Serpent & Dove Summary: A Witch-Hunter Romance
TL;DR
In Cesarine, witches burn at the stake for the amusement of cheering crowds, and the holy Chasseurs who light the fires answer only to the Church.
Louise “Lou” le Blanc, a Dame Blanche witch who fled her coven two years ago, survives by stealing through the city’s grimy streets and suppressing her magic.
Her carefully hidden life collapses when a heist goes wrong and she is forced into a marriage with Reid Diggory, the Captain of the Chasseurs.
Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove follows two people bound by sacred vows to destroy each other’s kind.
The novel blends witch lore, political intrigue, and slow-burning romance inside a city ruled by fear.
- The setup: Lou le Blanc steals a magic-proof ring, gets caught in a scandal, and is married off to Reid Diggory as punishment.
- The twist: Lou hides her witch identity inside Chasseur Tower while slowly falling for her hunter husband.
- The reveals: The Archbishop is Lou’s biological father, Madame Labelle is Reid’s mother, and Reid himself turns out to be the first male witch.
- The ending: Reid saves Lou’s life with magic, kills the Archbishop in the process, and the group escapes to seek refuge with a blood coven.
- Core themes: Sacred vows versus love, bigotry, free will, deception, and found family.
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Serpent & Dove Summary (Spoilers Ahead)
Louise “Lou” le Blanc is an eighteen-year-old Dame Blanche witch who fled her coven two years before the story begins.
She lives as a thief in Cesarine with her best friend Cosette “Coco” Monvoisin, a blood witch. Lou has suppressed her magic to avoid the Chasseurs and the spies of her mother, Morgane le Blanc.
Lou and Coco plan to steal Angelica’s Ring, an artifact that grants immunity to magic, from the townhouse of aristocrat Pierre Tremblay.
They enlist the swindler Bas St. Pierre, and Lou retrieves the ring during a night heist. Chasseur Captain Reid Diggory surrounds the building, and Lou escapes alone using the ring’s power.
The next day, Reid and Archbishop Florin Clément corner Lou inside the Soleil et Lune theater.
Lou creates a public scandal by pretending Reid attacked her, and the Archbishop forces the two into marriage to protect the Church’s reputation. Reid brings his new wife to live inside Chasseur Tower, unaware she is a witch.
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Lou feigns ignorance and uses Angelica’s Ring to hide her magic. She reunites with Coco, who has disguised herself as a healer named Brie Perrot, and befriends the young initiate Ansel Diggory.
Lou accidentally causes the capture of Estelle, a witch from her past, and watches the Chasseurs burn her at the stake outside the cathedral.
The execution leaves Lou shaken, but her bond with Reid deepens. He shares his favorite novel with her, and she challenges his rigid beliefs about witches. The two fall in love and consummate their marriage under the stars, though secrets continue to close in.
Madame Labelle, the mistress of the Bellerose brothel, repeatedly warns Lou that Morgane is in the city. Lou also discovers that Madame Labelle is Reid’s biological mother.
During a street performance by Ye Olde Sisters, the Archbishop’s past affair with Morgane is exposed, revealing that Lou is his daughter.
Witches attack the cathedral, and Lou’s identity is revealed to Reid. Heartbroken, Reid rejects her and declares their marriage over. Lou flees into the street and is captured by Morgane, who takes her to Chateau le Blanc for the Modraniht sacrifice.
Reid realizes he still loves Lou and joins forces with Coco, Ansel, Prince Beauregard, and Madame Labelle. They infiltrate Chateau le Blanc during the Modraniht festival. Morgane stabs Madame Labelle and slits Lou’s throat over the altar.
In desperation, Reid discovers he possesses magic—he is the first male witch, born of Madame Labelle and King Auguste.
He uses a golden life pattern to transfer the Archbishop’s life force into Lou, saving her while killing Clément. The Chasseurs launch an assault, and the group escapes into La Forêt des Yeux.
The survivors resolve to seek refuge with Coco’s blood coven, led by her aunt La Voisin, as Morgane and the King continue hunting them.
Warning: This section contains spoilers for every chapter of Serpent & Dove. The novel has 3 parts and 41 chapters total. Chapter 1: The Bellerose (Lou) — Lou and Coco infiltrate the Bellerose brothel disguised as men to spy on Monsieur Tremblay. They overhear Madame Labelle threaten Tremblay over a magical ring in his vault. Thugs Andre and Grue confront Lou, but she threatens them and leaves. Chapter 2: The Chasseur (Lou) — Lou and Coco meet Bas at a patisserie to plan the Tremblay heist. A Chasseur parade passes, and Lou bumps into a copper-haired Chasseur before exchanging sarcastic banter. A witch attack on the royal parade erupts moments later. Chapter 3: Wicked Are the Ways of Women (Reid) — Reid detects magic during the parade and fights three Dames Blanches witches attacking the royal carriage. He tackles a shapeshifter who takes Morgane’s form before she vanishes. Archbishop Clément praises Reid and warns him about the guile of women. Chapter 4: The Heist (Lou) — Lou, Coco, and Bas approach Tremblay’s townhouse at night. Coco uses blood magic to sedate the dogs, and Lou uses magic to knock out the guards, vomiting from the strain. She retrieves Angelica’s Ring from the vault, but Chasseurs surround the building. Chapter 5: A Man’s Name (Reid) — Reid inspects Tremblay’s townhouse and speaks with Célie and her mother. He spots two thieves near an upper window and recognizes the freckled woman from the parade. Bas is captured below, and Reid watches Lou climb the outer wall. Chapter 6: Angelica’s Ring (Lou) — Lou uses the ring to turn invisible and escapes past the Chasseurs. She meets Coco, who reveals the constabulary saw her face and must flee the city. Lou returns to her attic hideout, where Andre and Grue ambush her, but she fights them off. Chapter 7: Two Named Wrath and Envy (Reid) — Reid trains in the yard, plagued by guilt over the escape. His rival Jean Luc mocks his favoritism under the Archbishop. The Archbishop summons Reid to a matinee at Soleil et Lune. Chapter 8: A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement (Lou) — Lou wakes at the theater as the audience arrives. Reid catches her and identifies her to the Archbishop, who slaps her. To avoid scandal, the Archbishop orders Reid to marry her immediately. Chapter 9: The Ceremony (Reid) — The Archbishop announces the marriage to a hostile crowd and suffers an embarrassing bout of flatulence. He forcibly baptizes Lou in the Doleur river before conducting the ceremony. Reid and Lou exchange vows, and the Archbishop orders them to consummate the union. Chapter 10: Consummation (Lou) — Reid escorts Lou to his austere room in Chasseur Tower. Lou refuses his advances, and they argue over their marriage. She discovers his journal filled with love letters to Célie Tremblay. Chapter 11: The Interrogation (Reid) — Reid spars with Jean Luc and is taunted about marrying a street rat. He escorts Lou to the dungeon for interrogation. Lou gives false details about her witch friend and names Andre, Grue, and Madame Labelle. Chapter 12: The Forbidden Infirmary (Lou) — Lou bathes and suspects a secret magical facility on the upper floors. Reid assigns Ansel as her chaperone. Lou tricks Ansel into taking her up the spiral staircase, where they find a secret infirmary where priests experiment on enchanted patients. Chapter 13: The Escape (Lou) — Lou discovers Coco disguised as healer Brie Perrot in the infirmary. Coco explains the priests are developing paralysis injections for witches. Lou later erases Bas’s memory before he can reveal her identity, and she argues with Reid in the library about Chasseurs versus witches. Chapter 14: Lord, Have Mercy (Lou) — Reid forces Lou to attend evening Mass in the cathedral. Lou makes up irreverent lyrics to the chants. Reid apologizes for shouting at her earlier, and Lou reflects on the hypocrisy around her. Chapter 15: Madame Labelle (Reid) — Reid shows Lou his secret hiding spot for his prized novel, La Vie Éphémère. They banter about the book and share a rare laugh. Madame Labelle arrives demanding to see Lou and whispers a warning before being dragged out. Chapter 16: Chill in My Bones (Lou) — Lou wakes from a nightmare about her sixteenth birthday, when her mother slashed her throat. She decides to train harder in magic and procure a weapon. She reflects on the law of balance and vows to prepare for her mother’s arrival. Chapter 17: A Clever Little Witch (Lou) — Lou tries to get a knife from Jean Luc but is refused. She argues with him about lutins being harmless. In the infirmary, Father Orville injects a dying patient with hemlock poison. Chapter 18: La Vie Éphémère (Lou) — Reid takes Lou to a performance of La Vie Éphémère. During intermission, he tenderly strokes her wrist, and chemistry sparks. Lou spots Estelle, a witch from her past, and panics. Chapter 19: Witch Killer (Lou) — Estelle attacks with magic, but Reid tackles her and brings her to Chasseur Tower. Estelle is injected with hemlock and chained in the dungeon. The next morning, she is burned at the stake while Lou collapses in hysterics. Chapter 20: Soul Ache (Lou) — Lou recovers in bed while Reid justifies Estelle’s execution. Lou asks if he would burn her if she were a witch, and he says yes. Lou sneaks to the library and receives a Bible from the Archbishop. Chapter 21: A Time for Moving on (Reid) — Lou asks Reid to spend the day in town as “Reid” rather than “the Chasseur.” They eat sticky buns at Pan’s patisserie and share personal questions. They return to learn Monsieur Bernard’s body has vanished. Chapter 22: The Guest of Honor (Lou) — King Auguste holds a ball honoring Reid for saving the royal family. Coco dresses Lou in a white silk gown. Lou spots Reid with Célie and feels jealous, and Prince Beauregard flirts with her. Chapter 23: A Dangerous Game (Lou) — Lou follows Reid and Célie into an herb garden, where Célie begs for an annulment. Reid refuses, stating he will honor his vows to Lou. Coco warns Lou that playing house with a Chasseur will end in tragedy. Chapter 24: A Question of Pride (Reid) — Reid reveals he was abandoned as a baby before the Archbishop took him in. He describes the tournament he won at sixteen. Lou explains witches channel power from ancestors, not Hell, and Reid holds her as they sleep. Chapter 25: Blood, Water, and Smoke (Lou) — Lou goes to Abe’s smithy to buy Reid a dagger as a Christmas gift. Abe betrays her, locking her in with Andre and Grue, who steal the ring. Reid bursts in, kills the thugs, and Lou impulsively kisses him. Chapter 26: Of My Home (Lou) — Reid and Lou report the incident and walk through town. Lou takes him to her former attic home above Soleil et Lune. She reveals her mother pampered her before trying to kill her, and Reid embraces her. Chapter 27: Where You Go (Lou) — Lou takes Reid to the theater roof to look at the stars. Reid recites holy vows promising to stay by her side. They make love under the open sky, and Lou feels safe for the first time. Chapter 28: Monsieur Bernard (Lou) — Reid buys Lou a new red cloak at the Saint Nicolas Festival. Madame Labelle approaches and asks Reid personal questions about his surname. Lou notices their matching blue eyes, and Monsieur Bernard appears as a living shadow delivering a message before dying. Chapter 29: Ye Olde Sisters (Lou) — Reid demands to know who is hunting Lou, and she prepares to confess. The Archbishop interrupts and forces Lou to attend a performance by Ye Olde Sisters. The play enacts his affair with Morgane, revealing Lou is his daughter. Chapter 30: Secrets Revealed (Lou) — Witches attack the crowd outside the cathedral. Reid slays an attacker and drags Lou inside, demanding the truth. A witch breaks through the window and calls Lou a traitor to her kin, and Lou knocks her unconscious with magic. Chapter 31: Oblivion (Lou) — The witch recovers and threatens Ansel’s life. Lou steps forward to save him, and the witch injects hemlock into her throat. Paralyzed, Lou confesses her love to Reid, who stares back with hatred before she passes out. Chapter 32: Beating a Dead Witch (Reid) — Ansel administers an antidote, and Lou wakes to find the witch dead. Reid confronts Lou over her deception and declares their marriage over. Lou flees into the street, where Morgane captures her. Chapter 33: Hell Hath No Fury (Reid) — Reid carries the witch’s corpse to the furnace, tormented by his love for Lou. Ansel calls him a coward, and Reid punches Jean Luc before joining the rescue group. Madame Labelle reveals the true history of Constantin, Angelica, and Morgane’s plot. Chapter 34: The Soul Remembers (Lou) — Lou wakes in a wagon, paralyzed, as Morgane transports her to Chateau le Blanc. Morgane takes Angelica’s Ring and announces Lou will be sacrificed on Modraniht. Morgane says Lou was conceived only as an instrument of vengeance. Chapter 35: Harbinger (Reid) — Reid’s group treks through La Forêt des Yeux toward the chateau. They evade Chasseur patrols led by Jean Luc. Madame Labelle disguises their faces so they can pose as consorts at the festival. Chapter 36: Drifting (Lou) — Lou lies paralyzed in her old bedroom while Manon tends her. Manon reveals her sister was burned by Chasseurs and begs Lou to accept her destiny. Morgane brings Lou to see a captured Archbishop Clément. Chapter 37: Consorting With the Enemy (Reid) — Reid learns from Coco that Lou saved her life as a child. Disguised as consorts, Reid, Ansel, and Beauregard cross the enchanted bridge with three young witches. They enter the grand hall and spot Lou suspended beside Morgane’s throne. Chapter 38: Modraniht (Reid) — Morgane addresses the assembled witches and begins the Modraniht chants. The group waits for Madame Labelle’s signal while consorts dance. Morgane leads everyone to the temple ruins and stabs Madame Labelle on the steps. Chapter 39: The Pattern (Reid) — Reid rushes to his dying mother and attacks Morgane in rage. Coco stabs Morgane to break the enchantment, but Morgane slits Lou’s throat. Reid uses magic to transfer the Archbishop’s life force into Lou, killing Clément, and Chasseurs breach the temple. Chapter 40: La Forêt des Yeux (Reid) — Reid carries Lou and his mother’s body into the forest with the others. Coco uses blood magic to revive Madame Labelle. Madame Labelle explains Reid manipulated a life pattern, proving he is the first male witch. Chapter 41: La Voisin (Lou) — Lou and Reid reconcile in the forest and reaffirm their love. Madame Labelle reveals she guided the Chasseurs to the chateau as a distraction. The group decides to seek refuge with Coco’s aunt La Voisin. Read Also: Dead Beat Summary: Alex Stern’s Final Battle at Yale (Ninth House #3) Explore Similar Books: Cursed Ever After Summary: A Witty YA Fantasy Quest “THOU SHALT NOT SUFFER A WITCH TO LIVE.” “There’s a time for mourning, and there’s a time for moving on.” “‘Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay.'” “I’ve never met anyone like you, Lou. … I know you’re vulgar and dishonest and manipulative—but you’re also compassionate and free-spirited and brave.” “Love is a nothing but a disease. This desperation you have to be loved—it is a sickness.” “There are some things that can’t be changed with words. Some things have to be seen. They have to be felt.” “If she is destined to burn in Hell, I would burn with her.”
Summary by Chapter (Spoilers)
Characters in This Book
Character Role Louise “Lou” le Blanc Eighteen-year-old Dame Blanche witch living as a thief in Cesarine after fleeing her mother’s sacrificial altar. Reid Diggory Captain of the Chasseurs, raised by the Archbishop, who unknowingly marries a witch. Cosette “Coco” Monvoisin Lou’s best friend, a Dame Rouge blood witch who disguises herself as a healer in Chasseur Tower. Ansel Diggory Sixteen-year-old Chasseur initiate who becomes Lou’s chaperone and close friend. Archbishop Florin Clément Patriarch of the Church who raised Reid and is revealed to be Lou’s biological father. Morgane le Blanc Queen of the Dames Blanches and Lou’s mother, who plans to sacrifice Lou on Modraniht. Madame Helene Labelle Mistress of the Bellerose brothel and former witch who is revealed to be Reid’s biological mother. Jean Luc Toussaint Reid’s fellow Chasseur and rival who aggressively hunts Lou once her identity is exposed. Célie Tremblay Reid’s former sweetheart and daughter of Pierre Tremblay. Pierre Tremblay Aristocrat and black-market trafficker of magical artifacts. Bastien “Bas” St. Pierre Aristocrat swindler and former lover of Lou who assists in the Tremblay heist. Prince Beauregard “Beau” Lyon Crown prince of Belterra who joins Reid’s group to save Lou. King Auguste Lyon King of Belterra and biological father of Reid. Andre & Grue Street thugs in the East End who harass Lou and are killed by Reid. Estelle Dame Blanche witch from Lou’s childhood who is captured and burned at the stake. Father Orville Elderly priest who oversees the Tower infirmary and experiments with hemlock. Monsieur Bernard Dying patient in the infirmary used by Morgane as a shadow puppet. Manon Dame Blanche witch and Lou’s childhood friend at Chateau le Blanc. Quotes from This Book
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