[Discussion 5 of 8] Lasher by Anne Rice | Ch. 15 – 20

This is the fifth reading discussion for ‘Lasher’ by Anne Rice, book two in the Mayfair Witches trilogy. This discussion covers chapters 15 through to the end of chapter 20. Next week we will be reading chapters 21 through to the end of 29. As usual, the questions will be in the comments.

I am liking this read more than I thought I would. The horror elements are a lot more extreme than in the previous book in the series, which isn’t usually my thing. However, I do like how Rice seems to be using multiple unreliable perspectives together to build up to a nuanced version of the truth.

If you’ve read ahead, feel free to share your thoughts in the Marginalia. If you’re following along with us, you can check out the Schedule, which also links back to earlier discussions in case you missed anything.

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Chapter 15 – This chapter is from Emaleth’s point of view. We see Rowan escaping Lasher’s imprisonment by knocking him out and finding a truck driver to take her out of the city. She begs the driver to take her to New Orleans, but he is reluctant because she appears to be in a lot of pain.

Chapter 16 – Mona gets home after finding her mother dead in the hospital. Her house is full of Mayfairs. At first, she doesn’t want to talk to any of them. She gets rid of her old clothes and raids her mom’s wardrobe for a more grown-up look. Once she has finished, she notices that she looks a lot like her mother. We learn that Alicia officially miscarried while in the hospital and that she was dead for three hours before Mona found her. Mona takes to her computer to try to process what has happened. She decides that she needs to warn and save all the remaining Mayfair women. Beatrice checks in on her and while that is going on another death is revealed, a distant Mayfair cousin. Mona tells everyone that she believes that it is a single person attacking the Mayfairs. She demands that Mayfair women gather in every city and stay in one place until the threat has been neutralised. Despite being thirteen, Mona seems keen to deal with the threat herself.

Chapter 17 – Fearing for his life, Julian decides that the only thing he can offer Lasher is to let him possess his body on a regular basis. Julian has no awareness of what Lasher does while he is possessing his body. Interestingly, sometimes after a possession has taken place Julian remembers bits of Lasher’s life, mainly centring around Donnelaith and the cathedral there.  Julian becomes convinced that Lasher is not some kind of demon at all, but a random ghost who wants to live again. He tries to tell his mother this, but she refuses to believe him. She also thinks it is a wonderful idea for spirits of the dead to find a way to come back in the flesh. She goes so far as to suggest that Lasher will honour the Mayfair’s by resurrecting them in new bodies, once he has gained a body himself. Julian is horrified by this idea. He realises that he can’t confide with his mother anymore, because she is on team Lasher. This leaves Julian on his own in any potential fight against Lasher, at least until Mary Beth is older.

Chapter 18 – This chapter is from Rowan’s point of view. Once the truck driver has her out of the city, they stop, and she tries to contact Michael and the Mayfair and Mayfair firm. Despite ringing over twenty times, she doesn’t get through. The operator on the line tells her that they can’t keep doing this all day and that she needs to hang up. She gets back in the truck but soon realises that she is in full labour. She lies to the truck driver that she has reached where she wants to reach and leaves him. He is concerned for her but seems to leave her to it. She goes into a field. She tells Emaleth that she is dying and that she needs to travel on to New Orleans without her. She tries to warn Emaleth again that she should not go to Lasher. Emaleth’s birth is horrific, as it almost seems like Emaleth climbs out of Rowan’s womb. The chapter ends with Rowan breastfeeding Emaleth and about to pass out or die from her complications.

Chapter 19 – Dr. Larkin receives news from San Francisco that all the research on Lasher in the Keplinger Institute has disappeared. Mitch Flanagan has died and the Keplinger people believe that it was Larkin himself who removed the research from the institute. Larkin is furious and embarrassed that this has happened under his watch.  The team and Aaron ask him to stay in New Orleans until things are cleared up. We learn that every other bit of evidence that was being processed concerning Lasher has disappeared from institutes around the country. Aaron believes it is the Talamasca who did it. Larkin asks him if he thinks they assassinated Flanagan, but Aaron tells him he doesn’t think they would do that.

Chapter 20 –

When Mary Beth is a young woman, Julian takes her on an extended trip to Europe. Lasher is not happy with this and even kills Julian’s lover when they stay too long in Italy. To calm him down, the pair head for Scotland. Once there, Julian uncovers a lot about Donnelaith and the cathedral there. Most notably, he learns that the church was dedicated to an unofficial saint, Ashlar. When Julian speaks Ashlar’s name Lasher goes crazy. Julian learns more about this figure and uncovers that there were a few different Ashlars. Julian decides that Lasher may be the ghost of the saint or one of his descendants.

Mary Beth gets pregnant with Belle. Lasher spends more time with her. Julian uses this time to record everything he has learned in a book. However, once Julian gets to a certain point in his research, Lasher starts threatening him. This cumulates when Julian is approached by a member of the Talamasca, who he is open to speaking with at that moment. Lasher attacks the man and stops Julian from further contact. Belle is born and is clearly not a witch. Lasher announces that Julian will need to sire a daughter by Mary Beth to create the next real witch. Julian doesn’t like this idea, but Mary Beth is all for it.

Once back in America, Julian matchmakes Mary Beth with a friend (and former lover) of his, Daniel McIntyre. They have two kids, but neither is a suitable witch, so eventually Julian caves and sires Stella. We move to the 1910s. Julian is a very old man. Mary Beth no longer really believes in all the research Julian did on Lasher. She sees Lasher as a victim that she can use to further her own ends. Julian tries to warn the next generation, but Stella thinks his research is silly and Carlotta is too religious to want to read about witchcraft and Lasher. Julian, despite never being mean to kids, doesn’t care for Carlotta. However, he notices that Carlotta shares his desire to stop Lasher.  

One night, suspiciously soon after he tried to show Stella his research, Mary Beth burns his books. Julian tries to stop her but has a stroke. While he is recovering, Carlotta gives out to him about him being an evil asshole and mentions a girl who he has wronged. Julian is baffled. He finds out that Carlotta blames him for the abuse/neglect of a granddaughter of his, who she believes he has conveniently ignored and left to suffer. This girl is who we know as Ancient Evelyn. She is a powerful witch and the child of Julian’s son, Cortland. We learn that Julian had no idea the girl existed. He immediately goes to free her and he brings her back to the First Street house that night. This is where the chapter ends.