The Shadow of the Wind: City of Shadows: Chapter 34 Summary & Analysis

Daniel dreams of Bea’s body all night. In the morning, Fermín returns to the bookstore and horrifies Mr. Sempere with his bruised face.

In the afternoon, Daniel returns to The Angel of Mist as planned and arrives before Bea. But it’s very cold and soon he ventures to the cellar to find wood for a fire. The mildewy smell makes him recall the damp morning on which they buried his mother. Daniel dispels the image and descends. After turning on a small boiler, he hears footsteps upstairs and assumes Bea has arrived, but returns upstairs to find she’s not actually there. He wanders the house until he finds a small bathroom that is drawing heat from the boiler.

Bea finds Daniel in the bathroom, where they huddle for warmth. But suddenly the wind blows out their candles. Someone bangs on the door several times, but when Daniel finally opens it, no one is there. Daniel and Bea get dressed and hurry downstairs, but Daniel notices that a previously closed door, carved with angels, is ajar. He descends the staircase behind the door and finds a crypt containing Penélope’s coffin, with 1919 listed as the date of death. While Daniel is looking at the coffin, a voice in the shadows tells him to “get out,” and he recognizes it as Laín Coubert. Daniel grabs Bea and runs out of the house without telling her whom he encountered.

Bea promises to call Daniel soon and walks away without a goodbye. Daniel sees Tomás looking at him impassively from the window of their house.