Ash suggested that he do it, and then his mother brutally turned him down, and then I got real sad because I feel so bad for Ash. 🙁 Trust me, it sucks to want to please your parents when you can’t ever find a way to do so. WELCOME TO MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD.
- So! Rob and Lillian were once linked. I think that’s an important detail, despite how casually it’s revealed. So… did they break that link??? What happened?
- HAHAHAH THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED: “I think your father was a sorcerer. I think your father was Rob Lynburn.” SWEET MOTHER OF GOD, WHAT THE FUCK.
- That would make… Ash and Jared half-brothers? Holy shit.
- “Either I already killed my father, or I’m going to kill him soon.” OH MY GOD, WHAT A LINE.
- “The Lynburns are better than cable.” AIN’T THAT THE TRUTH, Y’ALL.
So. The thing. I admit that I’m quite torn up about how Kami has been treated by Jared, and I am, at the very least, hoping that something can patch this together. I had hoped that Kami’s touching speech to him in the darkness of the hallway was a start. Once Jared starting kissing Kami, I even understood that. Perhaps this was his way to get past the awkward way he felt toward her. Maybe it was a way to make her physical again. Maybe it was a path towards the intimacy that he missed so much. I’m not even opposed to a romantic relationship between Kami and Jared! I think that would be fascinating.
But then:
Ash walked in.
Kami had not noticed before that he was wearing a leather jacket.
Seriously, my reaction was identical to Kami’s:
Oh no, Kami thought, surely not.
I feel WEIRD. I’m not fundamentally opposed to this either, but what just happened? Why would Ash not speak up when he clearly wasn’t the recipient of what Kami was saying? It feels really creepy, y’all, and things just got a million times more complicated for Kami. Oh god, Ash, why would you do that? WHY.
Please note that the original text and the videos below contain use of the word “crazy” and “maddened.”
Part 1
Part 2
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