The Ghost wakes Jude after she has fallen asleep among papers, still tasting poison from her immunity regimen. The Roach is also in Jude's rooms, and the Ghost reports that Cardan is causing trouble again. Jude follows the Ghost through the palace passages to the High King's apartments, expecting drunken misconduct.

Jude finds Cardan amid destroyed furniture, smoke, spilled wine, Locke, and two half-dressed faeries. After dismissing the guests, Jude learns the scene was not merely revelry: two black crossbow bolts are embedded in Cardan's headboard, and one grazed Cardan's side. Cardan explains that a female guest was hit in the leg, the guards assumed Cardan had fired at the guests, and the real shooter escaped through a hidden passage in his bedroom.

Jude and the Ghost discover the hidden door behind Cardan's wardrobe. Jude enters alone and follows the secret passage, finding the large crossbow abandoned inside. The tunnel leads to High King Eldred's old apartments, where Jude finds Nicasia crying on the bed.

Nicasia admits she fired the crossbow, but insists she meant to kill the girl with Cardan rather than Cardan himself. Jude threatens her with the consequences of treason and uses Nicasia's fear to extract information. Nicasia reveals that Queen Orlagh sees Cardan as young and weak, wants him to marry Nicasia, and may end the truce and sink Elfhame beneath the waves if Cardan refuses. Jude realizes Balekin may be Orlagh's backup plan and that Cardan marrying Nicasia would destroy Jude's effort to keep the throne for Oak.

Before leaving, Nicasia warns Jude that someone Jude trusts has already betrayed her. Jude returns to Cardan and lies by silence, saying she has not found the would-be killer. Because Cardan's rooms are insecure, Jude brings the intoxicated, wounded High King to her own chambers to sleep. Their antagonism turns charged when Cardan jokes that Jude would not have missed if she had shot at him, then drunkenly asks Jude to kiss him again before falling asleep, leaving Jude awake and unsettled.