Children of Blood and Bone: Chapter Seventy-Five Summary & Analysis

In the captain’s quarters of the stolen warship, Zélie tries to sleep, but memories of her torture are too terrifying and painful. She runs on deck to find Roën, who has beaten the crew of the ship. Sickened, Zélie turns toward the sea, not wanting to think about more violence. Roën shows her a series of scars on his arm, from when his men were killed in front of him and captors carved a new line in his skin for each one that died. The scars were inflicted on him in his homeland, a place called Sutōrī.

Roën says that he can tell Zélie’s own scars, and the terror of her torture, are still fresh. He wants to know if she can really do the ceremony. Everything in Zélie screams that she can’t. But out loud, she says that those responsible for her scars are in the other warships. However, she is no longer driven by revenge. She must stop Saran so that he doesn’t destroy the rest of her people.

Roën jokes again about being chosen by the gods, but he is clearly at least a little serious, believing in the gods even as he jokes about them. He says it seems like too much of a coincidence that he and Zélie met twice and are now working together. He also tells her that talking to someone else is the best way to start healing her wounds. Zélie realizes he’s right: she doesn’t want to be alone. She enters Amari’s room, and Amari greets her with a smile.