Jude rides to the Tower of Forgetting on Insweal to answer Prince Balekin’s intercepted message on behalf of High King Cardan. The island and prison are bleak, isolated, and laced with cold iron, emphasizing how thoroughly Balekin has been removed from court life despite his royal rank.

At the tower, Jude identifies herself as the High King’s seneschal and is admitted by Vulciber, a hostile part-troll guard. When the stairs become too dark for Jude’s mortal sight, Vulciber tries to intimidate her by refusing light, but Jude draws a hidden knife and forces him to light a green torch.

Jude finds Balekin imprisoned in surprising comfort, serving tea in a furnished cell while ruddy moths from the old High King’s blood still linger near him. Balekin recognizes Jude’s connection to the Court of Shadows and, instead of bargaining, orders Vulciber to slap her. Jude resists the urge to fight, reminding herself that pride is not useful for a spy, and speaks as Cardan’s representative.

Balekin needles Jude about mortality, love, fear, Dain, Madoc, and Cardan, then reveals that he will not give Jude the message meant for Cardan. He says the message will reach Cardan another way soon, which means Jude’s trip has failed to uncover the intended threat or offer.

As Vulciber escorts Jude out, a faerie woman in another cell grabs Jude’s ankle and says she knew Jude’s mother, Eva, and many of Eva’s secrets. The mention shakes Jude more than Vulciber’s threats, but Jude regains control at the top of the stairs and deceives Vulciber into coming outside by claiming Cardan left new written orders.

Once outside, Jude reveals there are no orders and stabs Vulciber with a hidden pin, incapacitating him. She loads him onto her horse and rides away, turning a failed interrogation into a kidnapping that may give her leverage or information.