resistance-and-escape

In this chapter, the antagonist Baron Jack, revealed to be Burt, seizes control of the Dark Castle and imprisons Nell and Harv, subjecting them to physical abuse. Using lessons from the Primer and the help of their Night Friends, Nell and Harv devise a plan to outwit Burt, culminating in a ruse involving a feast and a drinking contest that leads to Burt's incapacitation and the children's escape. The chapter intertwines the harsh realities of abuse with the empowering influence of the Primer and the support of magical allies.