In Lunathion, The Viper Queen agrees to free Tharion and his friends if Ithan agrees to participate in one private fight for her.

Lidia uses a burner phone to call the rebel group Ophion as Agent Daybright and request aid in the coming rescue. She learns the rebellion lost many supporters following Cormac’s (Agent Silverbow) death.

In Prythian, Nesta is deeply curious about Bryce’s eight-pointed star because the same symbol appeared on Nesta’s back after she made a Fae bargain with her mate, Cassian.

The Middengard Wyrm attacks Bryce’s group, drawn by the blood trail left by Bryce’s wounded hands—wounds that she’s purposefully been reopening. Bryce abandons Nesta and Azriel to fight it, but their pretend cries of pain purposefully lure her back to act as Wyrm-bait. However, when the Wyrm absorbs Nesta’s magic, she is forced to put on the Mask—a long-lost item she’s recently found that can reanimate the dead. Reanimated dead help Nesta kill the Wyrm.

As Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel forge ahead, Nesta mentions she’s seen the eight-pointed star somewhere else, “no place good” (161).

In the Asteri prison, Ruhn enters the shared mental space Lidia has been creating through telepathy, speaking to her for the first time since his capture.