Crossed by Emily McIntire Summary, Characters and Themes

“Crossed” by Emily McIntire is the fifth book in the Never After series, a collection of dark, fractured fairy tales inspired by classic villains. This story reimagines The Hunchback of Notre Dame, presenting a twisted romance between Father Cade, a morally conflicted priest with violent impulses, and Amaya, an exotic dancer trapped in poverty and caretaking duties. 

Set in the ominous town of Festivalé, Vermont, this psychological thriller delves into the darker sides of human nature, exploring themes of obsession, vengeance, and redemption. McIntire crafts a haunting and hyperbolic tale of romance where love collides with deadly intentions.

Summary

Father Cade Frédéric, a French Catholic priest, arrives in Festivalé, Vermont, carrying a complex, tortured faith. Brought up in the streets of Paris, he is both a devout servant of the church and a man with a monstrous inclination, perceiving himself as a vessel to rid the world of evil. 

Behind his righteous facade lurks a dark side: Cade is driven by a vigilante urge, targeting individuals he deems morally corrupt. Convinced he harbors a demon within, Cade sees his violent impulses as penance for his sins, physically punishing himself to atone.

In this same town lives Amaya Paquette, a beautiful dancer known as Esmeralda. 

She performs to support her younger brother Quinn, who has autism, and to pay off her deceased mother’s debt to a dangerous man named Parker. Festivalé’s gossiping townsfolk shun Amaya, seeing her as cursed and sinful due to her mother’s reputation. 

Parker, who controls much of the town’s criminal underworld, constantly pressures Amaya to marry him, holding her in a suffocating grip of debt and intimidation.

Cade encounters Amaya at her club and is immediately entranced, viewing her as both a temptation and a threat. Her beauty stirs both desire and judgment in him, and he believes she has bewitched him. 

What begins as disdain for her perceived “sin” transforms into a disturbing obsession. 

He starts stalking her, consumed by the need to watch her every night, rationalizing his fascination as part of his duty to purge evil. Amaya, aware of his presence, feels a strange thrill and fascination with her relentless observer, forging a dark connection between them.

Cade’s murderous tendencies are unleashed when he kills a woman struggling with addiction, justifying his actions as righteous. 

His violent streak deepens when he murders a man named Andrew, a patron who harassed Amaya, driven by possessiveness and jealousy. 

To protect Amaya from suspicion, he orchestrates a diversion, creating a second, similar murder to confuse the police and free her from blame.

Meanwhile, Amaya is forced into a degrading marriage arrangement with Parker to secure her and Quinn’s safety. 

However, after Parker assaults her, Cade intervenes, killing Parker and framing him as the town’s serial killer. 

This not only secures Amaya’s safety but also grants her financial freedom through Parker’s wealth. Cade’s actions further entwine him with Amaya, as they are now accomplices in crime and darkness.

The climax unfolds as Cade brings Amaya to a monastery where her estranged mother, Sister Genevieve, resides. 

The reunion turns violent, with Amaya’s repressed rage boiling over as she kills her mother, mirroring Cade’s own violent urges and bonding them further in shared trauma.

Freed from their pasts, Cade and Amaya leave Vermont, settling in a luxurious château in France with Quinn, whom they care for with newfound resources. Yet, the couple’s penchant for violence persists; they indulge in murder as a perverse form of bonding. 

The novel closes on a surreal, twisted “happily ever after” as Cade and Amaya live out their dark romance, embracing the shadows they once sought to escape.

Characters

Father Cade Frédéric

Father Cade Frédéric is a French Catholic priest with a haunting past and a twisted sense of righteousness. Raised on the rough streets of Paris, early life experiences may have seeded the darkness that festers within him.

He perceives himself as a holy man, finding a temporary sense of solace in his dedication to the church. Yet, he harbors a darker side that violently emerges whenever he encounters people he deems “evil.”

As a vigilante killer, Cade sees himself as an instrument of divine justice, targeting sinners and purging them from his world. This duality reveals his inability to reconcile his faith with his violent impulses.

To atone, he punishes himself physically for his sins, though these acts of penance seem more ritualistic than genuine. When transferred to Festivalé, Vermont, Cade’s struggle intensifies upon meeting Amaya.

Initially, he perceives her as a sinner and even contemplates killing her, convinced she’s a temptress ensnaring him. However, his desire for her overtakes his intent, leading him into an obsession he cannot shake.

His fixation compels him to stalk Amaya, justifying his actions by viewing her as his “weakness,” a woman he needs to conquer or destroy. As their relationship progresses, Cade ultimately abandons his calling in favor of his dark romance with Amaya.

Embracing his darker nature, Cade transforms from a conflicted priest to a vigilante lover, finding a twisted form of salvation through murder.

Amaya Paquette

Amaya Paquette, inspired by Esmeralda in this fractured retelling, is a young woman living in the decrepit, judgmental town of Festivalé. She is both a caretaker and a survivor, burdened by her role as the primary caregiver for her autistic brother, Quinn.

Their mother abandoned them when Amaya was only 19, leaving her with a mountain of debt to a powerful man named Parker, who controls much of the town. Her life is one of relentless hardship.

To pay off her mother’s debt, she works as an exotic dancer, performing under the stage name “Esmeralda.” Despite her beauty and strength, Amaya feels trapped, longing for freedom and love.

However, she shies away from relationships out of fear of further abandonment. Amaya faces condemnation from the townspeople, who view her as cursed due to her family’s reputation.

This perception is fueled by people like Florence, who have personal vendettas against her. Despite these obstacles, Amaya’s resilience keeps her bound to Festivalé.

Her encounters with Cade awaken a dark part of her that mirrors his. She eventually comes to accept his violent side, even participating in murder herself.

By the end, Amaya transforms from a woman trapped by her circumstances to one who finds power in her darkness. She willingly embraces Cade’s twisted sense of justice as part of her own.

Parker and the Town of Festivalé

Parker is a menacing figure who embodies corruption and control in Festivalé. He is the reason behind Amaya’s ongoing financial struggles, holding her mother’s debts over her head as leverage.

As both a criminal and a figure of authority, Parker manipulates the town and maintains his power over Amaya. His desires are as predatory as they are possessive.

He repeatedly pressures Amaya to marry him, using her dependence on him to secure his dominance. His violent behavior escalates to physical abuse, as he rapes Amaya and forces her to sign marriage papers.

Parker’s control over Amaya symbolizes her societal entrapment and serves as a dark foil to Cade. Ultimately, Cade kills him in an act of revenge and liberation for Amaya.

Parker’s death signifies the breakdown of Amaya’s ties to her former life. It grants her the freedom—albeit in a twisted form—to embrace her new life with Cade.

Florence and Sister Genevieve

Florence is a prominent member of Festivalé’s society and a hypocrite who despises Amaya. Her hatred is partly due to a scandalous incident involving Parker.

She uses her influence to spread rumors about Amaya, casting her as an outcast and reinforcing the perception that she is cursed. Florence represents the judgmental nature of the townspeople.

Her disdain culminates in an incident where she publicly humiliates Amaya’s brother, Quinn, triggering Amaya’s rage. Sister Genevieve, on the other hand, is revealed as Amaya’s estranged mother.

A self-centered, remorseless woman, Genevieve abandoned her children and joined a convent. When Amaya confronts her, Genevieve’s narcissism provokes Amaya to kill her in a rage.

This encounter mirrors Cade’s earlier transformation. Killing her mother brings Amaya full circle, as she accepts the darkness she shares with Cade.

Quinn Paquette

Quinn, Amaya’s younger brother, has autism and depends on her for emotional and physical support. Despite the hardships, he is a source of unconditional love in Amaya’s life.

Their bond is one of the few instances of genuine affection in the novel. It provides a contrast to the otherwise dark and toxic relationships surrounding them.

Quinn’s innocence and vulnerability compel Amaya to endure her difficult life. She works tirelessly to provide for him, sacrificing her own freedom.

In the end, Quinn accompanies Amaya and Cade to France. His presence symbolizes that, despite her descent into darkness, Amaya’s core motivation to protect her brother remains unchanged.

Themes

The Allure of Sin and Sanctity: A Psychological Tug-of-War

In Crossed, the duality of sin and sanctity forms the backbone of the narrative, challenging the notion of purity, especially within the confines of religious devotion. Father Cade, as a priest, is meant to embody righteousness, yet he’s plagued by a desire to purge those he deems morally unworthy.

His violent impulses are an inversion of the traditional priestly mission to save souls; instead, he condemns them with fatal judgments. This conflict within Cade brings to life a theological and psychological dilemma: Can an individual truly embody holiness if they are, at their core, an executioner of others’ sins?

Amaya’s presence amplifies this tension, drawing Cade further from his vows. Through Cade’s struggles, McIntire probes the limits of sanctity, suggesting that holiness, when marred by the desire for retribution, can blur the lines between sacredness and damnation.

The Pathological Entanglement of Love and Obsession: Romance as a Destructive Force

The romance between Cade and Amaya traverses boundaries of obsession, lust, and moral decay. Cade’s fascination with Amaya is less about love and more about possession and domination; he views her as both a temptation to resist and an entity to conquer.

This dynamic is mirrored in Amaya, who, despite her trauma, finds excitement in Cade’s obsessive gaze. The novel thereby critiques traditional romantic ideals, portraying love as a potent yet dangerous force capable of consuming one’s identity.

Through Cade’s voyeurism and Amaya’s tacit consent, the story suggests that obsession, when reciprocated, can forge connections as deep as they are destructive. The idea that love can be a form of self-obliteration surfaces repeatedly, as the characters abandon moral boundaries, consumed by a passion that grows violent and uncontrollable.

Redemption in the Darkness: A Twisted Moral Landscape

Rather than striving for conventional redemption, Crossed constructs an alternate moral reality in which darkness becomes the pathway to freedom. Amaya and Cade’s actions, though ethically reprehensible, are portrayed as empowering and almost redemptive in their own twisted logic.

Cade’s killing spree is positioned as a purging act, removing those he deems irredeemably corrupt from the world. This portrayal of redemption disrupts typical moral frameworks, proposing that salvation can be achieved not through self-sacrifice or repentance, but through an indulgence in one’s darkest impulses.

Amaya’s involvement in murder marks her transformation, aligning her with Cade’s twisted moral compass. The novel thus reimagines redemption not as a journey toward purity but as an acceptance of one’s flaws and a willingness to embrace a skewed version of justice.

Familial Burden and the Weight of Generational Trauma

Amaya’s life is defined by the responsibilities imposed by her family’s failures, particularly her mother’s abandonment. Her forced role as caregiver for her brother Quinn underscores the theme of generational trauma, where one generation’s sins are inherited by the next.

Parker’s control over Amaya, stemming from her mother’s debts, further reinforces this idea. Amaya’s life of servitude to both her brother and the men around her presents family not as a source of love and support but as a shackle.

Her mother’s eventual reappearance, devoid of remorse, confronts Amaya with the bitterness of unresolved family trauma. When Amaya kills her mother, she is, in essence, severing the oppressive familial ties that have defined her existence.

This drastic action illustrates McIntire’s critique of familial loyalty, especially when the family serves as a source of enduring trauma rather than protection.

The Ambiguity of Morality: Embracing a Fluid Moral Code

Crossed abandons the notion of an absolute moral code, exploring a world where “good” and “evil” are subjective, mutable, and dependent on individual perception. Cade and Amaya live by a personal, ever-shifting moral framework, where murder is justified by their belief in the inherent corruption of their victims.

Cade’s religious background, traditionally a bastion of moral absolutism, further complicates this ambiguity, showing that even a priest can fall into moral relativism. As Amaya becomes involved in Cade’s murders, her character arc demonstrates how trauma and circumstance can shift one’s ethical compass.

Their actions, no longer bound by societal rules, suggest that morality, for some, can be shaped by survival, trauma, and a desire for power. The narrative challenges readers to consider if morality is truly universal, or if it can be adapted to suit the needs of those willing to embrace their shadows.

Liberation Through Transgression: Dark Empowerment as a Means of Self-Actualization

Amaya’s journey from victimhood to empowerment is marked by a transgressive path where breaking societal and personal constraints leads her to freedom. Throughout her life, she has been objectified, oppressed, and subjugated, forced to work under degrading circumstances to provide for her brother.

Her eventual involvement in murder, while morally questionable, is portrayed as an act of reclamation. She liberates herself from Parker’s grasp, physically enacts vengeance against her abusive mother, and ultimately joins Cade in a life where they make their own rules.

Through her dark empowerment, Amaya’s character sheds her victimhood, redefined as a woman who has reclaimed agency, albeit through violence and crime. McIntire’s portrayal of liberation challenges readers to question if true freedom can ever be morally clean or if, for some, it requires a descent into the darkness they’ve tried to avoid.

The Pursuit of an Unconventional “Happily Ever After”: Redefining Fulfillment

Rather than ending with traditional romance tropes, Crossed leaves Cade and Amaya in an ambiguous state of contentment—together, wealthy, and freed from their enemies, but still deeply entwined with their inner darkness. Their relocation to France and continued violent escapades are a dark parody of the conventional “happily ever after.”

Rather than finding peace, they find solace in embracing their demons together, redefining love as a mutual indulgence in each other’s worst selves. The narrative implies that for certain individuals, happiness is not found in social acceptance or moral integrity but in a rejection of these constructs.

Their ending, while grotesque, is a form of fulfillment, raising questions about the nature of happiness and whether it must conform to societal norms or can be individually crafted—even if that means embracing a life of sin.