Ninth House Study Guide

Police officer and Centurion for Lethe House. Centurion acts as a liason between Lethe House and the local police force.

Has a very antagonistic relationship with Alex. He does not like magic and is not comfortable with its existence. But he is a good cop and he tries to do his job well. He investigates Tara Hutchins' murder, helping Alex speak to Lance in prison and helping Alex when she is attacked by a gluma. He agrees to investigate some of the society members tied to Tara. Their investigation is ongoing when Alex is attacked and they believe that Blake Keely killed Tara. Later, he is working a case when Alex goes to confront Sandow, only arriving after Sandow has died and Alex has left. Sandow's death is investigated but ruled a heart attack, while Belbalm's disappearance is also investigated. 

Galaxy Stern. Lethe House Dante to Darlington's Virgil. Virgil serves as Dante's trainer in all of Lethe's procedures and protocols. Virgil and Dante both observe every ritual performed by the societies. 

Alex has always been able to see Grays, causing her immense trauma, leading her to use drugs to disassociate. She ran away at fifteen after her mother had her kidnapped and enrolled in a scared straight teen rehab program. She then lived with her abusive boyfriend Len, who was several years older and was dealing drugs. When Len decided he wanted to start dealing harder drugs than weed, he had a party and invited Eitan's cousin Ariel to become friendlier and potentially have Eitan promote him. Ariel had a reputation for hurting women, Len told Hellie and Alex to make themselves available but Alex convinced Hellie to leave for the night instead. When Alex fell asleep, Hellie went back to the party. Alex went after her and went to bed when she couldn't find Hellie. She woke up to find Hellie dead next to her and opened herself up to Hellie's spirit. Together, they killed everyone who was still there including Len, Betcha, and Ariel. Alex ended up in the hospital afterward. Eitan visited her in the hospital and didn't believe her when she said she killed Ariel. He did tell her she owed him six thousand dollars for the fentanyl used that night, leading Alex to call Dean Sandow. This way she was able to pay Eitan. In exchange, she accepted a place at Yale. She begrudgingly likes Darlington more than she would let on but was scared when Darlington found out about parts of her past. She never told him the rest of the story, he was eaten by a hellbeast sent by Dean Sandow. Dean Sandow then created a ritual to bring Darlington home, but Sandow designed the ritual to fail because he didn't really want Darlington found. He told everyone that Darlington's soul was destroyed by the hellbeast and they would discover who had killed him. In truth, Sandow laid the hellbeast trap because he was planning to kill Tara Hutchins as part of a ritual to create a new nexus for St. Elmo's. Darlington had discovered the correlation between murdered women and the creation of new nexus spots and Sandow knew that Darlington would not be fooled if he killed Tara. Despite being told by Turner and Sandow not to investigate Tara's death, Alex breaks into the morgue (with Dawes' help), uses Wolf's Head's ritual room to visit the borderlands to speak with North (with Dawes' help), breaks into prison to speak to Lance (with Turner's help), and disrupts a crime scene when she visits Tara's apartment (this one she does on her own). She discovers that Tara has been growing Merity for Kate Masters, selling it to Blake Keely, creating portaling tablets for Colin Khatri, and selling weed to Tripp Helmuth. However, it is only while investigating Bertram North's death that Darlington was also researching that she realized that the same correlation that Darlington did, that dead women created the nexus points, and realized that Sandow was behind Tara's murder, Darlington's disappearance, Blake Keely's attack, the gluma attack, and the framing of both Lance and Blake at different points. When she confronted Sandow, he confessed and then was killed by Belbalm, who ate his soul. Belbalm revealed that she is actually Daisy Whitlock, who  forced her spirit into the body of her maid Gladys O'Donaghue after she was killed. She has lived in Gladys' body ever since.  Alex finds out that Daisy could see Grays like she can and calls herself a Wheelwalker. Daisy's spirit tracked down Gladys after Gladys found Daisy and North's dead bodies and ate Gladys' soul, taking possession of her body. Whenever she started to age, she would eat another soul - leading to a nexus of power being created in New Haven. Daisy discovered that she could eat the souls of other Wheelwalkers and it would sustain her for much longer than a regular soul. She started going by the name Marguerite Belbalm and worked at Yale where she lured Alex in specifically to eat her soul. When Belbalm tried to kill Alex, Alex called on the help of the Grays who stopped Daisy long enough for Alex to call out the souls of the women she had killed. The Grays then set upon Daisy and her soul was destroyed. At Sandow's funeral, Alex asks MIchelle for help bringing Darlington back. She does not believe that he is dead, but that he is now a demon that the spirits in the borderlands call the "gentleman demon".

Aurelian alumna.

She serves as Aurelian's Emperor at the ritual to give Zeb Yarrowman a second novel that both Darlington and Alex observe. At the ritual, Alex is nearly overcome by the Grays and the ritual is almost disrupted and Darlington has to placate Aurelian. Amelia takes part in the ritual to bring Darlington home along with Josh Zelinski, but it is unsuccessful. 

Tutor provided to Alex by Lethe House.

Roommate of Alex, Mercy, and Lauren who comes from a religious family and thinks the rest of her roommates might be witches. 

Cousin of Eitan who has a reputation for cruelty and hurting women. He is with Hellie the night that Hellie dies, leading Alex to let Hellie into her body and killing everybody at Ground Zero - Ariel included. 

Deceased

A seventeen-year-old girl whose body was dug up by Yale medical students in 1824 to study. When locals found out, the Resurrection Riot started and Yale was almost burned down. 

Housekeeper at Black Elm when Darlington was a child. 

Gray known as the Bridegroom. Legend says that Bertram North murdered his fiance Daisy in his father's carriage factory before killing himself. 

When Alex is attacked by the gluma, the Bridegroom helps fight the gluma off and saves her life. She speaks to him by going into the borderlands and speaking to him. They work together, North wants Alex to find out who really killed him and Daisy as he maintains that he is innocent, Alex wants him to look for Tara's spirit in the Veil, which he cannot locate. Alex finds out that Bertram did not kill Daisy. He was possessed by the spirit of a homeless man who had been taken by Bonesmen for a prognostication and died. The spirit first possessed Daisy, who pushed him out and he then possessed Bertram, shooting Daisy and himself. Their bodies were found by Daisy's maid Gladys. Daisy went on to possess Gladys' body and eat her soul. They solve that murder and discover how the nexuses are made. Alex is able to free the souls from Daisy, leading to Daisy's soul being destroyed. They have not found Tara's soul yet.

Deceased, but still around

Mitchell Betts. Friend of Len who died at Ground Zero. 

Atttended the party where Hellie died and Alex and opened herself up to Hellie's spirit. Together, they killed everyone who was still there including Len, Betcha, and Ariel. 

Deceased

Yale student and fraternity brother living at Omega house. 

Uses Merity to record himself assaulting and raping women, although he verbally gets consent in the videos the women are coerced into giving it because of the drug. He does this to Alex's roommate Mercy and sends the video to two of his fraternity brothers. Alex uses Astrumsalinas to get into the frat house and delete all of his videos, then delete the video from his friend's phones, then make a video of him eating from a clogged toilet to send to other students. Afterward, she finds out that Blake was buying from Tara and Lance, that is where he was getting the Merity. After the failed ritual to bring back Darlington, Alex and Dawes are attacked at Il Bastone by Blake - who is under a compulsion by Dean Sandow. Blake nearly kills Alex, who calls the jackals (they attack both Blake and Sandow), but Blake is not stopped until Dawes hits him in the head with a marble bust and kills him. After finding text messages and voicemails linking him to Tara, Turner believes that Blake was Tara's murderer. Lethe continues to let that be the official story, even after Alex discovers that Sandow killed Tara and compelled Blake to attack Alex. 

Deceased

Member of Scroll and Key and one of Professor Belbalm's assistants. Chemistry prodigy. 

After hearing about the success that Tara had growing Merity from Blake Keely, Colin approaches her for help. He gave Tara a small crucible and they found a way to grow mushrooms in the greenhouse and mix the mushrooms in the crucible to create small tablets that could portal you short distances. To keep Tara cooking the tablets for Scroll and Key (which has been having difficulties with the strength of their nexus and the stability of their magic), they agreed to allow Tara and Lance into the ritual room to portal to further places and see the world. 

Fiance of Bertram Boyce North, known as the Bridegroom. Legend says that Bertram North murdered his fiance Daisy in his father's carriage factory before killing himself. 

Alex finds out that Bertram did not kill Daisy. He was possessed by the spirit of a homeless man who had been taken by Bonesmen for a prognostication and died. The spirit first possessed Daisy, who pushed him out and he then possessed Bertram, shooting Daisy and himself. Their bodies were found by Daisy's maid Gladys. 

While the above is true, Alex also finds out that Daisy could see Grays like she can and calls herself a Wheelwalker. Daisy's spirit tracked down Gladys and ate Gladys' soul, taking possession of her body. Whenever she started to age, she would eat another soul - leading to a nexus of power being created in New Haven. Daisy discovered that she could eat the souls of other Wheelwalkers and it would sustain her for much longer than a regular soul. She started going by the name Marguerite Belbalm and worked at Yale where she lured Alex in specifically to eat her soul. Daisy killed Dean Sandow after he confessed to killing Tara. When she tried to kill Alex, Alex called on the help of the Grays who stopped Daisy long enough for Alex to call out the souls of the women she had killed. The Grays then set upon Daisy. It is unknown for sure what happened to her but her soul is probably gone and not to be found in the Veil.

Deceased, soul destroyed

Daniel Tabor Arlington III. Virgil of Lethe House to Alex's Dante. Dante to Michelle Alameddine's Virgil. The gentleman of Lethe House. Virgil serves as Dante's trainer in all of Lethe's procedures and protocols. Virgil and Dante both observe every ritual performed by the societies. 

Darlington's parents were more concerned with being socialites than being parents, he was raised by his grandfather. When his grandfather died, he left his money to his daughter but his home, Black Elm, to Darlington. Darlington sold everything in the house just to keep the lights on, raising himself for the last few years of high school on gatorade and 7-11 food. When Darlington tried to create a magical elixir and almost died doing it, he was found by Dean Sandow and invited to join Lethe House and Yale University. Darlington became enamored of Alex as he trained her, when he was poisoned by Manuscript he declared that he would serve her until his death. He knew some of what happened at Ground Zero but before she told him the full story, he was caught in a trap by Dean Sandow and eaten by a hellbeast. Dean Sandow then created a ritual to bring Darlington home, but Sandow designed the ritual to fail because he didn't really want Darlington found. He told everyone that Darlington's soul was destroyed by the hellbeast and they would discover who had killed him. In truth, Sandow laid the trap because he was planning to kill Tara Hutchins as part of a ritual to create a new nexus for St. Elmo's. Darlington had discovered the correlation between murdered women and the creation of new nexus spots, Sandow knew that Darlington would connect the dots if he were still alive. However, Alex believes that Darlington has become a demon that the spirits in the borderlands call the "Gentleman Demon" and that he can be brought back after all. She asks Dawes and Michelle to help her try again. 

Druglord who Len worked for. 

His cousin Ariel came to town and had a reputation for liking to hurt women. Len had a party at his place, inviting Eitan, who got Hellie high and led to her death. Upon finding Hellie dead, Alex invited Hellie's spirit into her body and they killed everyone in the house, including Len, Betcha, and Ariel. Alex ended up in the hospital afterward. Eitan visited her in the hospital and didn't believe her when she said she killed Ariel. He did tell her she owed him six thousand dollars for the fentanyl used that night, leading Alex to call Dean Sandow. This way she was able to pay Eitan. In exchange, she accepted a place at Yale and a job as the Lethe Dante.

Praetor of Lethe House who serves as a liason between Lethe and the university administration. Professor at Yale University. 

After Ground Zero, Sandow offers Alex a job as Lethe House Dante and a position as a Yale student, paying six thousand dollars to Eitan in exchange. After Darlington goes missing, he puts together a ritual to return Darlington home, calling in the assistance of Aurelian, Pam Dawes, Michelle Alameddine, and Alex. Alex later discovers that the ritual was designed not to work by Sandow, who wanted Darlington to stay gone. Sandow has been going through a contentious divorce that has left his broke and made a deal with St. Elmo's that he could create a ritual to make a new nexus where they could build a new tomb. They paid him a lot of money for the new nexus. In order to finish the ritual, Sandow had to kill someone and he chose Tara Hutchins because Tara had learned too much about Lethe from overhearing Dean Sandow talk when she came to his house to sell his (not yet ex-) wife weed (who had breast cancer at the time). Darlington had discovered the correlation between the murders of women and the creation of a nexus, so Sandow had to get rid of Darlington before performing the ritual. He laid a trap for Darlington which led to Darlington being eaten by a hellbeast (which is why Sandow did not want Darlington to be returned home and designed a ritual that would fail). When Alex continued to investigate Tara's death, Sandow sent a gluma after her that was supposed to kill her. When she continued to investigate, he compelled Blake Keely to attack her and nearly kill her. He came to Il Bastone after Blake's initial attack, but Alex called the jackals to stop Blake and Sandow's leg was broken by one of the jackals before he was able to call them off. He believed he had gotten away with it when they found text messages from Tara to Blake and Blake was blamed for Tara's murder, but Alex discovered what Darlington had found out and put all the pieces together. She confronted Sandow at a party at the president of Yale's house where he confessed to the whole thing. His soul was then eaten by Professor Belbalm. After his body was found, his cause of death was listed as a heart attack. Lethe House has determined that exposing Sandow as Tara's murderer could expose why he murdered Tara, leading people to try to recreate the ritual again. They have decided to allow the official record to show Blake Keely as Tara's murderer.

Deceased

Alex's grandmother. 

Was very superstitious and helped take care of Alex when she was young. One of the strongest people Alex knew.

Deceased

Maid of Daisy Whitlock who discovered the bodies of Daisy and her fiance Bertram Boyce North. 

Alex finds out that after Gladys found the bodies, Daisy's spirit followed her and forced its way into Gladys' body, eating her soul in the process. Daisy then inhabited Gladys' body until Alex freed the souls of the women Daisy killed and expelled Daisy from the body as well. Gladys' body turned to dust and Gladys' soul was set free.

Deceased

Helen Watson. Alex's best friend who died at Ground Zero. 

 Len decided to have a party and invite Ariel, who had a reputation for hurting women. He told Hellie and Alex to make themselves available but Alex convinced Hellie to leave for the night instead. When Alex fell asleep, Hellie went back to the party. Alex went after her and went to bed when she couldn't find Hellie. After waking up to find Hellie dead next to her, Alex allowed Hellie into her body and together they killed everyone else who was still there including Len, Betcha, and Ariel. Alex woke up again in the hospital and accepted the position at Lethe from Dean Sandow.

Deceased

Belbalm's assistant, in addition to Colin Khatri.

Member of Manuscript. 

Is at the Halloween party when Darlington is poisoned by Manuscript and begs Alex not to put it into her report since Manuscript would be sanctioned. Alex agrees to omit that from her report in exchange for a favor from Manuscript at some point in the future. Manuscript uses a plant that only grows Greater Khingan Mountains to create Merity but Kate wanted to find a better source for it. With help from Sveta Myers, she was able to allow Tara to have access to one of Yale's small greenhouses, where they managed to get the plant to grow. Tara then began to sell it elsewhere than just to Manuscript, including to Blake Keely. 

Nurse who takes care of Michael Reyes after his prognostication and assures Alex that he is doing well. Also possibly takes care of Alex after being attacked by Blake Keely. 

Current delegate president of Aurelian. 

He is at the ritual with Amelia to give Zeb Yarrowman a second novel that both Darlington and Alex observe. At the ritual, Alex is nearly overcome by the Grays and the ritual is almost disrupted and Darlington has to placate Aurelian. Zelinski takes part in the ritual to bring Darlington home along with Amelia, but it is unsuccessful. 

Roommate of Alex, Mercy, and Anna. 

She helps Mercy after the Omega Meltdown when Mercy is assaulted by Blake Keely, before Alex is told what happened and comes back to her dorm. 

Boyfriend of Tara Hutchins. 

Lance and Tara dealt drugs together, getting involved with Kate but Tara was the one who was good at cooking. When she was killed, the last thing she saw was Lance's face. When Alex shows up at Tara's apartment, Lance attacks her. He had used a portalling tablet that Tara made for Colin to break out of the prison and make a run for it but returned to the prison when Alex was at the apartment. He is questioned by Alex and Turner, insisting that he did not kill Tara. It is discovered that Sandow killed Tara to create a nexus point for St. Elmo's and used magic to make Tara see Lance's face when he killed her. Lance is charged with drug related crimes, but is not charged for Tara's murder. 

Leonard Beacon. Alex's boyfriend who died at Ground Zero. 

The boy who got Alex involved in drugs and started sleeping with her at a very inappropriate age. Alex would sell drugs for him and Len was abusive. When he decided he wanted to start dealing harder drugs than weed, he had a party and invited Eitan's cousin Ariel to become friendlier and potentially have Eitan promote him. Ariel had a reputation for hurting women, Len told Hellie and Alex to make themselves available but Alex convinced Hellie to leave for the night instead. When Alex fell asleep, Hellie went back to the party. Alex went after her and went to bed when she couldn't find Hellie. She woke up to find Hellie dead next to her in bed and opened herself up to Hellie's spirit. Together, they killed everyone who was still there including Len, Betcha, and Ariel. 

Deceased

Women's studies professor at Yale. Colin Khatri works as her assistant. 

Professor Belbalm has developed in interest in helping Alex succeed at Yale, potentially offering her a summer job to help her catch up with her studies. She has salons every Thursday evening, which Colin consistently works and Dean Sandow consistently attends to get drunk at. It is from one of these salons that Sandow portals from and murders Tara before portalling back. When Alex discovers the truth about Sandow and gets him to confess, Belbalm enters the study. She reveals that she is actually Daisy Whitlock, who was killed and forced her spirit into the body of her maid Gladys O'Donaghue. She has lived in Gladys' body ever since.  Alex finds out that Daisy could see Grays like she can and calls herself a Wheelwalker. Daisy's spirit tracked down Gladys after Gladys found Daisy and North's dead bodies and ate Gladys' soul, taking possession of her body. Whenever she started to age, she would eat another soul - leading to a nexus of power being created in New Haven. Daisy discovered that she could eat the souls of other Wheelwalkers and it would sustain her for much longer than a regular soul. She started going by the name Marguerite Belbalm and worked at Yale where she lured Alex in specifically to eat her soul. Daisy killed Dean Sandow after he confessed to killing Tara. When she tried to kill Alex, Alex called on the help of the Grays who stopped Daisy long enough for Alex to call out the souls of the women she had killed. The Grays then set upon Daisy. It is unknown for sure what happened to her but her soul is probably gone and not to be found in the Veil.

Roommate of Alex, Lauren, and Anna. Alex's closest friend. 

After going to a party at Omega house, Mercy is given Merity and recorded as she gives consent to be assaulted by Blake Keely. This leads Alex to call in her favor from Manuscript, find Blake, delete the video (plus videos of other girls), and make a video of Blake eating from a clogged toilet. The video of Blake is seen by everyone at Yale, but Mercy's video is seen by very few people. When Alex is later attacked by Blake and leaves the hospital to stay at the Hutch, Mercy calls Alex's mom and tracks her down so they can take care of her. 

Patient in an inpatient psychiatric hospital who is used in a prognostication ritual on the night that Tara is killed. Alex checks on him after the ritual is finished and is told by the nurse Jean that he is doing fine and is going to be transferred back to the psychiatric hospital in a few days.

Virgil at Lethe when Darlington became Dante. Still works for Lethe in New York. 

Comes to Yale to participate in the ritual to bring Darlington back, which doesn't work. She believes that Darlington has been eaten by a hellbeast and his soul destroyed. At Sandow's funeral, Alex explains that Darlington is still alive but has become a demon. She asks Michelle to help with a new ritual that will return him. 

Current delegate president of Manuscript. 

After Darlington is poisoned at Manuscript, he agrees to owe Alex one favor so she doesn't put the poisoning in her report. When she calls in her favor, he gives her Astrumsalinas - a drug also called starpower - that compels people. She uses it on Blake Keely and his fraternity brothers. He also agrees to perform a ritual to try to stop Mercy's video from leaking. 

Alex's hippy mother who lives in Los Angeles. She doesn't know much about Alex's father. 

Alex ran away from home at fifteen after beginning to use drugs and her mother enrolled her in a teen scared straight program that kidnapped her during the night. She didn't see Alex again until the night of Ground Zero, when Hellie died and Alex ended up in the hospital. She comes to see Alex after Alex is attacked by Blake Keely, but is only able to stay for one night. 

A senior when Alex was twelve, who took pity on Alex when she was teased and picked on by others. She was dating Len at the time, who she warned not to be a creep, and who was the first person to introduce Alex to drugs. When Mosh went away to art school after graduating, Len started sleeping with Alex. When she came home a few years later to visit once and saw Alex, she apologized for setting her down a bad path. 

Oculus of Lethe House and Yale student working on her dissertation. Oculus typically keeps Lethe House running, making sure that their instruments are kept up to date, the houses are kept stocked with food and magical necessities, and helps with research.

Dawes is very quiet, often working with headphones on, and is very fond of Darlington. She begins working with Alex to bring Darlington home, eventually taking place in Sandow's ritual with Alex, Michelle Alameddine, Amelia, and Josh Zelinski though the ritual is unsuccessful. She also helps Alex investigate the murder of Tara Hutchins, helping Alex get to the borderlands, helping Alex break into the morgue, saving Alex's life after the gluma attack, and helping think of potential theories with Alex and Turner. She is at Il Bastone when Blake Keely breaks in and is knocked unconscious before sneaking upstairs and hitting Blake in the head with a marble bust, killing Blake and saving Alex's life. She is taking some time off to recuperate and stay with her sister when Alex discovers that Dean Sandow actually killed Tara Hutchins. 

Current delegate president of Wolf's Head.

When Alex wants to go to the borderlands to speak to North, she returns a stolen statue that Lock and Key had taken from Wolf's Head. Salome originally agrees to let Alex use the ritual room in exchange for the statue, but tries to renege once she has the statue. Alex puts her in a chokehold and threatens to rip her earrings out of her ears until Salome agrees to let them into the ritual room.

Graduate student at Yale who allowed Tara to use her greenhouse to grow Merity for Kate Masters. She has not been seen since a few days since Alex found the greenhouse, supposedly taking the rest of the semester off. She met Tara and the two became friends and started growing weed together at Sveta's greenhouse. 

New Haven resident, girlfriend of Lance Gressang. 

On a Thursday night during a prognostication ritual by Skull and Bones, Tara Hutchins body is found murdered and Alex investigates despite being told by both Officer Turner and Dean Sandow that the societies were not involved. Alex discovers that Tara started growing Merity for Kate Masters and Manuscript, using a Yale greenhouse and the help of Sveta Myers. Tara began to sell Merity on the side, selling to Blake Keely, who introduced her to Colin Khatri. Colin had Tara help him distill mushrooms and create tablets that would allow Scroll and Key to portal short distances. At first it is believed that Lance killed Tara because Lance's face was the last face Tara saw as she died. Later, it is believed that Blake killed Tara because she had learned what he was doing with the Merity and threatened to expose him. Alex finally discovers that Tara had been selling weed to Dean Sandow's wife when she had breast cancer. He had not been discreet while Tara was at his home, she had learned too much, and when Sandow discovered how to create another nexus he decided that Tara was the person he would kill in the ritual. Using one of her tablets, he portaled from Belbalm's salon, used magic to make Tara see Lance's face, killed Tara, and portalled back to Belbalm's house. Tara's murder has now been solved, but the public still believes it was Blake Keely who did it since Lethe decided it was too dangerous to expose Sandow, which may lead to why he killed Tara as part of a ritual. Her soul is still unaccounted for.

Deceased

Member of Skull and Bones.

Alex discovers that Tripp had ties to Tara Hutchins, leading to her finding out that Tara also knew Blake Keely, Kate Masters, and Colin Khatri. Tripp tells Alex that he would by weed from Tara and sometimes they would sleep together but it was nothing serious - just a little fun. 

Darlington's cat.

Book in Lethe House used to pull information from Lethe's vast library. You write down what you need inside the book, close and return the book to the shelf, and the Albemarle Book pulls any reference material related to your request. 

Vessels used for magical and alchemical use. Usually pure gold and highly reactive. The crucible used in Il Bastone is a large golden dish that Alex calls a bathtub.