Her Soul for Revenge

Juniper hates the scars that she bears from the Libiri’s attempted sacrifice. She considers the scars physically ugly and sees them as a reminder of the most terrifying and painful experience of her life. She covers the scars with tattoos, a project that’s extremely important to her, as she notes that she doesn’t spend her limited funds on anything she considers nonessential. One of these tattoos is of a wolf’s head, which, combined with her ferocity, leads Zane to nickname her “little wolf.”

When Zane carves his name into Juniper as part of the ritual to complete their magical bond, Juniper doesn’t find these scars abhorrent like the Libiri’s; she attributes this to her consenting to the cuts. In addition, Zane notes that his intention in cutting her is to “honor” her rather than harm her. Juniper also finds comfort in agreeing to let Zane pierce her tongue, which is part of a demonic cultural ritual indicating a deep, emotional relationship. She finds it healing to know that she trusts someone enough to let them see her physically and emotionally vulnerable. The significance of body markings, organic or nonorganic, thus parallels the novel’s theme of