The Girl Who Drank the Moon: Chapter 39 Summary & Analysis

As night falls, Luna invites the sleepy crow to rest in her hood. Luna isn’t tired and can’t wait for the moon to rise. She remembers Xan teaching her about compasses and wonders if she’s drawn to the moon like a compass needle points north. She also feels drawn to Xan and can hear the clicking inside her.

Fyrian shouts that he doesn’t fit on Glerk’s back anymore, and asks if Glerk is shrinking. Glerk says that Fyrian is growing and watches Fyrian’s nose enlarge, then one eye, then his feet. Fyrian is confused and asks how it’s possible to be bigger than Simply Enormous. Glerk tries to dance around the truth and says that Fyrian’s heart has always been enormous. Gravely, Fyrian asks if he looks strange. Glerk decides to be honest and says that he doesn’t know why Fyrian is the way he is. He’s growing and will be big like Fyrian’s mother. Dragonlings normally don’t stay dragonlings for 500 years, but Fyrian did—maybe because of Xan’s spells or his own grief. Glerk admits that he, Xan, and Luna aren’t giants.

With tears in his eyes, Fyrian asks what this means. Glerk admits that he doesn’t know, but soon they’ll know more and they’ll always be friends. Glerk lifts himself high on his tail and points down the hill. He can see Luna’s magic emerging and says that Xan tried unsuccessfully to hold onto Luna’s childhood. Fyrian asks if Luna is turning into a dragon, but Glerk says that Luna is becoming an adult and a witch at the same time. Fyrian puts his ear to the ground and tries to attract Glerk’s attention as Glerk watches Xan transform. Fyrian roars that the mountain is on fire and that he remembers that he and his mother felt it first last time. They need to warn Xan.

Xan feels horrible and doubtful. She tells herself that she loved and protected the babies, but thinks that she should’ve been curious. Antain tells Xan that once the moon rises, he’ll kill the Witch and they can go home. Xan thinks that she’d love to transform and tell Antain everything once the moon rises. She might even be able to magically send him home. Antain hears something and suggests that the Witch might be coming. Xan rolls her eyes and looks down the hill. She sees Luna and another figure she doesn’t recognize. Antain hides with a knife so he can slit the Witch’s throat.