The Ritual: A Dark College Romance

“‘If you would have let me fuck her…’

‘You mean rape her?’ I correct him. ‘Fuck, Matt! What in the hell were you thinking?’ Abstinence is part of our oath.”

Ryat’s objection to Matt raping LeAnne draws a line between what the novel frames as inappropriate sexual conduct (rape) and acceptable sexual conduct (sex under conditions where consent is unclear or dubious, such as when drunk or coerced by Lords’ rules). That Ryat’s objection is due to their oath to the Lords, not to a sense of morality, illustrates that this difference still disregards real-world morality regarding consent, establishing the novel’s morally gray tone.

“I’ve imagined what it would feel like to be touched. To know what it’s like to be sexually wanted for so long.”

Blakely’s Desire to Feel Desired by another leads her to embrace her potential status as a “chosen” while representing part of her larger character arc. Though here represented merely in terms of sex, Blakely will consistently express a longing to be wanted on her own merits as opposed to her family connections. This draws her to Ryat, as she believes he feels the former kind of desire for her.

“Walking over to it, I open it up to see a note that says drink me sitting next to a small vial of clear liquid.”

The note on the drugged vial alludes to Alice in Wonderland (where Alice drinks a labeled vial and shrinks to a minuscule version of herself). This allusion suggests that Blakely, like Alice, will see strange and frightening things as she journeys deeper into the mysterious world of the Lords.

“‘Smile, dear, you never know who is watching you,’ my mother always tells me.”

Blakely’s memory of Valerie’s comment provides a corollary to Ryat’s observation that proper loyalty must be observed. Unlike the masculinized representation of loyalty through observed violence, Valerie tells Blakely that she should always be performing contented femininity by smiling.

“The point of the ritual is to cleanse them from their past sexual patterns, but I’m extremely territorial over what is mine.”

Ryat’s comment about the “point” of the titular ritual relies on the belief that someone (typically a woman) is “dirtied” by sex. Though the novel frames Ryat’s possessiveness as romantic, this comment suggests that this sexual possessiveness is due to notions of sexual “purity,” not of love.

“Yeah, some would argue that my agreeing to be his chosen one strips away any say I have over my body, but I see it differently. I see freedom in knowing that I belong to him.”

Blakely’s reframing of the sexual obedience demanded by the Lords’ “chosen one” oath allows the novel itself to reframe the dark, controlling pat3-2tern of Blakely and Ryat’s early relationship into one of mutual support. Blakely’s remark here lets this shift happen without sacrificing the explicit sexual scenes that center Ryat as dominant and controlling, which constitute much of the narrative.

“‘You’re in control here,’ I say. Manipulation is important.”

This comment simultaneously frames Ryat as an unreliable character and a reliable narrator. Because he admits, if only internally, that he is manipulating Blakely, the text encourages readers to trust what he thinks, if not what he says. This gives the reader (in this text and in dark romance more broadly) a privileged position that reveals the romantic undercurrents of a character who seems characterized primarily by violence.

“‘Lots of women have forced-sex fantasies,’ I argue. After the fifth time I had this dream, I started doing research, and I found I wasn’t alone. They call it forced-sex fantasy because rape implies violence. And for women who fantasize about this—it’s the fact that someone wants them so much, they can’t help themselves. Can’t take no for an answer. It’s more of the domination aspect of it.”

Blakely’s explanation of the psychology behind the “forced-sex fantasy” sexual practice tacitly gives readers permission to themselves engage imaginatively with the sex practices represented in the novel. In arguing for the psychological value of fantasy, this comment provides a metric for reading the text itself and dark romance more broadly.

“As long as all parties are consenting, then do whatever the fuck you want.”

Ryat’s comment approving of different kink practices (notably Blakely’s “forced-sex fantasy”) presents a logical gap in the arc of the novel. While Ryat here emphasizes the importance of consent, he and Blakely earlier have sex without informed consent (i.e., with coercion or while intoxicated).

“He did something that Matt refused to do. Ryat just listened to me. He didn’t judge me.”

Blakely’s comment about confessing her sexual fantasies reveals one of the appeals of the dark romance genre. By pairing Blakely and Ryat without asking them to do anything to be “worthy” of their love, the novel suggests that actions that are immoral (or at least perceived that way) do not indicate that someone is unlovable.

“I forgot how much I’ve missed this. The action. This is the part of the Lords that I love. I’m not going to pretend not to like the violence. I love it.”

Ryat’s comment indicates that even with his growing loyalty to Blakely, he is not a reluctant member of the Lords nor only interested in the power the group affords him. By emphasizing that Ryat enjoys violence, the text reminds readers that Ryat is a “dark” protagonist even as he falls in love. This renders the text’s message about The Price of Power ambiguous, as it is unclear what Ryat “loses” by taking part in violence he enjoys.

“‘Look.’ [Janett] leans over, placing her forearms on the bar top. ‘I don’t know the story, and I don’t need to know, but I promise you’re better off.’”

This comment comes from Blakely’s boss during the weeks she has run away from Ryat. It suggests that men treating women poorly is so ubiquitous that Janett can understand something of Blakely’s troubles even without knowing any details. As Janett is later revealed to be working for LeAnne, however, this comment is just one more manipulation Blakely faces.

“I’m tired of hiding things from her.”

Ryat’s comment illustrates how sharing secrets indicates emotional intimacy in the second half of the novel. Though it is customary to keep secrets from one’s wife among the Lords, Ryat wishes to reveal his secret to Blakely. The novel uses this desire to imply that their emotional relationship is closer than that of other members in their society.

“Wouldn’t you rather have a wife who knows who you really are and chooses to stay than one who pretends you’re someone else?”

Blakely’s question is part of her insistence that Ryat should let her in on the details of his life in the Lords. It also reveals the significance of shared secrets in the latter half of the novel. As Ryat and Blakely fall in love, the novel frames their honesty as indicating that they are a well-suited couple. This suggests emotional improvement without requiring that either character behave in a more moral capacity.

“In a world full of smoke and mirrors, he’s something real. We got here by chance, but we’re still together by choice.”

The novel presents the value of Blakely’s choices in an inconsistent manner. While she frequently professes delight at not having to make decisions for herself, she here argues for the significance of choice in her relationship with Ryat. Her belief in her ongoing “choice” of Ryat is not diminished when she learns that their togetherness is the result of machinations by various Lords members.

“The Lords have shown me that darkness exists. That you don’t have to die in order to burn. And then you came along.”

Ryat here answers Blakely’s question about whether he believes in an afterlife, particularly one characterized by Christian notions of heaven and hell. Ryat rejects this, citing hell and heaven as things he has experienced while alive through his work with the Lords and the way he loves Blakely, respectively. This dismisses any concerns about whether the characters’ actions will have an impact beyond their lives.

“You can be someone’s wife but still want to be used. Ryat never makes me feel ashamed or embarrassed for that.”

Blakely’s observation disavows binary representations of womanhood premised on idealized wives and openly sexual women. Her delight that Ryat sees her as someone who can have sexual desires while remaining “worthy” of marriage indicates the rarity of this viewpoint within her social circle.

“The Lords are only out for themselves, Ryat.”

Ty’s comment illustrates how he is an intermediary figure within the novel. Though he is Ryat’s ally, Ty is not presented as entirely loyal to the Lords. This lets him show readers the Lords’ fallibility despite Ryat’s determination to remain loyal to them.

“I’ve always been a selfish person, Blake. Willing to do whatever it takes to get where I want to be. And out of all the things I’ve done, you are by far the greatest reward for my selfishness.”

Though Ryat frames his comment as a way of admitting to a fault, the idea that he is “rewarded” for this selfishness shows that the novel does not present selfishness or hunger for power as inherently negative traits. Instead, this selfishness manifests as his desire to keep Blakely in his life, no matter the cost—something the novel frames as romantic.

“We’ve fallen into a routine that almost makes me feel like we’re normal. Going to the movies, out to dinner. It’s like we’re a real couple that doesn’t live in a secret society. Which is crazy since we’re actually husband and wife.”

Blakely’s comments about what feels “normal,” “real,” and “crazy” create a complicated logic. Her suggestion that “real couples” don’t exist within the Lords shows her disillusionment with the society’s social aspects, though her comment that they are “actually” married does not make it clear if she feels this is “normal” for one connected to the Lords. This illustrates how the nature of the Lords has muddied her sense of romantic/sexual relationships.

“Phil runs his hand through his hair and nods to himself. Probably fighting the fact that I did something so morally wrong, but also, it’s the only thing that might save her life now.”

Ryat’s recognition that Phil accepts that “the ends justify the means” illustrates a central logic in the novel. While characters sometimes assert that they like violence, this is not the novel’s rationale for violence’s acceptability. Rather, the novel suggests that this violence is mostly necessary and therefore justifiable. However, it is “necessary” in the context of the protagonists’ own pursuits, which themselves may be more or less moral.

“‘Karma is a bitch,’ I say, but I don’t think anyone hears me.”

In the context of the novel’s emphasis on witnesses creating meaning, Blakely’s muttered comment illustrates how the text disregards any idea of cosmic retribution (including the culturally specific notion of karma). Doing bad things does not necessarily lead to bad outcomes. Without even a supernatural listener, Blakely’s words hold no meaning, reflecting the text’s attitudes on his observation.

“I’m not saying that he’ll choose the Lords over you […]. I’m telling you that he will pick you. And that’s what will get him killed.”

Ty’s comment plays with the romantic expectation that a romantic partner should put the other’s wants above their own. Instead, Ty tells Blakely that this expectation must go only one way. Only she should elevate what Ryat wants or, Ty implies, risk being at fault for his death.