The Inheritance Games Chapters 18–26 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Chapters 18–26

Chapter 18

While Avery explores her wing of the house, she comes upon Tobias Hawthorne’s office and discovers that it highlights the accomplishments of his extraordinary grandsons. She investigates the various drawers in his desk, one of which she opens using a compass built into it. Libby finds her and expresses awe at the space, but all Avery can focus on is the worsening bruise on her eye. Libby reveals that her mother beat her as a child, and she was desperate to understand why Drake would do the same when he loved her. She also admits that she overheard Zara saying that they were going to complete a DNA test on Avery. Avery insists that even if they find out she and Libby don’t share a father and are therefore not biologically related, she would still want Libby there with her.

Chapter 19

After taking what she describes as the longest hot shower of her life, Avery hears a voice coming from behind the fireplace in her room that instructs her to pull the candelabra. She initially fears for her life but becomes intrigued, and the fireplace opens to reveal Jameson. He explains that the house is full of secret passageways and suggests that Avery herself is his grandfather’s final puzzle. Despite Avery’s growing anger, Jameson refuses to let the point go and argues that she is special. He hands her a letter, asks her to read it, and leaves.

Chapter 20

Avery reads Jameson’s letter, the one he received at the will reading, and discovers that it is full of proverbs written by Tobias. She continues struggling to make sense of it the next morning, but she becomes distracted when she opens her phone to discover hundreds of messages. Alisa calls from outside her room, and when Avery opens the door, she and another young woman bring in trays of food. After raising questions about the young woman and learning that Nash helped her find employment, Alisa reveals that she herself and Nash were once engaged. She concludes their conversation by telling Avery that she will be attending a private school called Heights County Day with Xander and Jameson.

Chapter 21

Oren drives Avery and Jameson to school, and on the way, they discuss Tobias Hawthorne’s letters. After Avery gives hers to Jameson to read, he asks her what she makes of them. She analyzes the proverbs in Jameson’s letter, leading both of them to suspect that it outlines the information they already know about their surprising changes in fortune. Avery can hardly believe her eyes when they pull into the school, and she feels like an imposter.

Chapter 22

Jameson readily gets out of the car, but Avery hesitates. When she finally gathers the courage to move, she is surprised that none of the students glance her way as she walks across campus. The first person who does is a black-haired girl who introduces herself as Thea and offers to escort her to the office. Avery follows her as she rattles off various pieces of advice about succeeding at the school. When they finally arrive, a group of boys, beaten up and bloodied, emerge from the office. Xander is among them, and he is less than thrilled with Thea’s presence. He reveals that Thea’s last name is Calligaris, and her uncle is married to Zara.

Chapter 23

Dr. McGowan tells Avery about the various classes that she will be taking and suggests a few others, including a course called Making Meaning that she believes will help her as the new head of the Hawthorne Foundation. She then asks Avery what she is passionate about. Avery’s immediate response is travel, and although Dr. McGowan knows she cannot travel for the next year, she offers information about the school’s study abroad programs.

Chapter 24

Avery receives a call from Max around noon, and Avery is excited to update her. As happy as Max is for her, she warns her about staying away from the news and reveals that reporters have even tried to contact her for information about the Hawthorne Heiress. Avery then heads to the cafeteria for lunch, and Thea pulls out a chair for her. She apologizes for her forward attitude but emphasizes that the Hawthorne boys are not to be messed with. Frustrated with Thea, Avery gets up to leave, and as she does so, Thea reveals that the last girl who got tangled up with the boys died.

Chapter 25

Trying to make sense of Thea’s warning, Avery is wandering the halls when Xander emerges from a lab holding a small mechanical dragon. He wants to help her feel more comfortable at school, but she cannot help but be suspicious of him. Xander asks her about Jameson’s letter and follows this question with information of his own, revealing that he often chatted with his grandfather over scones rather than try to win any of his challenges. One important detail that he learned was that Tobias Hawthorne did not have a middle name. Avery is surprised given that Jameson’s letter included “Tattersall” as his grandfather’s middle name. When she asks Xander if she could read his letter as well, he playfully refuses and walks away.

Chapter 26

In the school’s library, Avery sits down at a table and ponders the signature on Jameson’s letter. She texts Alisa to ask about the added middle name, and Alisa responds by saying that Tobias Hawthorne legally changed it years ago. Avery pulls a magnifying glass over the letter to look at the handwriting more closely and notices a small space in the middle of “Tattersall,” leading her to wonder if the name is code for “tatters, all.” She receives a text from Jameson moments later about the sign-off at the end of the letter, and as she reads through each proverb again, the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover” comes to mind.

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