Chapter 51

Rykaia dresses Maevyth in a revealing black gown, fastens a scorpion chain, and masks her scent and aura. She explains sigils and the cicada-and-stag masks used at the Becoming. Despite Dolion’s search for Maevyth, the women cleave to the warded venue and gain entry under false names.

Inside the lavish festivities, Maevyth spots Zevander shadowing Prince Dorjan and notices hooded Magestroli. Rykaia drags her to test the masking on a mage who turns out to be Anatolis—the familiar Foxglove scribe. Magelord Akmyrios and Captain Zivant briefly join them before departing to confer, heightening Maevyth’s anxiety.

Zevander intercepts Maevyth and Rykaia, furious that they risked exposure and ordered them to leave after the ceremony. When Maevyth whispers a forgetting charm, his anger eases. Drawn into a public, sensual dance, Zevander confesses she stands out despite the masking, while Maevyth admits Anatolis’s presence and reveals Moros’s white stones and their monstrous effects.

Alarmed by the stones, Zevander pulls Maevyth aside, deciding he will question Anatolis but insists Maevyth stay silent and with Rykaia until after the Becoming, promising to have Torryn watch them. Maevyth briefly meets Princess Calisza through Rykaia and learns of their past bond, underscoring the princess’s youth and the troubling ritual ahead.

Rykaia and Maevyth debate Zevander’s protectiveness and desire, while Rykaia warns that if Zevander noted Anatolis’s interest in Maevyth, the scribe may be in danger. The chapter closes with Maevyth awaiting Zevander’s chance to slip away and confront Anatolis after the princess is escorted to her chambers.