Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Charlotte chases her friend Jocelyn Lewis through the yard of Charlotte’s parents’ home, Clement Hall. Jocelyn has stolen Charlotte’s journal, and Charlotte worries that Jocelyn will read it and discover Charlotte’s feelings for her. Charlotte tackles Jocelyn, and they land in the grass at the edge of the orchard. Jocelyn tells Charlotte that she just wants to know her thoughts, and Charlotte begins to recite from the journal, telling Jocelyn that she makes Charlotte forget who she is, who she’s supposed to be, leaving only what she wants. Jocelyn kisses Charlotte passionately, but they’re interrupted by Charlotte’s brother James. Before Charlotte can say anything, her father appears. James lies, saying Jocelyn asked him to show her the gardens, and Charlotte was their chaperone. Later, Charlotte tells James that she and Jocelyn were just playing a game, and James says she’s too old for games and must soon take a husband. Despondent, Charlotte burns the pages about Jocelyn from her journal.

Charlotte struggles to breathe in her corset on the way to the opening ball of the season. The carriage ride is bumpy and uncomfortable, but when Charlotte enters the mansion, she’s astounded by the beauty of the house and its decorations. The pain of her corset and her desire for Jocelyn bring her back to reality and her distaste for the season.

Clement Hall, one week prior: The letter arrives while Charlotte and her family eat breakfast. When her father opens the letter, the mood in the room changes. Her father tells Charlotte that it’s time for her to go to London and learn from her Aunt Amelia, to prepare to enter society and seek a husband. Charlotte begins to cry, as she doesn’t want to spend an entire season away from home, her family, and Jocelyn. Her father reveals that James suggested it, and Charlotte is even more hurt by his betrayal, but she has no choice but to go.

Charlotte is abandoned by her aunt and the other wards during the ball. She wanders, thinking for a moment that she sees Jocelyn in the crowd. She watches the men dance and tries to conjure feelings for them, the same feelings she has for Jocelyn, but she can’t. A woman’s voice behind her compares the young men to show ponies, and Charlotte laughs. The woman has striking red hair and great beauty, which stuns Charlotte. She tells Charlotte secrets about many of the people at the ball and introduces herself as Sabine Olivares, a widow. Charlotte apologizes for her loss, but Sabine doesn’t seem to grieve for her husband. Charlotte and Sabine are interrupted by George Preston, a man who asks Charlotte to dance. As Charlotte dances, she looks to Sabine, who watches her.

Charlotte has written to Jocelyn about her upcoming departure, but Jocelyn does not come to say goodbye. Charlotte’s mother tells her never be ashamed of who she is, hinting at her knowledge of her daughter’s sexuality. She tells Charlotte that she is “the kind of bloom that can thrive in any soil” (332). She says Charlotte will have stories to tell the family when she returns. Charlotte doesn’t yet know she won’t come home for 52 years.

At breakfast, Edith and Margaret discuss the ball, while Charlotte silently butters her toast. When Amelia asks the girls about the ball, they say that Charlotte only danced once and spent most of her time with a woman. Charlotte tells Amelia that it was Sabine Olivares, and Amelia approves, as Sabine is the widow of a Spanish viscount and is thought to be very proper, which surprises Charlotte since Sabine made a bawdy joke to her. Amelia says Sabine is unwilling to remarry because her late husband was the love of her life, which also surprises Charlotte, as Sabine seemed unbothered by his death.

Three days later, Charlotte attends her second ball and sees Sabine. She tells Sabine she was thinking about her, and Sabine reciprocates the sentiment. Charlotte asks why she didn’t tell her that she’s a viscountess, and Sabine says that it was another life. Charlotte tells Sabine to call her Lottie, but Sabine refuses, claiming all names have tastes and that Charlotte tastes better than Lottie. That night, Charlotte tries to understand how her name tastes.

Later, Charlotte will dwell on the third ball the most. On the night of the third ball, George Preston again asks Charlotte to dance. When the song finishes, Charlotte finds Sabine, and Sabine tells her that she doesn’t know how to dance. Sabine takes Charlotte to an adjoining parlor and dances with her, leading her through the moves. Charlotte relishes Sabine’s closeness and feels the warmth she felt for Jocelyn blooming for Sabine.

The season passes more quickly than Charlotte thought it would. Though she suffers under her aunt’s constant criticism, she eventually achieves a facsimile of the girl her aunt wants her to be. Though she dances with men at the balls, she prefers her time with Sabine—a friendship that seems to be more, though Charlotte doesn’t want to ruin it and doesn’t tell Sabine how she feels.

Charlotte receives a letter from Jocelyn announcing Jocelyn and James’s engagement. She feels devastated by the news, and at the ball that night, she acts morose. Sabine senses her mood and takes Charlotte into a private study. Charlotte is surprised that Sabine knows the way through the house until Sabine tells Charlotte that this house is hers. Sabine gives Charlotte sherry, and Charlotte confesses her feelings about Jocelyn’s engagement. Sabine comforts her, and they play cards.

Charlotte tells Sabine that she envies her freedom, her life. Charlotte doesn’t want to get married, but she doesn’t get to make her own choices. When Sabine tells her that she can, Charlotte scoffs. Sabine says she was drawn to Charlotte because of Charlotte’s open and vulnerable emotions. Sabine wins the card game and admits that she cheated, that she believes it’s necessary to create one’s own luck. Before Charlotte goes back to the ball, Sabine adjusts Charlotte’s dress, her hands lingering on Charlotte’s hips. Sabine tells Charlotte to come find her when Charlotte knows what she wants.

Margaret secures a proposal, and Edith expects one any day, which pleases Aunt Amelia. Charlotte dreads parting with Sabine and returning to Jocelyn and James and a life where she no longer feels she belongs. The doorbell rings, and Charlotte assumes Edith’s suitor has arrived, but instead the butler calls for her. George Preston stands in the foyer with flowers and asks for Charlotte’s hand in marriage. Charlotte has only danced with him half a dozen times and spoken to him even less, so she’s shocked, especially given she’s not yet presented in society. Before she answers, Charlotte says she needs air. She runs into the street and hails a hansom cab to take her to Sabine.

Charlotte knocks, but Sabine doesn’t answer, so Charlotte opens the unlocked door. She calls for Sabine throughout the house, and Sabine appears in a dressing gown. Charlotte tells Sabine about the proposal and tells her that she knows what she wants, and what she wants is Sabine. Sabine reciprocates her feelings and takes her upstairs. The room is dark, but before Charlotte can open the curtains, Sabine stops her. They kiss, and Sabine asks Charlotte if she trusts her, and Charlotte says yes. Sabine bites Charlotte’s wrist, and Charlotte knows she should be afraid, but she’s not.

Charlotte asks Sabine what she is, and Sabine says she is a widow, a feral rose, free from pain, death, and societal expectations. She asks Charlotte if that’s what she wants, and Charlotte says yes. Sabine warns her there is a cost, but Charlotte still wants it. Sabine takes Charlotte to bed and bites her. Charlotte thinks she’s dying and views it as a type of freedom. Before she dies, Sabine gives her a drink of her blood, and Charlotte comes back to life.

Charlotte wakes in Sabine’s bed. She finds that the sun makes her ill, and the house is empty. Finally, Sabine enters with George Preston and tries to make Charlotte drink from him, but she refuses. Sabine slices George’s throat, and Charlotte can’t help but drink his blood until he dies. She tries to stop herself, but she can’t. She feels horrible guilt, but Sabine tells her it will fade.

Sabine and Charlotte leave London behind without bags in a cab. Charlotte asks Sabine how many times she’s started over with a new life, and Sabine doesn’t give a specific answer. As the cab pulls away, Sabine keeps Charlotte facing forward.

Charlotte feels guilty about George’s death, and she wonders if it’s possible to take blood from people without killing them, without taking their souls. Sabine tells her that it’s better to finish what they start. Outside Canterbury, Sabine kills the carriage driver while Charlotte turns away, both revolted and hungry at the sight. Charlotte wants to bury the driver, but Sabine tells her that “dead bodies make dead earth,” which is dangerous to them (371). Sabine explains that only the destruction of Charlotte’s heart can kill her, but sunlight can make her sick and grave dirt can drag them down under.

Charlotte and Sabine follow a drunk man out of an inn, and Sabine pretends that he dropped a shilling. He tells them that they shouldn’t be out alone at night, and Sabine lies that their driver fell ill. The man invites them inside his home, and Sabine tells Charlotte to drink him. Charlotte hesitates, but Sabine insists. Charlotte bites him and drinks his blood, but when he begs for his life, she stops and lets him escape. Sabine is frustrated and follows the man out into the night. When she returns, she drops three human hearts into Charlotte’s lap: the hearts of the man Charlotte let escape and the two others he had told about Charlotte and Sabine. This, Sabine insists, is why they have to finish what they start and kill their victims. Charlotte tells Sabine that it’s wrong to kill, but Sabine disagrees, stating death is natural—they simply benefit from it.

Before they leave Margate, Charlotte writes her family a letter telling them that she wants a different kind of life and will visit them soon. She feels her old life end and her new life begin.

Alice angrily stops Lottie from talking. She asks her if she seduced Alice to perpetuate some twisted cycle because Lottie herself was seduced by Sabine. Lottie denies it, and they’re interrupted by the barista from Ezra’s coffee shop delivering some blood for them to drink. Lottie tells Alice that to understand what happened to her, she first must understand what happened to Lottie.

Sabine teaches Charlotte how to travel quickly and lightly, how to move from place to place. Their first years together are happy, and Charlotte views Sabine as her home. The first crack in their relationship occurs in a castle in Germany, when Sabine teaches Charlotte how to claim areas as her own, just as Matteo taught Sabine. Charlotte is a quick study, and when they chase each other through the castle, Charlotte declares a room hers and keeps Sabine out. Sabine is playful at first, but when Charlotte doesn’t let her in, Sabine is angry. Charlotte finds the shift in Sabine’s demeanor frightening, but she stays with Sabine anyway because she loves her. Sabine can see into Charlotte’s mind, but she doesn’t allow Charlotte into her own mind, sharing little about her past.

One day, Charlotte asks Sabine if there are others like them, and Sabine responds with anger and insecurity, asking if she isn’t enough for Charlotte. Charlotte lets it go. She begins to find hunting and killing easier. She decides she’ll only drink from and kill men, particularly those with bad intent.

Charlotte and Sabine return to England around Christmas, and Sabine surprises Charlotte with a house. The family is still inside, so they kill the couple before Sabine finds their child, a young girl. Charlotte begs her to stop, but Sabine brutally bites the girl, who screams in pain, before Sabine kills her. Charlotte tells Sabine she shouldn’t have done that, and Sabine remains angry, her eyes dark as she defends her actions while roughly tugging Charlotte’s hair. Charlotte demands Sabine release her, and Sabine does, the anger and darkness dissipating. Sabine calls for Charlotte, but Charlotte leaves.

Charlotte finds herself at Clement Hall again. Her mother’s statues are still in the garden, though she’s sure her parents are dead and gone. Charlotte hears a voice. Though she’s older, Charlotte recognizes Jocelyn, who asks if Charlotte is back to haunt her. She apologizes for not being brave enough to love Charlotte like she deserved. Jocelyn finds it cruel how real Charlotte seems, indicating that she often has visions of Charlotte. One of Jocelyn’s grandchildren who looks like James escorts Jocelyn back inside as Charlotte hides in the shadows.

As the sun rises, Charlotte returns to the other house, to Sabine. Sabine apologizes, tells Charlotte that she doesn’t know what happened but that it wasn’t her. Charlotte accepts her apology, and Sabine asks Charlotte to promise to never hurt her. Charlotte agrees, and they leave that night.

Charlotte and Sabine love each other fiercely, though the darkness still occasionally lurks in Sabine, Sabine steadies Charlotte and promises nothing bad will happen to them if they stay together.

Paris, 1914: The world goes to war, and Charlotte finds the suffering of the world unbearable. Sabine finds Charlotte’s grief and guilt tiring, and she tells her that she must let go of the darkness, that she must live even in the face of mass death.

The war ends, and the world celebrates. Sabine is in a better mood, and she keeps sweeping Charlotte off her feet with romantic gestures. Though there are cracks in their relationship, Charlotte seeks to keep them smoothed over.

Charlotte and Sabine celebrate their 100-year anniversary. Sabine gives Charlotte a gift: a pendant from George Preston, Charlotte’s first kill. Charlotte is horrified, but she pretends to appreciate the gift to avoid upsetting Sabine. They go out on the town, partying and killing, until Sabine notices a man in a club. Charlotte looks and sees a handsome couple and realizes that they are vampires.

When Charlotte and Sabine leave the club, Charlotte sees the couple again and feels drawn to them. The couple, Jack and Antonia, invite Charlotte and Sabine to go with them to their club, and Charlotte accepts. They take Jack’s car to a warehouse club called the Way Down, owned by Jack and Antonia, which accepts people regardless of gender, race, or sexuality. Jack and Antonia offer Charlotte and Sabine blood, but Sabine only drinks from people. Antonia offers a waitress to Sabine in her office, and Sabine accepts. Alone with Jack and Antonia, Charlotte questions the ethics of vampirism, asks who should get to decide who lives and dies.

The group discusses their pasts and upbringings. Jack and Antonia are shocked Charlotte has never seen anyone like them before. Antonia and Jack had the same maker, but Antonia fled the United States due to anti-Black racism, while Jack is from England. When Sabine returns, the group has a lovely time talking and drinking, but when they get home, Sabine’s mood changes. She’s cold and angry at Charlotte, asking again if she’s not enough. Charlotte begs her to come to bed, and Sabine does, kissing Charlotte violently and biting Charlotte’s neck until she hits bone.

World War II rages, and Charlotte finds herself grieving even more for the senseless violence and loss of life. Sabine doesn’t care; she’s only bothered that rationing makes people’s blood taste bland. Charlotte gathers flowers as she walks back to where she and Sabine are staying. When she gets to the house, there’s blood on the doorknob. Charlotte enters and finds Sabine covered in blood and viscera, her eyes black and speaking unlike herself as she describes people “coming apart like Christmas paper” (420). Charlotte puts Sabine in the bath, and Sabine asks if she’s keeping secrets; Charlotte says no and puts Sabine to bed. She finds a blade in the house and goes to stab Sabine in the heart. However, she cannot stab Sabine because of the promise she made never to harm her. Charlotte cries, and Sabine wakes. She calls Charlotte silly and tells her to come back to sleep. Charlotte knows she can’t, so she runs away.

Charlotte runs to Jack and Antonia’s club. Jack finds her and lets her in, and he and Antonia let her spend the night. The next day, Jack walks Charlotte to the train station to keep her safe as she begins her quest to escape London and Sabine. Jack tells her about his maker William, who made Jack promise to kill him when his humanity slipped away, though Jack had to decide when that was. Jack tells Charlotte that no one is immortal; even people like them die at different rates. When they reach the train station, Jack gives Charlotte a business card from Antonia with the name of a man in Boston that Charlotte can reach out to: Ezra. Charlotte boards the train and leaves but still feels the cord connecting her to Sabine.