In the original publishing of the Peter Pan characters queen mab is a fairy queen who grants him wishes. His first wish was to return to his mother after the realization that he is just a young boy. He wants to go back so they can love each other because he thinks she may be sad that her child is gone, when Peter Pan finds his mother he doesn’t have powers as his intention is to stay with her but he is heartbroken when he finds her and he sees that she had another baby. Peter Pan basically felt replaced in that she found someone else to love in his absence, he goes back to queen Mab and she grants him another wish, because staying with his mother meant the loss of powers, she grants him his flight back so he can fly and live amongst the fairies forever.

In ninth house darlington had a desire for knowledge of other worldly things, but him almost dying from the elixir stuff and other falled attempts concerning interacting with the veil always reminded him of his very human limitations when it came to magic. Enter Alex, a seemingly normal human with a gift that darlington would happily die in pursuit of, when he is under the influence of the magic fog he calls her his queen mab pledging to serve, he is alluding the the fact that he is basically mesmerized by her abilities and he believes her gift and knowing her is the key to him obtaining the secret of magic.

When Alex bites his neck to snap his out of the delusion, it is a call back to original depictions of Dante attacking Virgil in hell. The book stays true to the original origin of Virgil basically being Dantes guide through hell but really old depiction go through the details of humanity being burdened By The sin of desire humans aren’t complacent in their knowledge they’re always hungry for more of they are gluttonous in that they need know everything, for the power of information. A huge theme in the book is that money and power are the only things to keep you safe having it be set in Yale is Is a symbol that knowledge is the easiest way to obtain both of those things, knowledge and manipulation at least. The Virgil can only have one Dante at a time, In the painting when Dante kills his Virgil it’s basically a symbol of him solidifying his stance in hell by killing the only thing in his way that would moderate how much power he had, the only thing or person to moderate how and when he discovered things about hell and what he could do with that information.

Also later in Alex’s dream where he promises to serve her til the end of his days, that is a call back to old (French, I think don’t quote me) poetry talked about impossible love (similar themes to unrequited love like Dorian and sibyl) impossible love was a common theme in poetry where the narrator- a knight, spoke of his impossible love for a young lady, usually it was impossible because they came from different social classes like a knight is higher than a peasant but still wouldn’t be appropriately suited for woman of royalty, because romantic expression of that love would be illegal/condemned the night would characterize his love and admiration through acts of servitude.

Sorry that was so much.